BOOTLEGGING BARONET REDUCED TO POVERTY

Shannon News, 9 July 1929, Page 4

BOOTLEGGING BARONET REDUCED TO POVERTY

WIFE'SHED FOR DEBT.

ROMANTIC CAREER KNEED IN DISASTER.,

When lady Hartwell, wife of Sir Brodriek Hartwell, Bart., of Murnlay Dean Farm, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was summoned at Reading County Court recently in respect of a debt of £9 17s for coal and coke it was stated that she and her! husband were practically

penniless. Lacly Hartwell fold .• court she had no money and her. husband was earning onlv a small and uncertain salary.

, Judge Randolph held that Lady Hartwell had made herself personally, liable by ordering the coal ami writing that it was her own business which had suffered loss. He entered judgement for the amount claimed to be paid at the rate of £1 a mouth. Sir Brodriek Hartwell was for some; time known as “the bootlegging baronet,” and his' association with the exportation of liquor from Britain carac binder the notice of Mr Ramsay -Macdonald when he was Prime Minister in 1924. ‘ i.'t*i

“In my rum-running venture I lost every, bean I had, and ever since that time'l have been trying to retrieve iny shattered fortunes,” Sir Brodriek said in a recent interview. “Wc.caaae here turn years ago. My wife used to breed sealyhams, dachshounds, and golden retrievers/but owing to her state of health and the fact that it did not pay,' we gave up the kennels.” Sir Brodriek recounted something of his romantic career. He was successively secretary to the Consul-General at Naples, tea-planter ,in Ceylon , an officer serving in the South African War, treasure hunter )in the Pacific, stockbroker at Cardiff and officer in the laic. war. “After the war I had my rum-run-ning adventure,” Sir Brodriek continued. “I saw no harm in that. I considered- it was good for British trade.

“When prohibition was introduced in America, the Scottish distillers were very adversely affectes. I realised that the Americans; would get drink somehow and decided that if they were to drink at all they might as well drink Scotch whisky. “I managed 'to get five cargoes through, but lost the last two. A quarter of a million pounds went down in that venture. It was a very bad blow.”