A REMARKABLE STORY.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12488, 15 March 1909, Page 4

A REMARKABLE STORY.

The following story was told to a London magistrate (Old Street) the other day : — A Russian Jew, who had saved £500 in America, determined, together with his wife, to return to Russia. Their money was concealed in a bag that was tied round the wife's neck, and kept inside her clothing. On reaching London they changed their .minds, and went to live in the Old Street district for a time. Here they met a man and wife who claimed relationship with them, and were introduced to another man, who also asserted that he was a relation. . They became friendly with these people, and shared a house with them. ..;,..■■ One flay the Russian Jew went out, and it is allea;eel the three other persons informed his wife that he liad been knockecl down by a tram and taken to Manchester. She had no no- ! tion where Manchester was, but one of the men took her to the. railway station, and they travelled by train to a provincial city. ■» She was put in a cab and driven about the strange city until late at night, but without finding her husband. Then the man took her to an hotel, where he forcibly removed the bag of money from her neck, promising to return it to her. Next clay she was brought back to London to her own house. She asked for an explanation, and was told that ■ her husband liad run away with another woman . \V lien she attempted to leave the house she was locked in a room and kept there for three days. In the meantime the husband had been told that his wife had eloped to Russia with another man. He at once travelled to Rotterdam, hoping to trace her there, but was recalled to London by a telegram sent by a friend who -had heard that the woman was kept a prisoner. „ The husband went to his former house and forced his way in. He # ran, from room' to room shouting his wife's name, and finally heard her answer him from behind the door. When he threatened to force the door it was., opened for him, and he took his -wife away. . : His first intention was to communicate with the police, but he temporised, and the three persons , returned £150, for which he gave a receipt. Afterwards he took advice, and Mr Margetts, solicitor; applied on January 17th for a warrant ior. the arrest of the three people who are said to-have been implicated in the outrage.-. ' The Magistrate declined to grant a warrant, stating that if the story was true the persons implicated could be given into custody. ;