TO TO LIVE ON NOTHING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 91, 26 April 1898, Page 4

TO TO LIVE ON NOTHING.

S^l.bßD/wi_L__M NEVILL'S CASE;-"-~'^'"'s ' > : -" " '■' in. during February was the I^r.fc':Willia'm Novill on S#^af|^pfjrliadand tofcery. The : wWch led to the jX^eb-iecl being;' placed in snch a > A T|po9liion,have already boen related :§? : 'ii_J-;._i_«e>cpln_i_s,..bntit may be Ssipaid he^ihdncea by fraud a young Mr Spender Clay, to put his .' ■Chame.to promissory notes for a • ; ; - ; laijzb Viridubt;. .The , inothod be ./-'-.adopted was co very simp'o that few people but a subaltern of the : " <Gnar_-i who knew absolutely no--7.: thing about business matters, would havo. been victimised by i r . Lord v -^ William _- brought to tbis young .?f gentleman sundry documents in a ./; hoover, in which four holes had been y-;icut,' and; pretend iog that thoy were " vSbcumenis in his sister's diverce ?i.'Vc_se:- which' reqnired a witness's 'signature, he asked Clay to write - N his name on the spaces left by tbe V holes. Clay seemß to have had a . ', dim suspicion that this was rather an unusual proceeding, but as Lord William., got on the bigh horse . when" asked to show tha documents, and talked about their friendship, this most trusting subaltern did as jhe was wanted. Some months later .the same process was gone thrtugh 1 again, _ie total amount raised on . theßbills thus backed beins£l 1,000. . The bila were not met, and the - money-lender, Lewis, sued Mr ; Clay, the whole story thus coming out v 7 The; victimised Clay was naturally : higblyJ indignant 1 at the fraud '■■ which had been practiced upon him, v but he would have probably paid '-.'. the raoiiey had not his fellow offloars feeling that Lord William - Nevill was a danger to sooiely, insisted on bim resisting the claim. Lewis therefore lost his money and Lord William Nevill had to stand ; Us trial. . ■• "■'■: v Possibly in' some countries tbe - ;factthat the _ccii Bed was himself bf 'noble biith and connected wiih many of the high personages in tbe land would have dulled the fine edge of . the sword of justice. But this oase again demonstrated the fine quality of "British jusfioe, 'Mr ; Justice Lawrenoe's remarks, in - .'^yipgf 'sentence; ; .were righteously ■;.-;. : ;«evii | iet I ''.''-Lb.rd' William NeviU's counsel had pleaded for leniency in ."•'■ :_ -hia ;-_clieht_s punishment on the 7 '■: i^roand' thai the trial itself and the ;- ruin he had brought upon himself y v /'weni--iii:'then_ielveß'Beyere;penalti.B ■;-^ f pr a rnan/inlidr^' William's positioa . ; ftnd;tbat any ppishment would be . ;. worse for._im tban for an ordinary "'- ■ __?"9ht The Judge - brushed away thil argument in. a few telling.sen-:'-/-'tences; "'. '; . r ,..." If," he iaaid, . ".aome wretched rclett: in the. City,, with a wife and ' : fanalty of seven children, who had .:; suffered floss, had, allowed y himlielf to tike money from his ;_: master's till, nobody would have > sppken for r him nnder the circum- ; - /stances. ■ I must point out to you, ,*_; and to, others,, that the higher the \p7. position _ a.perabnlhblds . the - greater '7 : . are his responsibilities. Then, itia 1; said^which- is the y most touching v.; Consideration, and goes nearest to .' iny=f, heart— that your punishment '. ; will bring sorrow to those oonneb» ; , ted r with you. But that is the :°'..-r^su^:-ot- ;! -Bll^p i unishpient. I have . ; lob^d^and .looked in vaio, I am, ?. Lflorry tb sSyi-for; any extenuating -_- circumstanoe's in yopr case. 1 1 is as : : bad a*cse of fraud as could possibly ! -be cqnfeive_l..,.l ,db not wish!' to , ; : say khythinavwhioh will trouble -■■ r you, but all I would say is that by . / your: conduct you have brought - -disgrace and ..dishonour, upon an . ancient and nbb'e' name, you have brought; Borrow and .suffering and shame fc those who are near to you laud bear your rAme. The posiiion 1 .■which -you^ hold should have been a 1 A ;g_arantef for, your honesty at least, ! f if ho..f(s^y.ourhonour. ,, ' ; "Withi )bat hei sentenced him to, i ; five "yijwaVpWal servitude. ; - ... 1 •;■'• '-; Lord^rtilliam '.Nevill, a; tall, B'ttiart ' ._;..- looking m_n.- with dearly cut ihtelli- ' '; gent ieatureß, and showing by hiß 1 V; bearingjhis; _oilitary : training, stood, J . 4 t ~iHg.ithe Judge's speech, gazitig /.SWlidly before Inm. bnly his nervous ' /<;graßp of tb& ledge of the dock betray.- -; \: ing,; tfe^^ortures he was suffering, 1 -•. i-"?It .js mentioned as a strange com- ? ■ mentary J b_ :; htsKaotionß that the a _:mottor a ::of:hiß' family is "A« vile 1 vilts j ."rr-^he'ine i.'to nothing base." After the" exposure in the first case a debts amounting to £70,000 were * /paid for him '-'by members of his x family .;> It is taid that he had never f .any meanß •of his own : after he was : = 26- Tbnt his habits were those of a '1 •> -Oillionaire.- " He had a sort of lust a for ganabling in hls^blood," says one C.Loadoh ,c6rreßpoadent. "IfatJ"-' -.-'..lour 61 the jay or night J>' ' ' „iy - minutes' to spare he- ' ' Jtf nad 20 H nti L be ,, 80t '***■ BOt reflt the dice" _ old rf tbe oar d 8 or