A MISER’S ESTATE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17609, 27 October 1931, Page 11

A MISER’S ESTATE

DISPUTE OVER SHARES ACTION INVOLVING £BO,OOO (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United‘Press Assn.) (Received October 27, 3 p.m.) LONDON, October 26. Another phase of the curious life of the recluSe, John Drinan, was revealed in a King’s Bench action in which the Public Trustee sought to establish whether stock to the value of £BO,OOO in the Canadian Pacific Railway, at present in tho custody of a New York bank, belonged to Drinan’s estate or to the estate of J. Haiat, also deceased, who mot Drinan on the Riviera in tho closing days of Drinan’s life Shortly before his death Haiat instituted an action against the bank to recover tho stock. Counsel described Drinan as a pathetic figure who dragged himself about tho Riviera, from ono cheap Hotel to another. He was lonely and suspicious of practically everybody, thinking they wore trying to persecute, poison, or cheat him. His income was £13,000 a year, but ho lived oh £2OO. He was shabby to a degree, and dressed somewhat "akin to a scarecrow. JIo was so miserly that ho did not S' ve Anything away, and it was startling, therefore, to learn fhat in the evening of his life he parted with stock worth upwards of £BO,OOO, Tile case was adjourned. John Drinan, aged 38 years, was found dead at tile loot of stairs in a boarding house in Nice on February 5. JJe had been living in a very miserly fashion, and some surprise'was caused by the size of his estate, which was valued then at £76,000, and was mostly left to poor boxes. Relatives thought tho estate would approximate £200,000.