The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-28 00:00:00

SINGULAR CASE OF ABDUCTION.

On Friday a young man, named Thomas Robins, dressed
as a farmer's labourer, was brought before Mr. Baillie, the
sitting magistrate, at New Brentford, in the custody of the
police, on a charge of having stolen a quantity of wearing
apparel, consisting of various silk dresses, shawls, bodl
linen, &c., with a number of books, the property of Mr. G.
Willavyse, an extensive farmer near Newbury, Berks, from
whose employ he had absconded on the 7th inst.
Mr. Willavyse stated that he had known the prisoner from
his childhood, his father and mother, and other members of
his family, having been for years in his employ. During the
last five or six years the prisoner had also worked for him
occasionally, and at Michaelmas last he hired him as a yearly
farm servant, at nine shillings a week, and lodging, &c. The
prisoner gave every satisfaction until the night of the 7th
inst., when he absconded with his (witness's) daughter, who
was only fifteen years old, taking with them the articles in
question. He did not discover the abduction until the next
morning, when he galloped to Reading in pursuit, thinking •
they would probably have gone by the Great Western Rail-
way to the metropolis. At Reading he could learn no trace
of them, and he consequently returned home. The next
day, believing them to be in London, he went to town, and
applied to the Commissioners of Police on the subject, but,
after the lapse of a week, he again returned home. On the
previous day, however, lie received a letter from Mr. Green-
way, the landlord of the Drum public-house, Old Brentford,
inquiring if any member of his family had improperly left
home, as a young man and a young woman, who had every
appearance of being respectably connected, had been lodging
for a week at his house. Witness instantly started for
Brentford, having first obtained a warrant for the prisoner'.
apprehension. On arriving at Brentford, he ascertained that
they had taken lodging at the house of a shoemaker in the
town. having procured the assistance of police-constable
Smith, T 92, he went to the house, where he found both his
daughter and the prisoner, the latter of whom he imme-
diately
gave into custody on a charge of felony.
By Mr. BAILLIE—The value of the articles was consi- ;
derable, as his daughter had removed the whole of her ward-
robe, with all her books, including her Bible and Prayer- .
book. Until he discovered their absence, he was not aware
of there being the slightest intimacy between his daughter
and the prisoner.
The prisoner, in answer to the charge, declared all that
had taken place between him and Miss Willavyse had bean ,
with her own free consent.

Miss Jane Willavyse was then called in. She was a fine- r
looking girl, about five feet four inches high, of considerable
embonpoint, and about fifteen years of age. She gave her evi- -
dence with reluctance. It was elicited from her that, having
consented to elope with the prisoner, she had at midnight. on .
the night of Tuesday, quitted her father's house by means of
her bedchamber window, and descended by a ladder, which -
had been placed for her by the prisoner, taking with her, of i
her own accord, the property the prisoner was accused of
stealing. They started on foot to Maidenhead, where they ,
arrived in the early part of the morning, and restod them-
selves. They then found that neither of them was in pos-
session of a farthing of money, and they were compelled to •
pledge some of her clothes to procure refreshment. Being
fearful of discovery at Maidenhead, they returned to Brent- •
ford, walking all the way, upwards of twenty miles, and took
a lodging at the Drum, as has been stated. While at Brent-
ford, they supported themselves by pledging various articles,
but the prisoner had got a situation to go to on Monday, as
a farm servant, at nine shillings a week, at a farmer's in the
neighbourhood of Brentford.
Mr. BAILLIE said, after the evidence of Miss IVillavyse,
the charge of felony could not be sustained; and he sug- r
gested to Mr. Willavyse the propriety, as his daughter was ,
so young, and matters had gone so far, of arranging the
affair.
Mr. Willavyse refused to adopt the suggession, and de-
clared his determination to prosecute the prisoner for the ab-
duction, his daughter being under sixteenyears of age, which
made his carrying her off a felony.
Mr. BAILLIE said, under those circumstances, he had no
alternative but to send the prisoner before a Berkshire ma-
gistrate
to deal with the case.
The prisoner was accordingly conveyed, on Friday night,
by police-constable Smith, to Newbury, and on Saturday
morning he was taken before a magistrate of Berks, where
the charge of abduction was preferred against him. After
the examination of several witnesses, he was remanded for
the production of other evidence on Friday next, and was
afterwards conveyed to Reading gaol.

The Right Rev. James Bowstead, Lord Bishop of'
Lichfield, having died intestate, letters of administration of
his estate have been granted by the Prerogative Court of Can-
terbury to Joseph Bowstead, Esq., brother and next of kin.
The deceased's residence was Eccleshall Hall, Stafford; but.
ho died at Clifton, near Bristol. The administrator has sworn.
the personal estate to be under 10,000/.
BRIGHTON, MAY 2G.—lt is said to be in contem-
plation to add a new wing to the Pavilion, for the pur-
pose of obtaining a better view of the sea. Yesterday
a gentleman from the office of Woods and Forests was
engaged in measuring the ground for the site of the pro-
posed wing.

The Conservative members of the House of Com-
mons propose to entertain the new Secretary of War,
Sir Thomas Frecmentle, at dinner, after the recess, as a.
mark of the high estimation in which his courtesy, frank—
ness, and obliging d;sposition are held by them.

_
A letter from Leipsic, May 16, says :—" Dr.
Flemming, an eminent,veterinary -surgeon, end Director of
the Vetei.nary School at Rosenthal, has just died here of
hydrophobia, after 24 hours of frightful suffer;ng. M.
Flemming had never been bitten by any enimal affected
with madness, but about three years back he dissected
a dog which had died mad. This fact proves what a.
length of time the rabietic virvs may remrin latent in.
the human body."
HUMAN GLORY.—The Roman Forum is now a cow
market, the Tarpeian Rock is a cabbage garden, and tke
Palace of the Cxsars a rope walk.
A VENERABLE AND RESPECTED GOOSE.—We think
the follow:mg is worthy of note, to show our Devonian.
friends how honourable old ago is esteemed in Somer.-
set:—There is now in the possession of Mr. Henry
Brake, of Closworthy, Somerset, a goose in the 37th.
year of her age, v ith young by her side.— Western Times.
" DOG EAT DOG."—Nearly all the Nisi Prius
cases this term were cases in which attorneys were
either plaintiffs or defendants.—Dubin Paper.
MESMERIC PROPIIECY.—We are informed that
a patient, while under the mesmeric influence the other
day, was asked what would be the result of the South
Lancashire election ? His reply was, that Mr. Brown►
would be returned. When asked by what majority? hat
replied, " By about twenty."—Manchester Guardian.