Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-26
An Interesting Case Heard By
 Judge CoWell To-Day.
DEFENDANT HAS BIG SALARY

DEFENDANT HAS BIG SALARY Gets S3,oOO Year From the Scoyill
 Company-His Debt to the Plaintiff
 is $1,00O and He Would Be Ad-
 judged Bankrupt Rather Than Fay
 It. ..-.s l."
 George D. rompAlns, suporInrendent of the button department in the Sco- will Manufacturing Co.'S plant was on the stand in the district court all this forenoon in supplementary proceedings brought against him by Attorney Minor representing B. F. Kelsey. Some time ago Tompkins became involved in f- nancial difficulties. Creditors were ap- parently after him and Kelsey attach ed seven and half tons of coal. This was the only successful writ issued. Whereupon Tompkins sought relief from his obligations by asking for a discharge in bankruptcy. His petition went from the state referee in New Haven to Judge Platt in the United States district court, who dismissed his petition. Finding that he was in re- ceipt of salary of $3,000 year from the scovill Company, Judge Platt thought he ought to be able to pay his debts. Judge Cowell heard the proceedings this morning and Tomp- | kins was represented by Attorney | Thoms. His debt to Kelsey is about $1,000. A list of his household prop erty was read to him and he was questioned as to the value of every item. He got along fairly we'll under | { ings by his sister-in-law were reached. He did not know the value of tlyese. Attorney Minor thought they were of some value and that TompSins knew it. Judge Cowell was appealed to and he said that it was hard to appraise them. He said that some years ago he saw some rude sketches by not able artist, which were valued at S5,OO0 and that if the same work was done by local artist. in all probability 8 or $10 would be considered enough for them. The witness was excused from answering the question.
 Tompkins testified that he is ac- customed to draw his salary whenever he cares to and that during the past few years he has drawn it more fre- quently than before. He was asked why he did this and he declined to answer. A partial list of his debts was then read as follows: Platt Mills Go, S1,200. He was asked if he ever in- tended to pay this claim and the ques- tion was objected to. It was claimed to show that a man who is said to have $50 week and ran into debt to such an extent as witness did, must have done something with his money that he did not wish to have known. His total debts. it was then said, amount ed to about S7,O00 or $S.OOO The list
 was then continued. O. G. Camp $500;
 William Sandland estate $500: Helar
 P. Camp, $500, borrowed money. W.T.
 lard Tompkins, $500; Frank T'c
 kins. $500; Preston Atwood S30e:
 H. Davis. $500: Ralph N Brons
 $500 l.. s. Davis S35o; Henry W.
 Brown, $50: Fred B. Atwood, $500;
 William B. Brooks. $500; Edward Up-
 son, $225; Earl Smith, $500: Henry At
 wood 5000: Daniel Chipman. $500:
 George l.. Gilbert, $1.sO0; J. H.. Tfar.,
 $500: August Euz. $500: Simon Boh,.
 $1.900. At this stage Attorney Minor
 asked Tompkins if he could not live
 upon less than $50 week. Witness
 replied that he had to support fam
 fly of six and that he could not do it on less than that amount. Other
 creditors are n. E. Wilson. Thomas H.
 Hewitt. Edward Rose. William Teller.
 $20: Simon Bohl, $150; John Gallagher, S1OO.
 Witness was asked if two years ago
 he borrowed S200 from Edward r.. Asheim, an employe of the Scovill
 company to go on 2 vacation, and he replied that he did and paid the money to an insurance company. the name
 of which he did not remmeber.
 Taking up the list of creditors again
 George l.. Lilley and Spencer & Pier
 pont and the City Lumber and Coal
 Go were read off.
 Most of the above claims are for en.
 dorsements of notes, most of which were for his father. He was asked : what property he had when he made these. endorsements and Attorney Thoms objected on the grounds that many of them were made twenty years ago and that the total amount Gas about $15,000 or $20.O00. The oues- } ton was claimed to show that he had never made any effort to pay the } debts; that he received large salary
 and should show what he did with the money. He replied that he had never any business relations with his father , who was in business and that he never received any portion of the money loan ed on the notes which he endorsed for
 him. m , He positively denied having an ar. i rangement with the Scovill company i by which his wages could not be at- 5 tached or that he was trying to de- i fraud his creditors. He said he has ;had hard time trying to support his family on his wages, which in full are !. about $5S a week, and admitted that ! he is insolvent.
 1, "How long have you bees insoi-
 vcntg' he was asked. "Oh, since my marriage" was his f answer.