In “Lowe Street."

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 526, 1 November 1890, Page 3

In “Lowe Street."

MR BIDGOOD AND HIS CREDITORS. If any scribe ever attempts the task of writing a history of Lowe Street and its Associations he will have material for a very interesting prodwctio—uf only he can rely upon full record* being kept Oiu Thursday Afternoon John Mears Bidgcod entered Mr Croft’s sanctum, there to interview his creditors. He appeared to be in a happy mood, and some of the creditors eyed him with a strange gaze that had deep meaning in it. However, things got settled down sufficit n».ly for the proceedings to begin. Messrs Maynard, Siev Wright, Moore, Parker, Keefer, Cannon, M. Hill. Dickson, Akroyd, Harding, and Adair were in attenda' ce during the course of the meeting. Debtor said he had filed from pressure of creditors. He wished to add the names of Abbot and Bell as debtors to the estate. He had come away and forgot his list cf book debts, but would send it down in the morning He had no other assets except book debts neither hordes nor furniture, nor carts. Did have horses about two years ago ; four died and three or four were transferred. Meant by “ transferred ” that he had some horses and having got behind had to give the ifrftee’S for the money. The transfer was under a bill of sale; that was to his wife, the bill of sale having been made two years ago—the bill of sale covered everything he owned, that was 'he surest way cf gtt’.ing at it. Gave the bill of sale to his wife because she bad a lot of cattle which he had been selling and she wanted the money. She six bead of cattle twenty years ago and with the increase. [Mr Wa’Bon, as solicitor in the matter, said it was useless gnir g on while the debtor was in that Rtate. The debtor said he Was perfectly straight. Mr Parker thought the examination should be continue!.] He wanted to let them that the.-DXJperiy,, was his wift-’a straight off ’ll ■ rec- 1 . Hid no? sold the six cattle, but sold some of the increase. Cguld not tell how many whe[h-r ten or not, because he had kept no record; , nor could he-tel I fhe-valne—hp had kept no ! record of that. He “expected ” a part of the bill of sale was for the cattle he sold—he Owed his wife a good bit of money all the time. The other money was borrowed money. The till of sale' was Tor a hundred pounds. Had a contract on the road from Kaitera'ahi to Ksraka, which he had transferred to his ton William Edmund. Could not say whether it had been accepted. Knew whnt the Assignee meant—he could go on and fire Bway. The tranter was if the County Council accpp’ed ir« his sureties were W Adair and W. Benson, one of whom bad agreed. Mr Sievwriaht; Did you assign the contract to your son in writing?—Yes. Where is it ?—I haven’t got it here. Has your son gat it ?—He has it at home, I Xppct; one of mv Bhre'iefl is agreeable, if that Will satisfy you 2ihe last sentence delivered vary gruffly. ] The Assignee told the debtor he should answer the questions; they did not want any Vulgarity there. In reply to farther questions the debtor Baid th a ajsiarment was dated September 30, Mr Sievwright: Didn’t you assign with thview of going through the Bankruptcy Court ?—No. What did you assign for ’—Well, I will tell you, A few days ago I owed my son a large sum of money, for some years ; he had been working on the roads ; he bad a big interest On some of the horses because they were hrs, and I wanted to see him right. Did you transfer the horses ?—No, I didn’t do anything of the kind ; I owed him a lot of money and I wanted them secured. I have been working on.the contracts which you will perhaps find out last year that I lost a lot of money, and this year, too. Who did these horses belong to ?—Some belonged to himself, and some I sold, do you see, and":ben I wanted to make him straight, if that will straighten you. Mr Parker: How old is your son ’ —l’m dashed if I know—that I could not tell you. You could tell us if he is 20 or 21?—I don’t know. Mr Sievwright, to debtor: Is he as big as yourself ?—Yes. Is he 21 yet ?—1 don’t know. The Assignee warned the debtor that such answers were not satisfactory—he must be able to give some idea. Debtor replied that he did not know the son’s age. Mr Sievwright: About these horses, let ns know something of them.—What about them? What do you want to get at ? Four died last year. How many had you this year ?—I couldn’t tell you. "But I want to know ?—I say I can’t do it; don’t you see I lost four last year, and it crushed me up. How many did you assign to your son ?— Only about three. Of your own ? —At least belonging to my wife. The Assignee said it was no use continuing the examine’ion—they could all see that the bankrupt was not in a fit state tn be examined. Debtor: I’m as straight as a line. The Assignee had his own opinion, and the debtor was esked to retire, which he did as gracefully as possible th* circumstances. The position was then discussed Lv the creditors. The Assignee was asked if he could not have the bankrupt brought up for contempt. said he had no power—all he could do was to prevent his office being made a fools’ garden of. Some creditors thought it woul ’ be beet to lot the matter go straight before the Judge, to see if he could not improve things, and a proposition to that effect was made and seconded. The Assignee said it would perhaps be better to adjourn until the following day. Mr Parker thought the examination

should have been gone nn with. He had to lose half a day, and ride nine miles in from the country, and even if he came the following day there was then no certainty that things would not be worse. The bankrupt was sensible enough to know what he was saying. Mr Cannon also thought it very rough that the creditors should all have to leave their places of business and dance attendance upon the bankrupt because he did not choose tn at tend the meeting in a fit state. The Assignee said he could not punish the bankrupt, and if he allowed, him to take the oath while in such a state, trouble would probably arise at a ru 11 sequent period, for if he was asked was the bankyupt in a fit state, he iwt at once answer in the negative. Mr Sievwright said he, should not have asked him any questions had he been on oath, Mr Maynard said he could not attend the adjourned meeting, as he had to go ont in the country. As it was he had put off going out, just to attend the meeting. A long discussion on the debtor's position ensued, the opinion being that though transfers and bills of sale had been made th*y would not bold good, and that the creditors could come down on sufficient, to enable them to get a substantial portion of what was Owing to them. Mr Moore withdrew his motion to have the debtor brought before the Judge, and it was resolved to adjourn the meeting until Friday afternoon.

