RICH PRIZE WON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27093, 30 May 1949, Page 4

RICH PRIZE WON

TWO DUNEDIN MEN • i OVERSEAS CONSULTATION HOTEL OWNER AND FRIEND Drinks were “on the house ” in the back bar of the Victoria Hotel, Dunedin, on Saturday. That morning, the owner of the hotel, Mr Walter Heighton, and his friend, Mr W. A. Smith, received advice that they had won the first prize of £IO,OOO in Tattersall’s Consultation. Mr Heighton is a bachelor, aged 70. Mr Smith, a commercial traveller for an Auckland company, is a widower, aged 68, and his family of five are all married.

Winning prizes in “ Tatts ” is no trouble at all to Mr Heighton. ~ This is his fifth win. It is his third win since he came to Dunedin two years ago, and he collected two prizes before that when he was in the north. When the Daily Times asked Mr Heighton last evening what he intended to do with the money, he replied that he would not have a great deal to spend. He intended to share his half of the prize with the licensee of his hotel, Mr W. A. Howard, and members of the family. Mr Heighton and Mr Howard have been associated during the past 20 years. They had a timber-milling company near Huntley, and disposed of it in 1940 to take over the Tokatoka Hotel, at Dargaville. They came to Dunedin nearly two years ago.

“Give me time to think;” said Mr Smith when asked how he intended to spend his half of the prize. He added that some of his money would gc to his family.-, Mr Smith was taking a bath when told of his win. “ I nearly went down the plug hole with fright,” he said.

On the other hand, Mr Heighton was exceptionally calm. Wininng prizes in “Tatts” is one of his habits. He hid felt certain that he and Mr Smith would win the first prize this time. At breakfast the other morning, he spilt some milk which made a mark like a map of Australia, and he said he knew then that he was “for the big money.” He has been smiling over spilt milk ever since. The ticket was bought in Dunedin in the name of “Wallie and Willie.’, Also in the same consultation was a ticket, “We Need It,” held by a St. Kilda syndicate which won a prize of £IOOO.