MEETING OF CREDITORS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5800, 31 October 1879, Page 3

MEETING OF CREDITORS.

An adjourned meeting of creditors of John Stacey was held at the Court House yesterday, Mr. Denton, trustee, in the chair. Mr. Fitzherbert represented the debtor, and Mr. Ollivier the creditors. Mr. Ollivier desired to examine the debtor, and he must ask Mrs. Williams, who was present, to retire while he did so. Mr. Fitzherbert said Mrs. Williams could not wait, and he asked that she should he examined first. Mr. Ollivier said he was sorry he could not see his way clear to do this, bait he must examine the debtor first, and Mrs. Williams must retire. Mr. Fitzherbert : Very well; Mrs. Williams, you may go. Mr.. Ollivier : Understand, Mrs. Williams, that you don’t go with the consent of the trustee, and if you go, it is at your own risk, and an application may be made to attach you for contempt of Court. Mr. Fitzherbert : On my advice, you may go. Mrs. Williams'; Very well ; good, afternoon. The debtor was then sworn, and deposed that he was a laborer, and that he had been married. He had one child. He had lately signed a declaration of insolvency. He had got into debt through going Home to England to get some money, which, however, he did not get. He expected some £7OO or £BOO. His uncle sent for him to go home, as his mother was likely to die, and would leave him the money. He went home, but his mother did not die. He did not know what had become of the letter received from his uncle, but it might be amongst his papers. His mother had property which would come to him after her death. The property was in Devonshire. Witness remembered purchasing some property at the Hutt. He bought four or fiveacres for £2O about two years ago. He had since sold it to Mr. Denton for £125. This was three or four months after his purchase. He was in Wellington at the time, keeping a, boarding house, and Mrs. Williams was his housekeeper.' ‘ He first became acquainted with Mrs. Williams four or five years ago. She Is not a widow, her husband being still alive. When witness became acquainted with her she was living in Ghuznee-street by herself. Mr. Oilivier : What was she doing 1 Mr. Fitzherbert advised his client not to answer the question. He was there to answer any reasonable question concerning his own affairs, but not concerning Mrs. Williams. Mr. Ollivier said he would put the question formally through the trustee, and if he then declined to answer it, it would be for the Court to deal with the matter. The question was then put by the trustee, and witness replied that She was keeping a boarding-house. She had no property that witness was aware of. Witness took a boarding-house two years and a half ago in Mulgrave-street. This was where Mrs. Williams was housekeeper. He found he was losing by it, so gave it up. Mrs. Williams still remained his housekeeper. Sometimes he made money, and at others lost it. He lived in Tory-street, on what was his property at one time. He bought it from Mr. Izard. He paid £25 on it, and afterwards sold the interest of it. He afterwards bought some property from Mr. Hunter. For the first piece he did not remember what he gave for it. The second cost £240. He had two years to pay it in, but he could not do so. He then borrowed £IOO on it, and sold it to Mrs. Williams for £l5O. It was Mrs. Williams who lent him the £IOO, and he gave her an IO U for it. She gave him the money in cash. She paid him the money in his own house.' He could net remember whether the money was in notes or gold. He could not remember who was present when she paid him this money. Mrs. Williams was living with witness at that time. She had some land at the Hutt which she sold. Witness did not know what she jot for it. She bought it nearly three years ago. Mr. Quick acted as solicitor. Witness did not give her the money to buy it. Ho was giving her £1 per week wages. He never took any receipts from her. It was about eighteen months ago since she lent him the £IOO. The property he bought from Mr. Izard he also sold to Mrs. Williams. Mr. Izard made out the deed, and witness signed it. Witness thought Mrs. Williams had now paid off the mortgage. Witness also had a piece of ground on the Ade-laide-road. He-did not remember what ho gave for the property. He had since sold it, but not to Mrs. Williams. The witness was further examined, at great length, with respect to other properties he had acquired. During the course of the examination it leaked out that Mrs. Williams had also been to England, but witness stoutly protested that she had not been with him. Being pressed he said she went before ho did, and that he saw her in England. Upon being asked if he saw her off, he said he declined to answer the question. The same question was then put through the trustee, r.i-.-I the debtor still declined to answer. . Mr. Ollivier sail he would stop the examination at this point, and then proceedings could be taken to compel him to answer. Upon the suggestion of Mr. Fitzherbert, the witness’s refusal was altered to apply only to Mrs, Williams or her affairs.

Mr. Fitzberbert said, with reference to Mrs. Williams, that she had been summoned to attend at four o’clock to give evidence, and she had been quite ready to do so, but she could not wait till after the debtor had been examined.

Mr. Ullivier said, under the circumstances, the examination of the debtor having taken till after six o’clock, he would not instruct the trustee to take proceedings against her, provided, of course, that she came upon a future occa-ion to give her evidence when desired. Mr. Fitzberbert promised that Mrs Williams would do so, and the meeting then adjourned till I p.rn .next day.