THE SWITZERS ABDUCTION CASE.

Evening Star, Issue 4229, 15 September 1876, Page 4

THE SWITZERS ABDUCTION CASE.

There was a sitting of the District Court at Lawrence, on Tuesday, before Judge The principal witness was Patrick Russell, father of the girl said to have been abducted, whoj in the course' of his evidence, said : I am a" dairyman, residing at Switzers. I recollect jthe 17th July last. In the fprerioou pijsiat day f' proceeded to. the township at 'Frenchman's Hill, accompanied by my daughter, Margaret. After doing my faftaess ! 'T left for- home, my •■ daughter having, as I thought, preceded' me. I returned to my home later on, but my daughter was not there. 1 I made search, and received .information of her being in the Oamp Hotel Vjtli the.prisoner. I went teethe .hotel,','jijfflid. when reaching, there accompanied" hy mj &iighte?, leaving: the stables on-; horseThey satire riding in the of and proceeding at a slow pace; 1 ran-to. intercept them, *nd on seeing m< :they turned aad the township

r at' ; a/iruft6ns pace in the - difeptibh of ; Inver- ; - x l called out to the bys'tandors to daughter .*' they did not heed me, ,qf ,qf the prisoner, who carried in his "hand!"'a heavy hunting whip. I shqujd have followed the( runaways, myself on horseback, [but met with'an injury by falling over some - fluming whilst giving cWßefiitO .thecifugitivfeß. I'next safw -my daughter some< eight .days after at Ross's hnfc, ohtheOtaramastation.'' She was then in' coifipairy with the'prisoner. I did not Speak-to Lynch-.'further than passing the time ,6f.-day. Prisoner and my daughter .lien left in company. I then followed them to Invercargill, and saw them on the 25tli instf. His Honor had here occasion to reprimand the witness for prevarication. The nete produced; addressed to Father Hickey, Invercargill, asking him to marry my daughter and:-stating that Margaret Russell ■was sixteen years and ten months of age, My daughter was tarn in 6 0; on the 9fch "September," I860; at Inglewbod, Victoria. Previous to the 17th of- July Lynch said to j mfe, w'You had:» better let me: have yrur daughter, and letus get decently." I replied, " I,will not; she is too young to : was as old as his mother wheh !; she married,' 9md further remarked that he had plenty..of horses, and Trornd/marry my daughter without my consent if he got her's. I gave Lynch to understand itfoat he could not havener. Prisoner next camAto my house the Saturday before the. 17jbh July. I told him to leave, but he

-wanted my daughter in marriage. I re-; plied that I would rather set fire to her first. •■rHis Honoj; charged in the prisoner's favor,. '•ad the,..jury ; , : without any ac.ijpittied k lijm.' '■{,. The • Tuapeka. • Times,' to■ eaysXiynch is willing to.ma.Try the object of ,,lt is to be regretted, that the "case was "ever allowed to com.-g into. court, and as Lyi>ch,i3 prepared to make the. amende at is to, be the! "stern father" will relent and allow the| twain to become one: i