BOTTOMLEY’S TRIAL.

Grey River Argus, 26 May 1922, Page 6

BOTTOMLEY’S TRIAL.

A TEARFUL ORATION. HORATIO’S IGO.COO WITNESSES. LONDON, May 24. In the trial of Horatio oßttomley for alleged fiauds. the evidence for the prosecution closed earlier than, was expected. Boltomley came into court wearing a white hat. He said humourously, “I am going to the Derby after all.* 1 Opening his defence, he said: If the charges are true, they stamp me as a rogue and hypiocite of the deepest dyeThe question is had I any intention to steal from the poor devils who subscribed, ex-soldiers, and their determents. God forbid. Bottoniley then asked ■whether he could call 100.000 witnesses to rebut the evidence for the prosecution that subsribers had not had their money back. The Judge said that he would lister, to any evidence, also to any objection by the prosecution. Bottoniley said that he might have been a lit th' reckless and unconventional, but he had done nothing criminal. Bottoniley concluding with a dramatic oration, bursting into tears, and promising to go into the witness box. BOTTOMLEY’S EXCUSES. ..LIVELY CROSS EXAMINATION.. (Received May 25 at 7.10 p.m.) LONDON. May 24. Horatio Bottoniley, in the witness box, said he had refunded £348,000 ol the Victory Bond Club money, and also £BO,OOO in Paris. This with depreciation, exceeded the amount paid by Victory Bond Club. ‘‘l am now £50.000 out of pocket,” he said. ‘‘The stock dropped, and most disastrously I dc- | tided to si'll out. The expenses in dealing with the Club were •enormous, as it dealt with 2U0.000 illiterates, who wrote letters of four, six. or eight 4 pages about a £1 certificate. The card index was soon not worth a rap. Endor the cireunistances .1 ‘.old my stall to pay every body in exchange for his certificates. I had a lot of liquid cash at the time, which 1 kept in my bedroom. Mr Travers-Humphreys subjected But tomivy‘to a searching cross examination. Bottoniley was continually flaring up, ami protesting that he had onlv spout (his own money. Counsel pointed out Bottoniley was an undischarged bankrupt, and he once requested the prisoner not to be insolent.