The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Thursday 4 November 191516305

ALLEGED BIGAMY.  
A case, in which Agnes Sophie Steike
was charged with having committed
bigamy by having gone through the cere-
mony of marriage with Edward Bernard
Tamke, when her husband, Carl Gustav
Steike, was still alive was called on at
the Adelaide Police Court before Messrs.
T. Gipp, S.M. and H. V. Moyle, on Wed-
nesday. Mr. C. M. Muirhead defended,
and Sub-Inspector Edwards prosecuted.
Hermann Weyland, storekeeper, of Lobe-
thal, said he was present on October 8,
1900. at the marriage of Carl Gustav
Steike at accused, who was then Agnes
Sophie Beck. The ceremony was per-
formed at accused's father's residence by
Pastor E. P. G. Kriewaldt. Steike re-
mained at Lobethal. but his wife left him
about two years after the marriage.
By Mr. Muirhead— Witness did not know
whether Steike was cruel to his wife.
Bertha Steike also gave evidence to the
effect that she was present at the mar-
riage between her brother Carl Gustav
Steike and accused.
Archibald M. Buick. clerk in the office
of' the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and
Marriages, produced the marriage certifi-
cate of Steike and Beck.
Pastor J. E. Thomas, of the Church of
Christ, Grote street, Adelaide, said that
on July 20, 1915, be performed the ceremony
of marriage between Edmund Bernard
Tamke and accused, who gave her name as
Agnes Ethel Cora Beck, at his residence at
Wayville. Bertha Redmond and Olive  
Mitchell, two of his domestic servants, wit-
nessed the ceremony.
Bertha Redmond deposed to having wit-
nessed the second marriage.
Detective Noblet stated that on October
29 he saw accused at Victoria square. He
asked if her name was Mrs. Tamke, and
she replied "Yes." She admitted having
previously been married to Steicke, but said
she thought she could get married again, as
she had not seen her husband for eight
years. Witness said, "You knew he was
alive. You saw him some time back."
She then replied that she saw him about
nine months previously. The reason she
left him was that be drove her to it.
Accused pleaded not guilty, and reserved
her defence. She was committed for
trial. Bail was fixed at £50.