COL. ALLCARD’S BIGAMY.

RUSSIAN SECRETARY.

A romantic story was told at the Old Bailey yesterday, when Lieut.-colonel Herbert Allcard, D.S.O., pleaded guilty to marrying a young Russian lady, Mary Kotliarevsky, during the lifetime of his wife. Mr Travers Humphreys, who, with Mr. Eustace Fulton, prosecuted, said the defendant was married on April 3 1905, and he went through the bigamous ceremony in Paris on Dec. 31, 1921. The defendant at the time he committed the offence was a gentleman who was representing this country in a very important capacity, and a person who might be expected to know he should obey the law of the country. In September, 1920, Colonel Allcard was selected by the Foreign Office, being lent to them by the War Office, for the purpose of representing this country as British Commissioner upon the Commission settling the boundaries between Greece and Bulgaria. The defendant was occupying that position in Paris on his way home to London when he contracted the bigamous marriage.

On Dec 3 the defendant called on the British proconsul in Paris with the young Russian lady and said he wished to give notice of marriage and on Dec. 31 he went through the ceremony. The young lady had been attached to defendant’s staff as secretary and interpreter. She had died since this matter arose. Mr. Roland Oliver, who defended, said the defendant was a man of 46, who had been in the Army all his life, and served through the South African War, where he was awarded the D.S.O. He was married in 1905, and had lived happily with his wife. He served in the Great War and was seriously gassed in 1918.

In 1921 he obtained the appointment of Commissioner and went to Sofia to take up his duties. He came in touch there with the young lady who was now dead. She was a woman of education and refinement whose father had been murdered by the Bolsheviks, and she was in the position of having to earn her living by teaching languages. The defendant was associated with in his work, and became absolutely infatuated with her. This young woman knew all about him, and knew he was married. They continued to be associated until November 1921, when the snow put an end to the work of the Commission, and they came to Paris. From that time she lived with him as his mistress.

‘RELIGIOUS YOUNG WOMAN.’

“I do not wish to say anything against the dead woman,” said counsel, “but it is necessary that your lordship should know they were living together before the ceremony. This young woman was a very religious young woman, and pressed Colonel Allcard to go through a form of marriage in the Russian Church, which would satisfy to some extent her religious feelings. He held out for a time, but eventually agreed.”

Counsel quoted a letter from Mrs. Allcard, which, he said, showed that her husband was living with a young woman. Mrs. Allcard said: Colonel Allcard has gone off with a Russian refugee. She is called a secretary, and is paid by the Bulgarian Commission. They have travelled to Italy and the Italian lakes . ... How he could do such a thing I cannot think. Everyone says he is mentally deranged from the gas.

Counsel added that the only explanation of the matter was that the defendant did it to satisfy this young Russian lady’s religious scruples.

Colonel Allcard was called, and said the statement made by his counsel was correct. It was true that from the time he left Sofia she lived with him as his wife. And the reason stated as to why he went through the ceremony was the true reason: she wanted to be married in the Russian Church.

Mr. Justice Mccardie, in passing sentence, said he need hardly express his grief that this should fall to him. He was bound to remember that all men and all women were equal before the criminal law, and he had to deal with the case just as he would with any other ordinary case. His lordship passed sentence of six months’ imprisonment, and said in view of the fact that the defendant’s character previously had been without reproach the imprisonment would be served in the second division.