The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-19
LORD TOTT|NCTON
IN SORE STRAITS.
Head Of House Of Byng Looking
for Heiress to Repair
His Fortunes.
a D M|RAL BYNG's DEATH
Found Guilty by Court-Martial,
He Was Shot Oh His
Own Quarterback.
BY IA MARou1sE DE roNrENoy.

by IN MARQuIsE DE ToNTENOY.
TR0M the fact that young Lord
II Iofrlngton Is shown, by legal
i proceedings which have Just
taken place In London, to be head
over ,.,,ei ears In debt to money-lenders,
Viii interest. and to have been Dor
Living money from them at 40 and
ou per cent, In order to preserve him
Tor the nonpayment Of his racing debts,
II would seem that this promising
scion of the British peerage has reach :
ed the end of his financial tether. be-
lore GM even attaining the age Of twenty
delay by marriage with an teircss. Will
quickly end up in the Bankruptcy
aourt and be compelled to give UP his
me old home In Kent. known as Votes
court. surrounded by park contain
ing some of the grandest old trees in
the county. and stocked full of family
relics including the cabin chair in
winch the unfortunate Admiral John
iBSynS, fourth son of the first viscount
Torrington. was shot in 1851, after
being sentenced to death BY court
martial.
The court. which was composed of
the admirals. acquitted him of the
charges of cowardlce which had been
brought against him. but issued ver-
dict to the effect that he had not done
his utmost to relieve Minorca. which
was being bcsicged by the French
fleet. According to the articles Of
war the court had no alternative but
TO sentence the admiral to death on
this account but strongly recommend
ed him to mercy, on the ground that
z lie had been sent to sea with a squad
ron poorly manned and in shameful
condition, and that at the most he had
been guilty of an error of Judgment
and and % reluctance TO. accept the ,respon-
slbility of engaging overwhelming
French forces with ships in bad shape
and inadequately armed. The Prime
Minister and government endeSvored
IN vain to secure not merely COM
mutation, but a pardon. but George H..
with his traditional obstinacy declin-
ed to listen to a word in the admirals
behalf, and lie was shot down by a
l!e of marines on the quarterback of
Dor, victim of his sovereign's obstina-
cy and OF the construction OF the ex-
listing naval regulations.
The first Lord Torrington was Ad-
miral Sir George Byng. so famous for
his victories over the Spaniards, ana 1t
Byng, Governor of Barbadoes that the
iIarls of Straffcrd are descended. The
late Earl of STAFFORD, it may be re-
membered. married the widowed Mrs.
met with tragic death, being run
over by railroad train at the very
moment when his American wife was
being presented for the first time at
court.
The house of Byng is one OF the
Oldest In the kingdom, and Lord Tor
rington is its chief. The late Lord
Torrington, eighth of his line. was a
veteran of the Indian Mutiny, and one
of the favoritc and trusted members
of the household of Queen Victoria
1t was her absolute refusal to dispense
with his services as a lord In waiting
that led to the inauguration of the
present system. whereby one lord in
waiting remains permanently attached
to the service of his soyereign-just
at present it is Lord Suffield-wher eas
tho others. some seven In number.
change with the administration, and
have to belong to the political party
that happens to be in office. His pre-
decessor the seventh viscouut was also
a lord In waiting to Queen Victoria
in the early years of her reign, and
the present lord oficated as one OF the
pages of honor OF King Edward on the
occasion of his coronation, thus CON
ttnuing the court connection OF the
family.