KIDNAPPING A WIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6572, 9 December 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

KIDNAPPING A WIFE.

AN EXTRAORDINARY CAsE. An extraordinary case has just come before the Marylebone Police Court. Alexander Mitchell (20), George Joseph Mitchell (10), and Rebecca Mitchell (16) were charged with being concerned together in assaulting John D-ivy, of 09, Earl's-court square, ."South Kensington, and Laura Davy, his wife, at Kdgeware Road station of the Metropolitan railway. Mr. Griffiths, barrister, who appeared for the prosecution, said the prosecutor, Mr. Davy, wa3 a young man of great respectability. Au aiiectiou sprang up between him and his cousin, Misa Laura Chid gey, some years ago. She was left a considerable amount of money on the death of her father, and there was a clause in tho will that £1000 of the money was to pass to her husband on their marriage. After her father's death she lived with her mother at Gunnersbury, and it appeared that Mrs. Chidgey, senior, was a person whose means were very limited, and it would be found that she was supported almost entirelv bv Laura. She was, therefore, naturally averse to her daughter marrying anyone unless some arrangement should take place with respect to the £1000. On April li Laura was duly married to the prosecutor, and they went to live with his father at Earl's-eourt. Her mother seemed to have conceived the idea of possessing every shilling of this girl's mouey, she (the daughter) being deaf and dumb. From time to time the mother invited the young people to go and spend Sunday with her, and they did so. On the 15th July they were invited, and Laura went on first. In the evening the prosecutor proceeded to Gunnersbury, and saw, to his surprise, his mother-in-law and his wife on the opposite platform. lie ran to the house and left some things, but on returning to the statio-a fouud they had hot!-, gf'iie. He waited at the house, and his

mo'.hei'-iu-law returned without his wife, and he was refused admission to the house, he being merely told that his wii\- was uot there. He was almost distracted a: lierloss, and for a whole month he went ."iio.it without being able to find her whereabouts, and he was not allowed to enter the house. Then the mother conceived some other idea of getting rid of him, and she had the audacity to say he had broken into her house and stolen £32 of her money on the 3rd of September, for which there was not the slightest foundation, and he (counsel) would be able to show what the mother had done with the money. The matter was placed before the magistrate at Hammersmith iu a plausible manner, ami the prosecutor wa3 committed to take his trial. The elder Mitchell was a butcher in the Meat-market, and lived at Kinu-street, Holborn, and was pretty well acquainted with the mother-in-law. " It would be found that the prosecutor's wife was taken to him, and the manner iu which she was treated there the magistrate would hear. .She was shut up, she was beaten by Alexander Mitchell, who made improper overtures to her, and grossly assaulted her. The poor lady was further insulted by the woman Rebecca. The latter threw dirty clothes at her, and insulted her in every possible manner, and Mrs. Davy was neither allowed to write nor leave the house. Alexander Mitchell was not satisfied with insulting her, but finding his advances were not permitted, he struck the unfortunate lady a severe blow on the hf-a i. The charge of felony made against Mr. iUvy was atrocious, wicked, ami dastardly, but he was en.ib'ed, through the proceedings, to elicit tin: whereabouts of his unhappy bride. He then adopted a very clever ruse to get some tidings of her. He sent a telegram to the house purporting to come from Mrs. Chidgey, :u:d a.-kiup the woman Mitchell to bring Mrs. Davy to Broad-strent railway station, and meet her in the waitiug-room. Mr. Davy kept watch on the house, and saw the prisoner Kebecca Mitchell leave vrith his wife. He followed them to Farringdonstreet station, and there his irife recognised him, and rushed into his arms, an! was rejoiced at seeing him. Rebecca Mitchell flew at him like a tigress, and endeavoured to get his wife away from him. However, she did not succeed in doing so, and the prosecutor took two third-class tickets for Karl's-court, but he got into the wrong train and had to change at J'.dgeware Road station.

He alighted there, and waited with his v.iiu on the platform. It would appear that Rebecca Mitchell had gone back to fetch her father and brother, the other two prisoners, aud whi' • Mr. and Mrs. Davy were on the platform .it Edgeuare Road, all three suddenly aj neared upon the scene. They at once seiz-J the unfortunate lady and threw her down. Her husband endeavoured to protect her, when lie was struck a violent blow by George Mitchell, his eye being cut, and he was knocked aoout in tne most cruel manner. Rebecca Mitchell was not content to be merely a bystander and looker-on, but she struck him also. They endeavoured to thrust Mrs. Davy into the train, but tortunately the guard interfered and prevented them. That official stopped the train, and if he had not done so the prisoners v.ould have been charged with murder. They were all given i;ito custody. This was a matter of the grossest conspiracy between Mrs. Chidgey and these people. The prosecutor, Mr. John Davy, who said he was late junior master at the Deaf and Dumb school, Old Kent Koad, then gave evidence, in which he bore out the statements of his cousel as to tiie marriage, his wife being taken from him, aud the assault. He denied that he had ever ill-treated or starved her, or that she had run away from him eight times. His wife had iMli.j a year, and his mother-in law objected to the marriage. At Farringdon.street station, on the day of the assault, September 2S, his wife complained of the Mitchells ill-treating her. When the prisoners got out of the train at Edguware Road station they threw her down, aud dragged her towards the train. He went to her, when Alexander struck him with his fist on the ear and cut it, and George struck him on the eye aud blackened it. Several passen:;er.s gathered round, aud Rebecca struck him on the mouth. Mr. Bloxham, the station inspector, and a constable came up, and he gave the prisoners into custody. He had not seen any of them until that day. All the way in the train his wife complained to him of the prisoners' treatment. He did not hear the prisoners say his wife was in their care. They were married at the Brentford registry otiice, but his mother-in-law did not know they were goiog to be married. She had neglected her daughter's education. The latter knew she was going to be married, and asked him not to tell her mother. It was his wife who proposed the marriace. Mrs. Laura Davy was put into the witnessbox, and an interpreter was engaged to interpret her evidence. He informed the magistrate that her general education and tuition in the deaf and dumb language had been very badly conducted, and he could hardly make her evidence intelligible. This appeared to be so, for at first she denied that she was married, but afterwards said she wished to be married to him. She added that her mother had told her she was not married. At this point, it being late in the afternoon, Mr. Cooke granted a remand, and accepted bail for the prisoners' appearance. A sceue then ensued iu the court. Mr. Davy and his father on one side, aud Mrs. Chidgey on the other, each trying to get possession of Mrs. Davy ; and some hustling took place, she appearing to be much frightened, aud not knowing whom to go to. Mr. Cooke, however, questioned her, and she said she would, ko with her husband. They were got out of court by a private entrance, while the mother remained near the public door.