BILL OF SALE BLOODSUCKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10009, 21 December 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

BILL OF SALE BLOODSUCKERS.

I have been making some inquiries (writes Air, Laboiichoro in Truth) into a recent bill of sale transaction in Kent, the history of which affords a shocking illustration of the havoc wrought by tho brigands of the usury trade. Tho scone of the story is a typical old-fashior.od English village, called Monks Horton, lying between Ashford and Hythe. The victims aro the villago blacksmith, an old widower of 74, named Bronchley, and his unmarried daughter. They seem to have been a thrifty pair, and at the time of the tragedy whioh I am about to describe were the owners of the forge, dwelling house and garden, two adjoining cottages with thoir gardens, and about four acres of meadow-land, with stock comprising two cows, two sows, and a numbor of pheasants and poultry. The real property had been bought in 1891 in Miss Brenchley's namo, but part of tho purchase-money had boen raised on mortgage. Tho first troubles that have overtaken tho household arose out of some repairs done to tho cottages during last year. I gather that the builder who did tho work was p. friend from whom Miss Bronchley expected special consideration ; but, as not unfrequcntly hap pens, business relations put an oml to friendship, A bill was sent in lor £.10, and on some of the items being objected to, the buildor commenced an action in tho High Court, and eventually recovered judgment for debt and costs to the amount of £37.

While Miss Brenchlcy was considering how she was to raise this sum, her eye fell upon the following advertisement in the Kentish Express and Ashford Mercury :— Money to Lend Privately.

£10 to £500; Is in the £ interest. No sureties required, no delay. Immediate private advances can uow be obtained by Farmers, Tradesmen, l.odiriughouse keepers, and other responsible persons in any part of England, on their own Note of Hand, Furniture, and other Security. Before applying elsewhere call and see or write (enclosing stamp for form) to Mr. Biucier,

1, Paulista Villas, Christ Church Road, Ashford, Kent. Business hours, 2 to 7 daily.

To " .Mr, Bracier" tho lady went. He turned out to bo an agent, and tho particular capitalist for whom he was acting was tho disreputable Southern Counties Deposit Bank at Brighton. Unfortunately, Miss Brenchley and her father know nothing of this notorious institution. They borrowed in tho first instance i'3o on a promissory noto for £40, payable by ten monthly instalments; but finding, almost as soon as thoy had got the money, that it was not enough for their purpose, they had to borrow £30 more, £60 in all, for which they gave a joint bill of sale carrying interest at tho rato of £3 10s per month, the first instalment being due on January 19, 1895. So far as the Branch leys know, nothing was said in the bill of sale about '.he repayment of tho principal, and both father and daughter understood that they were to pay off the debt a3 and when they could. The promissory note does not seem to havo been given up, but nothing more is heard of it.

The victim being thus fairly netted, the blood sucking process was coinmonced with tho usual promptitude and vigour. A fow days before January 19 Miss Bronchley received a letter informing her that she need not send the first instalment, as the "bank" was in liquidation. The reader of Truth may remember that somewhere about that time, owing to tho notoriety that had been earned all over the country by the Southern Counties Deposit Bank, this concern dropped its too- familiar title and converted itsoif into tho Provincial Union Bank. Tho first instalment under the bill of sftlo having thus got into arrcar, at the end of tbe fortnight a man waß put in possession by tho " bank"— which bank is quite immaterial. Tho man remained in possession for 23 days, when he was got rid of by a paymont of £10, tho rccoipt for which is dated February '25. The reaclor will note that this payment covered the instalments for January and February, and all but 10s of the March instalment, and, under the comfort iblu assurance that they were ull right for a time, the Brenchleys made no further payment until the latter part of April, when a -econd seizure of the goods took place. This timo a payment of £20 was made. The receipt is dated Maya, and states :—

£20 received per broke.* on fltli instant, being £4 13-* lOil actual expenses of broker, and £3 llsGd auctioneer's account for coats, preparing for sale, etc., £ll I4sßd on account of interest respecting the billot sale December 19,1894. (Signed) W. H. Goodman, Manager. J.H.C. Did anyone over hear of such undisguised swindling as this? £4 13a 101 for the "actual expenses" of a broker's man, who bad been living free on these unfortunate peoplo for a fortnight! However, even after this, it will bo seen tint the Breachleys had now paid (with their previous £10) more than six months' instalments, which would square tho account up to July 19. To make sure on this point, Miss Brenehloy wrote to tho "bank," and asked what was still owing. Here is the answer :— May 14,1895. Miss 3. A. Brenchley. Madam,—Your payments are about £20 or £30 in arrear. Your monthly instalment is £3 10s, and you had better send that and as much as you can off the arrears.—Yours obediently, W. H. Goodman, Manager. At the rate of £3 10s por month, the utmost that could have accrued due by tho tluto of this letter was £14, and at this date the Brenchleys had paid the " bank £21. Yet this impudent scoundrel, Goodman, has tho brazen audacity to tell this poor woman that she is " £20 or £30 in arrear," and to demand payment of more money. The oi?jct of this letter, as tho reader will readily understand, was to strike the old blacksmith and his daughter with despair. They seem to have felt that they wore helpless in the hands of Ihoir oppressors, and, being able to raise no more cash, they simply bided events. On July 23 another man was put in possession, armed with a distress warrant for £79 '13s sd. After aottio unsuccessful attempts at compromise) a sale of the effects was advertised for August 15. Miss Brenchley wont to some friends to try and borrow the money, and telegraphed to tho auctioneer that she had got it; but the sale proceeded, and the poor woman only got back to find the livestock gone, and every stick cleared off the premises, except one or two articles which her father had bought in with the few shillings ho had in his pocket. When 1 wont down to interview tho couple thoy were living as best they could in their dismantled home, and with little prospect before them of being ever again able to earn a living outside the workhouse. They had endeavoured to obtain an account showing tho rosult of tho sale, but had not succeeded. I dislike- to use strong language without adequate cause, but I know of only one name for the process by which these poor peoplo have boon ruined. It U simply thieving. I suppose that eomewhero in the recesses of the law some kind of remedy is to bo found. But at the host it is only a remedy by civil action ; and of what use is it to talk about civil remedies to poor and ignorant country folk, who havo been despoiled, not only of all their cash, but of their whole worldly goods? It is because they know the usolessnoss of such legal romedies that these usury-brigands are so bold. What we need is to call their trade by the right name, and bring it within the roach of the criminal law. Why should Bill Sykes go to his sovon years' penal servitude, while the smug scoundrel who enters his neighbour's house, not armed with the honest jemmy and crowbar, but with his damnable bill of salo, and proceods to appropriate his neighbour's goods on pretexts tainted with fraud at every step, is loft to plunder honest men and womon to his heart's content, and, it may be, to return thanks in his synagogue every Sabbath ? The propor treatment for tho whole predatory crew is a stiff term of hard-labour, and tho law might easily bo so altered as to sccuro it to thorn. Nor should the law deal with tho principals only. It should also make provision (or the punishment) of anyone who has published tho offender's advertisements, under such circumstances as would justify his being hold an accessory to tho crime before the fact. If there wero no receivers there would be no thieves; and if there were no money-lenders' advertisements in the newspapers there would be no ruined homes like that which I have seen at Monks Ilorton.