ECCENTRIC MILLIONAIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1927, Page 9

ECCENTRIC MILLIONAIRE

A SHEFFIELD MISER. A successful speculator, reputed to be a millionaire and the richest man in Sheffield, who lived in a mean house in a dingy street, wore shabby clothes and frayed cuffs, and was always complaining of the high cost of living, has recently died. He was Mr William Fox Tibbitts, of Meadow Street, Sheffield, who died in a nursing home, at the age of 85. Many are the strange stories told of “The Upperthorpe Lawyer,” \as he was known locally, for he was a peculiar and eccentric man. But though his eagerness to amass money was an outstanding trait in his character, not a few poor residents of Sheffield can testify to his kindness and benevolence in necessitous cases.

Mr Tibbitts was a. solicitor by profession, but. had not practised for many years. At a fairly early age he came into a. sum of money, but this did not alter his careful disposition, for -which he was already noted. In his younger days he always said that he could not afford to marry, and later in life he had no inclination towards marriage, being too busy looking after his own concerns, attending to his numerous properties and making money over the sale ot stocks and shares.

Also he was very fond of paying visits to Switzerland and the Tyrol, and when nearly 60 years of age went for a cycling holiday in Brittany. He gave up Continental travel, however, because he .thought hotel charges had become too high.

It is said in Sheffield that on one occasion when the morning post brought him a. letter on which the sender had forgotten to place a stamp he walked a mile to collect the surcharge that he had paid to the postman as a result of the omission.