WIDOWHOLLER SUBSCRIPTION FUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5490, 21 June 1879, Page 5

WIDOWHOLLER SUBSCRIPTION FUND.

A meeting of tbe subscribe™ was held yesterday, in the office o£ McArthur and Co. ' for the purpose of determining in what manner the fund collected should be appropriated for the benefit of the widow and five children of the late Captain Moller, who was murdered at Butaritari, Gilbert Group, towards the close of last year. Air. Larkins was called to the ohair. The Chairman said that the sum collected amounted to £9115s 2d. The question was, first, as to -the appointment of trustees, who would undertake to administer the fund to the best advantage for the purposes for which it was raised. Several of the subscribers said that Mrs.' Moller was at present in a public-house, and that she desired to get £50 from the fund, for the purpose of paying the licence fee; It was further stated, she had established herself in a grocer's shop at the corner of TTakefield-street, and in doing so she had paid away various sums. She had received £176 insurance money, but that was now all spent. She was anxious to obtain the means of carrying on in the public-house. Captain Anderson : I have heard her say that the public-house doe 3 not pay, or it has not paid as yet. The real question is for us to dispose of the money so that the children as well as the widow would derive the greatest amount of benefit. If it were lost in a public house, it would be a poor lookout for the children. Mr. MacQcarrie said the fund was very small, and inquiries might be made as totha propriety of paying the whole of it to the widow. But that would clearly ba leaving the children wholly "unprovided for so far as the fund was concerned. They had a greater interest in the fund than she, for they wera five in number. Captain Anderson : I really should like to know how we stand in this matter. I ehall decline to ba a trustee. I was trustee once on a similar occasion, and the widow then sued to gut pos-ession of the whole amount subscribed. The Court ordered us to pay the money to her, and we paid it to her solicitor. But I believe she never got any of it, for the whole of it was eaten up by law expenses. , A Subscriber : I have heard that Mm." Moller baa said something of the same kind) —that if she did not get the whole amount, she would sue for it. It was resolved to send for Mr. J. B. Russell, to obtain his advice upon the matters in band. Several proposals were in the meantime, made for the investment of the fund. Mr. Dennes thought the best thing that considering how small the sum was, could be done would be to allow Mrs. Moller £1 a-week for the benefit of herself and children until tbe fund should be exhausted. After some discussion, this was considered the best arrangement that could be made. Messrs. Larkins and Rattray were appointed trustees to carry out the purposes of the meeting. On the motion of Mr. Dennes, seconded by Captain Anderson, it was resolved, " That £1 a-week should be paid to Mrs. Moller out of the fund, while the children were in her care and under her protection, and until the fund should bo exhausted." Mr. Rattray siid, that if the money were put in the Savings Bank, it would bear interest, bringing the total amount to some, thing like £100. That would be an income of £1 a-week for just two years, within a week or two. Captain Anderson: That Bhould be a great help ; and if Mrs. Moller is anytttW of a woman, she would work upon snob, an income, so as to make it, with what Bha might earn, sufficient to support herself and children. Mr. J. B. Russell was consulted as totha proposed arrangement. He said, if Mrs. Moller took them to the Supreme Court, they could pay the money into the Court, where it would be dealt with in the ordinarr way. *■