The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-23 00:00:00

BANKRUPTCY OF MR. DAVID HUGHES.

The creditors of Mr. David Hughes, late of Gresham-
street, have despatched two detectives after him in the hope
of recovering some portion of his estate. Mr. Hughes
would seem, like other persons whose names have lately
been brought under public notice in connection with large
defalcations, to have lived in a style wholly incompatible
with his position in society. He resided at Canonbury
Park, and had also a marine residence at Ramsgate. He
kept six carriages and twenty horses, and indulged in
an extravagance of expenditure which nothing but a
large private fortune would justify. The manner in
which his flight became known to his creditors was
somewhat curious. It appears that a few days before he
arranged to sail in the Red Jacket for Australia he gave a
large party, to which he invited his friends and clients.
It was then stated that the family were going out of tom'
in a few days, and as Mr. Hughes bad previously issued a
circular to his clients, informing them of his intended re-
tirement from the professisn of the law, the party was re-
garded in the light of a valedictory entertainment, to
mark the grateful sense of the host for favours
received. A day or two afterwards the house was
shut up, and it was believed in the neighbourhood that
the family bad repaired to the sea side. It seems, however,
that Mr. Hughes proceeded to Liverpool, and there under
an assumed name secured berths in the Red Jacket. The
vessel sailed punctually to her time, but one of the pas-
sengers, who happened to be the son of a tradesman at
Highbury with whom the family dealt, posted a letter to
his father, in which he announced the fact that Mr. Hughes
was a fellow-passenger of his. Subsequent inquiries
were made at Gresham-street, and it was then ascertained
that the bird had flown, leaving a deficit of nearly £150,000.
Mr. Hughes was extensively engaged in building specula-
tions at Holloway, and a large proportion of his debts were
incurred for borrowed money, for the nse of which he pro-
fessed to pay as high a rate of interest as 10 per cent., giv-
ing his personal acceptances as security. Many of his
creditors are ladies, who were induced by the high rate of
interest he offered to deposit their funds in his hands. One
lady is a creditor for £2G,000.
The following is a copy of the circular addressed by the
bankrupt to his clip nts. The style is by no means that of
an educated person :

"13, Gresham-street, E.C., London, July 20, 1858.
" With great regret I have to inform you that I am re-
tiring from the practice of attorney-at-law and solicitor,
which, as you arc aware, I have for several years carded
on in this City.
" The cause for my doing so is the state of my health.
This has for some time past been such as to prevent me from
giving that attention to business which I have always bees
accustomed to give to it, which it has been at once my plea-
sure and my duty to give, and which the interests of ►nY
clients and my own credit imperatively demand. I had
hoped that a partial relaxation from business might have
resulted in establishing my health, so as to enable we to
resume my duties as before. But in this hope I have been
disappainted, and my health has continued to get worse,
until now at length it has become so bad that I am seriously
advised that it is absolutely necessary that I should retire
from business altogether; indeed, I am afraid that my life
depends upon my so doing. This assurance I have not been
able to persuade myself that I can disregard with impunity,
agreeing as it but too well does with my own sensations
and convictions. I have therefore determined, however
reluctantly, to act upon the advice given me.

" I have therefore now, with great regret, to announce to
you that I retire from the practice which I have so long
carried on in this City as au attorney and solicitor; as from the
20th day of July instant, and as from that day I relinquish
the same to Messrs. Blake and Snow, of No. 22, College-hill,
in this City, in their favour, I will not presume to say any'
thing by way of recommendation of those gentlemen. Otte
of them, Mr. Snow, was articled to my late partner, Mr•
Overton, and was with me for many years before joining big
present partner. But I may be allowed, perhaps, to express
the hope that the confidence yen were good enough to place,
and have so long continued, in me you will not be unwilling
to transfer to them ; my conviction is that you will not find
cause to regret having so done.
" In thus severing a connection which it has caused 036
many an anxious wish to retain, and cost me many a strug-
gle to dissolve, I cannot refrain from offering you my best
thanks for the confidence you have so long honoured me
with, and I may be permitted, I trust, to hope that there
has been nothing in the course of that connection to pre-
vent you from—if not sharing in the regret which I cannot
but feel in dissolving it—at least from looking hack upon it
with somewhat of the satisfaction and pleasure with which
I look back upon it myself.—l have the honour to be►
yours obediently, " D. HUGHES."

One of the detectives having been despatched overland to
arrest the bankrupt and bring him back to this country, i 5
expected to arrive at Melbourne about three weeks before
the Re l Jacket. In that case his capture is of course a
matter of certainty. It is not, however, believed that he has
any large sum about him.
The bankrupt has unfortunately a wife and eight children,
the companions of his flight.

ROYAL FREE I;IOSPITAL,
The number of patients relieved at this hospital during the
week ending August 21 is 2,593, of which 920 were nal
cases.
CITY OF LONDON HOSPITAL roil DISEASES OF TO
CHEST, VICTORIA-PARK.—Tte returns from this institu-
tion show that OW patients were relieved during the last
week, of which number 130 were new cases.
GREAT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, KINGS• CROSS.—The
number of patients relieved at this hospital for the week
ending 16th August was 993, of which 348 were new cases,