RECLUSE'S £l00,000

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18920, 23 January 1936, Page 13

RECLUSE'S £loo,ooo

LIVED ALONE IN MANSION FORGED WILL ALLEGED LONDON, Dec. 1. A story of an elderly woman recluse who lived without any servants in a house at Bournemouth which had 14 bed-rooms, and put notes under the door for the milkman when, she wanted any food ordered, was told to Mr Justice Langton in the Probate Court yesterday. The woman was Miss Helen Murphy, of Meyrick Grange, Christchurch road. Bournemouth. She died in March last year, aged 73. and left estate worth iiIOG.GOO. The matter arose in an action in which Mrs Mary Fewella celly. of DOll- - Dublin, asked the" Court to pronounce against an alleged will, dated in December, 1933. The defendants, Mrs Elizabeth Ann Wood. Mr George Sidney Wood. Mr Waller Dean and Mrs Emily Newman, did not contest the action. Mr H. YV. Barnard, for Mrs Kelly. said the defendants were beneficiaries under the alleged will. The action was necessary because, for the last year of her life.' M«iss Murphy was an absolute recluse. The plaintiff obtained a grant of letters of administration in June last year. "Verv shortly after that, on July 2. 1034," 'said Mr Barnard, "Mrs Newman received an anonymous letter, written ill block letters', saying that this alleged will was found in a hook at a sale of books. It is perfectly obvious that this will is a clumsy attempt at forgery. Though Mrs Newman is a beneficiary under the document, does not believe it to be genuine." Mr Justice Langton said he could not believe the alleged will was a genuine document. He pronounced against it, and ordered that, the letters of administration—which had been brought into Court—be handed out again'to Mrs Kelly.