"FAIRY TALES."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 172, 23 July 1929, Page 8

"FAIRY TALES."

CHINESE BANKRUPT.

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

"A BIG CAR IN AUCKLAND."

FATHER AN HONOURABLE MAX. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) DUNEDIN, this clay. In the Police Court a lengthy list of charges faced a Chinese business man, Jum Toon Lee, who appeared as a bankrupt before the Official Assignee in April. After evidence had been taken in the Bankruptcy Court it was decided that the matter should be handed to the Crown Prosecutor to consider prosecution. » Counsel intimated that accused would stand his trial on all of the fourteen charges, which included charges of obtaining money by valueless cheques, and breaches of the Bankruptcy Act. "Retired Merchant in Auckland." Evidence was given by Douglas William McCav, a member of a merchant firm, that accused stated he was opening shops and required goods. Accused told him his father was a retired merchant residing in Auckland, where he (accused) had lost £2000 through giving credit. He said among other things that his father owned a motor which cost £1350, and that while in China his father was captured by brigands, accused having to go to the mountains to rescue him and paying £2000, or dollars. Witness and other witnesses stated that credit was given because of accused's fairy tales. One witness said accused's father, formerly in business in Dunedin, was a most honourable man. Father Did Not Know All. W. Y. K. Chan, market gardener, of Invercargill,-father of Lee, said he told him that if he behaved himself he would five him gardens. His son had been educated at Dunedin,. Auckland, and some other place outside of New Zealand. He did not know if he had ever been at Oxford. At the end of last year bis son came to Dunedin. Witness was at that time working in his garden at Tnvercargill, and was not 'a retired merchant living in Auckland." He gave Lee yome. monev. He did not know to whom his son was married. Witness was in China before the war, and when at college be was captured by brigands, but did not have to be ransomed. He had never owned a motor car worth £1350, but he did own a Ford. His son was in the silk business with him, and so much money had been lost that he did not know what it was. Cross-examined, witness said his family had had large business operations in New Zealand at Auckland, Dunedin and Invercargill. He had been a Chinese missioner in Dunedin for some years.lle had traded under the name of Tong Sing Lee and Kum Toon Lee. It was an understood thins in Chinese families that a man's property passed to his son, and in the present case everything would go to his son if he behaved himself. Witness had dene his best to help bis son in his trouble. His son was mow working '-iV him on his garden in Invercargill. His son had a big car in Auckland, money for it coming out of the business. Witness had sold his business in Auckland some time ago.

Told Same Tale to Many. When hearing was resumed this morning, ' David Clark, a builder, said he executed certain improvements to a shop for accused at a cost of £20. Accused had never paid £100 for .fittings. Douglas McCoy, of the firm of Mercer and Mitchell, said accused called, and said his father had sent him to see if the firm would supply him with goods for opening shops. He said his father was a retired merchant living in Auckland. He told witness that his father, while in China, had been captured_ by brigands, and accused had to go into the mountains to rescue him, and had to pay £2000. Regarding one shop, accused said he had paid £100 on account of a bill for £200 for fittings. Witness supplied him with goods worth £30. Accused said he was married to a white woman, the daughter of an Auckland merchant, and for wedding presents he had received large sums of money. It was accused's "fairy tales" which induced witness to give him credit. Leslie McDonald gave evidence in regard to a debt contracted to W. D. and H. O. Wills. He produced .accused's account for £04, and said the firm supplied goods to the value of £19 on March 1, when accused was owing £40.. • Rolls of Silk Found; James Mooney, accountant for Butterworth Bros., said the goods were supplied to accused, the account being for £150. Later, in' a house in Maclaggan Street, 'where accused lived, he found a considerable quantity of goods supplied to accused by Buitterworth's. Rolls of silk were also found packed in' a box among articles of'female attire. Further evidence was given that accused stayed at a'hotel and incurred a liability for £8: He arrived in a motor car with suitcases,' and left without notice., . _ . - • r The charges were then adjourned till a date to be fixed. - ..".,. ,