LATE JUDGE ALPERS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 November 1927, Page 7

LATE JUDGE ALPERS

CROWDED LIFE IN MANY

SPHERES

WELLINGTON, Last Night,

The following further particulars are given of the life of Mr Justice Alpers, whose death was announced yesterday:

Oscar Thorwald Johan Alpers wa.s born in 1867 at Copenhagen, Denmark, and started his education at Kclskor’s Grammar School in that city. When twelve years of age he came to New Zealand with his parents, and was unable at that time to speak a word of English. His education was continued at Napier, and later at Canterbury College. Ho was assistant master at, the Boys’ High School, under Mr. Bevan

Brown, and was 'with the school for fifteen years. Whilst there the law called him and he attended lectures at Canterbury College, under Mr. G. T. Weston, who was lecturer in law and jurisprudence, and obtained his LL.B. He was admitted to the Bar in 1904. and practised at Timaru and Christchurch, becoming a member of the firm of Garrick, Cowlishaw, Alpers and Cowlishaw. Mr. Alpers possessed elocutionary attainments of a very high order, and was well known in theatrical circles as an excellent amateur actor, his outstanding part being that of Malvolio in Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night,’’ in. the delineation of which character he was unexcelled.

With those elocutionary attainments, it was not surprising that he came into prominence at the Bar as a pleader.

Hir. remarkable ability in cross-exam-ination led to many successes in sensational jury cases. His first appearance at the Bar was in a noted civil action Warner’s Hotel versus the “ Lyttelton Times ” Company. Mr. Justice Stringer was the leading counsel for plaintiff, and Mr. Justice Hosking, whom Mr, Alpers- succeeded on the Bench, was leader.of the defence.

Mr. Alpcr’s scholarship and forensic gifts made him a worthy opponent of loading members of the New Zealand Bar, and his visits to Wellington, to the Court of Appeal, were always interesting. Even in the most dry-as-dust case, involving legal argument on equity and civil law, Mr. Alpers’s wit would provide life. Mr. Alpers hap a most distinguished literary career. He entered Canterbury College on. a/ scholarship, and. in graduating, ho won the John Tinline scholarship for English literature. When he obtained his M.A. degree he secured first-class honours in Tmtin and English literature. He then became assistant to Pt-ofossor Macmillan Brown, and, on the latter going to Europe, held the Chair as his locum tenons. He was a leader-writer for the Christchurch '* Press ” for ton years, and wrote for that journal a brilliant column called “ Searchlights and also contributed articles to a number of other New Zealand periodicals. When war broke out Air. Alpers took up patriotic work with the greatest enthusiasm, and devoted much time to addressing recruiting meetings and other gatherings in different parts of ttie Canterbury province on behalf of war funds. He was the prime mover in the Soldiers ’ Club project, and was chairman of the. committor which erected the fine premises that were placed at the disposal of returned soldiers in Christchurch.

In ■February, 1925, Mr. Alpcrs was appointed to the Supreme Court Bench to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. Justice Hosking, and was stationed at Wellington. About eighteen mouths ago his healthx began to" fail, but he fulfilled his judicial duties till a few months ago. The mst occasion on which he sat as a Judge was on 3rd August, 1927, when he admitted Mr. F. IT. B. Nixon, his associate as a barrister and solicitor.

In 1911 Mr. Alpcrs married a. daughter of the late Mr. Henry Rose, of Dunedin, who is left with two sons and a daughter. Mr. Alpcrs recently finished writing his memoirs, “ Cheerful Yesterdays, ’ ’ which are to be published shortly.