The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1879-01-03 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

STRANGE CASE OF BIGAMY. ••• At the Caimarvon Petty Sessions, on Monday, Cluistopher Taylor, a clogger from Dorsetsbire, was charged with bigamy. It appears that about a fortnight ago he met in Carnarvou a domestic servant, named Susannah Hughes, who hails from Rhyl. Their courtship was only of a few days' duration, and they were immediately married. On Monday week Taylor had occasion to pi oceed to Anglesey for the purpose of felling timber, and during his absence the newly-married wife received a letter addressed to him. On being opened the letter was found to contain a communication from a former wife, now in service at Rochester, who was in need of money to support her negleeted family. Information was afterwards given to the police, and Taylor was arrested on Tuesday. The Bench ' remanded the prisoner in order to snbpcena the ' former wife. SCENE IN A DUNDEE Curnce.—A rather extraordinary scene was witnessed in one of the Dundee churches on Sunday forenoon. Just before the opening of the service a respectably-dressed man took his seat in the gallery and almost immediately began whistling "The Last Rose of Summer. The members of the the congregation were astonished at the singular behaviour of the performer, and few could refrain from laughing when be subsequently struck up " Jeannie's Blank E'e," walking backwards and forwards along the passage as he whistled. When the minister had given out the opening psalm the musician suddenly stopped whistling and began fumbling in his pockets. To the amazement of those who were watching his movements, he pulled a meerschaum from his pocket, and striking a match on the wall, evidently intended to have a smoke. This was too much. The minister observing what had taken place, asked someone to remove the disturber, and this was accomplished without further annoyance.  About six o'clock on Friday, Pea. 27th, the dead body of Mr. Eastlake, late residing in Ladbrook Grove road, Notting hill, was discovered floating in the Thames below Woo:wich, the death having taken place under remarkable circumstances. A bargeman, in charge of the barge Lucy Darling, in ballast, from the Medway, on arriving twa miles from Woolwich, saw an overturned boat in the , water, and suspecting therehad been an accident, secured it to his barge and endeavoured to place it in its upward position. The task, however, was not easy, the assistance of his wife and cabin boy being necessary. By their joint efforts the boat was pulled over, when a rope was loan& attached to the centre seat, and a heavy weight depending from the rope lying in the water. The weight was raised and found to he the body of the deceased. Upon the body was found a number of letters, one of which ran:—' Nov. 18, '7B, Louclon.—My dear Charley, you know my old fad, and you may think as you please, but I know it is to be discovered; however, although it is so, I will carry the search no further, but keep the promise to take the alternative step—suicide, and you need none of you grieve, you will be fools if you do, as I die with the greatest glee, knowing I shall be tormented no longer by the riddle. Wishing you all joy at Christmas, your affectionate cousin, Alfred,"—addressed to Mr. C. Wyatt. The word " deceased" was written across this letter, showing it had been through the Dead Letter Office; but the envelope could not be found. Other letters bore various country addresses, one of which was that of a brother at Surbiton, who immediately came to town and identified deceased, and stated that last Christmas he had tried to drown himself in a similar manner, but was prevented. He then said, "If ever I do it I will with honour, like Cato and Addison." The deceased, who came into a large fortune at the age of 21, he now being 45, had a country lodge in Sussex. While spending the early part of his life there he conceived a great taste for natural history and geology, and kept collections of curiosities and antiquities. He then declared if he could not make a full discovery of the things he was seeking he "would part with life." A certain amount of restraint was put on him, but his physician was convinced he was sane and this was withdrawn. A singular feature iu the case is another letter, in which deceased writes (the writing having been confirmed) that to make sure of the success of the act and to prevent rescue he bad filled his overcoat pocket with stones, and this pocket was found to contain several large granites. Deceased seems to have led the life of a hermit.