VANISHES, LEAVING NO TRACE BEHIND

NZ Truth, Issue 1189, 13 September 1928, Page 4

VANISHES, LEAVING NO TRACE BEHIND

What has happened to John Black Batchelor? What is the reason for the prolonged silence of this erstwhile successful Christchurch barrister and solicitor and man about the ' town? Batchelor has been missing from home since the night of Tuesday, August 7.

FROM the time 1 of hia departure from Christchurch until the : Issuing of the warrant It was Impossible for Batchelor to have escaped to Australia by means of the Intercolonial ■ passenger ser-( vice. , ■ „ , . It would have been possible, however, for him to have boarded a freight steamer at the smaller ports -such as Wanganul or Napier, and .If took advantage of this service it Is likely, that he is now well .out of reach of his pursuers.' ' . If, on the other hand, Batchelor remained for some days m the oountry before attempting a getaway, he would find it most difficult to avoid apprehension, as he Is well known to, the members of the detective force both m Wellington and Auckland. ' Presuming that he made Australia his destination and that he Is not still hiding m the country, which now seems very unlikely, Batohelor was either assisted to smuggle himself aboard or he masqueraded as a woman. In the various capping ceremonies and like festivities in* which Batchelor participated as a student and a graduate, he had a weakness for adopting the feminine role and his impersonations were eminently successful. Hence It would be no very difficult matter for him to have absconded disguised as a woman,, and this is the impression held m official circles. In the Supreme Court at Christchurch last week a little light was thrown on Batchelor*s alleged defalcations when the. petition to have him

Solicitors Excuse

! adjudicated a bankrupt was brought before Judge Adams. The petitioner was Leonard Percival Voice, a fellmonger, of Christchurch, who stated that he entrusted the sum of £986 to Batchelor who was to pay it over for a house which petitioner had purchased;- • -..-' „ ..,: The money was. to hay© been paid on July I,^ but thrsß weeks later the ven^ dor Informed- petitioner that the amount had hot been paid. Batohelor'a excuse: for not having paid the money over was that there was a matter of two weeks' interest m dispute and that he had tendered'the money, but It. had been de- :• dined fay the. vendor's solicitors on account of the interest. . Petitioner' instructed Batchelor to pay the money over immediately and together thejr went to A. S. Nicholla, solicitor for' the vendor, and the cheque for. ■ the amount was handed over. "'■■■' -••■_■■.••;■.• Nlcholls subsequently presented the cheque, but it 'was dishonored. Petitioner again saw Batchelor whose explanation was that the cheque was dishonored because' he had stopped payment when he had found a mistake m his ledger, and he thought he would be paying £60 out of his own pocket. x On August 6 the oheque was presented again and was again dishonored and petitioner had since seen nothing of Batchelor.' ; i He went to his house In Peterborough Street on the night of Tuesday, August 6, but it was all m darkness, : On the following .mornlnsr Voice saw a notice on the 'door of Batchelor's office Intimating that he had gone to Wellington on business. Voice. stated that he had no seourlty

Prdmised Return

tor the money except' Batchelor' s. receipt. When he realized the position he was In he imniediately issued a warrant for Batchelor'a arrest. ' ' Evidence was also given by Wilfred Gordon Wright, accountant for C. S. Thomas, solicitor, of Christchurch. Gn August '8 he was interviewed by Voice, and he telegraphed to Batchelor, at the Commercial Hotel, m Wellington, .where Batchelor's clerk said he would be staying, advising him' to return at once or action would be taken against him. ••'".■'.. Batchelor replied as follows: , Re Voice. Position m order. In rush leaving last; night forgot instruct Comber my. office. Expect, ' return .tomorrow morning failing which am posting blank cheque Comber to-night to fix matter. Apparently transfer required. Cannot do more from here. — Batchelor. Lawyer Thomas was hot satisfied with this explanation, and urgently dispatched an ultimatum to ° Batchelor to l^e'ln Christchurch by 9 a.m. the following day or a warrant would be, issued. Batchelor replied: Cannot understand wire.. Do you want me personally or will yit• be sufficient if money there at time stated? Was proposing to go to Marton to-night to complete business returning Christchurch Friday morning. If absolutely necessary will postpone and return to-night. -Reply. That no • trace: had been found of IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIW

Prominent Barrister Now Missing, Has Been Judged A Bankrupt: Affairs Are In A Frightful Muddle

h John Black Batchelor Hiding In New Zealand?

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Speolal Christchurch Representative.) John Black Batchelor had a growing practice and was looked upon m Christchurch as a man of some substance both professionally and socially. Since August 7, however,, he has been absent from his home and he has how suffered the ignominy of being declared a bankrupt, while the detective force is scouring the country m an endeavor to execute, a warrant for his arrest on a charge of stealing \£9B6. It is common knowledge that this amount is not the full extent of Batchelor s alleged maladministration of moneys entrusted to his keeping by his clients.

