The Pontypridd District Herald and Rhondda Valley, Llantrisant, Caerphilly, and Mountain Ash News. — 1893-07-29 (Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

HEARTLESS ABDUCTION CASE.  Mendel Silverman was indicted at the Central Criminal Court on Monday for taking Rather Falk, a young Jewess under the age of 18 years, out of the possession and against the will of her guardian with a felonious intent. The facts were practically undisputed, the case turning upon the age of the girl and whether she quitted her guardian's roof of her own motion or under the prisoner's influence and persuasion. The defendant, it was stated, was a married man. He made the acquaintance of the young girl whilst she was in the employ of his (prisoner's) father. He made love to her, and the prosecution alleged that he first sent her to Manchester and afterwards went with her to Faris, where, after unsuccessfully endeavouring to seduce her, he took from her all her money and jewellery, and left her destitute.—Mr. Geoghegan, in defence, said that whilst he admitted that prisoner's conduct in taking the young woman's money and jewellery, and leaving her alone in Paris, was a low, dirty, mean, and shabby trick, yet that was not an offence under the law. He urged llrat, that the prisoner had good ground for believing thatthe girl was over 18 years of age, and secondly, that there was no evidence that the prisoner had brought himself within the statute. This was a , case taken up by the National Vigilance Society. Well, societies must advertise themselves now adays, in order to get subscriptions (laughter). If three or four old women met in a room near Charing-cross, for the discussion of the wrongs and rights of the sexes, or anything else, they immediately became a society, and asked for subscriptions (laughter).—The Common Serjeant was bound to say that that was not the position of the National Vigilance Society, for he was its counsel for many years (laughter). Mr. Geoghegan : But societies are sot like wine; they don't grow better as they grow older— (laughter)—and I awi bound to add, withnut saying anything derogatory to my learned friend, that the present state of the society is worse than when you, my lord, were its counsel (laughter). This, however, was not the old romantic story of abduction, the rope ladder, and the balcony business (laughter). That was all changed in these days. They did things differently now. This was abduction "up to date "—(laughter)—which meant that you went to the lady with whom you were going to elope, gave her an A BC guide with the trains marked, and allowed her to get off by herself whilst you followed at your leisure (loud laughter). The days of Romeo and Juliet and Gretna Green were no longer to be thought of in this prosaic age, and so they found the young woman in this ease taking her ticket and going off to Manchester without any escort (laughter). He submtted with confidence that the case had not been made out. —The jury found the prisoner guilty. The Common Sergeant poseponed sentence until the end of the week.  Mrs. Brady, of Old Brompton, Chatham, died in the local hospital on Saturday morning from the effects of a bite by a oat. Blood poisoning set in. A Galway, on Saturday, a post-office clerk named Buckley was convicted of conspiring with Patrick Browne, to enable the latter, by per. smutting a dead man, 'whose savings bank .book had accidentally fallen into his ham:, to obtain a deposit from the post-office. Browne became Queen's evidence. Sentence was postponed. Mr. Justice Cave and Mr. Justice Wright have discharged the rule which had been obtained, on behalf of three out of the four men charged with the murder of Police-sergeant Eves at Maldon, calling upon the Crown to show cause why the trial of any indictment found againit the accused at the Chelmsford Assizes should not be removed to the Central Criminal Court.  Memorials have been presented to the Transvaal Vollieraad asking for the extension of the franchis• to newcomers. After some distauseion the Read appointed a committee to inquire into the existing franchise law, and to 'make their report. during the present Session.