MARTIN CHAPMAN, K.C.

A PROMINENT CITIZEN.

General regret will be felt at the death ot Mr. Martin Chapman, K.C. which occurred during l ast ni ht at nis resi . deuce, Golder's Hill. ijr. Chapman had been ailing tor about a fortnight but his condition was not considered serious. He retired as usual last night, and must Have passed away quietly during the iiiglit, as he was found dead in his bed tliis morning. His age was 78 years. J lie late ,\| r . Chapman was the third son of the late Hon. Henry -Samuel Unipman, one-time Judge of the Supreme court ot jNew Zealand, and was born at Karon m 1846. He was educated at tile Melbourne Grammar School, and as a young man went to England to read tor the Bar. After joining- the Middle leniple he returned to New Zealand and entered into practice on his own account in Wellington, but shortly afterwards was joined in practice by the late Air William Fitzgerald, the partnership continuing till 1888, when Mr. Fitzgerald died.' 1,, 1890 Mr L O H. J-ripp joined with the late Mr. Chapman unoer tho firm name of Chapman Fitzgerald, and Tripp, later, shortened to Uiapman and Tnrip. anA in 19C y [haL hrm was amalgamated with the firm ol Skerrctt and Wylie, under the style of Chapman. Slcerrctt, Wylie, and Tripp. Ihe late Mr. Chapman was an active member of the firm until his retirement in 1912 Ho was o>ie of New Zealand's first Kings Counsellors, having been honoured with that appointment in 1907, and was widely known and as widely respected by the profession of both North and South Islands. Since his retirement from practice he had lived quietly- at his home- at Uolder's Hill, Wellington devoting himself to literary and scieutiiio work. As a young man"he had always been a keen sportsman; he held a good bat and was also keenly interested in yachting, having owned several boats, including the well-known "Thetis." Among his very many friends lie was spoken of as probably' the most omnivorous reader in New Zealand,' a. man who not only read but who stored u;v an immense amount of knowledge upon a remarkably wide range of subjects, on quite a number of which lie was an authority. His aptitude for languages was quite i remarkable. As a young man he taught himself French and German, and in later years also became proficient in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch, the latter language being taken up by him in quite recent years, and there were few European tongues of which he had not some knowledge. Spanish he took up, he once told a friend, because he proposed making a trip to Spain, and he did not like the idea of going to a country where he could not read the newspapers. He had for many years taken an enthusiastic interest in the Philosophical Society, and was also a member of the recently-created Astronomical Society, while during the war he acted as honorary interviewer to the Wellin.ton War Relief Society, in which work he willingly spent a 'very great deal of lime. The funeral, which will be of a private nature, will lake place on Wednesday. A service, will be held in St. Paul's proCathedral at 9 a.m.