The meeting was resumed yesterday afternoon, when the-e were present: Messrs Harding. Hall, K-ief-r. L. R sep, Maynard, Moore, Sievwright, McMillan, Watson, and toother, f la his amended statement debtor said no one was pressing him at the time he gave the bill of sale—he owed money to his wife and considered she wag entitled to »he proceeds. Tha son now carried on the business. All he got was five shillings or so be could earn now and again. All horse shoeing, etc., was to be paid out of the proceeds. The horse “ Colonel ” was dead. His wife had become possessed of it, he supposed, through the money she sold ca’tle on. Was possibly in bis hands in 1884 ; very possibly It was left out iq the first bill of sale. It went all round the ship, and Mrs Bidgood bought it from Kennedy and Evans. A black horse branded WH was dead—died about 18 months ago. He expected there was great mortality among horses then. It died after it hid been in the bill of sale to Mr B uce. A grey mare mentioned, he expected belonged to his son. A roan mare and increase belonged to his son. Did not know how much money he paid on the bill of sale. Did not know of any som of £27 being paid to Mr Bruce—be might have got a little of it. His books did not show it. He had delivered 41 sacks wheat to Mr Bruce at the begin.

ning of the year, but he did not know what became of ir. He never received any proceeds, and did not know what it was for—probably to pay the interest. Certainly he did not put that in hia list of assets. It went to Mr Biuce to pay interest on the bill of sale. He did not know whether it would pay I hat. There was no stipulation as to the price—he heard Is 2d a bushel was the price some of it was sold at. Mr Sievwright wanted Mr Bidgood as an honest man to tell them how much he had paid on the bill of sale to Mr Bruce. Debtor: Aren’t I honest? Debtor repeated he did not know. In reply to Mr Moore he said he did not know if his wife had paid anything, or who got the proceeds of the bill of sale —he supposed it was all in the firm. Mr Sievwright suggested that it was all in the pool. Mr Rees said it might ba a black-pool. Debtor said not to mind about tha pool—it might be Yankee grab. They should go to Mr Bruce for information. His wife could neither read' nor write—sometimes his son and sometimes his daughter transacted the business. He wanted to conceal nothing, nor did he think it concerned the creditors. He would do all he could in regard to the book debts. He had given them all the information he. had. Mr Hamon had paid up the other day on a carting recount. His son gave him two for the horses. In reply to Mr Watson debtor said his son was aged 18. and h ; s wages 10s a week. He (debtor) had only drawn £1 out of the contract this year. The matter was as straight as a line and so was he (debtor). Possibly his son could write two different hands, lie was present when the bill of sale was mads to Mr Bruca, but he could not tell what money was passed—there was some, but he did not see it. On the Assignee saying he attain cautioned debtor, the latter told him all right to go on. Some of 'he payment was by cash and some by cheque. He might have made an entry —as a record for himse f. He cou'd not explain “Hia entry in the book produced, sayii g that £lB odd had been paid Mr Sievwright: Was that a settlement of account between you? Tie could not tell them, it had noth ing to do with them at all. Ou being asked why the entry hid appeared in his book he said he did not know— there ; were many things in the book that was not his business. He had a bank book about two years ago. He cm: d not tell whether good value hid been got for the bill of sale. It was sometime about the time the money came out fiom home that he made the property over to his wife. NonS of that came out of the carting account. They could go and a'k Mr Currie if they wanted to know anything about the dray referred to. He had changed th, wheels from another dray, but that did not matter There was no written agreement about the cart. He had carried on the business for his wife si-’ca the bill of sale (February, 1874). [Mr Moore said it was strange that be was carrying on for his wife, and yet the liabilities were in his own name. Debtor : H’ni.] “ I will not give any assia’ance in ths matter of the bill of ?a’e,” said the debtor, in reply to Mr Sievwright. Did not know whether be had entered up all the payments on account of his wife He could not do anything more than give all information about tha collecting of the debts. Ths bill cf sale was an cuteide matter. He had bought one dray and sold ano her. The little dray spoken of had been bought from W, Wells—that was so whether he denied it or not. His wifa had a running account with Mr Bruoe. The dray he got from Mr Wells was a work-out job with Mrs Bidgood’s horses. Although he owed nothing exempt to his wife when the bill of sale was made, he filed afterwards. He supposed some one had camo down on him. The meeting concluded by the Assignee getting instructions to interview Mr Wells, Mr Bruce, Mrs Bidgood, and others, and getting all possible information for a future meeting, of which, he will give notice,