Mail Budget Items.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5847, 9 February 1887, Page 3

Mail Budge t Items.

.*> SINGULAR DISCOVERY OF MONEY.

j Some ten months ago the death of Mr J. H. Paine was announced from New ; York. He waa a grandson of one of those j who signed the Declaration of IndeI pendence, and a writer and composer of some repute. His family are among the principal people of Boston, where the deceased lived until his avarice in dealiug with those who borrowed money from him drove him from that city to New York. Here he lived in penury and wretchedness. One day, about twelve months since, he was knocked down in the street and run over, and from the effects of this accident he died. At the time it was not known that the wretched man, who had often received charity, possessed any estate (says the correspondent of the Standard), but after a while personß who had borrowed from him began to inquire to whom the interest waa payable. This led to an investigation, the result of which waa a belief that Paine was worth upwards of one million dollars. One broker stated that Paine one day received from him securities worth 330,000d0ls f which he carried away in a piece of newspaper. Now a singular discovery haß been made. Over the small property that was found litigation arose, in the course of -which a witness has just testified that nineteen years ago Paine gave him a bundle wrapped in a cotton handkerchief, and asked him to take care of it for him. On only one occasion since had Paine asked if his parcel was safe. The witness had not examined it, because he supposed it to contain manuscripts, the product of Paine's pen. On learning this the Court required the production of the parcel, and when opened it was found to contain 356,750d0l (upwards of .£70,000) in good bank notes, besides other securities to a very large amount, the value of which cannot be stated immediately because of the lapse of time since they were issued.