EXTRAVAGANT LIVING.

Shannon News, 3 July 1925, Page 4

EXTRAVAGANT LIVING.

CAPTAIN BADCOCK LOOKED ALRIGHT. A GILDED COACH DRIVEN TO COURT, While his salary as cricket coach lor the first ten weeks of his stay in New Zealand was £SO, Captain Frederick Theodore BadoOck ran up hills totalling £643 odd and his credit apparently being exhausted, he later filed his schedule: His Wellington creditors made a disagreeable fuss and he has now been committed for trial. Badcock has written a book all about the king of games, of which the chairman of the Wellington cricket Association has great hopes. Messrs. G. Anyon and D. H. Edgar, J’s.P., were on the Bench at the examination in bankruptcy of Frederick Theodore Badcock in Wellington on Wednesday. Mr. P. S. K. Macassey, Crown Prosecutor, conducted the case, and the defendant was represented by Mr. TI. H. Cornish. Badcock was charged with that, having been adjudged bankrupt, he did by unjustifiable extravagance oL living bring about his bankruptcy, and he was further charged with contracting a debt of £2l 10/- with J. T. Lewis without reasonable expectation of being able to pay it, as well as his other debts. Mr. Macassey explained .that there were two informations against the accused, and both were laid under section 138 of the Bankruptcy Act, 1908, Badcock arrived in New Zealand in October, 1924, under engagement to the Wellington Cricket Association at a salary of £5 a week. He was a married man with no children. "Shortly after he got here,” said Mr. Macassey, "he commenced to run up large accounts, and in two and a half months his liabilities had reached £643 15/3. We say he could not possibly have any reasonable expectation of being able to pay these amounts. I understand he got a flat, on the Terrace at £3 a week, and later one at Kelburn at £2 10- a week. We say he has brought about his bankruptcy by extravagant living.” No Assets. The first witness was Mr. S. Tansley, the Official Assignee, who said the accused was adjudged bankrupt on April 28, 1925. Witness produced a statement of the accused's affairs which showed his liabilities as £4-68 1/11, and his assets as nil. The debts w*ere incurred from October 1 to December 19, 1924. Witness produced accounts which accused had contracted as follows: —J. T. Lewis £2l 10/6, E. C. Browne £35 8/1, Scoullar and Co. £35 11/6, Kirkcaldie and Stains £9l 13/10, Whitcombe and Tombs £34 1/8, E. W. Mills and Co. £B2 19/-, Harold Brown and Co. £23 16/10, T. and W. Young £l6 2/-.. On November 29, when the accused incurred Lewis’s debt, his liabilities were £314. There were no assets. ■: Witness produced statements rr>ade by the bankrupt, in which he admitted owing certain money. Mr. Cornish objected to the statements on the ground of irrelevancy. Mr. Macassey: “He says he still owies the Grand Hotel £2O. Also he had a flat at £3 a week. He says ‘I ran through my money in three weeks.’ Before be incurred these debts he owed the Grand Hotel £2O. He was paying £3 a week for a furnished cottage, and his salary was £5 a week. That is an admission that he knew what his position was. .When he had £2 a week: he had no right to incur these liabilities.”

The Court ruled that the statements were relevant. The witness said that at the time of the bankruptcy the proved debts were £643 15/10, and the assets were nil. Since the bankruptcy assets amounting to £69 had been realised. To Mr. Cornish ,the witness said that the total debts incurred in New Zealand up to December 19 were £567 This item would include legal costs. The amount included £ls 15/- solicitors’ costs and £49 12/- for a gramophone from Pinny's. Witness said the gramophone had since been returned. About £7, 17/- worth pf records had also been bought. About £42 represented rental and deposit for the gramophone. Mr. Cornish: “It can be said that the net result of £SOO represents tradesmen’s accounts on December 19, 1924 ?”—“Roughly, yes.” “He Looked All Right.” Mr. Macassey proceeded to call evidence to substantiate the accounts. Ernest Cecil Heald, manager of E. C. Browne’s, said the defendant’s account of £35 8/1 had not been paid. The witness said that Badcock was introduced by a member of a wellknown Arm of merchants. “I thought his credit was good enough,” he said. Mr. Cornish: “You never inquired from the Cricket Association about the man’s position ?”—"No.” “No doubt you are not in the habit of giving anybody £4O credit. It was not on any representation by Badcock that you were induced to give credit?” —“No.”

Norman Hugh Graham McParlane, secretary of Scoullar and Co., with whom Badcock had contracted an account of £35 11/6, said that Badcock asked to have a monthly account, which would be paid the month following the purchase of the goods. “I knew what his position was,” said the witness. “I made no inquiries from the Cricket Association.” Mr. Macassey: “I object to that.”

Mr. Cornish (to witness): “It was enough for you that he was ’Captain Badcock’ and appeared to be in a good position.”—“Together with his assurance of payment.”

Mr. Cornish: “I suppose you were somewhat impressed by ,the ‘captain’ aspect ?” —“Not at all.” Campbell Young, of T. and W. Young, said the defendant’s account with his firm was l £l6 2/-, contracted through the purchase of liquor, Mr. Cornish: “You were very benevolent people, Mr. Young, Did

you make any inquiry V” “He was sent along by a friend. f thought ho was alright.” “You don’t like to give that friend’s name ?” —“Certainly not.” Similar evidence was given by Francis Joseph Hardwiclce (H. W. Brown and Co.), and Joseph Theodore i',ewis. “I (bought the man looked all right,” said Lewis. “He said he would pay something each month. I stopped his credit because ho had not paid for his suit.; and had ordered two pairs of trousers.” •' “The i rousers were not gone on with ?”~--"He got them, unfortunately.” Badcoek was committed for trial, bail being (ixed at £2OO. For the defence, Mr. C. G. Wilson, chairman nf the Wellington Cricket Association, said that although Badcock had be.' n engaged at £250 per annum, that was the guaranteed minimum. He had opportunities of increasing his salarv considerably. The infantile paralysis epidemic must necessarily have iutorferred considerably with bis earnings outside the amount guaranteed. He had also published a valuable book of advice on cricket, which should bring in additional rovoinc.