Brothers' Barratry

Having inherited $35,000,000 from her second husband, Shipping Magnate Sir Robert Paterson Houston, Dame Fanny Lucy Houston can afford to indulge her girlish sense of fun, her matronly sense of Patriotism. In 1931 her sudden gift of $500,000 enabled Britain's aviators to enter and win-the final Schneider Trophy

Race (TIME, Feb. 9, Sept. 14, 1931). In 1933 she financed a flight over Mt. Everest to prove to India that "not all Englishmen are degenerate." Lately, the sympathies of "Britain's Fairy Godmother" have been aroused by the sorry case of handsome Captain George Black ("Dod") Orsborne and his brother Jim. From Great Grimsby on the Humber, last All Fools' Day, the Orsbornes and two other fishermen ran away with the new trawler Girl Pat, chugged south for an unknown destination (TIME, June 8 et seq.). Three months later, after a wild, zigzag cruise across the South Atlantic, the Orsbornes & crew were apprehended at Georgetown, British Guiana.

The crew was released at once. Charged with barratry (marine theft), the Brothers Orsborne were returned to England.

Fortnight ago, to show that she considers the whole thing a "rather sporting effort'' and a rattling good maritime joke, salty Lady Houston bought the Girl Pat for $16,500, said she was going to present her to the Orsbornes. The philanthropic widow who so admires virility planked down $2,500 more to cover the cost of returning the Girl Pat from Guiana to Eng land. Up in Old Bailey Court last week stood Dod & Jim Orsborne to plead not guilty of stealing the Girl Pat. As defense, they declared that they had made off with the trawler so that her owners could collect $15,000 insurance, which they did.

Unconvinced, the Court found the broth ers guilty, sentenced Jim to a year, Dod to 18 months at hard labor.

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