The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-08-18 00:00:00

ABDUCTION OF A DORSET GIRL

At lkiw-street Police-court on Thursday a well-dressed
young man, described in the charge-sheet as John M•Kann,
aged 28, coiumission agent, of IL l, New-
castle, was brought before Mr. Flowers, chargml with the
alsluctimi of lilixabeth Martin Hill, aged 15. The prisoner
was defended by Mr. Abranis,
Charles Hill, of 31i, Craven-street. Strand, said—This ha.
all taken place since Sunday afternmat. My child WWI
followed out of chapel by the prisoner, who wrote to her
in the name of a girl the next day, aud appointed to take
her to the Crystal l'alace, I can prove that he met her,
took her sway, and stayed with her at two hotels, and
Use next night had got her, at King's-cross Station, ticket
and luggage ready to go to Newcastle. She is 16 to
morrow, and is appmnticed, coming home from Saturdays
till Mondays.
Mrs. Flowers.- But how do you know all this!
Witness.-1 saw them at the station at King's-cross, and
I asked him what he was going to do with the girl! He
asked use what business it was of mind I I told him she
WA{ my daughter. Ile said, "She was a nice girl, and 1
am going to take her away with ISM. I had • lady with
be—a Mrs. Lewis, with whom the girl had been at school
for four years, and she took the girl, and I took the 1111111,
telling him it he would let me know what his intentions
towards the girl were I.would moron the point with him.
He said, "The girl has no proper home, and tells Hie that
she is badly treated be you, and I have taktn pity on her,
and shall have her in spite of you or her mother.. ' I told
him 1 woule give him into custody, and the superintendent
at the station fetched a constalile. 1 charged 1 . with
unlawfully taking my girl (row her busice.ss and from her
home.

Mr. Flowers.—But how do you knew that
Witness.— The girl told me.
Cross-examined--1 inn not aware she has been unhappy
at home She was burn at Bourfou, in Dorcet, and was
burn on the 14th August, 15544. I have never said Ale was
17. She told me that the gentleman first nuit her on Sun-
day morning, and appointed to accompany her to chapel
in the evening. She went to the Crystal palace on Mon-
day, and returned home at half-past eleven. She said she
had Iletli ti tlattisel to sup with a gentleman, and had a
likeness given her. She lout him on Tuesday after her
business, and she told time that she supped with hini again.
She was out all that night. She called for her things on
Wednesday evening and saw her mother, and wriest 1
heard of this 1 ordered inquiry to he made, and found
that she had not been to her place of business that day at
all.

Elizabeth Martin Hill, a good-biking, intelligent girl,
said—l met the prisoner in Northumberlandetstet last
Suday for the tint tune, and he asked me ill was going
out again in the evening. I said, "Ye,." Ile met me
again at a quarter to seven at 4*haring-I*nm Station, by
appointment, and we went to chapel together—the one I
always attend. After this we walked together up and
down Covent-garden Market, and then he took tue home
shortly before ten o'clock. I promised to go with him to
the Crystal Palace the next day, and met him in Craven-
street In the afternoon. We went by undergiound train
to Victoria, and thence to the Palace. I told mother that
I wanted to go with a yowl- female friend, and I had got
the girl to send a letter. 'After getting back to London
we went to Gattis to supper, and then he took me home,
about 11.11. lie appointed to meet me again the following
morning at the top of IYucen-stntet. Ile took Inc to business
in Great Portland-street, and left me there at nine o'clock.
I appointed to meet him in the evening, on my leaving
business, between eight and nine. We went to Ilyde Park
in a Ilrompton omnibus, and returned to tlatti's to supper.
It was then too late to KO home, lie took MC to an hotel in
the Strand, and We remained there. I do not ku ow th
name of the hotel. We went to another place, a con-e
fectioner's, to breakfast. lie appointed to meet me in the
afternoon at four o'clock at the SIAM confectioner's. We
inetabouttive, mid he toll 1/1., he would take Me W him to
Newcastle. Ile went to fetch his things and I went to
fetch mine, samba the evening he took me from Itatti's
in a cab to the liines-cnss Station, to go by the quarter
peat nine train, lie hail the but' 'u labelled, and took
the tickets, and we were crossing the platform to get
into a carriege when soy father and mother and Mrs. Lea is
came up, and took toe to a waiting-room, and next to
the policeetatiou. I afterwards returned home with my
father. . .

Crues-examined.—The meetings were all voluntary on
my part. I told kiln that I hail been worried much at
home the last few weeks by being found fault with in the
presence of others, but I was not uncomfortable. I told
the prisoner that I thought I should make away with
tuyaelf if it went on—it made me no unhappy. 1 sgte my
mother on the day I went home for toy thituis, and asked
her for my clothes. I told my sister I was going to Sew•
castle, but I did not tell iny mother. I have before told
her I should leave home, and she replied, "The sooner you
go the better." I only left a few thinini at home. I toll
the prisoner what toy mother once said to Inc. and he
replied." Sooner than you should be left to the tuercy of
the world I will take you with me." I have been told I an.
16, but many people say I ISM 17, although father and
mother deny it. Mother would not let nie take niy hint
things. She did not know where I was going.
The Mother, on being called, said the girl told her she
was going to Miss Sinunoniks, and asked for her best
dress and hat and the other things to go the laundress,
as she and /dila Simnionds were going into the country on
Friday till Monday. Witness refutaxl, but she took the
other things away. She lives at her place of business all
the week with Mks Simmonds. Iler sitatement about
Miss Simtnonds was untrue.
Mini tiimmonds denied she had ever arranged to go
with the girl into the country, and atated that she thought
the had gone to sleep at her mother's, as she represented
she was going to.
Police-constabie Y 147 deposed to apprehending the
primmer. who Paid he thought the girl was 17. and oo ohm
had told him she was unhappy at I , and threatened to
destroy herself, he intended to take her away and get her
a situation... . . . .

The family Bible having been put in to show the girl's
11r. Abraine addressed the Court for the prisoner.
urging that the girl's age WEIS open to doubt, and her tale
about her unhappiness at home might have greatly
influenced him. The girl was quite a voluntary party.
Mr. }lowers said it struck hini as a singular way of
bettering a girl's condition. The rase was going for
trial. and he would abstain from further comments upon
it.
Mr. Abranu applied for bail.
The prisoner was committed for trial. :Anil his personal
rerognlsances in &al. and two sureties of De) each were
weepted.