ONCE WEALTHY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 2, 18 January 1937, Page 6

ONCE WEALTHY

''Now Without a Penny in The World" LADY OWEN'S L0SSES Changed Xortunes of a wldow who, It was said, possessed EiUU.uuO ieu yeai-s ago and had now "noi a penny in the world" were the sunject 01 mvestigation in the London jfcsankrupicy Couri. bhe is Lady tkumee) uwen, wido w of Sir Theodore Owen, a Ceylon planter, who attended the court for her puhlio examination. A Prenchwoman hy hirth, Lady Owen before her mamage, at the. age of 20, was well known as V-diie. Edmee Lormeuii, a Frenoh aciress wiio appeared on the English stage. in 1931 she was sentenced in Paris to Ava years' imprisonment for shooting at and wounding Mme. Gastaud, wife of a doctor, hut she was released after two years. Lady Owen's name was given as Mrs Edmee Georg^tte Juliette Glaudine Owen, and she was descrihed in thv receiving order as Edmee Owen, journalist, late of Devonport Street, Hyde Park, W. .Her statement *hf affairs, as amend'ed, showed liabilities of £9417, of whioh £7451 are expeoted to rank, and net assets £2787. \ " i , "Qambled Away £14,000." ' Lady Owen. toid Mr S. W. Hood, Official Receiver, that she was married. in Fehruary, 1915. At the tirne of her hushand's death, in March, 1926, she possessed — in the form of jewellery, furs, and- other property- — about £100,000. When her husband died she became entitled as sole legatee, to the whole of his estate — ^worth ahout £40,000 — oonsisting of shares in various companies and a one-third interest in, a l'uhher plantation in Geylon. As the resuit of an aotion ibrought against her hy the widow of her stepson she lost her interest in ihe Geylon estate, and had to pay ahout £3250. to the plaihtiff. Since 1926 she had exhausted her assets hy gambling, extravagant living, law costs, and large loaijs to friends., She lived in Paris, and during 1926 and 1927- she lost s- something like £14, OPO hy gamhling. During the years 1926-1930 she was associated with a "Mr X" and a "Mr Y." She lent the former £5000 — whioh she treated as a had hook debl — and guaranteed his hank overdraft for £1000, having to pay £575. "Mr Y," to. whom she advanced money, owed her £10,000, but she did not know whether or not that would prove a had debt too. She also made "Mr Y" valuable presents to the amoun't of £800. In April, 1927, she horrowed on security £3000 from the hank, and later pledged her. jewellery for £10,- 1 000/ I ln August, 1930, she was defending herself against '•a criminal charge in Paris. She realised effects to the extent of £10,000 for trial expenses. She. was released from prison in Maroh, 1933. She had paid over £5000 ln interest on -her pledged jewellery. She asked "Mr Y" . to return valuable jewellery thas she had given him, and he returned it to her solioitor, who told her tha s he pledged it. ) j 1933 Ihe solioitor asked her to sigh a certain paper. This she did without reading it, hut she believed Jn him enoirely, and entrusted him with all her affairs. In May last year, however, she changed her solioitor. Her former solioitor clalmed £6500 for costs, but she was naturally disputing the claim. He was now bankrupt. Lady Owen attributed her insolvenoy to extravagance, gambling, and mlsmanagement of her affairs hy her former solioitor, who, she alleged, had also taken some of h'er property. j "Boxes of Dresses." , Quest^oned about furnlture, Lady Owen replied that part of It was brought to London from Paris and sold for £60. It comprised 10 boxes of dresses, 10 boxes of shoes — Mr Registrar Barton (Interrupting) : It does not matter. Other furnlture, Lady Owen agreed, was sold for £150 to a frlend whosa name she was allowed to write down. When questioned regarding oertain furs, she said she ohtained about £120 on them, addlng: "But I have not now : a penny to my name ; not a penny." On the application of Lady Owen's ( counsel, Mr F. Ashe Lincoln, the exam- : ination was adjourned. : ' ,b