TELEGRAMS. BANKRUPT BOOKMAKER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 83, 8 April 1911, Page 9

TELEGRAMS. BANKRUPT BOOKMAKER.

STORY OF MISFORTUNE. IBT IBLIQBASH— SPECIAL TO THB POST.] AUCKLAND, This Day. . The story of a bookmaker's ill-luck was told at a meeting of the creditors in the bankrupt estate, of Albert Champion, bookmaker, of Auckland. Champion said that his reason for filing was a judgment summons order from a lady creditor. This was the only alternative to imprisonment, as he possessed no means to pay the debt. There was also a judgment against him in favour of his wife for £85, the alleged value of some jewellery the ownership of which she claimed, but which he had purchased with his own money. The jewellery was handed over to' him by his wife when he wanted it to fill in a gap, and after the money had gone in living expenses she took proceedings against him for recovery. This was some years afterwards. The ladj , he believed, was now in Sydney. As a matter of fact, he had paid about £50 off the judgment obtained against him by his wife, and it was the knowledge of this, he believed, that induced the other lady creditor to press him. Apart from his friends in his own profession, and racing friends who had assisted him, he owed nothing. There was another debt (£3B odd) for a Melbourne Cup dress purchased in Melbourne by his wife at the time when he did not have a shilling to rattle in his pucket, but he had paid off £30 fißin Ilial debt with immey borrowed from his personal friends. Nearly al l the loans were volunteered through knowledge of his position. He had done his befit to avoid filing. Even now, were all his book debts, totalling £1168, paid him, he would have a few hundreds over and above his liabilities. The following motion was carried unanimously : — "That this meeting of creditors, being fully aware of the circumstances which brought about this bankruptcy, and knowing that the bankruptcy is the result of misfortune over which he had no control, do everything in its power to facilitate the bankrupt's discharge." Mr. Lundon, who appeared for Champion, remarked that he believed it was the first case in history in which a reputable bookmaker had been obliged to appeal to the Bankruptcy Court. His client had been compelled by force of circumstances peculiarly unfortunate to choose between going to gaol and coming to the Bankruptcy Court.