STEALING WIVES FOR HUSBANDS' DEBTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1147, 11 September 1883, Page 1

STEALING WIVES FOR HUSBANDS' DEBTS.

An incident worthy to be compared with the historic Rape of the Sabines is reported from a small place in Roumania where the duty of collecting taxes eeeniß to be performed under the most insuperable difficulties. The Mayor of this commune which rejoices in the name of VaWulcsti, found that the task of levying the impos'p was too great for his powers as conform! upon him by the ordinary law of the land, and bethought himself of a device, by which he seems to have arrived nt with a more satfssfactory result. He waited for a J ,ime when all the male population of the parish wer« out at work in tho.n'elds, and marshalling his twenty subordinates marched out to make,a raid upon their homes The official dignitaries sallying forth in their new character of freebooters, seized successively the faithful spouses of the ratepayers, and carried them off as hostages to a temporary place of detention Tlio manoeuvre must have been executed with a promptitude and silence worthy of Tel-d Kebir heroes, if the statement is true that the husbands only found out 0:1 .their return home what had befallen their better-halves. But it speaks well for the character of Roumanian husbands in rural places that they were soon plunged into profound grief at the loss of their-interesting-help-mates. A first busty impulse diove them to drown their cares, or perhaps - to celebrate their new found victory, by ad. jonrning in a body to the public house, But a day or two's experience bro.iwfc*. about a revulsion of fe*K*S ; "and, rather than remain permanent'*/ deprived pfVJio influence whiih emrJJfi mores.* the yoJtels; ofJVandule'sti consnfcted'to pay the "taxes dp alrreiir and ransom the LWstrongroom of the'victorioul)u6 r ayor7'