THE BANKRUPT COACH

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1925, Page 4

THE BANKRUPT COACH

BADCOCK’S DEFENCE. WEI.I JXGTON. Auk. 1Frederick Theodore. Hadcock, the Wellington Cricket coach, gave evidence in his own defence at his trial for broaches of the Bankruptcy Act at the Supreme Court. Wellington, on Saturday, Mr Justice Ostler presided, .Mr P. S. K. Maenssey prosecuted, and Mr IT. 11. Cornish appeared on behalf of the accused. The accused stated that he was appointed cricket coach to the Wellington Cricket Association in July, kor three months in England, before coming here, he had £-1 a week from the Oval as an amateur coach, and coaching fees, malting his weekly takings from £lO to £ls. Ju England coaching was a profitable business, hut his wife was ill in nursing homo--, and hospitals for a year. lie had an allowance from it is father while in the Armv. but that had slopped. Hi's Honour: You had to live within that allowance? Witness: Within that allowance and my military pay. His Honour: When you came heio von knew you must live within \om nay. You had t«tough intelligence for that ? Oh. yes. , ,

Badcoek stated that he had anticipations from hit father, hut it was not upon these he relied so much to pay hi:- debts as upon the money he would receive for coaching in Wellington. Mr Cornish pul in a letter in which reference was made by the representative of the Wellington Cricket \s.-ncia-tioii in England to the anxiety of the association that Badcoek should not be at a loose end alter 1 lie cricket season, and hinting at securing him a position that would induce him to be a citizen of Wellington. Badcoek. in regard to his liquor bill cii' £1!!. said the majority ol this expense was lor the entertainment n, visitors, lie also owed £-f0 at tin Grand Hotel, which, if be had had time, he would have paid.

11l regard to the account at the Simla Bank, Mr Cornish suggested that Badcoek might have money there. 11is Honour: Have you any money in the hank at Simla ? Witness: To the best of nlk' belief, yes. His Honour: How nmcb ? Witness: Approximately MOL Hint was money put ill the hank about B)‘-’0 hv my father. ‘ His Honour: You knew this money was put to your credit, and you came away from India and left it there? Witness: I could not help that, as the hanks had gone into liquidation. Witness explained that there was a misunderstanding about the statement attributed to him regarding the rupees at the creditors’ meeting. Cross-examined by Mr Maenssey ato (he letter from the Simla Bank, staling flail Badcoek had no deposit or current arc mid there. Badcoek said that to the host of bis belief be bad £?.!•:) there. ||e believed that I lie Cricket Association would lind him a position when the cricket season was over, hut lie dul not ask them to find him one. He had not done as much coaching as he had expected, because people laid not collie to him. The cpi domic had coincided with the school vat at inns, the only time lie could have coached pupils. Mr Maenssey: Did you not ask Ilf A.!!.(’. Garage manager to irnnorl a Bentley cor? Witness: I did. lull that was with a view to the A.B.C. Garage starting a Bentley agency. The car was not for my private use. The manager asked me for Clitlil, which I could not pay. Witness denied that he had selected £lO worth of pictures from Eaton’s. Evidence as to Badcoek’s work was given by Herbert M’Girr. sports' specialist. and a member of the Management Commit lee of I lie Wellington (Vi -ket Associut ion. His Honour: You are the man who makes the centuries for the Wellington team?

Willies- sail I that Badcoek was tin host (each he had ever seen, and line the ability of imparting knowledge r young players. He considered then was a market in New Zealand fnm; which Badcoek could draw fees. Witness said lie got Badcoek live to sevci hoys al 1;*, an lumr. ami could lam got him 17 or 18 hoys this year. To Mr Mnoasscy. witness said that 111' had mil yet been paid for material which Badcoek bad obtained from him.

“I did not prove in flic Inmki npfc.v lie-eail-C. 111! said mill dollC. IIU WU.x n cricketcr like myself. and I had found ldiii a i oinpaninnnhie fellow,” said witness. who added l lint he still thought I’ladinck would pay him for the cricket material. Similar evidence was given hy Thomas [flick, of ihe (Yickot. Association. ' who said that everything in the uay \ of nuance i out rolled hy Badroek in re- | yard to the obtaining if supplies was sat islaetory. Charles <!. Wilson, chairman of the Wellington Cricket Association. said Hadeock could reasonably have expoet--1 ed to make about -COIll) a year, f ‘‘lli.s ley breaks are better than his I mental processes,” said .Mr Cornish, t addressing the jury. Counsel sketched a picture of the allurements to purchase uffeiiug to a lionised man like Badeuek. who had realised too late that he was living in a fool's paradise. 1 liis prospects were admittedly such I that In l could have made £BOO a year. Mr Alacnssey, addressing the jury. . said that, far front being. litAlgered by

his creditors, TSadeock had every opportunity of meeting reasonable debts. 11 is Honour, in summing up, said that there were two charges, one of contracting debts without reasonable expectation of payment, and one of having. hy- extravagance, brought about liis bankruptcy. The bankrupt incurred £2l L IPs a mouth, sai that liis exper,dit tire wa.s eight times bis earnings. liven if be had earned all lie raid he had anticipated, it would not have exceeded one-third of his monthly expenditure. Liquor consumption alone would account for liis salary from the. Cricket Association. It be bad expected an income of £7(K) a year to fall into liis hip like a ripe plum without looking lor it. lie should have told bis cieditors so. hut at the eredito!s’ meeting he had spoken of £GOO cash, in a hunk, which Badeeck lmd. kindly to liinieslf. admitted was an “exaggeration.” As regarded extravagance, a man on £5 u week could do without a cock tail shaker and an expensive gramophone, and might do with le-s

liquor. Besides borrowing f.'2l 1 rom the proprietor of the Cram! Hotel, lie had run through £59 of his own monev. and. desnite the tael that his hoard hill at the hotel was paid, bad run up a further account of L'2o. Tills VKPDICT. The. jury returned a verdict of not guilt v on the It is*, t count, hut guilty of tlie second, ami a recommendation to leniency on account of tdie prisoner’s youth. His Honor s;,i,| be would defer sentence till .Monday. An application ter bad was relu.-ed. (! \<>l F.n FOR THREE MONTHS. AYFFUXGTOX. Aug. 3. l Frederick Theodore Rader,ek appeared before Justice (Filer, to-dnv. tor sentence for breach of the Bankruptcy

Act. His counsel asked. for probation, stressing that Hadeock had a good character at school and in the army. During the watt, he rose to be adjutant and litter to captain, lie was in haul- 1 at the age of 17. The Judge said that Badeuek had rightly been found guilty. "Had you obtained goods by fa Isi pretences, you would have tit—erved and. no doubt received, two years' ir prisomnont.’’ said the Judge, “but in my opinion your moral guilt it just as clear as though yurt had actually made fraudulent representations to td tain these goods. You apparently traded on the fact of your farmer position and rank in the army. There is this to he said in your favour, the jury by its verdict lu\s found you mote of a fool than a rogue.” Probation, added the Judge. was out of the question. The ca-e was

very flagrant, and he was doubtful whether be bad not gone too tar in adopting the recommendation of the jury. The sentence of the Court was imprisonment with hard lab utr for three months.