Final years Horatio Bottomley

bottomley in court, after sentencing; depiction illustrated london news

bottomley s trial began on 19 may 1922, before mr justice salter. case beginning, bottomley secured agreement of prosecuting counsel, travers humphreys, 15-minute adjournment each day he, bottomley, drink pint of champagne, ostensibly medicinal purposes. faced 24 fraud charges, involving amounts totalling £170,000. prosecution produced evidence had regularly used victory bonds club funds finance business ventures, private debts , expensive lifestyle. bottomley, defended himself, claimed legitimate expenses in connection club, , repayments made victory bonds club members, exceeded total receipts @ least £50,000: swear have never made penny out of it. swear before god have never fraudulently converted penny of club s money . weight of evidence suggested otherwise; salter s summing up, described biographer masterly; lucid , concise, yet complete , went heavily against bottomley, , jury required 28 minutes convict him on 1 of charges. sentenced 7 years penal servitude. humphreys commented later: not floored him, drink .

after dismissal of appeal in july, bottomley expelled house of commons. leader of house, sir austen chamberlain, read out letter in bottomley insisted that, unorthodox methods, had not been guilty of conscious fraud; accepted predicament entirely own fault. chamberlain moved bottomley s expulsion, carried without dissent. 1 member expressed regret, remembering remarkable position [had] occupied in country . bottomley spent first year of sentence in wormwood scrubs sewed mailbags, , remainder in maidstone prison where, although conditions squalid, given lighter work. released on 29 july 1927, after serving on 5 years, , returned dicker, still family home.

although 67 years old , in indifferent health, bottomley tried resurrect business career. raised sufficient capital start new magazine, john blunt, rival john bull, new venture lasted little more year before closing, having lost money start. in september 1929 began overseas lecture tour, failed utterly, did attempt @ british tour during received indifference or hostility. 1930 again bankrupt; wife eliza died year, after bottomley s former son-in-law jefferson cohn evicted him dicker. remaining years of life lived long-time mistress, actress peggy primrose, whom bottomley, in years of riches, had vainly tried promote stardom.

bottomley s last public venture engagement @ windmill theatre in september 1932, performed monologue of reminiscences that, according symons, puzzled rather amused audience. following health breakdown, lived primrose in quiet poverty until final illness. died in middlesex hospital on 26 may 1933, , cremated @ golders green crematorium few days later. large crowd heard revd basil bourchier express hope no 1 here today forget mr bottomley did revive spirits of our men @ front . 4 years later, in accordance bottomley s wishes, primrose scattered ashes on sussex downs.

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