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

SERIOUS CASE UP ABDUCTION.

CARLOW, Dec. 23.—At the petty sessions of this town
three men were brought up charged with having carried
off a young woman named Catherine Hurihare 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 tha❑ 12
magistrates were present. Since the attempted abduc-
tian of Miss Arbuthnot by Mr. Carden the people of
this country have 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, sessional prosecutor, attended on the
part of the Crown. The parties accused, who were un-
defended, were Thomas Dunne, James Keefe, arid John
Burt.. 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 call the witnesses.

Catherine klurihan, an interesting young girl of some
18 summers, was the first witness examined. She stated
that on Saturday morning last, about G 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
which were three men. On coming near to the vehicle
the plisoner Dunne, who was a servant in her father's
employment, approached and dragged her off the car.
In his efforts to do so she pulled her grandmother along
with her. She screamed for help, hat her parents 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, closing the door behind him, whereupon Keefe drove
off as fast as he could, the third person holding back her
mother and grandmother. She remained insensible un-
til they arrived in Atby, a distance of 10 miles. Her
clothes were much torn and injured in the struggle.
When they drove into Stradbelly, three miles from Atby,
Dunne and the car driver, Keefe, partook of some
breakfast, but she refused. Dunne, on her recovering
her self-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 creed on Friday night to elope, with him.
The prosecutrix repudiated the statement.
Mary Hurihan, mother of the last witness, corrobo-
rated the testimony of her daughter ; in her information
she swore that John Burn was the third person engaged
in the attack, but she believed that she was mistaken as
to his identity. With reference to Keefe, the car-driver,
she positively swore that he added and assisted Dunne
in forcing her daughter into the covered car.
Mr. Butler said that of course the prosecution against
Burn should be abandoned.
The Magistrates ordered informations to be taken
against Dunne and Keefe to stand their triad at the
March assizes, and refused to accept bail for their ap,
pearance.