INFRA RED PROCESS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18598, 8 January 1935, Page 4

INFRA RED PROCESS

DECIPHERING A WILL OKI.IT EE ATE D PORTIONS MA K fNO LEG AL 111 STORY SYDNEY. Dec. 28. In enlisting the aid of (lie infra red process to read the obliterated portions (if a will the Sydney probate authorities have in,-idi' legal history.

No more important step, it is considered. lias been taken in (lie reading of legal documents since IK."!', when Ihe English Courts held that it was valid to read a will with the aid of a glass. Any nblitera,tion may lie read with a glass, inti, chemicals may not be used to remove ink or slain. The -will, that of Frederick Earl ITob-bs, of Auburn, a Sydney suburb, was lodged for probate with portions .Tppareatly completely blacked out with ink. The registrar in probates, Mr Butclinrt, made some inquiries ns to whether it would be possible to use the photographic development of infra red to read the obliterated portions. The chief cleric in probates, Mr George Weir, attended a newspaper office with the will. Although the portions were very heavily scored out, the experiment was ,a success, only two words not being discernible. Tn the early portions of his will, Hobbs, who died on .Turie 15 and left an estate of £1538, stated that tho whole of his property was to be left to his son, Leonard Earl Hobbs, who, however, must provide for and keep his sister, Ida Hobbs, and the widow for te rest of their lives.

The portion containing the obliteration, with the words discovered by the infra red process shown in brackets, was as follows: —

“Out of my superannuation of £SOO (£5 is to be paid to W. Strachnn, of 87A Harrow road, Auburn, New South Wales), £2O to be paid to Betty Bellamy for playing with Ida (£SO to be paid to . . . and Royna Eadith Angel), and the remainder to be paid to Leonard Hobbs and Tra Hobbs. On no account is any- money to be paid to my relatives outside my own family, unless otherwise specified. When deceased. I wish to be cremated and my ashes thrown to the winds. (£4O to be given to Mrs Catherine Angel. £lO to Royna Edith Angel, of Cumberland road. Auburn.)” Tt has been held that an obliteration in a will is invalid unless initialled by- the deceased and his two witnesses. Tn Hobbs’ will the obliterations were initialled only by Hobbs himself.