MARRIED, NOT MATED.

Evening Star, Issue 8506, 4 May 1891, Page 4

MARRIED, NOT MATED.

A NEW ZEALAND WARRIOR ABDUCTS HIS OWN WIFE. HER RELATIVES BESIEGE THE HOUSE. [From Oub Special Correspondent.] London, Maroh 21. Mr E. H. Jaokson, whose romantic abduction of a reluctant wife has been the "sensation " par excellence of the fortnight, is in all probability well known to many of your readers. He went out to New Zealand shortly before the Maori war, and when hostilities broke out joined the irregulars, very soon rising to the rank of captain. Mr Jackson (his sister told a curious reporter) enjoyed the reputation of being a very daring soldier, and was known far and wide in the colony aB a splendid shot. At the conclusion of the war he entered the Civil Service, and rose to be a prominent official in the post office. After a while Mr Jaokson threw up this position, and returned to England. In 1887, whilst visiting his brother Colonel Raynßford Jaokson, at Blaokburn, Mr E. H. Jackson met and fell in love with a Clitheroe heiress, Miss Emily Hall. This damsel poßßessed L 27.000, left her by a deceased admirer, and is the patroness of the parish church. She returned Mr Jackson's affection, but that gentleman's means being insufficient to justify him in aspiring to a wealthy beauty's hand, the engagement was kept a secret from the lady's relatives. Mr Jackson about thii time received the offer of a lucrative post in Australia and accepted it, resolving to go out and make a little more money, and then return in a year or so to claim his Jiancte. Miss Hall agreed to this programme, but suggested that in order to bind one another mdiseolubly they should be quietly married before Mr Jackson's departure. The lover readily agreed, and on the very day of Mr Jackson's leaving the happy pair were made one at St. Paul's Church, Blackburn. This was November 5, 1887. The wedded lovers parted at the church door, Mrs Jackson returning borne to inform her relatives of the marriage, whilst the honeymoonlesß husband disconsolately made his way to London en route for Australia. Mrs Jackson's relatives made things very sultry for her on learning of her " oriminal imprudence." Nevertheless, husband and wife corresponded affectionately for many months. Then the wife's letters began to cool. Evidently the continuous dropping of slanderous insinuation had commenced to tell on her mind. Mr Jackson, noting this, promptly packed up, and early in 1889 returned home to claim his bride. The husband's worst anticipations were fulfilled. Mrs Jackson would neither see him nor live with him. This was a bit of a poser, but, assured that if he could secure personal association for a short time, he would soon be able to combat the hostile influences of his wife's family, Mr Jackson invoked the aid of the law. As a result of a considerable amount BESIEGED IN A BLIZZABD. All day Monday and throughout the terrible blizzard of Monday night and Tuesday the little houße in Rover street remained besieged. Tuesday's Blackburn paper S&ys : —" The conditions of war which prevail upon the spare ground fronting Rover Btreet, Blaokburn, still suggest an 'armed truce.' The two forces—though not allies—police and besiegers, still keep silent watch, but Mocks and bolts don't fly asunder,' and no violent change in the position of partieß has as yet taken piace, although a most dramatic denouement may be expected very soon. All last night police constables remained on duty, but so terribly bitter was the cold that relays of . men had to be put on every two hours in order that the officers on duty might have , a rest and be * thawed down.' The Baldwin , party had its own representatives on the scene without a moment's' intermission throughout the night, but both lots of guards found the job terribly cold and fatiguing. All Motoday Mrs Jackson remained determined, although greatly exhausted by the' shock and the scuffle. For many hours she declined to converse and positively declined to take any food. However tc Wards evening she seemed willing to converse with her husband, and she read < the accounts of the dramatic episode contained in the 'Express' with great interest and amusement. It is stated that Mrs Jackson remains obduratp in her intention to return to her family at 'the earliest opportunity. The gallant trio were advised to surrender in order that the case might come into Court, and be done with, but the defenders declined this course, in view (5f the fact that Mrs Jackson might bp seized in the eyenfc of their being arrested. However, Mr Jackson has now taken steps to provide for this contingency, and a staff of men has been appointed to enter the house and detain Mrs Jackson the moment the abductors are seized, We learn, moreover, that the chief constable has informed the occupants of No. Ql'that he U empowered by law to effeot the forcible entrance of the house upon the lapse of two days after the issuing of the warranto." Mr Jackson and his friends ultimately promised the head constable to put in an appearance at the Police Court on Thursday, to : answer for the alleged assault on Mrs Hamilton, they did sp, but the prosecuting counsel waß not ready with his ease, ssd an adjournment alone resulted.

