Dawson prayed by his petition to be discharged under the insolvent law, but, upon being interrogated, it appeared that he had, to the great injury of his creditors, made a voluntary sacrifice of £375 (by releasing so much), which was the one-half of the purchase money of a brig he had sold. He acknowledged that he had given up half of the purchase money that he might get the rest in cash to satisfy some favorite creditors.
The Court remanded him to prison on account of the fraud appearing in this transaction against his creditors, but made an order, that those creditors who wished to keep him in confinement should maintain his family, 1 Del. Laws 445.