MEETING OF CREDITORS. An Impudent Attempt to Baffle Creditors.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 383, 10 July 1889, Page 2

MEETING OF CREDITORS. An Impudent Attempt to Baffle Creditors.

A meeting 1 of creditors in the estate of James Courtney, of Waiorongoinui, a bankrupt, wan held in Mr W. S. Collins store, yesterday morning. Present : Messrs Collins, Baskiville, Pennington, Roffey, Kdwmds, and Hart. Mr Hammond appeared us proxy for Mr E. P. Roberts, butcher. On the motion of Mr Hammond, Mr W. S. Collins was voted to the chair. Tho Chairman road the authority from Mr J. Lawson, Official Assignee, for culling the meeting, and said Courtney waB present and would answer whatever questions might he put to him. Mr Hammond : It would be aa well to have the debtor put on his oath, before putting any questions to him. The Debtor • I refuse to take the oath unlesd you ctin show me your authority, then I will take it. The Chairman : You had bett'-r mind what you are oaying Courtney, or you may get yourself into trouble. The Chairman rend the bankrupt's statement, made before (he Oftiti.il Assignee, and which has already appeared in these columns ; and also a list of the liabilities, which are as follows : — W. H. Pennintfton, L 2 16* o£d; 11. W. Baskiville, Ll2 15s 3£d ; W. 8. Collins, L 3 lOs 4d ; SurthA YateH, LI 2 3s 4d ; Wells & Soutter, L 3 2s 3d ; Hanks & Gurlick, LI 9s 2d ; i La} bourne Bros., L8 17s 6£d ; J. M. Murray, LI , D. E. Clerk, LI 14s 8d ; E Roberts, L 5 ; J. Hart, LI 13s lOd ; C. H. Roffey, LI 9s o£d ; A, W. Edwards, La 6s ; S. T. Smurdon, LI ; M. Murphy, 15s. In reply to Mr Hammond the bankrupt paid : The immediute cause of my filing my schedule was a judgment obtained by Mr Baskiville against me for Ll2 15« 3d, which I could not pay having" no means. Ihe judgment was obtained on the 25th June, after which I obtained yoods from Messrs Pennington, Edwards, Roberts, and Roffey. I did not promise to pay Mr Pennington fora pair of blankets I bought of hin>, and something off the old account, out of the fortnight's waces I received from the Te Aroha S. and G.M. Co, I did not borrow money from any person after the date judgment was obtained against me. I received L 4 15 1 * for two weeks' work on June 29th, but di(* not pay any of my debts out of this amount. If I had paid Mr Pennington I could not have gone through the Court. The house I live in formerly belonged to me but I Rold it to Michael Geaney for the sum of LlO, and which I spent in procuring the necessaries of life. I pay 2*« per week rent for the house, but have no receipts to show for the amount thus paid. I had £8 10s on inn when I went to Auckland, the whole of which I spent, and have nothing to offer my creditors. Mr Baskiville : It appears to me that you have made a deliberate attempt to defraud tho whole of your creditors, and then come here in a defiant manner. In reply to Mr Collins, tho debtor said he was prepared to swear the house he livd in was absolutely sold to Mr Geaney. Mr Hmnmond proposed, and Mr Pennington seconded: That this meeting stand adjourned till this day week, at the same time and placo, in order to allow the creditors time to communicate with the Official Assignee. — Curried. Courtney .• I shall not attend the meeting next week unless I get an order from the Official Assignee to do so ; or else a guarantee that my wagoi for the day will be paid, which will be B*.