DYING DUCHESS'S GIFT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15094, 10 September 1912, Page 8

DYING DUCHESS'S GIFT.

£14,000 IN A SEALED- PACKET. [FBOM our OWN" COBBESFONDENT.] ' ; r London-, August 2. ■ A gift of £14,000 in bank notes, made by the late Duchess of Sutherland a. few days before her death to her daughter, Countess Butna, was mentioned in a curious application in the Chancery Divison, before Mr. Justice Joyce. ' r --

Mr. Hughes, K. 0., asked that the executors of the will of the late Duchess should be instructed to restore to the Countess £11,000, which she had paid into tho executors' account by mistake. ' • <

Counsel stated that the packet was handed to the. daughter with a. statement as to , which there was evidence both of the Countess and another lady. ' The packet was not opened by the Countess until after her .mother died, when she gave her ladv companion £10,000 to deposit, and herself deposited £1000 in the bank. Through some mistake, apparently, the money was" placed to the credit of the executors' account. ' '"* ~._'"'

The Countess's statement was that the money was put in her hands lor her to apply as she thought, right, and this was really a question between her and her two infant children, who came into the residue of the estate after her death. At present she was unmarried, there having been a divorce.

The executors, counsel added, were quite content that the money should be restored to the Countess, as she had a legacy of £50,000 coming to her. Ho understood that the Countess would be willing to undertake to refund the money if necessary. Her.view was that her mother meant her to have it not only to complete. the building contract now going on, but also for furniture and other extras. The judge said he was not going to de* cide that question now. He directed the executors to restore the £11,000 to the Countess, subject to her giving an undertaking to refund it out of her legacy if required.