STEALING A WIFE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1929, Page 7

STEALING A WIFE

TRAGEDY JN JGGO-SLAVIA

Wile-stealing, which is still a practice among lovesick swains in the. remote parts of Jugo-Slavia, lias led to a tragedy which stirred tiie whole nation (writes tiie Belgrade correspondent of the Cliristain Science Monitor). From time immemorial it was tiie custom in rural "districts, .when parents ret used to give their consent to marriage of their daughter, for the wooer to come by night with a party of his friends and forcibly carry off the girl. Such was the case with Dragonur Filipopvitcli, \\dio was madly in love with Milka Jovandvitch of the village of Mislodpina, near Ohrenavatz. Meeting with opposition froni Milka’s father, who is a rich peasant, Dragomir and his friends came to Jovanovich’s house under cover of night, seized the girl and unceremoniously spirited her olf to Dragomir’s house in a neighbouring village. There an elaborate wedding feast had been prepared and many friends gathered to celebrate the elopement. Milka’s irate father, however, soon discovered the theft of his favourite daughter, and forming a rescue party set out post haste with his sons and friends to recover the girl, breaking in on the merriment of tiie wedding celeoration at Dragomir’s house.

A free-for-all battle then ensued in which revolvers flashed and knives were drawn. In the melee Bogoljub Jovn.novitch, the girl’s brother, fell dead and six others were badly wounded. Bolicc interfered. Dragomir Filipopovitch was taken away in irons to be tried for niudcr and wife-stealing.