THE CAPTIVE'S DIVERSIONS. After tfee p.plice Court proceedings Mr Jackson and oije friepd returned to Rover street, escorted by a hugs crowd of admirers, and were quickly let in before the besiegers could got near. The same evening Mrs Jackson, who it was thought must have succumbed to her spouse's ardor, entertained her oeptars, apd likewise the large crowd without, by singing a number pf sentimental ballado (accompanying hgrsplf on the piano) in a sweet soprano. of expensive litigation an order was granted in the High Court of Justice, calling upon the wife to return to her husband so that he might have a restitution of his conjugal rights. Nothing daunted, and equally determined, Mrs Jackson persisted in her refusal to live with her hnsband, and continued to reside with her sister, Miss Hall, of Clitheroe. It was this obstinacy which suggested to Mr Jaokaon's mind the coup d'etat which he so successfully oarried out on Sunday wi3ek. Mr Jackson's first step waß to borrow from his sister-in-law a small house, No. 2 Rover street, Blackburn. " It was," says Monday's looal paper,"" at th|s |ittle house in Royer street that an equipage dashed &p soon after noon, disturbing the inhabitants in the vicinity from their Sunday dinner or from their meditative reflections on the morning's sermon, and sundry pricks of conscience. The oarviage bowled past respectable and eminently retiring Granville terrace at a terrific rate, and the brace of fiery steeds which dirjed by to the astonishment of 'folk at windows' were flecked with dazzling foam and bespattered with mud until the original hue of the equine beautjes was lost in piebald. The conveyance had evidently travelled far, and at high speed, for the Earth's trade mark was speckled over splashboard and' dic&'y, doors, and rear. It was fully occupied, moreover, and one caught sight of a plethora of gentlemen and at least one lady seated therein. At the pojfner of Rover street the equipage turned smartly, »nd drew, as if by magnetism, the residents of Granville terrace in its train. A sudden halt was made at No. 2, and after a brief moment of suspense three gentlemen stepped alertly out. But at last the chefd'mvre of the situation from the point of romance* though not from thai; of possession, came reluctantly forth from the shade of the vehicle. The illbalanced quartet walked up to the door, which was 1 smartly opened as if the party were expected, apd as smartly closed tbb moment an entiranee had. beep made." THE ABDUCTION. "Perhaps it will just be as well to describe now the scene at Clitheroe. As the congregation were quietly and decorously leaving the parish church after morning service, a carriage and pair with a ooaohman in livery was noticed to draw up close to the gates. Ab Mrs Jaokson came out at tae identical gate, accompanied by her sister, Mra Hartley .Baldwin, she was dramatically seiged by a gentleman, who sprang out of 'the carriage. This gentleman was none other than her husband. After grasping hold of his wife Mr Jaokson Was assisted by two looal young gentlemen

