The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-17
ORGANIZED KIDNAPERS
Abduction Clubs Flourished In
the Last Century.
CARRIED OFF IRISH HEIREssEs.

scions of Impoverished Houses Banded
Together to Secure Rich wiycs-The
Famous Case of Byrnc and Strange and
the Kennedy Girls.
Abduction clubs have vanished from
ireiahd for many II long day, but there is
nardly noblo or gentle family i'm the
ureon lslo which cannot point to one or
more OF its ancestors who wcrc connected
WIN those extraordinary associations.
Inc express object of the abduction clubs
was the torciblo carrying off of rich heir
esses anu thor marriage under durcss to
husbands chosen from their captors. Dur.
ing the eighteenth century, when protract.
cd wars and penal persecution had impoy-
crushed many old and bonorcd houses, Ire
iand became ovorruD with the class known
us uireons'-younger SONS or brothers
Oh lnndholding gentry, who were for the
most part very poorly endowed with the
worlds goods. These young fellows, of
course, rarely condcscendod to take up any
profession or ayocntion by which thoy
could earn an honest livelihood but pre-
forreu to remain under tho ancestral roof
tree, drinking tho roignng relatives clarct
and riding his horses. Now these "squir-
Gems being for the most part lads of
spirit, woro not long content tn remnin in
harmless idlcncss, but set about many
schemes Tor tho procuring of funds with
out much labor and of all these schemes
the carrying off of huiresses proved the
most popular. At first the fair inheritors
were not abducted against their wills. but
50 desperate and SO daring grew the
'squircons" that very sGon thoy did not
even stop to ask the ludy's consent before
running AWAY with her. y direct outcome
of this nf .ffuipc Hre l,I,
tlon club, started in the counties OF Kill
Kenny and Carlow about the year 1850
kiikcnny was then u closu rival to Dub
I'm Tor tho social supremacy of Ireland
very many noblcmen and gentlemen had
their town houses in tho ancient city on
tho More, and the Kilkenny thcatcrs had
an international reputation. 1t was nat
ural, therefore, that tho first abduction
cIuD should spring up with this lively
town rs its base of operations During the
ten years succeeding 1850 over so hcircsscs
ami n number of young Indies with pros
poets" or possessed of some fortune were
deliberately carried off while attending
balls, parties or the tl!catcrs. IN the club
was enrolled every younger son of good
family in southern Icinstcr The Nom
hcrs were bound together by oaths of the
most terrible nature, and every mcmber
was pledged to help every other member
Win manu-, heart anu pocket
The modus opcrnndi of tho club was
simple enough. When an heiress appeared
on tho tapis, all members who desired IN
become candidates for her hnnd and for
tune entered their names in Il book. Then
II series Of numbers were written on spc-
clnily prepared slips of paper. These slips
were shaken up i'll an urn, and in order of
seniority the members drew lots for their
unconscious victim. The person drawing
the highest number WAS pronounced vic
tor, and Immediately the club went into
executive session to determine the best
means. timo and place for tho ndy's nb-
duction. If tho capture proved successful
ana tho abducted heiress accepted her lot,
inc lucky bridegroom, in scvcring his con
nection with the club, formally presented
his old associates with handsome hon
0rarium from his wife's fortune
Things grew so bad that from 1755 To
1170 no young lady of fortune dared to
travel far from homo without II large
armed escort To protect her from attack.
Al inst the government resolved To stand
such state of affairs no longer procla-
nations wero issued 10y the lord lieutenant
ana privy council announcing that any
further lawbreaking on the part of tho
abduction cluhs would be punished to tho
iuil extent of the law despite the position
ana connections of the abductors At the
same time abduction WAS made capital
oifcnsc punishable with death
But the "squircens" were not frightened
or deferred by these threats and warnings.
$50 long had they enjoyed immunity that
5ney fancicd they could continue to run
away with whatsoever girls thoy pleased.
In 1913 two young ladies made their ap-
pearance upon the Irish social horizon
who combined in themselves the rnro at
tributes of considerable wealth and great
beauty. They were Katherine and Anne
Kennedy, daughters of n County Water
ford squire of large estate A meeting nf
tho south Lcnstcr abduction club was
called and lots were drawn for the heircsscs
Inc lucky Tor. as it ufterwnrd proved, hid
cously unlucky) members wcro Lieutenant
James Strange, brother to the baron of
Dunkitt and collateral ancestor of the
present Lord Below, and Mr.. Gerald
Byrne, cousin of the Earl of Ormondc
Both wero 20 years of age, and neither had
laid eyes upon the young ladies who had
fallen to them by lot.
Tho abduction clubs had spies in every
parish and it WAS soon uscertaincr that
on certain dny the Misses Kennedy would
drive from Lord Desart's country place
where they had been staying, to attend
performance in Kilkenny given hy the
famous Samuel Foote. a meeting of the
conspirators was held in Kilkenny, and on
the appointed day the approaches to the
thcatcr were guarded by over 100 gentle
men armed with swords and ny twice
that number of peasants with shilalahs.
AS the ladies loft the theatcr they were
escorted by their cousin, Mr.. Loughman,
Sir Charles Cutie and Colonel IIclsham.
They wcro In tho act of stepping into n
coach when four gentlemen with wizards
over their faces attacked them Colonel