ROBBED OF HIS FORTUNE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9392, 11 March 1909, Page 3

ROBBED OF HIS FORTUNE.

The death of Lord Amherst of Hackney, at the age of 73, is a sad sequel to the recent calamity which swept away the bnik of his fortune. This misfortune was the cruel work of a man be had trusted implicitly, Charles Oheston, a solicitor whose name was above suspicion. Lord Amherst was a gentle, trusting man who delegated the responsibilities of his huge fortune to a solicitor. A man of fine artistic tastes, ho spent his life in the adornment of hia beautiful homes. Didlington Hall was a verifiable house of historic treasures. Here were his Gobelins tapestries, his wonderful Sevres china, his scarab, and the thousand and one objects of art, every one collected by a zealous and discriminating connoisseur. - Charles Oheston stood for all that was most solid in his profession ; Ije was a director of many companies and a member of the Council of ■'the Incorporated Law Society, a man above suspicion. Yet whilst Lord Amherst was entertaining his Royal guests—when the ill-fated King of Portugal was beneath his roof —he stood upon the edge of a financial abyss. The huge fortune of whose security he had no doubt was being swallowed up. No one suspected Oheston, who himself sat in judgment .on defaulting solicitors, attended his board meetings, and interviewed hia clients. More than a quarter of a million went, no one can say where, for this criminal carried much of his secret to bis grave. REVEALED BY CRIMINAL’S DEATH.

He left a will, and very imposing reading it makes. His directorships are set forth at great length; his age is stated to be 63, and ha left estate of the gross value of £40,000. He is referred to to as “Steward of the Hackney Estate. ’ ’ With his death it became apparent that he had robbed Lord Amherst of a fortune, and had eaten into the trust funds for which Lord Amherst was responsible. To evade detection he had produced dividends on stocks which be had already made away with; he had paid rent on properties that he had in his trustees’ name heavily mortgaged. On behalf of tbefparties for whom Lord Amherst had been acting since 1874, claims were advanced for the refundment of the stolen property. Litigation dragged on for two years, and resulted in judgment against his lordship. Then Lord Amherst had to sell his priceless collection. “Amherst’s sale is a tragedy, ” wrote a solicitor, “He is selling his very heart’s blood.” There was not a single piece that stood before the auctioneer’s rostrum, not one print, not one tiny silver vase, that was not dear to the old man.

■lt was a unique sale; collectors From every parti of the world came to bid, and the huge prices that were paid set a seal upon the faultless taste which he had displayed in making his selection. Lord Amherst sat as Conservative M.P. for West Norfolk from 1880 to 1885, and for the South-western division of Norfolk from 1885 to 1892. He was created Baron Amherst of Hackney in 1892 with remainder in default of issue male to his eldest daughter. Lady William Cecil, and her issue male. He leaves six daughters.