Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-06
THE WITLEss WIGHTs.
How Their Scheme to Do Up TIL
Creditors Failed.

How Their Scheme to Do Up Their
Creditors Failed.
The village of Kirkwood, Tehama county,
has lately been made the scene of mer-
camille scandal that affects not only persons
in that village, but some business houses
in Sacramento. Various statements have
appeared concerning the transaction, but
the one published in the Red Bluff Peoples
Cause of Saturday is said to be correct
version. 1t appears that on the 18th day
of last month the firm of J. T. Wight 81
Co., composed of ]. T. Wight and w. J..
Wight, his son, doing business at Kirkwood
as general merchants, sold their entire
stock to Ernest Tapscott, of Red Bluff, for
the sum of $1,000. Upon this coming to
the ears of their creditors, an investigation
was had, which resulted in showing that
the Wights were owing over $4,000 for
goods received by them, of which SC, 1000 or
81, 600 were received since the LIST of Oc-
tober, 1889; that the 81, 600 received from
Tapscott had been paid to Mrs. Wight upon
an alleged Indebtedness TO her, and that
there were no assets except the book &C.
counts, amounting to about 81 600, and a
small amount of other property.
After learning the state of affairs, the
creditors filed petition to have the Wights
declared insolvent, and the Wights were
brought into Court and examined in re-
spect to their property. D. B. Lyon was
appointed receiver, and went to Kirkwood
and took charge of the stock of goods in
the store, and an inventory showed that
they amounted to 81, $50 20, besides con-
siderable quantity which Tapscott had
| shipped to his store in Red Bluff, the value
sc ,rTb; oI hoe nt hoop
Upon their examination the Wights testi-
| fed that they had sold the entire stock OF
goods to Tapscott, and that none of the
| goods had been carried away or concealed
| by them. They also testified that j. L.
! Wight and Tapscott had walked from near
| Proberta to Corning on the day of the sale,
and had arrived there after dark and then
took team and drove to Kirkwood, reach
| ing Kirkwood about 10 o'clock, and that
the bill of sale was then signed and Tap
scott took possession the same night.
| Messrs Hatfield, Garter and Hitchcock
| the attorneys for the creditors, having
reason to believe that the statements as to
concealing goods were not true, search
warrant was procured and placed in the
hands of Deputy Sheriff M. Hickman, and
upon searching the premises Of the Wights
| in Kirkw God, goods amounting to the value
of over $500 were found concealed therein
and in the barn of J. T. Wight 81 800 il
gold and currency was found concealed in
| an old tin can.
The Wights also testified that bill o.
goods bought Of Murphy, Grant & Co., O
San Francisco. did not amount to more
than 81 400. An itemized bill from tina
firm showed that the goods ordered, and fo
which they hold shipping receipts, wert
shipped to them October 9th, 18th and 14tb
amounting to nearly $4,000. Some of tn,
goods were found among those concealed
Both of the Wights have been arrested
on charge of perjury committed in max
ing the above and other statements.
1t is the purpose of the creditors to sif
| the whole transaction to the bottom ant
enforce penal laws wherever they hay
been violated.
R. E. Ragland has represented tn
Wights throughout all these Court proceed
ings, and A. L. Hart, of Sacramento, ha
been employed to assist him in the defens
of the criminal suits.
Mrs. Wight claims that the 81 500 fount
is her personal property.