The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-23 00:00:00

A /

EXTRAORDINARY ELOPEMENT.
Somewhere about nine months ago; a gentleman
named Charles Brook, Esq., a wealthy America 7c
merchant, retires from the toils of bosineSs,. and r
turning to his native country, took up his `tesideno,
among his relatives, in the beautiful rural village _1
Mirfield. The family consists of himself, his wifT
and two daughters, the eldest of whom is the heroi
of the present eventful story. Attached to the estab-
lishment was a young man named Benjamin Hall ; he
is nearly twenty years of age, and was employed in
the character of "boots," occasional groin, &c. Miss
Brook is twenty-three years old, and it appears that
for a considerable time a latent passion for young
Benjamin had been growing within her bosom,
which gradually increased with the growth of
time, so that whenever he was engaged at his occu-
pation in the yard, she placed herself at one of
the windows, and never left it until he had
finished and departed from her sight. The artless and
unsophisticated youth of course neither knew nor
suspected the nature of the cogitations which prompted
her to watch him ; on the contrary, he had often
been heard to complain of her conduct. because, said
he, " it seemed as if he could not do his duty without
being watched." Finding that the pleasing rustic
was wholly insensible to the language of her eyes, our
indomitable heroine resolved to seek a private inter-
view, and sound his heart—
And if an infant passion straw 1,2 there,
To call that passion forth.
This interview, and a series of others, it may be easily
conceived were not long delayed. Benjamin most
willingly reciprocated—and at length the wedding
was proposed ; here, however, he hesitated, and for a
time his courage failed him—he feared, perhaps, it
would be taken emits—the master might be offended
—and then he would-lose his place. Such fears, it is
needless to say, were speedily removed or molified, and
the ultimatum was that he consented to be her's for bet-
ter and for worse. She, therefore, furnished him with
the means, and on Saturday week he went to Dews-
bury and purchased the marriage license. On Sun-
day evening, the day following, Miss Brook took an
airing in the phaeton alone, her. Adonis being the
driver ; here the license was duly conned over, and it
was finally arranged that the marriage should take
place on Tuesday, the 2el instant. Early in the morn-
ing of that memorable day, they accordingly arose ;
Benjamin, with his fair one's assistance, prepared a
horse and gig from his master's stables, into which
they sprung like lightning, and drove off about four
o'clock by a circuitous route to the ancient village of
Birstal, unperceived by any of the family or servants.
They.arrived at the Black Bull • Inn a little before
seven o'clock, where they remained till eight; they
then proceeded to the church, and the marriage was
duly solemnised by the Rev. W. Heald, the vicar.
After the ceremony was over, they again returned
to the Black Bull Inn. In the mean time, the
family at Mirfield arose as usual, and seated them-
selves at the breakfast table, but the young lady%
place was empty ; a maid was therefore despatched
to her lodging-room to fetch her, but instead of bring-
ing Miss Brook, she brought the following laconic
note from her dressing-table :—" Dear Mamma—
Pray don't be alarmed, I our only gone to get
married !" This of course put the whole house in
a ferment, and Messrs. George Mitchell, of the
Yew Tree, Fearnsides, and Fairburn, and other
neighbours were called in, and sent in quest of the
fugitives. Birstal, being about three miles distant,
was thought to be the destination of the lovers.
Mr. Mitchell arrived first on horseback, and pro-
ceeding to the Black Bull Inn, found them in the
travellers' room. The bridegroom bid him " good
morning," and observed, " had you been here
half am hour ago, you would just have been in
time for the wedding !" " What," said he in a
rage, "is it over ?" and darting out of the room
went to the vicar to ascertain the fact. Mr. Heald
assured him that it was true, remarking, "I have
only just returned from the church;' and "cannot
you then," replied Mr. M., " undO what you have
done ?" " _No, sir," observed Mr. Heald smiling, "if
I could do so I should have plenty of work !" Air. M.
then returned to the inn, where he found the other
gentlemen, who had arrived in a phaeton. An at-
tempt was then made to part those whom " God had
joined together," by giving the bridegroom into cus-
tody on the charge of stealing the horse and gig !
This was to() much for the young lady's equanimity.
She then stood forth, and said in a tone of great anger,
" No, gentlemen; Benjamin is now my husband, he was
then my father's servant, and in taking the horse
and gig h© only obeyed my commands 1" Then
turning to her husband,- and presenting him with
her gold watch and purse, said Here, take those,
they might as well charge you with stealing them."
The charge then of course fell to the ground, and all
parties for several hours, sat in sullen and rigid si-
lence, save the sighs and sobbings of the afflicted lady.
At length, Benjamin„whom we shall call Mr. Hall,
rose and said to his wife, and his brother (a minor,who
had been engaged to give the lady in marriage),
" come, let us now go home Upon which 'Mr .
