FORTUNES REFUSED THROUGH NECESSITY.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 56

FORTUNES REFUSED THROUGH NECESSITY.

Unusual Bes frictions Imposed by Testators.

A fortune of £50,000 was refused on ore occasion by a man in very poor circumstances.' It mast be added, however, that the refusal was quite unavoidable. - The substantial sum was bequeathed under painfully peculiar conditions, and apparently the testator was merely tantalising his humble relation. For one year the heir was required to live in his uncle's house, keep up the customary style of the hitherto extravagant household, entertain lavishly, and in every way follow the established rules ; after which all would pass into his hands. But the bitter part of the condition was in the decree wbich insisted that the above arrangements were to be carried out on unborrowed money An the unfortunate man possessed lees than £50, and there was no loophole of escape owing to the stringency of the rules, he was obliged to refuse the tempting legacy, which was claimed by a cousin already very well cff.

Exasperating were the conditions of another will, whereby an erratic son was deprived of property to the value of £20,000. Some years previous to the death of his father the young fellow sold a quantity of valuable booka and paintings to clear horseracing and other debts — a coarse which angered the parent exceedingly — and though some of the articles bad been recovered, the most careful investigation failed to reveal the more important ones.

On their recovery depended, the delinquent's happiness, for the testator decreed that every article should be regained within a certain period, or the property fall into the possession of an adopted daughter. Advertisements were widely inserted, detectives went to work, bat the time passed,' and with it thefortune.

Another case of compulsory refusal of fortune reads thus : A runaway niece, advertised for, found on arrival at the old home that her aunt had bequeathed the whole of her possessions to her, but the niece was to marry a man of the aunt's choice within a year from that time. Unfortunately the young woman was already united in holy wedlock, and, though she attempted to deceive the trustees, the secret was irauie-

diately discovered ; and the unaccepted portion was distributed, by the old lady's orders, among the local charities and institutions.

A dying man cabled to his transatlantic nephew to return at once, as he had important matters to arrange before he departed. Toe meßsage was delayed, another delay in scraping up the passage money rendered matters more serious, and contrary winds further retarded the arrival of vessel and passenger. Picture the distress of the unfortunate one when, on arrival, he discovered that another American relative had been summoned on the tame day, and, having the requisite money to depart punctually, was, according to the conditions of the will, installed in his place. The property was bequeathed to the first nephew if that individual presented himself before the other ; otherwise he. was to content himself with a gold watch and a jeweled snuffbox. A bitter disappointment considering that the- uncle had always promised him the bulk of his property 1

A needy lady was obliged to refuse the sum of £10,000 because of her inability to comply with the requirements of the will of her would- be .benefactress. She was to par-

form the services of organist at a little church near the deceased's home. Without any knowledge of- music, the poor woman was placed in a still further deplorable condition — she had only one hand 1