The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-05 00:00:00

CHARGE OF ABDUCTING A GIRL

At the same Petty Sessions, James Preece, groom,
in custody, was charged with unlawfully taking
laria Ashfield, an unmarried fema!e, under 16
years of age, out of the possession cud against the
will of her aunt, Lonisa Pinfield, in whose custody
she was on the 23rd of July.
Mr. Owen defended,

Louisa Pinfield, of Charford, stated that Maria
Ashdeld is fifteen years and three months of age,
and was the child of her sister, and was adopted by
her (witness) from her birth, and hal lived with
her ever since. She was apprenticed to a dress.
maker, and on the 22nd July went to her work in
the morning, and did not come back to her dinner
as she should have done. Witness did not se cl her
again till the 24th of August,
Maria Ashfield stated that rho knew prisoner, who
lived near her aunt's for two or three weeks. Had
met him two or three times. On Sunday, the 19th
July, she met him in the morning, and again in the
afternoon, and promised to go with him nod spend
the day at Worcester on the 22nd, 11, r miaress
could not let her go for the day, and she met him
in the afternoon at the Castle Inn, and he asked her
to go with him, and she made him promise faith-
fully to bring her back in the evening, or she would
not have gone with him. They went to Worcester,
and before they got to the station he said he had
got her now, and should not tak.s her back till he
liked. They slept at a coffee-shop, and went next
day to Upton-on-Severn, and stayed together till
the 24th August, living as man and wife, He was
very kind to her at first, but behaved very badly to
her afterwards. He said he would make her go out,
and get his living as well as her own,
Cross-examined: Did not know he was a married
man, and that he was lodging at the house of his
wife!s mother. Never told him she was between
seventeen and eighteen years of age, or that she
wanted to go with him to Worcester.

Jane Banner, the mother of the girl, gave evi-
dence as to the date of her birth and adoption by
her aunt.

Sergeant Emma proved the apprehension of pri-
soner at his father's house, Bloomsbury Street,
Birmingham, on the 26th August. When appre-
hended he said the girl was as bad a 4 he was, and
asked him to go with her.
The defence was reserved, and prisoner was com-
mitted for trial, the magistrates agreeing to take
bail, himself in £5O, and two sureties of £25 each.
The girl Ashfield on appearing in the street will
hooted and mobbed by a large crowd.

LAWYERS.—Whose Professional labours necessitate
long intervals between meals—nothing will be found so
exhilirating, comforting, and capable of sustaining ex-
hausted nature, as Cadbury's Cocoa, guarrantoed abso.
ute pur

HAGI/Y.
STOCK SALE.—In addit/ on to the ordinary sapply
of stock, Messrs, Oates, Perrens, and Wooliridge
held their annual sale of rams and ewes on Monday
last. The entries ccmprised 68 head of ca:tle, -160
cheep and lamb?, 32 Shropshire rams, about 200
stock ewes, and 14 calves. The ptices -ealised for
rams and ewes were much less than at last year's
sale, the rams making at this sale 3to WI- guineas,
and ewes from 35s to 555. Fat stock was in fair
demand, and prices were rather firmer. Fat oxen
made as high as £2.t, sheep 565, calves £4 ss, cows
and calves £l7 7s 6d.