The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-27 00:00:00

coed to No. 34, the house she was leaving. She was
absent from her new lodging 15 minutes, and upon
her return found the door of her room wide open, and
missed the tea caddy and all its contents. Information
was given to the police, and the boys were sought after and
apprehended the same night by Webb, a police-constable,
N 0.477 K. -The ease was put into the hands of an intelli-
gent detective, named Mills, 306 K, and he confronted the
prisoners. The younger one said to the elder—" You told
me to go and get the box, and I did, and I broke open the
lid ; there were some papers and three half-crowns in it.
I gave two to you and one I had myself, and I hid one
half-crown in a yard." Henry Phillip said, "Yes; first you
gave me one and then you gave me another, and said we
would part that to-morrow." George Phillips then said he
would show Mills qhe place where the tea-caddy was
broken open, and took him to a place in Jamaica-
street, and said, "That's the spot where we broke
open the tea caddy, and took out the old Irishwoman's
money." The younger prisoner also informed Mills that he
had given the tea-caddy to a boy named Rogers, in whose
house it was found, together with a soldier's medal and a
pencil-case which formed part of the contents of the tea
caddy when it was stolen.
Mr. Selfe asked if the gold had been traced ?
Mills replied in the negative, and said that the prisoners
made the most solemn asseverations there were no half-
sovereigns in the tea caddy when they opened it.
Mrs. Sloane was sure there were five half-sovereigns in
the tea caddy when she locked it on Wednesday afternoon.
The prisoners pleaded guilty. A bad account was given
of both. George Phillips was stated to be incorrigible.
Mr. Selfe sentenced him to three mouths' imprisonment and
hard labour, and to be detained four years afrerwards in a
reformatory school, and his parents to pay half a crown per
week for his maintenance. Henry Phillip was sentenced to
four months' imprisonment and hard labour.

THE WORKING OF THE SCOTTISH BANK•
RUPTCY LAW.-GONE TO TOBERMORY.

William Gill, son of Mr. Thomas Gill, merchant, Ply
mouth, and sometime member of Parliament for the
borough, was called to the English bar in 1851. He realised
from his professional practice from £2OO to £3OO a year,
and in addition his father allowed him £3OO per annum,
making his total income about £6OO. He resided for some
years at Bayswater, and latterly at Richmond, in Surrey,
having chambers in Old-square, Lincoln's-inn. When so
situated, he, contracted debts to the amount of nearly
£17,000 to parties in England, and chiefly in London, and
finding it inconvenient to meet their demands, he absented
himself from this country, and went to the Continent in the
month of August, 1857, where he remained till June, 1858,
his creditors, in the meanwhile, knowing nothing of his
movements. From the Continent he proceeded to Tober-
mory, in the Island of Mull, one of the Western Islands of
Scotland, distant about 500 miles from London, and, owing
to its situation, not readily accessible from the mainland. A
week, at least, is occupied in the finest season in transmitting
a letter to London and receiving a reply, such being the
direct course of post. Having resided in this sequestered
spot for 40 days, the period required to constitute a domicile,
Mr. Gill made application to the Court of Session for
sequestration of his estates. The application was granted
on the 3d August current. The meeting of cte Mors
to elect a trustee was appointed to be held at Tobermory
on the 10th of the same month. Notice of the proceedings
was published in the Edinburgh Gazette on the evening
of the day the sequestration was awarded, but it could not
appear in the London Gazette sooner than the 6th, nor
he read by parties interested till the 7th (being a Satur-
day), or the 9th, being Monday ; so assuming that the
bankrupt's creditors in England are in the regular
practice of reading the official Gazette, it was next to
impossible for them to prepare their affidavits, and forward
them and their grounds of debt to the distant Highlands, in
time to he produced at the meeting for choosing a trustee
on the 10th. This arrangement suited Mr. Gill's views to
a nicety. The meeting of the 10th was attended by a pro-
fessional gentleman from Edinburgh, who now acts as the
bankrupt's agent, and this agent having produced two
' claims, with mandate, in his favour, was elected president of
the meeting. The meeting then made choice of a trustee—
Mr. Donald Fraser, merchant, Isle Ornsay, in the Isle of
Skye, another of the Scottish Isles between 50 and 100 miles
to the northward of Mull. The meeting at the same time
grant ed the bankrupt a personal protection against arrest or
imprisonment for civil debt for 12 months. Despatch being
I desirable, the trustee applied to the sheriff to appoint a day
for the public examination of the bankrupt. Wednesday,
18th, at Tobermory, was named for the purpose, of which
notice was published in the Edinburgh Gazette of Friday,
the 13th. This publication could not have been seen in Lou-
don till Saturday, the 14th, and in other parts of England
till a later day. Notice not being required to be given in
the London Gazette, it is believed that few, if any, of the
creditors in England saw the intimation, seeing the Edin-
burgh Gazette obtains little circulation in that country
except among official persons. One or two of the bankrupt's
creditors being more alert than the others, howevea, became
aware of the proceedings, and at great expense employed
agents specially to prcceed to Tobermory to interrogate the
bankrupt.
