AN EXPENSIVE WIFE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1923, Page 9

AN EXPENSIVE WIFE.

HUSBAND’S FORTUNE GONE. SIX THOUSAND SPENT: HUSBAND’S OLD AGE PENSION. Auckland, Dec. 17. A remarkable and almost unbelievable state of affairs was alleged in a statement made by the Deputy Official Assignee during the hearing of an application by Mr. J. F. Strang, on Ivehalf of William Wilson, of Leamington, for discharge from bankruptcy. According to his statement, bankrupts schedule showed liabilities to unsecured creditors £.368, and to secured creditors iEfIOS; that he was holding securities to the value of £2OOO, and had other assets valued at £9O. Claim© against the estate amounted to £389, but no assets had been realised. Bankrupt, in his statement, said he had been a cartage contractor, and had accumulated saving© amounting to £llOOO in June, 1921. Then at the age of <54, a bachelor, he married a Scotch widow with four children. At this stage his assets comprised Government inscribed stock £2'so'o, money in the Poet Office Savings Bank £6OO, money on deposit to Farmers’ Union Trading Company £3OO, money due by his sister £235, cash in hand £BO, various sums due to him £2OO, and unencumbered property at Leamington £2OOO. “RIOT OF EXTRAVAGANCE.” According to bankrupt, shortly after his marriage hi© wife took general control of his financial affairs, and in a riot of extravagance spent money right and left- She was dissatisfied with the condition© under which she lived at Leamington, and persuaded bankrupt to buy a house in Auckland for £1125. £6OO being left on mortgage. To complete the purchase £ 1000 was raised on security of his inscribed stocx, the balance being spent by his wife in the purchase of furniture. Through the purchase of more furniture and clothing a credit balance of £3OO was converted into a debt of £3OO. The company fi cm whom «ne purchased the goods jater brought pressure ?o bear regarding .pay .neat, and bankrupt ?. wife •© then alleged to have disposed of Government inscribed stock, obtaining a further sum of £590 over and above the £lOOO originally advanced. This £5OO was handed to defendant’s wife on the understanding that the was to settle a debt due to the company. Instead of doing this, it is alleged, she spent the money in other directions- Other moneys, it was alleged were squandered in a similar manner.

SPENT £OOOO IN 18 MONTHS. Mr. V. H. Sanson, Deputy-Official Assignee, said that though the facts as stated above appeared unbelievable, they were proved on an examination of the wife to be substantially correct. One draper supplied over £2OO worth of drapery to the woman during one calendar month subsequent to adjudication. A mortgagee over the Leamington property sold this under the mortgagee’s powers, thus completing the final disappearance of £6OOO of assets in a space of 18 months. Wilson, finally penniless, was forced to apply for an old age pension. Mr \oung, S.M. in going into the matter, came to the conclusion that the old man had been perfectly straightforward and honest, but extremely foolish in allowing such a woman as his wife turned out to be to handle his money. His Honour said misfortune seemed to have risen upon misfortune for the old manHis Honour, in granting application for discharge, remarked that it was a pity the wife could not be punished.