The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-10 00:00:00

LYCEUM.

EVEURG, MY Mr. Widdicomb. —RICY
RLAS. Messrs. Yechter, Ryder, Fitzpatrick, Charles, Mclntyre,
Raymond, Moreland, Collett, Clifford Misa C. Lactercq, Mrs.
Whistanky.—And NURSES' CMICK WEED. Mr. Wlddlcomb.

TUTS Emnro. DICIiIi7IIITTINGTON AND HIS CAT.
...Singing by Mr. Albert Steele, the Great Vance, 11111 e.
Doti, and the celebrated D'Aubans.—And THE MOTHER'S
DILND CHILD. Mn. S. Lane.—Commence at half-past O.

MOH WATER. AT LONDON7BRIDOR.

This DAY UM.-.7..A7t:n000n,--. 11b. Um.
TO-MoahoM Morning, Uh. Om.....Alternoon„ Oh. 2.31 n.

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10.

A case tried in the Bail Court on Thursday last
exhibits& certain variety of thehumanhawkand gull
under an aspect at once so pleasing and so diverting
that it may be worth while to pause for a moment
and take a near look at the interesting litigants. Mr.
liiNesuce, the plaintiff, had been a footman, and
in that capacity had received from an uncommonly
generous master a present of 7001. The defendant,
Mr. HART, was described as the only surviving
member of the Middlesex Loan Company, which,
as it appeared from the evidence, had never at the
most promising epoch of its brief and brilliant
career consisted of more than three members, one
of whom had died and another had defaulted. Mr.
KINGSLEY, emb►rrassed with his riches, and
just enough imbued with the spirit of "his epoch"
to be its dupe, looked, as many better men have
done, for a good investment of his little capital,
and, probably having never beard of the DYNE'S
aphorism that " high interest means bad Well-
" rity," he soon snapped at one of the coarsest
baits that ever hooked a gudgeon. Hearing
from a friend of a Loan Office which professed to
give 7 per cent. on money advanced, be offered to
lend GOO/. on those terms. That offer was
accepted ; the money was paid over in April,
1860, and the plaintiff continued to receive
interest up to September, 1863. The plaintiff then
finding, we suppose, his 7 per cent, in abeyance,
applied to an attorney, who, of course, com-
menced an action. And this was the state of
affairs in tho Middlesex Loan Office at the
final disclosure. Mr. K INGSLEY, the plaintiff
and ex-footman, in arranging his little in-
vestment, had anxiously inquired whether " it was
" a legitimate business," and if his money would
be secure ; was informed with equal frankness by
the defendant that his money would be quite safe,
since ho himself (the defendant) had 1,0001. in the
Middlesex Loan Society, and the money would
be applied to that Society. Thus reassured,
the plaintiff paid down 6001., which it was
agreed should be considered as having been
paid in one hundred weekly instalments. The
defendant gave a receipt, as it was understood, to
that effect, and the plaintiff was presented
with "a book" also. The interest was
to be paid half-yearly. A little later
a person named J ACKSON, who had also been
a domestic servant, but was now " manager " of
the Middlesex Loan Society, called upon the
plaintiff and asked for a further advance of 1001.
at 10 per cent. interest, to which the plaintiff con-
sented, and received a promissory note for the
amount. This arrangement, however, though con-
cluded by .I.e I: s..N in his capacity as manager,
was disallowed by the defendant, who was a simple
depositor in the Middlesex Loan Company, and
who called on the plaintiff and offered him 7 per
cent., "according to the custom of the company."
To this amended offer K I N cs LEY—good, easy man—
assented also, and gave back his promissory note.
l'p to September, 1863, the interest was paid.
It was then that ULM, one of the three
persons who composed the Society, became a
defaulter, and K 1 M.SLLY was asked by HART
to take 6 per cent, for his money. To this
request, alho, K IN..SLFY assented, and the 6 per
cent. interest was paid. About this time Jack•
ssoN, the creator and manager of the Society, died,
and the s ,ciety " removed" to another
place. K iN,.SLLv, who was growing a
little uneasy in his mind, but was not
yet aware of ACki,t)N.S death, called at
the new offices, and there found " several persons,
" perhaps twenty," and among others HART, who
begged him to call upon him the next morning,
because he could not speak to him then on ac-
count of the crowd in the office. KINGSLEY said,
in a casual sort of way, he "supposed all was right."
HART replied, "it was all wrong, but he would
" explain next day." The next day he did ex-
plain that .Is, asos was dead; that he, HART, was
all that was left of the Middlesex Loan Society;
that he had no money; that he was winding up the
concern, and doing the best he could for every