THE GOOD RICH MAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19107, 28 February 1924, Page 7

THE GOOD RICH MAN

AN ENGLISH “MR MANDRAGON.” GREAT WEALTH UNSUSPECTED. Pros* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, February 27. (Received Feb. 27, at 10.30 p.m.) The will of Mr Joseph Trueman Mills, Lord of the Manor of Leighton-Buzzard, occasioned great surprise. He inherited £1,000,000 from his fathe,r, a silk manufacturer, and left over £4,000,000. He had estates in Norfolk and Bedfordshire, and many interests. The Daily Express says that he lived like a Spartan, rising at 7 o’clock, and was never idle for a moment until his bedtime at 10 o’clock. He employed no secretary, and attended to his voluminous Correspondence himself. He had the simplest tastes, and banned telephones, typewriters, motor cars, arid aeroplanes. He never took a taxicab on the occasion of his visits to the city if he could find a tramcar or omnibus. The villagers regarded him as a kindly hunting squire. They were aware that he was wealthy, but they never suspected that he was one of the richest men in England. He had ridden to hounds for 70 years. A month before he died at the age of 88 years he rode 12 miles in bitter cold, then galloped across country a dozen more, and finally rode 14 miles home, being seven hours in the saddle. It was his last achievement, for ho caught a chill and' died. A cheque lor £1,200,000 was paid at Somerset House yesterday as estate duty, and other sums are to follow.—A. and N.Z. Cable. ,