A BANKRUPT SOLICITOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 94, 18 October 1910, Page 7

A BANKRUPT SOLICITOR.

CASE BEFORE THE APPEAL COURT. Tb» Court of Appeal — bis Honauir the •Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), Mr. Justice Williams, Mr. Justice Edwaa-ds, Me. Justice Cooper, and Ma\ Justice Chapman — sat t/his morning to consider the case of J. J. Patterson, solicitor, Damnevirke, who had been adjudged bankrupt on his own petition, and subsequently sentenced to two months' impneomoaat, for having failed to keep proper books, and who was summoned to show cause why he should not be irta-uck off the rolls. Mr. Gray appeared for the Hawkes Bay Society, which made the application that Pa&tereotn be struck off the rolls, and Mr- C. P. Skerrett, K.C.j with him Mr. H. Johnston, appeared for the respondent. Mt. Skerrett, on behalf of the respondent, remarked that no charge involving moral tnrpitude had been brought against Patterson. He carried on bumness as a solicitor in a very small way. The mam part of his tiransactiiopß consisted in hie connection with a large number of businesses. Some of them he jwant into as & sleeping partner, and !was obliged to take over the whole concern. But no charge of professioinai mteconduct had been brought against him. Not only was there no charge made, but, from the investigations oi the Official Assignee, no charge was even, suggested oi any misconduct in the coarse of his ■duty as a solicitor — no charge of misappropriation of any. client's moneys, nor, indeed, oi any indebtedness to a client in connection with his datdes as a solicitor. The charges related entirely to hie conduct in cjnnectioin with the various busmesaes with whioh he was connected. Mr. Gray admitted this, but urged that it was mot a complete answer. He had no books ix> show what he was making as a eolicitor, his eolicitors' books 'having been destroyed in a- fire. He did not appear to have kept aaiy trust ledger or a trust account. B^ore the fare te ihad been asked three times to deliver <up the books relating to his solicitor's ■business, but he failed to do so, and «vetaftually the fire occurred and the books were destroyed. Counsel also contended that even in a hot fire it would mot have been possible for the books to l)be destroyed without leaving traces. The court reserved its decision.