The Portland daily press., 1882-01-14
KIDNAPPED.
A Criminal Stolen from the Clutches of
An Aroostook Justice.
[Aroostook Republican.

[Aroostook Republican.
On Tuesday night of last week Fort Fair
field was thrown into terrible excitement by
the occurrence of transs ction which may
result in serious consequences The facts Of
the case are briefly these. On Tuesday, one
Thomas j. Melvin, late of Monticello, was ar
rested and brought before Trial Justice Perry
at Fort Fairfield, for alleged bigamy or rather
trgamy Melvin who is in life's sere and yell
low leaf, so far as years are concerned, seems
to have youthful ways and propensities and is
not satisfied with the usual allotment of wives.
Having one wife in Monticello, he goes cover
the line,' and in the Dominion of good Queen
Victoria, finds tender heart which readily
responds to loves sweet accents and Mrs. Mel
vim No. appears upon the scene, victim to
the arts of this gay old deceiver. Not satisfied
yet and looking for more hearts to conquer,
he returns to Monticello and takes to his arms
another wife. 1t seems, however, that Mrs.
Melvin No. 1, subsequently to the second
marriage but previous to the third, had OBJ
tanned divorce, consequently marriage No. 2
being void, the third alliance seems to have
some legal showing. These are some of the
At the examination on Tuesday the ques-
ton of jurisdiction was brought up and was
discussed with the ability and earnestness OF
the eminent lawyers engaged in the case. The
examination was lengthy, and continued until
the shades of night had enveloped the land in
darkness. Without coming to decision, the
magistrate continued the case until Wednes-
day for further consideration, and the prisoner
was taken to one of the village hotels and
locked into room No. 49, 1t appears that the
impression had gone abroad that the examin-
ton would result in the discharge of the much
married respondent, and threats deep but not
loud were INDUCED in by friends and SYM
| pathizers of the injured English woman, mar
ried on the European PLAN"
At the hour of midnight when all about the
| hotel were wrapped in slumber save the clerk
| of the house, two pungs filed with masked
men drove up and demanded admittance. The
clerk, not suspecting the character of his mid
night visitors, responded to their demand, and
opened the door. The leader of the party, dis
guished beyond recognition on entering, de-
| manded the key of No. 90. The courageous
night call, rafused to deliver it, He was i'm
| mediately attacked and after a severe struggle,
thrown down and firmly tied, while revolver
was placed to his head with the injunction to
keep slient' 1ne gang having oDtalneu tne
| key, proceeded to the apartment where the
gay Lothario was counting sleep, in the alb
| sence of any thing else to court, and Melvin
was hurried from his cot and apartment,
| sans ceremonie, and sans culottes, and in a
| twinkling was on board a pung and en- route
| for foreign land. 1t does not seem that per-
| sonal injury to the victim, was contemplated,
| the evident and only purpose being to place
him where the network of the law would be
more likely to hold him, and in this purpose
the kidnappers seem to have been successful,
as it is understood that legal proceedings un-
der the English flag have resulted in placing
the marrying Melvin behind the bars of an
| English jail These are some of the circum-
stances connected with an occurrence which,
while calling for little sympathy for its victim,
| does create feeling at the manner of his "tak-
| Higher Power, will be called to the matter,
| and the injured flag of the Free, be INDICATED.