KIDNAPPED BRIDE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10725, 24 October 1928, Page 5

KIDNAPPED BRIDE

LURED AAV AY IN TAXI. -

FOUND BY HUSBAND LOCKED UP IN R'OOAI.

THREAT OF REVOLVER. PROVES SUCCESSFUL.

(Special To The Times). AUCKLAND; Oct. 23. “My word you get fife, in Sydney, but. don’t get married there.” This is the advice of a young couple, Mr. and Mrs. AYalter Mervyn’ Sheppard, who arrived by „ the Niagara from Sydney last evening, and had an extraordinary' tale to tell of a hated rival’s kidnapping of the bride of two days, and an exciting chase in a motor-car.

A week to-day the pair were married at St. Barnabas’ Church, Bondi, having previously planned to leave for America bv the. Niagara on their honeymoon. Prior to leaving Australia, however, events moved more quickly than they expected, and Mr. Sheppard reported to the Bondi police that his wife had be’en abducted in a motor-car. A former admirer and his friend y'ere said : to be implicated. Mrs. Sheppard was in no way harmed. She was lured away from her husband by persuasive efforts. Mr. Sheppard, a young. Eng-', lishman in business in Sydney, made a frantic search for his wife, , and' eventually after an exciting chas6 in a motor-car, traced the culprits. He found his wife locked in a room at the home of one of the conspirators. The. occupants of the house refused to admit- , him, but lie climbed unnoticed through a window. A scuffle ensued inside the house, during which lie and an assailant fell over a twelve-foot balcony.

Tilings began to look ugly for him, when lie threatened to use a revolver on the two men who attacked him. He carried no revolver, but the bluff was effective, the men kept, tlieir distance and Air. and Mrs. Sheppard made good their escape. Airs. Sheppard is , a AVellington girl, and was educated at the AA’anganui Girls’ College. She lias resided in Sydney, however, for six years. She said, “AVe were advised_ to take out a warrant against those, implicated, but that would have meant postponing our trip, so we preferred to let the matter go by default. AVe have the option of taking up the case, but we shall not do so. 1 think we have caused enough talk in Sydney already. AVe are better known there now than ever before. AYe have only known each other a month, and we only decided to make the trip and get. married a fortnight ago.”