Kidnapping Case

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XV, Issue 215, 10 December 1925, Page 5

Kidnapping Case

THE GRANDSONS’ PURPOSE. SAFEGUARDING OWN INTERESTS. Lpudou, Dec. 8. Mrs Dorothy Short, Arden’s daughter, gave evidence at the Arden trial that her father’s memory was failing rapidly. He could not remember the day’s events at the evening. She could not say how wealthy her father was, but she thought he had invested £450,000 on his own behalf. Her brother, who was the father of the accused, after leaving Oxford went to Australia, where he married a daughter of Sir Janies Martin, then Chief Justice of New South Wales. After their father’s death their grandfather paid for the accus-ed-’s education and allowed each £3OO annually for his keep. Since 1921 each grandson had been allowed £4 weekly. Defending counsel said the defence was that the kidnapping was carried out for the purpose of forcing the appointment of a receiver to protect the grandson’s interests. —(A. and N Z.)

When Thomas Williams and Geoffrey and Charles Arden were charged with conspiracy to defraud Douglas Arden of moneys and securities, prosc-iuting counsel told an extraordinary story of how the Ardens, aided by Williams kidnapped their grandfather ,agcd 81, in a London street, and drove him in a taxi-cab to Gloucester Gate, where he put his signature to el< ven bills cf £5OOO cash.

Counsel explained that there had been some discussion r.s to the appointment of a receiver under the Lunacy Act. which was done in Nev 3m her. Knowing this, th? grandsons hatched an ingenious plot whereby they offered to sell him a co.icction of pictures valued at £50,000. When out under the charge of an aged coachman they induced the latter to go to a bogus address. While *•-■» was absent they drove off with their grandfather.