The Nevada Democrat., 1858-08-04
The Hero,es Of VviSs Stealing.

We take the following, upon the subject Of
wife-stealing, from AppldOn's NeO american En-
cyclopedid:
The abduction of wives is not prevalent
practice in our times. Few Bothwells are to be
found now; in most instances where ladies de-
sert their lords, the ladies are the persuading,
or, at least, the consenting party. In this lat
| tee case the husband is entitled to damages in
proportion to the loss sustained. Where per-
sonal violence has been used, this crime is Of q
grave character, and subjects the perpetrator
to Imprisonment for years, at the pleasure Of
the court. That branch Of the science Of alb
duction which consists in the carrying away of
unmarried women generally, and heiresses in
particular is, however, decidedly the most dis
tinguished, being able to beast of an older ped
igree, of o longer duration than either Of its
sister branches. The abduction Of the Sabine
virgins by the Roman youths carries It back to
the most mysterious and misty period Of the
early history of Rome, and from that time II
| has continued to flourish down to the present
day.
Among every nation Of Europe, with the ex-
eeption of the Turks, among whom women are
a marketable affair, the practice OF this species
of abduction has prevailed aud is prevalent
In the days of knighthood, when chivalry, that
nurse of manly sentiment, and so forth, pre-
vailed, abductng exploits had at least the in
OCutiVo VI tOmuuINC iONCY bub ia uCkCuV-
rate days Of calculation and economy, they
have chiefly been instgated by more material
motives, fat fortune being "A more powerful
talisman than the sweetest smile. In the rural
portions of the United Kingdom of Great Bri-
tain and Ireland, it is still not unfrequent,
where a girl is possessed of comparative wealth
In her own right, or likely to inherit ii from
her parents, for some neighboring aspirant to
arm his relatives, descend upon the homestead
| md tha hofr hnlA Afn&
her in custody until her parents or guardians
submit. Some severe punishment recently in
ncted in England, has, however, had the effect
of diminishing its frequency there. But in Ire
land it still retains something of its ancient
prevalence. Scarcely month passes in the
southern and western districts of that enthusl-
astic country without the parish being enlivened
by some abducting feat, in which often the gen.
try play leading part. aud in the riot and dan
ger of which the Irish peasantry absolutely rev.
els and rejoices.
Oftentimes these abductions gave birth to
great family and faction fights, one party bat
Ting for the recovery, and the Iother for the
retention of the wearer of the golden fleece, but
recourse is never had to law, that being deem
ed mean and cowardly in the extreme. The
chastity of the maiden is, in such cases, never
soiled. She is merely held in close durance,
until after protracted negotiation, in which di-
plomacy worthy OF Nesselrode or 1alleyTand
is frequently displayed, an arrangement mutu-
ally and monetarily satisfactory is reached
The negotiations are usually crowned with an
abundant banquet of whisky and potatoes. OF
late. however, the entire onus of preserving
untarnisbed the national prestige has been left
TO the lower classes, and the fame of the Irish
gentry in this line would probably have faded
away had not Mr.. Garden, Squire from the
celebrated fighting county of Tipperary, stepp-
ed forward to relieve his caste from the impu-
tation of degeneracy. The story is fresh, aud
worthy of narration as an example of the usual
routine in such cases.