Batchelor was Indicated by Deteotlvesergeant E. F. O'Brien, who. deposed that a warrant for Batchelor's arrest was issued on the information of Leonard Percival Voice on August- 9, for the alleged theft of £ 986; .- Inquiries had been made throughout the country, .but no trace had been found of him. As far, as was known to the police, Batchelor had not returned to his home .since leaving Christchurch on August 7. ' His honor accordingly made an order adjudicating Batchelor a bankrupt oh the ground that he departed with the intention of : defeating or delaying his creditors. With the order thus made the Official Assignee was empowered to take charge of Batchelor's -office and his personal estate. '- -

No official announcement has yet been made, but it is learned that Butchelor's affairs are frightfully muddled, and it will be at least two' months before all claims can be proved and the books put m order by an auditor. For a few weeks prior to his departure Batchelor had apparently let things slide, and his filing had not been* attended to which made the work doubly hard for those taking over the administration of the estate. The initial estimates of up to £10,000 made by the Christchurch daily press of Batchelor's alleged defalcations are described by those m a position to know, as somewhat extravagant, but "N.Z. Truth" is reliably informed that so far deficiencies to the extent of £ 5000 are known and it is I

Is the former lion of the Christchurch branch of the Howard League for Penal Reform masquerading as a woman m an attempt to get out of the country, or is he still somewhere m New Zealand hiding from the far - seeing eyes of the law? iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiniiiiiHiiiiiiimiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

likely that this amount will yet t>e Increased as further debts are proved. < Until the whole estate is put In order, however, and the various trust accountß and deeds are _, .q searched, not even An approximate amount can be stated. Batchelor has absconded leaving his affairs m a hopeless tangle which will undoubtedly cost the creditors further money m legal and auditing expenses before they know exactly where they stand. About fifty creditors, Including five women, were present m the hlstorio Canterbury Provincial Chambers last Friday when Batbhelor's affairs were briefly gone into. The Official Assignee (A. W. Watters), presided, and intimated that as Batchelor had absconded there was not the usual - bankrupt's statement to place before the meeting. He could offer them no information except that Batchelor's affairs were m a terrible mess. He suggested the election of a committee to; assist him m the administration of the estate, and invited suggestions and questions from the creditors. In answer to Lawyer W. J. Hunter, the Official Assignee said he. could not state the amount of the assets. The book debts amounted to a fair sum, while there were also a number of mortgages, but it was, difficult to say at present whether they belonged to Batchelor or to his clients. Batchelor had two houses, one m his wife's name and one m his own, but they were both mortgaged up to the hilt and it was very doubt-

Creditors 9 Losses

ful if » there was any equity m either of them. ' The bankrupt also had a motor-car and a library, but on the latter a sum was owing under a hire! purchase agreement. •' , • It was quite possible that a second car. could be brought m as an asset, but the position was very involved.. The ' Official Assignee intimated that every opportunity would be given clients to investigate the documents m their names so that they could determine whether they were secured or not. "W. J. Hunter and Angus Donaldson were appointed a- committee to assist the Official Assignee to administer the estate, and rthey were empowered to engage whatever . legal and auditing assistance .they thought advisable. So the meeting adjourned with an air of resignation, it being, rather significant that not one of the fifty creditors present. considered it worth while giving the assignee power to guarantee a sum, of money to bring Batchelor back should any trace be found 'of him. Some of the creditors find themselves m a very involved position as they are unable to determine, until they have their documents searched, whether they are secured creditors or whether they have lost all the . money which they entrusted to Batchelor's care. "N.Z. Truth" knows of one creditor whose, apparent loss, the amount approximating four, figures, represents his life savings. ' He is living m hope that he will find himself secured, but if Investigations prove otherwise he is faced with the prospeot of starting all-over again to amass sufficient to provide for himself and his wife In the evening of their lives. •'• ,

Wife's Ignorance

Up till the adjournment of the creditors' meeting some thirty odd debts were. proved, the principal creditors of this batch being: Violet ■ Sutherland, £400; H. Laban, £335; Florence Hilda Laban, £408; John Pooke, £ 565; ~R.li, Stra-^, £314; li. .Greenaway, £237; W. E. Chudley, £500; Q. M. Cairns £302; P. L. Eden, £600; E. Walker, £140. ' There is also ..Voice's debt for £986. ■■'.-■. '■, ..'■ . ■ ~, ... Batchelor's former home, m Peterborough Street, '•- is nok deserted, his wife having , gone to ."live' with her people. '■.*'':"' ,'■ ■ Mrs. Batch'elor has no'idea of her husband's whereabouts, and waits daily to hear someword from him, but so far there has been an ominous silence.' ■ . ■ Mrs. Batchelor, it is said, is endeavoring to assist the creditors m every way possible, but. the task of unravelling the tangled skein of John Black Batchelor's affairs is going to be long and tedious. . . Batchelor had every chance to make good m his profession on which he has now brought disgrace accompanied by a cloud of distrust and suspicion. For some time past his intimate friends were more . than a little concerned at his inclination to indulge m loose habits. . > It now seems very evident that his mode of living contributed to his eventual downfall and; despite all his cultural education and training, John Black Batchelor stands as ; a wanted thief. .