Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-09
LoDdon standard.


II. that the crime ceased to be a capt.
tai offense and punishable with death.
Formerly to contribute the oHence
there must have been, first, forcloie
taking, and then an actual marriage or
settlement; and II woman were taken
iorclbly in one county and married IN
another, the offence, not being com
mitted in either, was not indictaole In
either county.
In 1904 two brothers were acquitted
on a charge OF abducting Mrs. Lee
whom they had forcibly taken away III
a chaise from London to Oxford, Where
one Of them completed the offence.
Tn the last century instances OF ao-
duction, in which the prospective orlue
was, however, in almost every case
consenting party, are very numerous
and their story has helped to spice the
papes Of romance and awake the Tyre OF
the poet. ,.,.
Sir Walter Scott, in his introduction
toHsRob Roy" states that abduction
was quite common in the Highlands
about century ago, and narrateS an oc-
currence which happened at that period.
when some OF the McGregor clan car
ried off female from her home unuer
very violent circumstances.
The poets addendum To his narrative
is very instructive. Having very
strongly censured the offense, he was,
he states, demonstrated with by laoy
friend of his own for so doing, sne
naiyely informing him that ''her mother
had never seen her father till the orldal
day. when he carried her out with ten
head of cattle-her tocher." The canny
Scot. with characteristic forethought,
did not forget the tocher-in his eyes,
perhaps, not the least OF the lady's
charms.
The beauty Of women has always been
a great motive power for good or evil.
The rape of the Sabines was attended
with most beneficial effects, for when
that nation and the Romans were about
engaging in war because of the outrage,
the women, allied to both people, inter-
posed with those most potent weapons,
tears and entreatieS, and not only stayed
the slaughter which would have ensued,
but cemented lasting peace between
the two nations.
The elopement Of Helen from her hus-
band was the cause OF the prolonged
Trojan war, but we are almost inclined
to condone her faithlessness because OF
its having given birth to Homer's great
epic.
Abduction was by no means uncom-
mon in the early ages. The daughter
of the King Of Argos was abducted by
Ph9nicean; the Greeks carried off
Europa from Tyre, and Medea from
Colchis.
Next to the abduction Of the fair
Helen, perhaps the most remarkable, In
it's political consequences, was the King
of Leinster's taking away the wife OF q
nelghboring petty sovereign, O'Rourke
of Breffni.
The King Of Connaught avenged the
insult, and drove from the throne his
brother OF LeinSter, who appealed to
Henry II. of England for aid to recover
his lost sovereignty, The Norman con-
quest of Ireland followed, with long
centuries of war and devastation.
Not more than 90 years ago there ex-
listed in the south OF Ireland abduction
clubs, whose members were bound by
oath to assist in carrying off such
women having money as were fixed
upon, the members drawing lots to de-
termine to whom the woman abducted
should fall. Any sort of daredevil
appeals to the imagination
of the peaSantry, and when such reck-
lessnesS is united with the violation of
the law, never very popular in Ireland,
the principals in these Irish abduction
raids never failed to secure public sym
pathy and private asylum.
An Eskimo youth isQualified TO marry
when he has succeeded in killing a !
Polar bear unaided, for the courageous !
feat proves himself capable of providing |
for the wants of a family. he starts |
forth at night to secure a wife, which |
he does by Selling the first girl he can
surprise unawareS. She naturally |
screams, and draws the whole village !
population about her, who, by raining |
sealskin scourges on his shoulders, aid |
the maiden in escaping. He purSues,
running the gauntlet of kick and buffet
until he again secures his lady love;
and should she once more escape and be
retaken a third time by the amorouS
pursuer, the maiden accepts her fate,
and becomes the young mans wife.
The aboriginal Australian adopts
brutally forcible mode of wOoing.
When he wants a wife he looks about
for likely helpmate, and finding one
to his liking, knocks her down with his
club and carries her home.
In Singapore the bridegroom must Sc
cure his bride In race, and this Gus
tom of brlde-chasing is quite common
throughout Southern and Eastern Asia
In Singapore q circular course is
marked out, half of which IS traversed
by the maiden-encCmbered only with
waistband-ere the word is given for
the would-be possessor to go in pursuit,
In the hope Of overtaking her before she
has thrice comprised the circles lat
achieved, she has no choice but to take
the victor for her lord.
The water-chase In canoes, another
marriage ceremonial Of Singapore, is
very similar to the foOtrace, and both
are usually of short duration, for the
fair quarry is only too willing to be
caught.
The late Col. Burnaby tells US that
when . Turcoman belle is 10 be settled !
In life the whole tribe turns out. and
the young lady, being allowed the choice
OF horses, gallops away from her suit
ors. She avoids those she dislikeS, and
seeks to throw herself in the way OF the
object Of her affections. The moment
she Is caught she becomes the wife Of
her captor, who, dispensing with fur
Their ceremony, takes her to his tent.
The bride-race is also an established
custom amongst the Kalmncks, and the
girls are such excellent hOrsewomen
that, We are told, 1t would be impOssi-
bic to catch one against her viii.
The mock hattie between the follow