MONEYLENDER'S £50 NOTE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 146, 17 December 1913, Page 11

MONEYLENDER'S £50 NOTE

- PECULIAR TEST CASE. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONON, 31st October. • The Rev. Herbeit Williams, Rector of Horsleydown, Bermondsey, has for some time made a study of the ways of moneylenders. It has been his habit to write to such as advertised, asking for particulars of amounts to be loaned atid rateß of repayment. In due course he wrote to J. Marsh, Ltd., a firm of moneylenders at Leicester, and obtained their charges for interest. A few weeks later Mr. Williams was surprised to receive a letter from J. Marsh, Ltd., enclosing £50 in Bank of England notes. No invitation having been made for a loan, Mr. Williams replied to the firm stating that he should keep the money and they could sue him if they liked. It appears that moneylenders are in the habit of tempting prospective clients by sending uninvited sums in notes. When J. Marsh, Ltd., saw there was no business to be done they demanded the return of the notes, which, however, had been handed over to tho Daily Mail. The paper now issues the following challenge :—"ln: — "In the public interest, .and to settle the law on the subject, which is doubtful, the Daily Mail will allowj. Marsh, Ltd., to take any legal steps that are open to them. We shall defend any action they decide to bring, and retain the notes until— if ever— the Courts order otherwise. If we succeed the case should stop the practice." The following letters have passed between the parties :—: — "Dear Sir, — We are writing in reference to the £50 Bank of England notes of ours which you still retain. These notes are indisputably our property, and must be returned to us. To save you the trouble, one of our directors, Air. Ivor Margolies. will call on you at 1 o'clock on the afternoon of Tuesday i next, 4th November, 1913, at your address, No. 10, Fair-street, Tooley-street, London, S.E., to take away the notes; or, if you prefer it, Mr. Ivor Margolies will call for the notes at your bank, or any other reasonable place fixed by you. Unless you appoint some other place, Mr. Ivor Margolies will call for the notes at No. 10, Fair-street, Tooleystreet, London, S.E., ou the day and at the time mentioned.— Yours faithfully, J. Marsh, Ltd." Mr. Williams has replied as follows : — "Yours of yesterday to hand. I am glad you propose calling hero on Tues-' day, the 4th November, for I want to discuss with you your busiuees methods in dealing with clergymen, which 1 strongly disapprove of and am endeavouring to persuade you to amend. I cannot, however, hold out much hope of your taking the money away with you. As a matter of fact, it is no longer in my possession."