The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-20 00:00:00

Piu 30 Voila.

THE Maw. of the eccentric Captain Erlam for the
abduction of the daughter of the notorious Levi
Goodman, the owner of " Running Rein," took place
on Wednesday, before Lord Campbell and a special
jury. It was the old story once more. Captain
Erlam, attached to one of the ➢liddlesex regiments
of militia, then (in July, 1t156) stationed at
Hammersmith, on several occasions met Rose
Goodman walking in the neighbourhood. Now the
gallant officer was a man of some experience in life,
for he bad been married some sixteen years. One day
in July Miss Goodman stopped with her cousin to
hear the militia band play. Captain Erlam was there ;
Rose Goodman was pretty, piquante, and young ;
and of course Captain Erlam introduced himself by
offering her a programme of the performance. The
next day they met again ; the acquaintance speedily
ripened itito a flirtation. The girl was flattered by
the attentions of an officer, and threw herself in his
way : _ . _

I saw him again (she admitted in her evidence) the next
day near Turnham•¢reen; we spoke together. I met him
several times at the same place.
-- -

On one occasion he gave her his card. Some little
time after she gave it to her father, who threw it into
the fire. Beyond this her respectable parent appears
to have done nothing to check the girl in her
career, to remove her from temptation, or even to
exercise the slightest control over her actions :

I used sometimes to go out to meet him ; never after
dark. It was sometimes by appointment. I never wrote
to him while I was at Hammersmith. I told him where I
lived in London.

At the end of July she returned to town :
I then met Captain Erlam frequently, and wrote to
him several times, making appointments to meet him.
Mr. Page was generally with him when I met him. I
came alone on several occasions. We generally met about
four o'clock, and remained together for an hour or half an
hour. We walked together. I met him once at my dress-
maker's by appointment.
In August, the family go to Brighton, but before
leaving town, from the following letter it would
appear that matters bad come to a critical point in
a very short time
Morning.
Dearest Erlam,—l should have written Saturday evening, but
I had not time. You asked me what made me so serious and
changed. I had been thinking of the promise I made you, and
for the first time fully understood bow dreadful the consequence
would be to me if, after a few years, you no longer loved me. I
cannot repent my promise. Ought not this convince you that I
love you? I shall expect to find • letter from you at Miss
Morgan's on Tuesday.—l remain yours faithfully,
It on.

T HE PRESS.

The promise to which I refer in that letter was to leave
England with him before I was married. He told me he
expected an appointment at the Cape of Good Hope, that
he would take me there, and most probably I would never
come to England again. It was to that I referred then, as
it would be dreadful to be without a friend.
Of course the young lady does not tell Captain Erlam
that she was going to Brighton; it was only a re-
markable coincidence that she met him a day or
two afterwards :

I was walking on the parade with my mother. I took
no notice whatever of him. I scarcely saw him. Ido not
know whether he saw me at the time. His friend fol-
lowed me home.

The next day she saw him again :

He asked me what hour I would meet him. I wrote it

on an envelope and threw it out of the window to bim.
I told him where I should be, and at what time. He
could not see the time, as it was rubbed out ; hut I met
him the same day, or the next, and made another appoint.
went to meet him at the Pavilion•gardens. I met him
there nearly every morning, about eight o'clock, while I
remained in Brighton. I never met him in the evening.

The affair was going on delightfully. Captain
Erlam, concealing the fact of his marriage, professed
towards the Oil the most honourable intentions, and
she of course believed him. Mr. and Mrs. Goodman,
good innocent creatures, appear to have discreetly
kept in the background, and to have known
nothing of these pleasant morning meetings ; but a
confidant to play propriety was necessary, and so
Mrs. Mitchell, the amiable landlady, was selected
with consummate skill by Captain Erlam :
Mrs. Mitchell keeps the house where we lived.
We have lodged at her house for two summers.
J went out with her twice. I went to Rottingdean with
her and Captain Erlam. It was at Brighton be first spoke
to me about leaving home with him. He did not tell me
he could not marry me. He did not say anything of the
kind, and I did not say that I would rather live with him
as his mistress than marry one of my own people.
After a week or so the Goodman family return to
town, and on the morning of leaving Brighton
Captain Erlam receives the following letter :

