Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1888-12-08 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

BOSOM FRIENDSHIP.  In the bankruptcy case of Stanlake H. Batson, the receiving order was made in the London Court in March last, the statement of affairs showing gross liabilities £34,453, of which £17,037 is expected to rank. The bankrupt, who wan described as of Albertmansions, Victoria-street, Westminster, has now applied before Mr. Registrar Giffard to pass his public examination. Mr. Woolf and Mr. Ringwood appeared for creditors; and Mr. H. Reed for the debtor. The bankrupt stated that he came of age in 1883. Ills annual income was about £3OOO, but he had considerably exceeded it during the two years in which he was in the Life Guards. While in the militia he made the acquaintance of a Mr. Cruikshank, who subsequently became "his bosom friend, dining with him, and all that sort of thing:' That gentleman informed him that he had large contracts on hand for supplying foreign Governments with rifles, cannon, "and all:that sort of thing," and offered him, as a friend, the chance of putting a few thousands in, assuring him that, if he did so, it would be a very good thing for him. He agreed to do so, and Mr. Cruikshank " voluntarily " signed an agreement to pay him £25,000 at Christmas as his share of the profits, and, to make the document perfectly legal, took it to Somerset House to have it stamped. (A laugh.) Ile had Mr. Cruikshank's receipts for £15,000, which he had so disbursed, but had seen nothing of the profits. He believed his was not the only " bosom-friendship " of the kind which Mr. Cruikshank had cultivated. The amount of £l3OO was for a gaming debt contracted in December last. At that time he quite expected to have the means of meeting his losses out of the profits of the contract with the Spanish Government, which his friend told him he was expecting daily. By Mr. Woolf Under his father's will he had a life interest in some landed property at Horse Heath. Cambridgeshire, and he also inherited an estate at Mixbury, in Oxfordshire, which was his absolute property. Mr. Meredith, his family solicitor, had a mortgage on the estate for £lO,OOO which he had advanced, and there was also one to a Mr. Caylor for £3000; besides which there was a family charge on the property in favour of his sister, Mrs. Brooke. The rents from these estates were paid into his bank by Messrs. Meredith up to the time of his failure, subject to the interest on mortgage. He believed Mr. Samuel I.ewis had a mortgage for £ll,OOO on the Oxfordshire property. Ile remembered going to that gentleman's office and signing a sheet of paper, which he had since been informed was a mortgage. He could not say what portion of these sums was for interest. All he knew was that he signe I the " thingumabobs," and he supposed he had the money. The examination was then concluded.  FOR HALF A CENTURY Hornisian & Co., London Tea Importers, have been educating the English tea drinkers to use only uncoloured tea, with this result, they are now the largest Importers of Pure Tea in the World, who supply direct to the public ;showing how highly good tea is appreciated and enjoyed. Witchtm Doris, of Damascus, Maryland, while his mother was sick in bed, walked out of the house and committed suicide. his mother died a few minutes after being informed of the act.