Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-29
KNIGHT IN 1908
is NOW PAUPER
Pitiful Ending Of Career OF Sir
Luke White, Once Member
of Parliament.
BANKRUPT and A WRECK
Rome Of Hls Poor Constituents Loot
Their All by Intrustino 1t to Him
War Makes Financial
Distress Known.

London-From a position Of afflu-
snc popularity and public service
which won him a seat In parliament
and a knfghthood, Sir Luke White LIS
ending his days as the inmate of a
workhouso infirmary in Driffield. Clev-
er enough to rise from poverty to a
noted career. injudlcious investments
brought him low, and at the height Of
his political power he was forced to
confess himself bankrupt. He carried
down with him numerous trusting con-
stituents, and his liabilities Of $780,
600 included $4,000 in loans from
poor people who had confded their all
TO him. The shame Of having thus
wrecked the savings of those who be-
iieved In him completely unnerved
him. Now he is dependent on public
charity, his spirit utterly crushed, and
he is one Of the most pitiful figures In
the north Of England.
Began as Office Boy.
Born In Deighton, neal York, in
1916, he was an Office boy at fifteen
for a solicitor. who paid him about 30
cents a week. After eight years In
that service, of course with increasing
income, he became managing clerk for
another solicitor in Driffield. In an
other six years he was admitted to
the bar as solicitor, and in the same
year he succeeded to the practice OF
his employer, who had died.
He speedily became known as q
local preacher and speaker for a large
district, and he was highly popular
and successful. For years he was
chairman of thu local board, and then
of the urban district council. Then he
went to the East Riding county coun-
ell. In 1895 he was appointed n OF
the coroners for East Riding. He act
ed as election agent for Sir Angus
Holden, Liberal member Of parlia-
ment for the Buckrose division, mi
when Sir Angus died in 1900 White
was chosen as his successor. In 1908
he was knighted.
He continued to divide his time be-
tween his attendance at Westminster
and his business in Yorkshire, but as
ne gave more time to his parliament
airy duties than to his private affairs,
his practice suffered. The war brought
out the fact that he was in financial
distress, and last fall he resigned his
seat and filed a petition In bankruptcy.
1t appeared in the bankruptcy pro-
ceedings that some of his poor con-
~etituents had confided their money to
him to put into war loans.
Popular For Years.
Friends provided for him for
awhile IN a %sanitarium near Scar
borough. When that fund was ex-
hausted he was removed to the work
house inf1rmary, which almost adJoins
the court In which he formerly prac-
tised. His tragic misfortune caused a
great sensation In East Yorkshire;
where for years he had been SO well
known and liked that In the town of
Bridlington particularly his photo
graph hung on the walls Of every
other house. He had been eminently a
poor mans lawyer.
His fate is now brought afresh to
public notice by an action against
Herbert Brown, a deputy coroner for
the East Riding of Yorkshire, who Is
charged, jointly with Sir Luke, with
having appropriated to the personal
use Of Sir Luke In 1907 S 1000 intrust-
ed to them by Witham Hatfield for in
vestment. Sir Luke escapes arraign-
ment owing to his physical and ner-
Eous collapse.