Wednesday Morning.
Dearest Erlam,—We do not leave here until five o'clock ; but
I think, as you say, that it is not worth while to let them find
out anything for the sake of being tcgether for half an hour,
although I look forward anxiously for the time to see you again,
which, though we are only to be separated three days. seems to
me as many years. I told Mrs. Mitchell that you were coming
to see her when we had gone. If you please not to forget to
have your likeness taken for me. I shall write to you from
town, as I promised.—l remain, yours faithfully,
A very few days would appear to have passed in
London before the girl's resolution was taken :
I again saw him frequently. He spoke again of marriage ;
he said his mother was a very religious woman, and would
not give her consent to our marryirg in England ; he said
if I would leave England with him his mother would give her
consent. I said, '' No." The matter was several times
talked of by him. On the 23rd of August I left my
father's house ; he was then living in Oxenden-street. I
did not mention either to my mother or father that I was
about to go. I met Captain Erlam at the bottom of the
Haymarket by arpointment. I took nothing with me.
This was on a Saturday.
To Lord CAMPBELL: The appointment was made on the
Wednesday before.
There was a brougham waiting. We drove to the South-
Eastern Railway. We found a coupe engaged, and went
dawn to Folkestone, and thence to Boulogne the same day.
We went on to Amiens without stopping. We passed the
night there. We slept together in the same bed. Before
we got to Amiens I asked him about our marriage. He
said he would write to his mother; he would have an
answer in two days, and would marry me at Frankfort.
From Amiens we went to Brussels, and ultimately to
Mayence. He said frequently that be would marry me
directly we came to Frankfort. We never went there. He
made no other excuse for not marrying me. He said he
was perfectly able to do so directly he got his mother's
answer.

ROSE.

The poor girl still believed in marriage, but at ➢lay-
ence she found out that the gallant captain was
married !
In about three weeks' tiwo he showed me a letter
which he said be had received from his mother, in which

she said that my "papa knew he was married." tip
to that time I did not know he was married. This
was at Mayence. After that I did not live with him in
the same way as before. We were staying in apartments.
He told me there was no use in my leaving him, but that
if I would stay in the same house with him he would
write to England and get a divorce, and marry me in a
few weeks. From that time had another room ; he
did not leave the apartments until I wrote to my father.
After this the two do not appear to have agreed very
well together, but on the whole the story of the mar •
riage does not seem so much to have affected the
young woman :
When I said I would write to my father he struck me
several times, and threatened to cut my throat. Ido not
recollect his saying anything about a Prussian officer at
the table-d'hate. I did not want to ride out with one
while Erlam was sick. I know who you mean. He gave
me a bouquet and Erlam another at the same time. T
never saw him but when Erlam was there. I did not
crush Captain Erlam's before his face and put the other
in my bosom. I believe I threw both out of the window
because Erlam said something aboutit.

The father was written to, and the following letter
was received in return :

Newmarket, Oct. 14, WC.
received your letter this day inclosed from Jos:Th. I
cannot come or send till next week. Has the vagabond left
you ? for I can not make your letter out ; you say nothing but
to send for you. I have seen his mother, and I believe her to
be as bad or worse than himself. This is a concocted thing be-
tween them: but never mind, for I will never leave him till the
hour of my death. Your mother will not live long; then I will
find him if he is on earth, and woe be to him unless he behaves
right to you.

