SURPRISE IN A WILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20650, 23 August 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

SURPRISE IN A WILL.

SHAM FORTUNE REVEALED. SHOCK FOR MANCHESTER, A Chinese art collection which was reputed to be worth over two million pounds has been proved to be comparatively worthless. The collection, which contained nearly 6000 "treasures," belonged to the late Mr. John Hilditch, of Manchester, who died on March 4 this year, and whose fortune, it was announced recently, is only £7055. Mr. Hilditch claimed that his. collection was worth a fabulous sum, and even declared that one of his beautiful shrines had come from sacred Chinese temples and represented Chinese life as early as 2000 B.C.

In Victoria Park, Manchester, Mr. Hilditch regularly conducted services according to the ritual of Confucius, and amidst his hundreds of Chinese relics garbed himself in the cloak of a Chinese priest.. A fierce controversy raged between the Manchester Art Gallery Committee and Mr. Hilditch for many years. The local authority refused to exhibit his collection in the art gallery, and, as a result, Mr. Hilditch revoked his decision to hand over to the city a part of his collection valued at £250,000, and announced that he would divide the legacy between two authorities who had given him facilities to exhibit his collection. Mr. Hilditch was responsible for a famous hoax played on the city. A civic reception was given in 1913 to a party of " distinguished Chinese mandarins," who turned out to be a party of students. Mr. Hilditch later confessed that he had. organised the " hoax." There was considerable surprise in Manchester in June, when the amount left by Sir. Hilditch was made known. Mr. Morris Wise, solicitor to Mr. Hilditch. stated that the amount left represented the whole of Mr. Hilditch's property, including the collection.