GALLOPER'S COSTLY JOKE.
MISSING HOUSTON'S MILLIONS. Lord Blrkenhead is credited by the Enellsh rapers with having made the most expensive joke In history. Birkenhead was once a great friend of Sir Robert K. Houston, the wealthy shipowner, who died recently at his home on the Island of Jersey, and Sir Robert was said to hare made a will leaving the bulk of his fortune, estimated as high as £7.000.000. to Birkenhead The Houston will, which *as probated tn Jersey recently, however, makes the widow the chief beneficiary, and the pape.s recall Birkenhesd's Joke. When serving as a member of the Hcuse of Commons. Sir Robert, in spit? of his advanced age. always ki Dt his beard a glorious biackish-blue colour. One day he made an ultra-Conservative speech which displeased Lord Birkenhead. who In private conversation referred to him as "the only genuine die hard." It was this play on tue word which is applied to th' ultra Conservatives, the newspapers believe, that kept Birkenbead from sharing largely in the Houston fortune.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19260605.2.211
Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 5 June 1926, Page 27
Word Count
171GALLOPER'S COSTLY JOKE. Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 5 June 1926, Page 27
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Auckland Star. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries.
Log in