The Atherstone Times. — 1879-10-11 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

LESSON TO YOUNG GIRLS. Two young men named James Brown and John' Basliford, horsedealers, were summoned at Woolwich Police-court for assaulting Rose Foster and Emily Marshall by taking them away against their will. Rase Foster, an intelligent and modest-looking girl of about 18 years, said thd she lived at Garland-street, Plumstead-common, with her parents, and the other complainant was her friend. About six o'clock in the evening, they were walking together on Plumstead-commoe, when the defendants drove up in a cart and asked them to take a ride. Thin king that they were neighbours, named Woolsey, they accepted the invitation, but found that the men were strangers; but they laid that they knew the Woolseys, and that they themselves were brothers named Marshall, cow-keepers at Plum. stead-marshes. Witness said she had to be in Plumstead- road at half-past eight, and Brown, who was driving the horse, promised that they should be there in time, and persuaded them to remain in the cart. He drove to Welling, and stopped at the Rose and Crown at a quarter to eight, when witness and her friend became anxious and requested to be taken home. The two defendants, however, pressed them to have drink, and offered them hot whisky and water; but they refused, and only consented to have half a glass of ale apiece. Brown then promised to drive round home by way of Bostal-heath, and they went on for some time until they came to a village, which witness ascertained from a shopkeeper was Sidcup. Knowing that this was about five miles from Plum stead, she became alarmed, but the defendants sad they would drive home at once, but persisted in tempting them to drink, and they had another glass of ale, but threw it away. The journey then proceeded, but they seemed to avoid the villages, for the way lay mostly through country lanes, and at length the horse and cart drove through a gate and across a field to the corner of a wood. Bashford took sonic rugs and coats from the cart into the wood, and Brown asked Emily Marshall to alight, but witness clung to her and said she should not leave her. Drown said he would knife her if she &el not come, and Emily began to cry, and said she would rather remain and be murdered. He then said, "Don't cry, darlings; you must consider youri self married now." Witness and her companion were greatly agitated and screamed" Murder," when Brown I went into the wood to speak to Bashford, and, getting out of the cart, she and Emily ran away. 'There were no houses to he seen, but after running snme dist nce they saw a light in a cottage window, and made for I that.. They knocked at the door, and on telling what I had happened were admitted and sheltered for the ' night. The two defendants appeared at the cottage with the horse and cart while they were at the door, bit when it was opened they drove nwny. It was then halr-past twelve o'clock, and they were at kings. down, beyond Farningha.m, about twelve miles from home. In the morning they telegraphed to their friends. In cross-examination the wiftess denied that she or her friend went into any hop-gardens or harvest-fields, or that they had any dritik except the ale which she had mentioned. She said that when the cart was driven into the field where the wood was Brown said it was a short out into Eltliam. Emily Mar,liall, about the same age as the last witness, and, like her, of respeetaMe appearance. gave corro',orat MP evidence. Police-constable Short said that when he told Beem the charge against him he denied having seen the girls. , Tie defendants were traced through some one who tAW them nat Welling. Henry Knight, whom Miss eoster had spoken of as her young man, said that he was astonished at receiving a telegram from her. and drove over to Farningbarn and brotetht both the I girls home. He described the lonely posi'ion of the wood referred to, and another witnea was wiled, who said that persons in the neighbourhood had heard the screams of the eirls. The defendants, in reply to the thatcharge, said at they had neither injured nor in. suited the young women, and that they meant to have brought them hack in safety if they had not cried and run away. They denied that it was so late an twelve o'clock, or even eleven. Mr. Bulgur adjourned the case, taking the defendants' own bail for their reappearance.  A