AN EXTRAVAGANT MAN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9, 10 July 1909, Page 14

AN EXTRAVAGANT MAN.

REMARKABLE EVIDENCE IN A BANKRUPTCY COURT. Remarkable statements were made in the M.anchesfer Bankruptcy Court in May last, when tho affairs of William Proctor, of Avonham, Wardle-road, Sale, came up for investigation. Losses by betting and personal extravagance wore alleged by Mr. Proctor as tho causes of his failure, and he disclosed a, deficiency of £1870 upon unsecured liabilities estimated at £2129. His deSciency account started with a surplus of acsets over liabilities on Ist January, ICO7, of £12,000, since which hs ocknov.ledged having received cash from his family amounting to £11,200, and salary and allowances, £882. These amounts had all been absorbed, and the deficiency in question created by travelling expenses, betting losses, and gifts of jewellery during the period covered by the account. Dalmatian dogs figured as part of the assets, and a contingent asset of £2000 was mentioned, being the value of jewellevy presents made to an actress named Carriei Mioore,. who subsequently got married to another gontleman. Tho debtor told the court that he was a clerk in the employ of tho Refuge Assurance Company, and for about four years prior to 1907 had about £500 a 3'ear. On the death of his father he became entitled to the income arising from ((hares so that his total incomo was about £1500 per year. The Official Receiver proceeded to analyse the debtor's expenditure on jewellery, which included twenty-four articles invoiced at £3052, given to Miss Carrie Mooro. now Mrs. Bigwcod. The Official Receiver: Miss Moore is the young lady you "were engaged to, and she is now Mrs. Bigwood ?—Yes. Other items of expenditure included forty-six ring 3, invoiced at £7650, averaging £166 per ring. Whai did you want forty-six rings for? You didn't wane them for Mifes Moore, I suppose? — No. In answer to further questions, debtor said he bought the things to pawn to raise money, getting about one-fifth of their invoiced price. The Official Receiver: That was buying your cash very dearly. It couldn't have been the action of a rational person, surely ? Debtor: I couldn't have been rational or I shouldn't have done it. The list of jewellery as read out by tho Official Reccivor revealed: — £ 12 brooches, costing ... 2242 23 pins, costing 1830 9 bracelets, costing ... 1031 3 ear-rings, costing ... 260 Other interesting items were a single stone diamond ring at £200, another «.t £350. The Official Receiver: Am I right in assuming that the last was Mifes Moore's engagement ring? — Yes. Ho had no recollection of a diamond scarf-pin costing £215. Tho Official Receiver: But that represents many a man's income. Debtor: I don't remember it. Neither did he remember a bracelet— a single-stone, diamond —for which ho gave £365. He thought that a two-stone diamond, which he bought in November, 1007, was for Miss Mooro, to whom he became engaged in July, 1907. The Official Receiver: But you gave her a good many presents before that?— Yes. In August he bought a throe-stone diamond ring for £420. The Official Receiver: Was that for Miss Moore? —l couldn't say. But if you gave all these rings to Miss Mooro you would cover every joint of each hand ? —She wouldn't wear them all at onco. A diamond and ruby necklet was bought to pawn, and (he same fate befel a diamond and ruby scarf pin, costing £350. In December he bought two unset diamonds for £321. The Official Receiver: Were thoy for Miss Moore ? —They wore to put into a necklet. He further added that he had pawned £7000 worth of jewellery for £1000. and sold tho tickets to the jeweller from whom he bought the goods for £100, so that the jeweller got his £7000 worth of jewellery back for £1200. In the meantime liis (debtor's) mother had agreed to pay tho jeweller's bill at the rate of £1500 per year, and two instalments had been paid. At this stage the examination was adjourned for the debtor to file a more detailed account of his jewellery transactions, with special reference to his pawnings with certain pawnbrokers.