District Court.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7825, 18 May 1905, Page 2

District Court.

DANKUUPT'CY ICXA.uWNA'i 10.NS. , liel'ore Mr Justice Ilnseldcn at the District Court, New Hvmoutfr, on Wednesday, two. bankruptcy xnattww came on for hearing, —Ku Ainin llurke.— Mr Quilliain, on behall of tb« Deputy Ollicial Assignee, conducted the examination of Amin JSurke,

minkrupl, of New I'lymouth. The bankrupt said that he came to Australia ten years ago from Syria, and put in tour years peddling. He admitted serving a month's imprls.inment in Kootia, New 'South Auies. I and that, his hawking license «\u> cancelled. His son cune lo K«» ami bankrupt I'olloveJ him .o Auckland iour years ago. Ho en ittgeel in hawking, buying goo la •ash from Cieorge Ilaiina, an A;s. ra arrjiitg oil a large lms;ii-ss in ■ nti. I'lom the profits he , his wife in Syria, al:-o £<* for ..mage money out. About tbiee ,',u s ago I he* whole family eaim; to . w I'lymouth, wheie he engaged in .iwking, also keeping <i shop. Wit- 1 v»xk hawked wilh a \nn, which he | bought from llatina. He admit ted he did not pay for (he van, which was down in Iho li*t of asset#. Hi*' son John looked alter the books, at. witness could neither read nor wriltv and when witness was away hawking the children attended to the shop. On Nov. 20, HIOK, after he liad been a year and nine months in business, witness liled his insolvency. He knew nothing about the books or accounts and could not say whether he owed for £053 worth of goods from Hanna at the time of the bankruptcy, and had only paid £230. Ilanna had stocked his shop to commence with at £3OO, but witness declared that thtn e was not more than £2OO worth of goods at the outside. He knew little about values, and had lost money by selling brooches at less than half the cost price. The two books produced were the only books kept by his son so far as he knew. Bankrupt was also closely examined with reference to the purchase of a farm at Oniata by his wife. Ho knew nothing about this purchase, which was his wife's. He admitted, however, that he and his wife and family were now living on the farm. He had been told his wife paid £22 ft for the farm, and believed it was paid in instalments. The evidence was given through tho medium of an interpreter in Arabic, assisted by the debtor's son. His Honour, in declaring the examination closed, advised the bankrupt, if tho P.O.A. took further proceedings, to get a lawyer to conduct his case..

; —A Deferred Discharge.— The adjourned application I>s Henry MehafTy for discharge came on tor hearing. I The bankrupt produced a detailed i written statement of his altairs, as i ordered at a previous sitting, i Mi- Malone opposed the application . for discharge on behalf of Clias Coley. a proved creditor Tor £145, audi examined tho creditor at considerable length. The creditor Coley also gavo evi- " dence, but Bis Honour held that " neither statement was conclusive as 5 both were "mixed up" as to the 1 various transactions.

Mr Spence, solicitor, of Stratford, was coifed by the bankrupt to explain part of his (MehaHy'g) dealings.

His Honour, after hearing all the evidence, asked the bankrupt if ho could show cause why tho discharge should not be suspended. It seemed to him that the charge of having land in his wife's name was of moro importance than tho with Coley. Bankrupt had said he was not worth anything at the time his wife acquired properly, and as it wns stated that sho had no means of her own the irresistible inference was that she obtained the money from her husband, and that it included part of tho proceeds from Colev's cattle.

bankrupt, explained that be was domg nothing at present, and for soine time had practically been de- ! pendent on his wife for support at farm. If His Honour thought onq, shilling of the money in Ihe farm was Coley s he (witness) would, on behalf of his wife, undertake to execute a transfer to Mr Coiev bv 12 o clock the following day, ' His Honour ordered the discharge to be suspended for nine months from e ' Ve n '° nihS from last