Fearnsides exclaimed in a frantic manner, " If you
attempt to move I will shoot you !"—and " if you at-
tempt to do that" said Mr. Hall's brother, " I will
knock you down," accommodating his fist to the
expression ; and again all became seated and silent.
While things remained in this state the young
lady's father (who had only just returned from
Liverpool) arrived at the inn. Upon his entering
the room Mrs. Hall immediately arose, and curt-
seying, seized him by the hand ; and after com-
plaining bitterly of the conduct of the
indivi-
duals present, stated her warm attachment to her
Benjamin. After Mrs. Hall hail done speaking, all
again became silent for a considerable time. At
length some refreshments were ordered, and a more
conciliatory policy adopted. It was ultimately and
mutually agreed that they should all return to Mir-
field, and see if they could not accommodate matters.
Accordingly, at night, the horses, phaeton, and gig
were brought out, and the party started off for Mir-
field, Mr. Hall being between two of the gentlemen
in the phaeton, and Mrs. Hall being between other
wo in the gig. They arrived at Mirfield at ten
o'clock, and the phaeton turned up the road leading to
Mr. Brook's residence ; at this moment Mr. Hall
turned his head, and perceived that the gig con-
taining his lady, was proceeding at a rapid rate
on the road 'towards Huddersfield, upon which
he sprung from between his companions, and
crossed the field to overtage the gig, and as he
approached, he called out " whom, whom," and the
horse, knowing the voice of its former indulgent
keeper, immediately stood still, and obstinately refused
to budge. The young lady's keepers hearing Mr.
Hall approach, took her from the gig into an ad-
joining house (Mr. Shaw's), her indignant husband
following and fighting his way through the door and
passage of the house. They, however, managed to
cause him to be obstructed and detained while they
got her through the window, screaming piteously, and
' placed her again in the gig and drove off. In half an
hour Mr. Hall was turned out of the house, and
knowing that his wife had recently been on a
visit to Mr. Kilner's, at the Carr House, Hudders-
field, he concluded they had conveyed her thither.
He therefore proceeded on foot, and arrived at the
Carr House a little after midnight. He repeatedly
paced the front of the house, and was perceived.
Soon after two o'clock (on Wednesday morning) a
gig, containing two men and a female drove from the
yard, and Mr. Hall ran and seized the horse by the
reins ; two of the Huddersfield watchmen were called
and feed to take him off, and hold him while the gig
got away. They did so, but two other individuals
coming up and being informed of the cause of his be-
ing detained, they attacked the watchmen, a scuffle
ensued, and ultimately Mr. Hall was released, when
he immediately set off in the direction the gig had
taken. He, however, never overtook them, nor was he
able to trace them through any of the toll gates, and it
has since been ascertained that the female in tilt
'gig was not his wife, but only one of Mr. Kilner's
servants, who was placed there in order to decoy him
from the promises. It was also discovered that a
chaise conveyed Mrs. Hall from Huddersfield to
Manchester, at midnight, on Thursday week, when it
was observed ithat the individuals who had charge of
her had hard work to pacify her ! This circumstance
reached the ears of Mr. Hall, and he started at ten
o'clock on Friday night from Mirfield by omnibus to
Huddersfield, and from thence in company with two
friends by gig to Manchester. They then proceeded
by the first train on Saturday morning to Liverpool ;
owing, however, to his inexperience and mis-
management, he returned home on Wednesday night
last, without having accomplished the object of his
mission. An eminent solicitor however has now
taken his case in hand, and if the young lady is not
produced in a few days, it is more than probable that
legal proceedings will be commenced against the
parties implicated in her abduction. We understand
that the young lady possesses from 15,0001. to 20,0001.,
bequeathed to her by a deceased uncle in America,
and independently of her father. It is supposed by
those most competent to form an opinion, that she 13
either in the Isle of Man, or has been shipped off to
America. Her relations, however, refuse to give any
information upon the subject, consequently it remains
an absolute mystery.—Leeds Times.

CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.—The Ettrick Shepherd,4in
the notes to his " Queen's Wake," (notes Hollingshed,
who says, when describing Queen Afary's first !Roiling
in Scotland—" She arrived at Leith on the 20th of
August, in the year of our Lord 1581, where she was
honourably received by the Earl of Argyle, the Lord
Erskine, the Prior of St. Andrew's, and the Burgesses of
Edinburgh, and conveyed to the Abbie of Holierood
House," &c. Now, add eleven days for the difference of
style, and we have the very day (the 31st) her present
Majesty intends landing in Scotland for the first time.--
Scotsman.

On Friday afternoon the British and North Ame-
rican Royal mail steamer Caledonia, Capt. Lott, sailed
for Halifax and Boston. She carried out between sixty
and seventy passengers. Mr. Charles M'lver, one of the
co-agents, has gone out in the Caledonia, on business
eonnooteid with the steamers composing the line.