LOST WILL FOUND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 8

LOST WILL FOUND

CONCEALED IN BIBLE

WOP LD - WIDE SEAKCH ENDS

SYDNEY, Aug. 31, A world-wide search for next-ot-kin of a supposed .intestate, has been suspended by the Public Trustee. A document purporting to be a will executed by the deceased has been found. It was concealed in the dilapidated binding of a Bible. William Wright Y.ites, who died in April of last year,, had been in receipt of the old age pension from 1927. It was discovered, on examination of his papers that ho had .£3OOO on fixed deposit, but no will could bo discovered, and the Public Trustee, having discharged the claim of the Pensions Department to re-' coupment, commenced search for the next-of-kin entitled to share the balance remaining in his hands. No claimant was forthcoming in Australia, but three persons living in England made claims. So tho matter stood when recently some Bibles were put into an oven. It appears that the old man—lie was 70— had been a diligent reader of the Scriptures. His little library included half a dozen Bibles. They were of varying size of some antiquity, and well thumbed. Tho Public Trustee's officer who had charge of the matter, seeing that the Bibles were of no commercial value, and that the deceased's landlady was much affected by his death,, said to her: "If you would like to keep these in remembrance of Mr. Yates, do so." She was very grateful, and the Bibles passed into her possession, to be otherwise forgotten. More than a year passed, and then one day a. rainstorm and art open window resulted in the former landlady having to consider how the Bibles should be made dry again. So she heated her oven to an appropriate temperature, and then, turning off the gas, put the Bibles into the warm interior. When she took them out they bad an aspect of general curlincss and the bindings were parting their long association with pages. Examination disclosed, concealed in the back of one volume, between the binding material, a closely-folded pieco of paper, purporting to be the will of Mr. Yates. It bears date of eight years ago. The document is to be submitted to the Probate Judge in proceedings which have been commenced to determine whether the contents constitute a valid will.