LONELY MAN'S FORTUNE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2672, 29 December 1928, Page 2

LONELY MAN'S FORTUNE.

NO WILL OR RELATIVES. WINDFALL FOR THE CROWN. LOVER OF ART AND BOOKS. A life of loneliness devoted to the joys of art and literature has resulted in a windfall ' for the British Treasury. Mr. Adolphus Herman Louis died at his beautiful house, Beaulieu, High Beech, Epping, with--it making a will, and a close search failed to reveal any relatives living. Therefore, the whole of his property goes to the Crown. Mr. Louis had business interests in London, but for some years had ceased to attend personally to them. Instead he preferred to shut himself up in his Epping home surrounded by his pictures and books and attended only by his servant. Of friends he had few, and these he saw only rarely. Thus the slogan: "On behalf of the Crown," which topped the front of an auctioneer's catalogue, transformed a sale of "furniture and effects" into ah affair of mystery and romance.

Lonely Mr. Louis, who was over 60 when he died, had the temperament of an artist and a book lover. They knew him well in most of the public libraries, at the salerooms of West End auctioneers where art treasures were to be bought, and at the art galleries. French by descent, English by birth and inclination, he was a hero worshipper; and especially did he reverence the late W. E. Gladstone. Two photographs of the great Liberal leader were among the treasures sold. He had a quiet sense of humour, too, and had original sketches by Phil May, which he occasionally showed with a dry chuckle. FAMOUS ARTIST'S WORK. Mr. Louis was wrapt up in is love of art. He was by no means the cynic many people pictured him. His appearance was striking and his conversation —when he did talk —was interesting The pictures he collected are of the rarest, with water-colours, mezzotints, and sketches. Among the artists represented are Corot, Constable, Leader East, Tadema, Whistler, Birket Foster, and Phil May. All schools of art are here. Some of the treasures were purchased from the famous Andrew Young collection. Mr. Louis' library is a collection of 6000 volumes. The books are exceedingly valuable, and their variation shows his versatility. There are early editions of Dickens and Thomas Hardy, biographies, works of travel and adventure.

A barrister of whom an interviewer in quired concerning the law of estates, which, in the technical phrase, are "escheat to the Crown,' said that before a sale of property is arranged and the proceeds handed to the Crown the utmost care is taken to make sure that no relative of the dead person exists. Advertisements are inserted in several newspapers, and careful investigation is made by representatives of the Treasury. When once the raoney is handed over, however, claimants have no power to sue except by that curious proceeding known as a petition of right. Before he can take the first step the claimant must receive the permission of the Attorney-General to sue.

"There have been many cases in which large sums were unclaimed and went to the Crown," said <he barrister. "The Angell estate, which recently came into prominence, is one of these. This involves capital to the enormous extent of £60,000,«;00. VITAL SCRAPS OF PAPER. "Then there were the Crawford millions and the Jennens millions, which are said to have formed the basis of the Jamdyce v. Jarndyce action in Dickens' 'Bleak House.' Many men and women have impoverished themselves in their attempts to obtain a share of the huge estate. "There are many smaller sums which come as windfalls to the Crown. Not long ago a man died in the East End of London, and, as he apparently had no legal representative, the Crown came into the possession of some £6OOO. Afterwards a claimant arrived on the scene, and there was no doubt but that he was a descendant. Representations were made to the Treasury, and an application was made for permission to proceed by petition of right. A settlement was eventually made without the case going into court. "There is much inquiry work to be done before any claim can be accepted. Birth and marriage certificates must be examined; and it may be, as in the case of the Jennens millions, that the only link in the chain of evidence that is missing is a scrap of parchment. But with the- lapse of years the possibility of obtaining an estate grows fainter and fainter."