VICAR’S BANKRUPTCY

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19457, 22 December 1934, Page 14 (Supplement)

VICAR’S BANKRUPTCY

Wife Takes the Blame in Alleged Confession. Court Told of Statement About Faking Accounts.

Allegations that a clergyman’s accounts 'were faked by his wdfe entered into a case considered in the 'Leeds Bankruptcy Court. The Rev. Cecil Herbert Dickens Levvis, late of the Vicarage, Llansant-ffraldyn-Mecliain, Montgomery, and now of Gledhovv Wood Grove, Roundhay, Leeds, appeared for his public examination, and a remarkable statement said to have been made by his wife was read. Mr Lewis admitted a deficiency of £OBI, with no assets, and attributed his failure to debts contracted by his wife unknown to him. Giving his age as 49, he said he took Holy Orders in 1907, and held a living near Wrexham for some years before going to Llansantffraid. He became Northern Secretary in Leeds of the Religious Tract Society at a salary of £4OO a year and £SO house and car allowance, but since January this year had only had temporary work. The Official Receiver, Mr Clifford •Bowling, read a statement made, he said, by Lewis’ wife. In it she mentioned that in 1928 she advanced about £2OO to a friend who was in financial difficulties. To enable her to do this she borrowed £2OO from another friend. This debtor friend died without means, and Mrs Lewis was unable to recover her money. Borrowing to Repay. She was pressed, for repayment of what she had borrowed, went on the statement and had had to borrow

from a moneylender without her husband’s knowledge. Mr Bowling: Is that true? Mr Lewis: Quite. Mr Bowling, continuing the statement, declared that to repay the moneylender Mrs Lewis had to borrow from a second moneylender. To repay him she used the money allowed her by her husband for housekeeping expenses and ran up bills with tradesmen. Afterwards she began to use the money belonging to the Religious Tract Society for paying her debts. Mrs Lewis’ alleged statement added: “I received all the letters delivered at our home and was thus easily able to Intercept all the society's correspondence addressed to my husband end also all. letters addressed to the society. “My husband therefore never saw any of\ the letters which would have immediately revealed the true stab of affairs. He left all the book-keep-ing to me. “ I wish to state emphatically that I, and not my husband, am solely responsible for any deficit there may have been in my husband’s account with the society. “My sole object in pursuing the above conduct was to try and free myself from the load of debt which was gradually overwhelming me.” Mr Lewis told the Court he did not know his wife was making this slatemerit. The examination was adjourned for formal closing.