Accordingly at the diet, which was presided over by Mr.
Sheriff Robertson, there appeared Mr. David Crawford,
S.S.C., agent for the trustee; Mr. Robert Crawford, S.S.C.,
his brother, agent for the bankrupt; Thos. Landale, S.S.C.,
anti Mr. Sproat and Mr, M'Callum, writers, Tobermory, as
agentsrespectively for creditors. The bankrupt deported as
follows :-1 am a barrister-at-law. I was called to the bar
in 1851. I have not practised for the last twelve months.
The average amount of toy professional income during the
same period was about 8001. a year. I had no private estate
or income, except an annual allowance from any father,
which varied, and never exceeded £3OO a year. About six
years ago, -fiuding that toy expenditure exceeded my in-
come, I commenced speculating in the funds and shares in
public companies, with the view of increasing my income.
In August last year I went abroad during the long vacation,
and in my absence an execution was put in force by one of
my creditors, Messrs. Masterman, bankers, London, and my
books and papers were then carried off. I cannot give a
detailed account of tie result of my speculations, which ex-
tend over a period of five years, but I may state that in one
year subsequent to 1853 my father paid debts I had incurred
to one broker fur losses the suns of £1,000.; another year
he paid to another broker for losses sustained by me upwards
of £BOO. So late as July last year toy father paid £5OO on
my account to another broker. These sums do not include
the whole amount of my losses on these speculations. 1
only applied to my father for assistance when I could not in
any other way raise funds to meet the dem:list's arising from
the losses I had sustained. I consider £B,OOO to be about the
sum I owe to my father, upon making up a rough sketch of
his advances to me. Ifinterest be calculated it may be more.
This does Hot include the allowance made to me by my
father. I promoted different public companies. I was a
director in the Brighton Hotel Company, and lost about
£2OO by it. I also was chairman of the Garnet and Mousely
American Gold Mining Company, and held about 1,000
shares. They cost me about 17s. 6;1. These shares were in the
hands of my broker, Mr. Bourdillion, who absconded from
London when I was absent last year. In this way I do not know
how much my losses in the mining company may have been,
not being able to get information from Mr. Bourdillion,
and my own accounts or books having been lest as already
stated. It was in consequence of the absconding of Mr.
Bourdillion, who discounted a bill of mine at IVlasterman's,
that that firm put an execution in my house.
Interrogated by Mr. Landale, for a creditor—The amount
of debts due by me, as shown in the state of my affairs, is
£16,750 18s., and the assets £662 3s. I ant a native of Eng-
land. My father is Thames Gill, a merchant in Plymouth.
Ile was at one time member of Parliament for Plymouth. I
know very little of my father's affairs, but I believe he ma-
nages a large company at Plymouth. This company is called
the Medway Soap, Soda, and Alkali Company. I believe he
has a landed estate purchased by himself, and I do not know
whether or not it is entailed. I am not his eldest sots; there
is one older than me. lam not aware that I have any right
to succeed to any property whatever at my father's death.
