The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-10-18
A Bold Stroke for a Wife.

A Bold Stroke for q Wife.
The founders of Rome made brave
dash for wives when they seized the
Sabine maidens, but according to the
Guelph (Canada) Mercury their exploit
has just been exceeded in daring and also
in atrocity. Indeed, it is almost unparal-
leled, unless in the memorable abduction
of his cousins widow by Simon Lovat
That unprincipled Scotchman hoped to
succeed to the title and estates of his
cousin, the eleventh Lord Lovat, and as a
first step carried off his widow, marrying
her while the bagpipes of his followers
deafened to her shrieks the ears of the
drunken priest who officiated. For this
served to be executed, as he was many
years later for his participation in the
rebellion of 1745. 1t is said, however,
that his unwilling bride became recon-
ciled to her fate. The Canadian affair
reads very much like an occurrence of
Lovat's lawless days.
A Miss Carr, niece of Sheriff, was
staying with her uncle at Guelph, when
she received note on the Goth ult., APP
parently written by her father, saying
that he was coming to Guelph, and
would be glad to meet her on the Goth at
Wells Bridge, in the outskirts of the
town. A cab would be waiting for her
at the bridge, and, if her father was not
in it, she could get in and be driven to
him. She appears to have had no suspicion
of wrong. She found the cab late on the
appointed afternoon. A stranger, since
identified as one Lownes, was inside,
and, as soop as she came up, addressed
her, saying that he supposed she was the
young lady that had been sent for, and
asked her to get in. She did so, and was
driven some distance. Suddenly the cab
stopped, the driver dismounted, and
Lownes took his place. An instant later,
one Sturdy, a rejected sutton of Miss
Carr, accompanied by his daughter,
jumped into the cab. The poor girl,
now greatly frightened, screamed loudly,
but Sturdy threw her back, and ordered
her to be quiet. AS she continued her
cries, he gagged her with handkerchief,
and also attempted, with his daughters
help, to force some liquor-probably
drugged-down her throat, but it was
only partially successful.
A few miles further on the journey a
son of Sturdy met the party in Il carriage,
to which the prisoner was transferred.
She was then taken to Hamilton and
confined in small house in the suburbs.
She was kept there until Saturday, and
after repeated threats consented to go
quietly with Sturdy TO minister's and
become his wife. Sturdy's daughter and
the minister's sisters were the only wit
nesses. The wretched girl was almost
beside herself with excitement and fear,
and when officers from Guelph arrested
Sturdy and rescued her on Sunday, she
was nearly demented. She was rejoiced
at being rescued, but was afraid that she
would be killed by her late captors. The
next day she was delirious, screaming
out for some person to protect her, and
and it was thought by her physician that
it would lie some time before she could
testify against her abductors.
Sturdy and his daughter were both in
Jail at last accounts, and it is quite GER
tain that they and their accomplices will
be severely punished. The strangest part
of the recklessly bold outrage-admit-
ting the correctness of the Mercury's de-
tails-is the helping hand lent by the son
and daughter of the principal aggressor.
Children are not usually so anxious to be
provided with stepmother as to violate
the law to obtain one. 1t must therefore
be that large fortune gave Miss Carr
uncommon attractions in their eyes as
well as in those Of their father, and dis
posed the latter to bride Lownes and the
cab driver to help him at the start.-Cin-
cinndti Gazette.