While the cat's away !

At Cheshunt Petty Sessions, Ellen Mansfield was charged with feloniously and bigamously marrying Leonard Robert Shepherd at Tottenham Registry Office on 31st May, her lawful husband, Walter Mansfield, being still alive.

Detective William Childs said that, on 10th August at 9pm, he had gone to 2 Pond Cottages, Flamstead End, where he saw the prisoner.  He said “Are you Mrs Mansfield?”  She had replied “Yes”.  He said “I am a police officer and I am taking you into custody for feloniously and bigamously marrying Leonard Robert Shepherd at the Tottenham Registrar’s Office on 31st May this year, your lawful husband, Walter Joseph Mansfield, being then and now alive”.  She replied “You’ve got to prove it”.

At the police station, she said “Yes, it’s quite right.  Shepherd led me into it.  I told him I was a married woman.  He said he would kill me if I didn’t do it.”

Detective Childs asked that the prisoner be remanded to the next court.  He said that the Army Council had decided that Shepherd should be brought home from France and be charged with complicity in the bigamy.  He went on to say that he had received a telephone call from the Army Council to say that Shepherd had been wounded in France the previous Wednesday.

The prisoner was remanded to appear at the next Sessions.