When I first commenced practising in London I
bad a house at Bayswater. On the lease of my house
at Bayswater expiring, I removed to Richmond, its
Surrey, in May, 1a57. lam a widovier. I have six
children. My wife died in November, 1857. I came to To-
bertnory in the beginning of June. I think the 11th. My
object in coming to Tobermory was to go through the Court
of Bankruptcy, as being much cheaper than in Englated. I
came to Scotland for this purpose, partly by the advice of
my friends, and partly because I knew myself it would be
cheaper. I state the matter thus—my friends advised me
to go through the Court of Bankruptcy, and I chose to do
so in Scotland myself as being cheaper. I have only one
Scotch creditor. His name is James Usher Dunlop, of
Leith. The amount of his debt is £65 sterling. His name
is in the state of my affairs, but not as a creditor. The
reason why lie is not stated as a creditor in the state of
my affairs is, that he holds security for the debt,
namely, the pictures mentioned in the state, and
which I value at £2OO sterling. It was not for
the interest of a creditor that I came to Scotland
to go through the courts here. I receive letters here on
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Ido not know
the course of the pest between Tobermory and London. I
do not know the distance between Mull and the mainland.
I am not acquainted with the trustee appointed by my cre-
ditors; I have never seen him. I had a marriage settle-
ment. It is in the hands of the marriage trustees, who are
Robert Charles, merchant, London, and the Rev. John
Williams, Wigington Rectory, near Banbury, London. My
wife's name was Fellowes, daughter of Sir Thos. Fellowes,
Admiral in the Navy. I have some policies of insurance on
may life—one of £5,000 in the London Equitable Insurance
Company, secured to my children by marriage settlement.
There is also one on my life for £l,OOO, and another for
£5OO, but I have not kept them up or paid the premium
for two years. The Caledonian has the £5OO, but for
the present I forget the name of the other. Both are in
the hands of creditors in security for debt. The one for
£5OO is in the hands of Cook, money-lender, Warwick-
street, Regent-street, London, and the other in the
hands of David Paterson, of tier Majesty's Pay Office, a
coeditor for £1,300. lam quite sure I have not paid
the
last premium due on either of these policies. There is a
regulartn
theassignment i
a none
to
of
Cook,the p
andicy to Paterson,
that
h e
hol
holds
but
thei policy rather
of £250 for which ha
merely as collateral security for a
marriage
m e, in
latelyth e
executed hands of matu,
ended previousthi this as assignment
gtnom eat
bseiltlilem9entpotlriucystefoers.sio.o2avise
trus-
tees in fulfilment of a covenant in my marriage settlement
assignment of this policy to my marriage settlement.
aetnnteeereldeointotol2reaytedaersi
in Tobermory,
date of my application for sequestration. It was a short
I exee.o
time before the 3d August. The deficiency, as shown in the
state of my affairs, of £16,037, n s. arises from losses on
speculations and excess of expenditure over income in my
family.de n
excesso f E during 12 years. I consider that of the
£13,000 arose from losses on speculations. I think
housekeeping
i. 6000,
my papers, if found, would fully account for £lO,OOO or
£ll,OOO of losses in speculating during the last five or six
years. I remember incidentally a loss of £2,000 in one year
on Riga and Dunaberg Railway shares. I dealt with
Ritchins and Harrison, Frederick Torrens, Sir John East-
hope, and others, all whose accounts were among my papers
when removed. These gentlemen are all sharebrokers resi-
dent
I
in
of London.eo
expenditurensi d e rT ivh ie
or
v.r
eeßrs
Bourdillion
oer fdo mi yo fnodebts
in
th eniy I
maintenance adcecbotuntot the
forheef
mb
ex-
tentyy
1,000. I look upon this debt as bad its consequence
of the debtor's flight to Mexico. I had no carriage or mats-
servant when I lived at Bayswater. The pictures in the
hands of Mr. Dunlop, Leith, were deposited in June leet,
and are two in nufnber, and were given in security of an
advance. These pictures were sent by Mr. H. H. Hand, a
solicitor, in Bedford-row, London, to Mr. Dunlop in June
last, at my request. I have no receipt from Mr. Dunlop for
them. I had 1,000 shares its the Castletown Copper
Mining Company,
which I bought at £1 a share. Some of
these were in the hands of Mr. Bourdillion before he ab-
sconded, and 400 or 500 are in the hands of the Rev. John
Williams, in security of an advance of £4OO made by him in
1857. I got £350 from James Charles, Bishopsgate-street,
London, in cash, less di'count at £5 per cent., upon a bill
of £3OO which he holds of mine.
The further examination wes continued till M or,day, the
236 current. •
The adjourned examination of William Gill took place at
Tobermory on Monday, before Sheriff Robertson. He de-
Poned,—The rent of my house at Richmond was £136 a-year.