A FEMALE BANKRUPT.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1922, Page 4

A FEMALE BANKRUPT.

REFUSAL TO AN SAVER QUESTIONS CRIMINAL RIUK KEDINGS THREATENED. AUCKLAND. Nov 18. An unusual .stand was taken by a bankrupt who appeared before ill: Ofii' cl Assignee (Air Fisher). The bankrupt. Gertrude Eva Gahagan. ol Devonpoi't, bad expressed her (let'rniination not. to pay I lie deli: (.w ing to the petitioning creditor, and win placed on oath hv the Official Assignee refused to give direct answers and to state wliat. slut bad done with a sum of £'so4 .which it was alleged sice had drawn from the Rost Office Savings Bank. Mrs Gahagan was adjudicated bankrupt on December LI. the petition being in regard to a debt c! L's 7 12s .arising from a judgment cliiniiu".! against her last February .when she was nonsuited. A i ‘he conimciiceineiit ol the in; otic ; the Assignee said tho haiikruot had filed a schedule in which she showed her assets as nil and her liabilities as nil,' so that her claim was that she owed nothing and had no assets.. He had warned her specific ally that il she

refused to answer proper questions upon oath she rendered herself liable to 'imprisonment for contempt of Court, hut she had assured him that :ho “did roi tare two straws whether ;e went to ptisovi or not.” He lied teen obiai:: d n statement from her. • Questioned by -Mr iilemiord, for petitioning creditor, bankrupt refused to i;ty whether she had recently withdrawn money from the Dost Ollicc. Pressed for an answer, she said she may have drawn money. She would ii.;t sav she ha.d not,. Sin- had eh live. .Mr Blnmford: Veil say. then, that recently you drew out certain moneys. Bankrupt: I am not gome to say ; liytlliiig about it. Sir Blnmford: Is tint petitioning creditor the only creditor you have at the present time? Von have withdrawn cc-rlain moneys lo pay certain ! creditors recently. We hive that. Will ' you say that you don’t deny it? j Bankrupt: I say nothing. .Mr Blnmford: Could you go ami find I that £500? Do you know who has it? Bankrupt: 1 am not going to say. Mr Blnmford: Did you draw the money to pay your creditors, or for living expenses ? ... Bankrupt: Arc they not the same. Mr Blnmford '■ But £SOO lor living expenses! . Bankrupt: Well that is nothing.

The Official Assignee said the point was that at this critical stage in t.ic proceedings the bankrupt was refusing to answer questions, so that they were not like I v to get any further regarding the 651 X), ami it was lor the creditors to decide whether they would compel her by Court proceedings. The bankrupt said she " ls.ied to have the matter cleared up . 'ig.it awnv. as she could not stand., the strain of repeated appearances before the C 'Mr'lusher: Well, pay the £57 12s and you can clear it up. The bankrupt: T will never pn> ft. 1 am an honourable woman, and I was - disc-raced in my own home. Mr Fisher (despairing y): <>!'- ™. > ' the next proceedings will he a, (limmal prosecution. The meeting then adjourned.