A WONDERFUL STORY OF KID NAPPING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2134, 13 March 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

A WONDERFUL STORY OF KID NAPPING.

A remarkable trial commenced on January 12th before the tribunal of Arnheim. The prisoners are Mrs Bulk-ley-Becking, the widow of au English professor, who resided at the Hague, a lady of 55, wealthy, and who has a wide reputation for philanthropy; Mr Kloppers, a man of 44 years ; and Miss Schlingemann, a connection of Mrs Bulkley by marriage. They are charged with attempting to abduct the two children of Mr Honk, a resident at Apeldoorn. In 1876 Mrs Bulkley's daughter Mary married Mr Hock, and she became the mother of two boys— Henry William, born in 1878, and Martinus, born in 1880. At first the entire family lived together, but some unpleasantness arose, and the young people took up their abode elsewhere. To the child Henry Mrs Bulkley was the godmother, and she took so great a personal interest in his education as gave umbrage to her son-in-hw, who said she was spoiling the child. In 1882 Mrs Hock died under circumstances which excited her mother's suspicions. The little boy Henry told his grandmothersomething about his mother's deathbed which deepened the old lady's indignation and alarm ; and Mr Hock's subsequent proceedings in engaging a Miss Van Espen as governess, and his demeanour on the death of his father created an intense feeling of hostility on the part of Mrs Bulkley. Regarding herself as in a measure responsible to the memory of her deceased daughter for the bringing up of the children, she proceeded to the school where the little boy Henry, then six years old, was a boarder, and carried him off with her to England, where she placed him in the charge of the Rev. Mr Billington. Mr Hock followed, recovered his child, and took him home to Holland. After this time, wherever the children were taken Mrs Bulkley followed them— to Switzerland several times— until finally she concerted a desperate project for obtaining possession of her grandchildren. She engaged Kloppers to go with Miss Schlingemaun to London, where they hired from Messrs Cox and King the steam yacht Cecile, Captain Hayman, for £.500 per month. The yacht was provisioned for several weeks, bountifully supplied with children's clothing and toys, and sent to Ymuiden. Kloppers next proceeded to Amsterdam, and engaged a few men to astist him in " a danperous affair concerning a mad person." After a preliminary visit to Apeldoorn the hired men concluded that eight men would be required to carry out the project. While some of them were discussing the matter in the streets of Amsterdam they were overheard by the police, who so managed that two of their number should be of the abducting party. On the evening of September 29, 1885, the conspirators were to have effected the abduction, but it failed through the police, and Mrs Bnlkley aud Miss Schlingemann were arrested two days later.