The Lost Million
1908.--Portleven Mansions, Maida Vale.
1908.--Brancaster, Norfolk.

It was while golfing at Brancaster that Lady Lettice was arrested and brought to London under the Debtors Act in connection with her stay at Maida Vale.

While she had many residences, they were few in comparison to her different aliases.  Here are some of the names by which the extraordinary woman has been known--
Lady Lettice Lancaster, Lady Ella Earnshaw, Hon.  Lucy Huntingdon, Hon. Mary Trelawnay, Mrs Emily Dewar, Mrs Gertrude Curtis, Mrs Evans, Mrs Shaw, Lettice Leyton, Alice Lethbridge, Grace Fane, Grace Fitzjames.

Each of these names was used by her, while she had a habit of giving one of the other names as a reference.  In the case for which she has now been convicted, she was using the name of Mrs Gertrude Curtis and had given Lady Ella Earnshaw as a reference.

The report then went on to give an example of the clever way in which this extraordinary woman escaped paying her creditors, which showed what a remarkable adventuress she was.

Early last year, the journal continued, she took a fine furnished mansion, Stuston Hall, near Chelmsford, in the name of Mrs Gertrude Curtis, and almost immediately afterward, a man who was known in the village as Hoare, and was thought to be her groom, arrived on the scene. About two months later Mrs Curtis came down from town, but by this time there was a considerable sum of money owing.  Certain sums were paid on account, but before long the tradespeople were getting anxious about their money, and a number of county court summonses were issued.  These were allowed to go by default, and after judgment had been given, the woman and a man, who was known as Ralph Lancaster, and was said to be her foster-brother, were found to have removed the furniture and antiques to London, where it was sold.  The defence to the charge was that Hoare was really Earnshaw, the woman's husband, and that he was responsible for the debts, which were on his account, he having given the orders.

In the witness-box, Mrs Curtis admitted that Hoare was her husband, and that his real name was Earnshaw.  She took the house in the name of Curtis because she was anxious to get away from her husband, who when drunk was very cruel, and on one occasion broke her arm.  He, however, found her out, and, as a matter of fact, went down to Stuston Hall, a long time before her advent there.  She claimed to have 'a moral right' to use the name Lady Lettice Lancaster but 'for family reasons' refused to divulge why.  If she did, 
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