A CHILD KIDNAPPED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14924, 23 February 1912, Page 7

A CHILD KIDNAPPED.

ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL

SEQUEL TO DOMESTIC TROUBLE.

AN ARREST MADE.

THE shopkeepers near the corner of Boston and Mount Eden Roads were startled yesterday morning by the loud screams of children. On going outside to investigate they saw two little girls struggling hard with a man, both the children showing every evidence of fear. Eventually the man separated the children and carried ono of them to a trap, which was driven away by another man in waiting. Subsequent developments pointed to the fact th».t the little girl had been kidnapped. Inquiries made indicate that the kidnapping incident is a sequel to domestic trouble, and circumstances lead to the conclusion that the child's father, from whom the mother obtained a divorce, is responsible for the sensational incident. The mother of the child, who is almost heartbroken at her loss, related some of the events leading up to the affair to a Herald representative. A little over eight years ago. she states, her husband, who is a Dane, deserted her. Shortlv afterwards the child was born, the father nover having seen the little one until recently. For six years the mother never saw or heard of her husband until about two years ago. when she obtained a divorce from him. and she was given the custody of the child. Since the divorce the mother had married again, and is living in Eden Terrace. Only once had she heard from her former husband since her "second marriage. This was some months ago, when he wrote a letter from South Africa, threatening to come back to New Zealand. The mother considers that the child was taken by her former husband in order to show his resentment against herself. From "hat can be gathered from the mother and those who witnessed the occurrence, the child accompanied by her cousin left home about eight a.m. with the intention of going to Grafton school. They were walking along in blissful innocence until they reached the corner of Boston and Mount Eden Roads. They saw a horse and trap at the corner, and one of the two men in the vehicle stepped on to the road and approached the children and caught hold of one of them, and endeavoured to drag her to the trap. The little one gave vent to heartrending screams, and her companion holding on to her also cried bitterly. But the man. it is said, roughly separated them and succeeded in taking the child, who was struggling violently, to the trap, leaving the cousin in bitter distress. After getting the child in the trap the man smothered her cries by placing his hand over her month. Whilst the man was struggling with the children a woman from one of the shops intervened, but the man informed her that the child was wanted by her mother, and he was endeavouring to take her home. That the kidnapping of the child was the result of premeditation was evidenced by the fact that finger prints were noticed yesterday on the window of the child's bedroom, an attempt having evidently been made to gain access to the room the previous evening. For the past few days also a couple of men had been noticed in the vicinity of the home, and they had been asking other children about the little girl. The Mount Eden police station is only « short distance from the scene where the child was kindnapped. The cousin called at the station and sobbed out the story of what had happened, and then went to school and told the headmaster of the loss of her companion. The first news of the loss of her daughter was conveyed to the mother by the schoolmaster, and she immediately communicated with the police. The police proceeded to make investigations, and about 10 o'clock last night they arrested a man named Richard James, who is to be charged at the Police Court to-day with assisting to take the child away. The other man has not yet been found, and so far there is no trace of the missing child.