STRANGE ABDUCTION CASE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 224, 4 October 1901, Page 3

STRANGE ABDUCTION CASE.

HBAVY DAMAGES. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Wasganui, October 3. At the Supreme Court this morning the Soler abduction case was commenced before the Chief Justice. The plaintiff was Joseph Soler, of Wanganui, vintner, and the defendants John Coburo, Wanganui, fishmonger, and Vary his wife; John Tucker, Masterton, hotelkeeper, and Mary his wife; William Humphrey, Featherston, far-, mar, and Matilda his wife; Twentyman Hodgson, Invercargill, horse trainer; and James Dalgleisb, Balclutha, sheep farmer. Plaintiff claimed to recover £650 damages for defendants depriving him of his son Raphael Soler by abducting or enticing him away from plaintiff's house and thereafter conspiring to coneeal his whereabouts, and concealing him for a period of over two yean and eight months, and further that plaintiff Lad throughout that period been put to great expense in searching for the child and in paving legal and other expenses, and hid otherwise suffered gtett mental anguish. Dr. Findlay (Wellington) appeared for plaintiff and Messrs. PownalljMasterton), and Barnicoat and Hawkins (Wanganui) represented the defence. Dr. Findlay in his opening address characterised the rase as ooe " probably unparalleled in the history of the colony." The abduction was alleged to have been engineered by Mrs. Tucker (prior to the divorce of Mrs. Soler, the boy's mother) for purposes of revenge. The boy was taken away from Wangwui disguised as a girl, and had been shifted about from place to place all over the colony, neither the police nor the father being able to trace him until a few months ago. The defense was that Mrs. Tucker, had the impression that no order of the Court had been made whereby it was unlawful for h»r to take the child. The cise creat.d great interest, the Courthouse being crowded all day. In addiewing the jury, Sir Eobert Stout said a cbbs of this sort had never been tried in the colony previously, and in thecourroof his remarks said the public should know that if any per■on.tonkaway a child under fourteen years of age out of possession of its Scent or guardian each person was We to very serious punishment, up to seven years'imprisonment with hard labour. The juiv awarded £2OO damages against Mr and Mrs Tucker, £IOO against Mr and Mrs Humphries, £IOO against Mr Hodgson, £3O against Mr and MrrCoburn, and £5 against; Dalgleiah.