who bad been, like reserve forces, in readiness. Mrs Jaokson, who was terribly startled, at onoe recognised her husband, and she offered a most determined, resistance. The excitement was intense at the time, but although vociferous oomment was indulged in, no one interfered. Mrs Baldwin fainted ia the disturbance, adding to the commotion, while it was said that Mr .' ick von's fac - was bleeding. Eventually, ho we v.r, the lady was forced into the carriage, and the gentlemen jumping in, the coachman whipped up and drove rapidly along the road in the direction of Blackburn. As the carriage passed through the streetß the [lady could be Been to be struggling, but the relatives, thoroughly taken by surprise, did not call for any assistance or make any complaint to the polioe. It was this carriage, having traversed the ten odd miles from Clitheroe at a speed reminding one of the old posting days, which startled the inhabitants of Rover street and the neighborhood as it had electrified the good folk of Clitheroe. All the features of this old-style romance were recalled by Mr Worldly Wiseman for the benefit of his more ignorant and ill-informed neighbors. But the affair was by no means over, and in an hour a tremendous fillip arrived at No. 2 in the shape of a carriage in pursuit! This second vehicle was evidently eager for the fray. It, too, had a couple of horses, and was equally ornamented with the dirt of the road and dust of travel. With a parallelism which churned the onlookers to the highest pitch of sensational expeotanoy, the conveyance halted in front of the now famous No. 2, and not a moment was lost before several gentlemen and a lady got out. They had come from Clitheroe, and the sister of Mrs Jackson (Mrs Baldwin) and Mr Baldwin, solicitor, were of the number. They knocked loudly at the door, which remained unopened, and neither threats nor imprecations could induce the defenders to unbar a bolt or lift a single latch. Meanwhile the crowd began to collect again for the second act in the tragedy or comedy as they severally imagined or opined. Other friends of the * imprisoned' lady came up post haste from Clitheroe, and the street corner presented a lively speotacle, it at one time seeming as if a breach of the peace would occur. Fortunately the chief constable (Mr Lewis) arrived opportunely upon the scene with a posse of constables, and immediate steps were taken to preserve order. Mr Baldwin, solicitor for the Halls, appeared very excited, and vehemently asked the chief constable to aid him in effecting a forcible entrance to the residence of Mr Jackson. This Mr Lewis very wisely refused to do, pointing out that there was no law which would permit him to demand admittance. Mr Baldwin (whose wife is sister to Mrs Jackson) then threatened that he would himself take' violent measures. Thereupon the chief constable warned him against any such prooedure, and firmly declared that if he (Mr Baldwin) or anyone else caused a breach of the peace he (Mr Lewis) would feel bound in duty to arrest him. This course no doubt tended to prevent hostilities, whioh would undoubtedly have commenced had not the police been on the spot. For a while the friends of Mrs Jackson were at a white heat, while the defenders of the husband were equally determined to fight for his rights, and a collision at one time seemed inevitable, threats being at the commencement of the imbroglio freely indulged in. Meanwhile the blinds of the house remained down, and the doors barred, but now and again the round, fresh-com-plexioned face of Mrs Jaokson appeared for a moment at the window, £tnd then vanished."

O.i Monday last, in a divisional oourt of the Queen's Benoh, a writ of habeas corpus was applied for on behalf of Mrs Jackson directed against her husband, commanding him to bring up his wife that she might be discharged from detention. The circumstances of the abduotion and the consequent happenings having been detailed in full by the applying counsel the justices (Jeune and Cave) refused to comply with the request made, holding that oounsel had failed to show any reason for their so doing. They further commented strongly on the action of the sisters, who, instead of endeavoring to bring about an amicable understanding between husband and wife, had done all they could to divide them. Against this decision Mr Baldwin, on behalf of MVs Japkson, successfully appealed, and Mr Jackson was ordered by the Lord Chancellor to bring his wife to the Court of Appeal in London, in order that she might state her own wishes to the Court. On Thursday last the case came on, Mr and Mrs Jackson both being present. The pros and toiiq of the affair were discussed at length, much merriment being evoked by the attempt of the Lord Chapcellor to corner Mr Jackson's counsel with the ponundrum " When is a prison not a prison ?" and the arguments between counsel and judge oyer some musty and moth-eaten statutes of the Restoration. At the close of the proceedings the Court privately interviewed Mrs Jackson, and finally decided wholly in her favor. The order of the Court was that the lady must be restored to her freedom, and must be at complete liberty to choose her own residence. Coafs wore disallowed. The Lord Chancellor warned Mr Jackson that if he attempted to carry out the right which he supposed existed in him it would be gross contempt. These proceedings end the affair so far as this week is concerned, though it is said that the husband has not played out his trump card aB yet, and contemplates taking stops'to securo his recalcitrant spouse, in spite of the warnings of the Cojjrt of Appeal. Npus verrons,