Mr. Goodman soon makes his appearance at Ostend,
whither " Joseph " had conducted the daughter, but
this excellent father, without expressing any grief
either for his child or indignation with Captain
Erlam, dines with the two in his daughter's bed-
room, He did so b€cause I" did not know whether
he would allow me to tnke my daughter away. I
was told he was in the habit of shooting people ":
Papa dined in my bedroom, and Captain Erlam dined
at the same table. We all dined together. I went to
London with my father; Captain Erlam came part of the
way to the boat with us. I think he would have come to
England with us but that my father said if he did he would
give him into custody.

To Lord CAMPBELL : They were not very good friends
when they were dining together. My father scarcely
spoke to him. There was no objection wade to his being
in my bedroom. Papa refused to dine there unless he
was allowed to pay for his own dinner. I believe he paid
for all the dinners. I do Lot know that they had two
cigars. Papa always carries his own. Ido not remember
them smoking. They had wine. I did not notice that
Captain Erlam poured it out for my father. I did not
bear my papa, when drinking, say, " Here's hoping we
may settle this matter amicably." I beard Captain
Erlam tell him he would be able to get a divorce
directly. I did not hear my father say, If you had been
going to stay together I could put you in the way of
making money."
Levi Goodman and his daughter came bock to town,
and nothing more was heard of Captain Erlam until

one day this spring Rose Goodman saw him in
Regent-street. The police were put on his track,
and he was arrested on the charge of abduction,
Rose Goodman being in Aug. '56 only fourteen years
and ten months old. Sergeant Shee, for the de-
fence, admitted that he could not prove a " previous
consent " on the part of the father. The Jury at
once found Captain Erlam guilty, and Lord Camp-
bell, animadverting in strong terms upon the dis-
graceful conduct of Levi Goodman, sentenced
Captain Erlam to three months' imprisonment in
the House of Correction. The gallant officer was
then removed to prison.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM ASSOCIATION has
this week exhibited signs of resuscitation. It has
appeared and defended itself with success, at the
Court of Queen's i3ench, in an action brought by its
late legal electioneering agent, for 1512. 18s., salary
due. The details of the case exposed to us some of
the proceedings of this ambigions association. Mr.
Henry Wait Hall having. in June, 1856, read Mr.
Roebuck's inauguration address, became fired with
enthusiasm, anti wrote to him the tollowing letter :
Sir,—For the first time we have now got the right man
in the right place. You have propounded the only remedy
for existing evils ; for if the people from without will not
reform the House of Commons it is a mere waste of time
to attempt it from within. But, sir, even you. I fear, will
fail in your object, unless supported by an efficient subor.
dinate staff. With that Ido not now despair of living to
see you where you ought to have been long since—at the
head of our Government, and I believe you would, as •
matter of course, if the people were truly represented.
I now cheerfully tender my services, and on any terms
you please. My heart is in the cause.
Mr. Roebuck was rude enough not to reply, so on
the Ist July, Mr. Hall, whose heart could brook no
delay, wrote to Mr. Morley. In sixteen days Mr.
Morley replied, and after several interviews with that
gentleman, the then possessor of the office, who did
nothing but read the Times and take snuff for 3001.
a year, was ousted, and on the Ist of August Mr.
Hall was installed in the conduct of the election
petitions, at two guineas a week and perquisites,
estimated at least at 1,000/. a year. Then Mr.
Hall was to prepare a gazetter of the constituencies,
and address letters to Mr. Roebuck "on real or
imaginary grievances." Finally, Mr. Hall com-
menced a pamphlet on the " House of Commons for
the Pecple," commencing with the" Degraded Condi-
tion of the House of Commons," but in the midst of
all these multifarious labours he received an intima-
tion that his services would be dispensed with. The
council of the association objected to Mr. Hall de-
voting all his time to his pamphlet ; be did too much,
be was too zealous, and so they got rid of him. The
question for the jury to decide, was whether the en-
gagement was " weekly or yearly." Mr. Revans, the
Hon. Sec., showed that the engagement was week'
as " the funds of the association were derived
subscriptions that might fail at any moment,
produced a receipt of the plaintiff for eigl
guineas salary for nine weeks. The jury f-
verdict for the association.