The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-10-30
A Bridegroom Kidnapped.

There was an intense excitement at
Calverton, in the western suburbs of
the city, recently, over a case of forci-
BILE kidnapping on the highway that oc-
CURED not long after nightfall. About
eight o'clock hack was rapidly driven
out the Franklin road, and in it were
two young men in swallow-tail coats
and white neckties. One was named
j. w. Walker, residing at No. 81 North
Charles street; the other Leo Laley,
an employe at Busey's photograph gal
lery, on Charles street. The former
was expecting TO be married that even
ing, and the latter was the best man.
As the pair were rolling along, indulg-
ing in the pleasant thoughts and con-
versation natural in such an interesting
situation. they little thought that a
band of determined men were lying in
wait in the shadow of q little patch of
woods, ready to crush all their fond
anticipations. The hack was not far
from the first toll-gate on the Franklin
road, when the driver was suddenly
aroused from his complacent musings
over the prospective size of his fee for
carrying a bridal party, by hoarse
voices, which commanded him to halt,
and his horses were grabbed and sud-
denly checked by q half dozen strong
hands. Looking about him, the af-
frighted driver saw a party of men
armed with guns, revolvers and blud-
geons, who gathered about the doors
of the hack. Terrible blunderbusses
were pointed at the covering inmates,
but tall, slender man, who seemed to
be the chieftain of the band, called out
in q tone of authority, "Don't shoot ~
Tho snc,lA Of ha
hack were naturally horribly frightened
for it was impossible for them to know
that the weapons had been carefully
left unloaded, for fear of accidents.
Still, under the circumstances, it was
not to be wondered at that, as the doors
of the hack were thrown open, and
several enormous horse-pistols were
presented at the heads of the young
men, the pale moonlight revealed two
faces as pale as the white crayats
which they had appropriately donned
for a far different occasion. The chief
tain of the band, advancing 70 the door
of the hack, commanded j. w. Walker
to alight, and, after addressing him in
a few short and angry sentences, turned
him over to the custody of some of his
lieutenants, who, taking him by the
arms, collar, or wherever else they could
get grip on, bore him rapidly and
sternly away to point where a hack
was in waiting, in which they got with
him, and were borne swiftly away.
But whithero That is profound mys-
terry. Mr.. Laley was not allowed to
remain upon the scene after the abduc-
ton of his companion, but no sooner
had he disappeared in the gloom to his
| mysterious fate, than the driver was
ordered to turn about and convey his
remaining passenger back to the city.
"Who is to pay me my farep" cried the
unfortunate hackman, his golden
visions of splendid remuneration COM
| ing vividly back to him as soon as his
fears that he had fallen into the hands
of an ordinary band of robbers had
been dispelled. Mocking laughter was
the sole reply, and goaded into n frenzy
the hackman lashed his horse into a
gait of fully five miles an hour, and at
length came tearing into the city at
this furious rate. Mr.. Laley imme-
diately sought out a lawyer, and the