"£966 BURNT"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 15

"£966 BURNT"

WOMAN' BANKRUPT'S STORY

DOUBTED BY REGISTRAR

SYDNEY; Sept. 8

A woman bankrupt's story that £966 in bank notes had been accidentally burnt under a copper by her husband was lisbclieved by I lie registrar in bankruptcy, Mr. Keaney, yesterday. The registrar warned the bankrupt that it might, be necessary to bring her before the Judge in Bankruptcy, Air. Justice L-ukin, at a later date.

The bankrupt was Mrs. Lucy Emily Ferrari, a. widow, of ('nonmondery street, Katoomba. Her estate was sequestrated on July 29, 1935, on the petition, of her niece, Eleanor Margaret Maggs, who is executrix of the estate of the bankrupt's deceased brother, John Taylor. _ Assets were set down in the statement of affairs at £BO, and liabilities at. £IO6B, including £1026 owing under a Supreme Court judgment. Examined by the official receiver, Mr. Nette, the bankrupt said that about 1928 her" brother gave her £2500 because he did not want his .wile, with whom he was not living, to get it. In 1932 there had been an Equity Court action about the money. She had lost the action, and bad been' ordered to transfer the assets to Iter brother's estate. Part of the money had been lent on mortgage, which she had discounted in February, 1932, for £966. She had received a cheque for this amount and had cashed if into bank notes, including some £IOO notes. She put the money into a paper bag and placed it under the mattress of a. bed, with n lot of brown paper which she put there to keep out the damp. Later, she I visited Sydney, and, before leaving home, she moved the money without telling her husband, putting it under the mattress of another bed. "When I got home." Mrs. Ferrari said.

"I found that my husband had accidentally put it under the copper when ho was heating water for a, bath."

The registrar: Why did yon' change it from one bed to the other'.'

Bankrupt: I often changed if. Mr. Nette: 1 suggest to you that you are drawing on your imagination—-that there is no truth in what you say.

Bankrupt : I don't know about truth. The money was there when I went, and was not there when 1 got home. My husband said that lie had burnt, the papers.

HOME TRANSFERRED TO HUSBAND

Questioned further, Mrs. Ferrari said that she find transferred her home and furniture from her name to that of her husband just before be died, because be asked her to do so, so that be could leave' it to their children. She denied that this was done to defeat her brother's estate. Her husband left her nothing under his will.

Mr. Nette: He left you practically destitute, yet you agreed to transfer the house and furniture to him on his deathbed. Bankrupt: lie asked me to. The registrar: 1 warn, you that, if you don't tell the truth and' give straightforward answers you are liable to be committed to prison! 1 don't believe what you say. After further examination the registrar said : The court is not satisfied with this story of yours of what you did with your assets. Mr. Nette: In my opinion the story about burning the notes and the transfer of property has only one purpose, to defeat the Equity verdict. I ask that the matter be adjourned generally. The registrar, in adjourning the examination, warned the bankrupt that it might be necessary to bring her before the judge, and told her that if. on reflection, she desired In give further evidence, the examination could bo reopened.