KIDNAPPING WIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 28, 2 December 1901, Page 2

KIDNAPPING WIVES.

TRAGIC CUSTOMS STILL EXTANT IN THE CAUCASUS.

The manner? and customs of the people of the Caucasus have not changed to a great extent (says the Vienna correspondent of the Daily Mail) since tbe country has been subdued by Russia. One of the relics of the good old times to which the Caucasians especially cling is the custom of kidnapping tbe wom'n whom they desire to make their wives. Recently a case of this kind resulted in a tragic «Dd, A prominent inhabitant of the little Caucasian town of Katuhagan, named Ismail Ogli Oki, tried to kidnap tbe sister of his best friend's wife while his fiiend whs absent from home. The girl resisted his attempt to carry her off, aided by her married sister. The baffl >d lover drew his sword and inflic ed dangarous wounds on both the ladies. At this moment his friend returned, and enraged at finding what had occurred, killed Ismail on tbe spot. Then he cut off Ismaii'd head and carried it round to show the neighbouis what a fearful revenge he had taken. In tbe same district a young nobisman desired to marry the daughter of a neighbouring landowner, and invited the girl with her parents to a grand ball given at his castle. During the evening he found an oppor' unity of decoying the girl into a secluded part of tbe house, where she was seized by his men and placed in a carriage. The prince joined ber, and in spite of the girl's entreaties, started out to drive to a place where they could be married without much delay. The girl's father, qn finding that his host had disappeared with his daughter, gave chase, aed being on horseback, overtook the carriage. He shot the nobleman without ado, and took his daughter home. The neb'eman, however, had won ber heart during the drive, and the girl was now reluctant to marry the man of whom foer father approved, but tbe stern parent insisted on the wedding taking place at once, The bride appeared in the church, pile, but cool and collected. During the 1 ceremony she drew a dagger and 1 stabbed the bridegroom to the heart,' Afterwards she committed suicide. I