The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-13 00:00:00

ABDUCTION OP A FARMER'S DAUGHTER.

At a session of Gloucestershire magistrates of the
Chipping Sodbury division, held on Friday, at the Cross
Hands Inn, John Richard Crampton, late achoolmaster of
the Horton National School, was charged with having taken
off an unmarried girl, Emma Stinchcombe, daughter of
Daniel Stinchcombe, against the will of her father, she being
under the age of 16 years. The complainant, Mr. Stinch-
combs, lean extensive farmer residing at Horton, and the pri-
soner, who is &married man, and who appears to be something
of a musician, frequently visited the home ender pretext
of giving lessons to Mr. Stinchoombe's son on the piano.
enunpton seems to have availed himself of the opportuni-
ties thus afforded to engross the affections of Miss Stinch-
oombe, a girl 15 years of age, and to have induced her to
quit her father's house surreptitiously in the night of the
3rd inst., and to proceed with him to Chippenham, from
which place they took the train which leaves for Reading at
2.55 p.m. The elopement of the girl was discovered early
on Sunday rooming, and the matter was placed in the
hands of lir. Rawls, superintendent of the Gloucestershire
constabulary for the Sodbury division, who succeeded in
tracing the fugitives to Chippenham, and telegraphed a
description of them to the police authorities at Reading.
On the snivel of the train at the latter place, Crampton
and the girl were detained till the arrival of Superinten-
dent !taw's, who at once took Crampton into custody on a
charge of abducting the girl. In reply, the prisoner
maid that he was going to take the girl to his wife,
that he knew he bad done wrong in taking her away without
her father's consent, and that he was sorry for it. The pri-
soner and the girl were brought back to (lipping Sodbury,
the prisoner being lodged in the station-house, and the girl
handed over to her uncle, Mr. Thomas Stinchcombe. The
above facts having been proved in evidence, Crampton ex-
pressed a wish that Emma Stinchcombe should be ex-
amined as a witness. Mr. Rawls, however, stated that he
did not call the girl on the apart of the prosecution. The
prisoner then stated that the girl left with him by her own
wish, and that he did not know that he was laying himself
under the lash of the law in what he was doing. He denied
that he had taken her away with any evil intent, admitting
that he had acted more out of foolishness than wickedness.
He implored the prosecutor not to press the charge, stating
that he was Already a rained man, and beseeching forgive-
ness of God for his conduct. The prosecutor said he should
let the law take its course. Mr. Hartley, magistrate,maid
the case must go before a higher tribunal, and committed
the prisoner for trial at the next assize. Crampton was
then charged with stealing a silver spoon, the property of
Mr. Stinchcombs. In this case the girl Emma Stinchcombe
was called as a witness, and she stated that she had left the
spoon at the school at Horton, and that Crampton had told
her on two or three occasions to take it home. The last
time he did so was Let Monday week, and then be said he
would it put in his poeket-book and take it down himself
The magistrates decided that the evidence was inconclusive,
and the prisoner was accordingly merely committed on the
charge of abduction.

WEATHER REPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

TONODAY, JANUARY 13, 3 A.IL

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