The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-12-03
KIDNAP WIFE
CASE HING, I'D
Majority for Acquittal In
Bv RALPH TEATSORTH
limited Press, Staff Correspondent

- united EESSS' SNah
LEWISBURG, W. Va. Dec. 5.
CUP).-A jury which heard Il
year-old girl-mother solemnly pro-
test she loved her 34-year-old nus
hand and wanted to go with nm
could not decide last night wheth-
err he was guilty of kidnapping ne;
when she was only six years old.
The jurors considered the pref
ty dark-haired girls story and the
kidnapping charges brought by her
family of the West Virginia hills
d for two and half hours and then
reported they were hopeleSSIy
deadlOcked.
Judge Summer H. Sharp dis
missed the jury and ordered the
accused husband, William Maven.
Roman. coal miner and lumber
camp worker, returned ~ Jail
where he has been in default or
$4,000 bond since August p on
charges of kidnapping the girl from
the home of her parents, Mr.. AMI
Mrs. Richard Bradley, where ne
had been a bOarder.
The mother of a son more than
year old, Dorothy Evelyn Brad
ley Roman told the jury OF stern
faced working men that, she loved
her husband as much now as when
she followed him from her par
ents' home at Rupert, w. Va, on
Oct. 90, 1927, and lived with him
for almost eight years while he
worked at various jobs through
out the South.
81 lover him and | wanted to 90
with him." Dorothy said slowly
but without faltering. He didn't
coax me to stay with him and he
didn't make any promises that he
:. couldn't keep 81 s.
Uoyo{l, neat appearing ms a
/ IT'D 56it with . blue tam 20 match
md wesrine 3 sIirame6 black
cost, paused a EAIIepk looked
around the crowded eoartroons
and continued:
81 still love him and want to
be with him always. Several times
ne asked me if | wanted to go
back to my parents but l always
answered mo-"
Dorothy, who has refused to
live with her parents since her
return home last summer because
sthey sought to prosecute her hus-
band, walked into the courtroom
yesterday carrying her SON
named Ebert William after the
paternal grandfather.
The court would not permit her
to hold the baby while she testi-
fed so that cooling child was held
by a half-sister. The baby's cries
became so annoying that he finally
had to be taken from the court,
room.
Roman, testifying in his owl
defense, told of working with hi;
- wife's father in the mines anr
lumber camps and of boarding
with the BradleyS for Severa
years. He said he gradually be
ZANE fond of the little girl bu
had no intention of taking he
away.
"a "She asked me several times i
eI would take her away with m
but didn't aim to take her ava
& from her folks" Roman said.
H- Zone day I told them l was &C
ing to leave. Evelyn coaxed me ,
take her away. She had bee
abused at home"
He told of driving to Roanoke
3, Va. Later ne found jobs in Ker
IS lucky, Tennessee, the Carolina
Georgia and other southern state
Often Roman said he used tn
name of Meredith to escape su:
picion.
Roman said their marriage o.
eurred in st. Louis on Novembe
IL, 1888. They were married by
Justice of the peace.
In her testimony the young Wit
y had said her husband never abuse
her. When she was very young, h
usually had an elderly woman I
look after her while he was {
work. He provided her with goo
care and medical attention whe
she was sick, she said.
The girls parents were Gale
to answer Romans charges tn;
the child had been abused. The
steadfastly denied the accusatio