The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-25 00:00:00

SERIOUS LASE OF ABDUCTION.

CAnLow, Dec. 23,—At the petty sessions of this town
three men were brought up charged with having carried
eff a young woman named Catherine Huriban, from her
parents under extraordinary circumstances. The case
excited the greatest interest in the town and neighbour-
hood, as during the investigation the court was crowded
to excess by persons of both sexes ; as usual, the fair sex
preponderated. Indeed the bench appeared to take no
less deep interest in the proceedings, as no less than 12
magistrates were present. Since the attempted abduc-
tion of Miss Arbuthnot by Mr. Carden the people of
this country hare not heard of so systematic and well ar-
ranged a plan for carrying off a female, although in the
present case the parties move in the humbler walks of
life. Mr. Butler, semional prosecutor, attended on the
part of the Crown. The parties accused, who were un-
defended, were Thomas Dunne, James Keefe, and John
Burn. Mr, Butler having stated the facts of the case,
which will be found detailed in the evidence, and re-
ferred to the statute which bore on the case, proceeded
to Gall the witnesses.

Catherine Ilurihan, an interesting young girl of some
18 summers, was the first witness examined. She stated
that en Saturday morning last, about 6 o'clock, she was
proceeding to Carlow in a donkey-cart, accompanied by
her mother and grandmother. When a short distance
from this town her attention was arrested by observing
a covered car secreted under a railway bridge, near
vhich were three men. On coming near to the vehicle
the prisoner Dunne, who was a servant in her father's
employment, approached and dragged her off the ear.
In his efforts to do so she pulled her grandmother along
with her. She screamed for help, hut her parent' being
, overpowered by the other men, they were unable to
give any assistance. Dunne being unable to force her
into the car was assisted by a person whose name she
did not know. When flung into the car Dunne followed
her, c:; sing the door behind him, whereupon Keefe drove
off as fast es he could, the third person holding back her
mother and grandmother. She remained insensible un-
til they arrived in Atby, a distance of /0 miles. Her
clothes were much torn and injured in the struggle.
When they drove into Stracibelly, three miles from Atby,
Dunne and the car driver, Keefe, partook of some
breakfast, but she refused. Dunne, on her recovering
her eelf-possession, frequently asked her to marry him,
but she declined indignantly to comply with his request.
In answer to the bench the witness said it was against
her will and desire that she was then dragged away from
her friends and home.
The prisoner Dunne here remarked that the witness
had agreed on Friday nigh;`, to elope with him.
The prosecutrix repudiated the statement.
og
.13.urihan, mother of the last witness, corrobo-
rated the ,testimony of her daughter ; in her information
John Barn was the third person engaged
she swore than t‘e believed thet she was mistaken as
in the attack, bat rence to Keefe, the car-driver,
to his identity. With rre.._-ied and assisted Dunne
she positively swore that he an,._ car.
in forcing her daughter into the cover,.,.
Mr, Butler said that of course thepr;;ecut
Burn t=bould b,- abttrab.,n,-fle
The Magistrate 4 ordered inform ta'iODS to be taken
against Dunne and Keefe to stand
their trial at the
March assizes, and refused to accept bail for their ap•
pearance.

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