MAN TWICE ENGAGED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 371, 15 September 1930, Page 8

MAN TWICE ENGAGED

EXPENSIVE PRESENTS BANKRUPT S EXTRAVAGANCE Presents to the woman to whom he had been twice engaged were among the examples of extravagance given by William Womersley Gaunt, aged 27, at his public examination in bankruptcy at Bradford in July. The gross liabilities were given as £5484, of which £5284 was expected to rank, the deficiency being £4686- Mr Gaunt’s father is Mr W. C. Gaunt, the wool magnate, who has large theatrical interests in London. Asked about an account of £212 for a cigarette case, Mr Gaunt said it was a birthday present for a woman—whose name he wrote down—to whom he was then engaged. She did not receive the present as he passed it to another woman to pawn for £5O. Mr Gaunt admitted that he had given the woman to whom he w*as engaged a sapphire ring which cost about £BOO. The engagement was broken by her in April. The Official Receiver: Did she return the ring.—Not in this instance.

What do you mean?—The engagement was broken off before, and she returned the ring- We became engaged again, and when this was broken off she did not return the ring. Apart from the ring Mr Gaunt said he had spent about £2OOO in presents for the woman.

For some time betting was his main source of income, but owing to recent heavy losses he now owed £2OOO to commission agents. On one day last September he lost £l2OO. while in October he put £2OO on one horse and £5OO on another and both lost. Witness admitted that for a fort-

night last September he was living at an hotel at the rate of £lO a day. The examination was adjourned.