A STRANGE CAREER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8372, 12 January 1894, Page 2

A STRANGE CAREER.

When the steamer Adelaide on her last trip to Weßt Australia reached Fraomaufclo, ono of the saloon passengers, a miner, who gave the name of Kdward Poore, died in his cabiu suddenly of heart disease. He had sufficient warning of his approaching end to cull tho steward to bring him pen, ink, and paper, and to write down an addrsss in Victoria to which the news of his death should bo sent, but he had barely finished when he fell back dead. No one knew the man, and tho authorities buried him in Fromantlo.

When the news of Poore's death reached his friends in Melbourne his papt.rs and effects were examined, and they allowed beyond all doubt that the deceased was Sir Edward Poore, baronet, of Kushall, in the county of Wiltshire, England. Ha was the third baronet, and succeeded his father on the 13th October, 1838, being thononlv 12J years of ago, as he was born on 6th March, 1820. When he was 18 years of ago he was appointed an ensign in the Scotch Fusilier Guards, a crack regiment, but he retired four years later. Shortly before he attained his 25th year he married Miss Frances Elizabeth Moody, daughter of the Key. Henry Kiddell-Moody, rector of Chatham, Kent. In the following year he made a voyago to Canada, and a son was born to him thore. In 1860 ho was in France, as is shown by a paesport which bearß his signature, a singularly striking ono, and showing little or no alteration from autographs which, ho oxocuted not many weeks ago. In 1833 a son, Herbert, was born to him, and subsequently there were two daughters, Msie and Catherine; but since then Burkes peerage is silent as to tho family history —chiefly, it may bs presumed, because Poore exiled himself from England about that period. Some timo in tha early part of fche esventies he appeared in Australia, As he admitted afterwards to others with whom ho became confidential, but never to the extent of disclosing his real identity, ho had left England because ho had abandoned his wife and ehildron, aud thrown in his lot viith a woman with whom he was infatuated.

Hia early days in Australia were devoted to a lavish expenditure of money, no luiury being to gross for him. Thousands of pounds were pquandcred in jewellery, hspeoially diamonds, for which, right through hia colonial career, ho manifested an inaatiablo pasaion. One single diamond that he carried in a ring was of such value that & pawnbroker in the city readily advanced £1 00 upon it. This sort of life soon exhausted his supply of ready cash, so he embraced the contracting business. His early military training had imbued him with a certain amount of the business of bridgo building, so in his contracting efforts he confined himself almost entiroly to that class of work. Ho through off entirely the grandiose air of an English aristocrat, and assimilated himself to the conditions of his new life. A photograph of himself, taken on one of the bridges he was erecting, shows him with a slouched hat and moleskin trousers, and under the picture, in his own handwriting, h written " Ned the Pile Driver." There appears to have been a stress in his money matters which Btopped his contracting caieer and ho becamo an ordinary day laborer, but he again emerged from that state into nlHuonco. Money flowed in plentifully, and he then sought out as a confidential man, Mr Adolphus Dunn, ot Malvern, and through him the greater part of his futura business was transacted. Hotel-keeping was his next hobby, and he took tho Arinadalo Hotel, at Armadale, but tho venture cost him about £5006. Better luck attended him whilst be had the Grace Darling Hotel, in Elizabeth-street, which ho bought into after leaving Armadalo ; bnt he only made both ends meet, so he gave it up and took tho New Brighton Hotel, at Lady Robinson's Boach, Sydnoy, and in six months, by dint of terriblo bad mamgemenfc and extravagance, ha lost £2000. That was his last venture as a publican. For all his 68 years he was very energetic, and the news of the gold rinds at Coolgardie allured him to West Australia. As uiual, hs adapted himself with great facility to the eircutnstanoes in w hioli he found himself, and was soon as muob a minor as the hundreds that surrounded him. He went out to the goldfields and prospected. He discovered a reef, hastened to Perth, took up a mineral lease, and then left for Melbourne to form a company which would supply machinery and work the slaim. AH the speculators to •whom he put the matter required too large a fiharo in the mine for Poore's tastos, so he bought machinery himself and loft by tho Adelaide for Perth, on tho 14th November, taking the machinery with him, but ho died, as already stated, on tho 23rd Novoinbsr, just as tho Adelaide reached Fromantlc. In all his dealings with people iv tho colonies Pooro never ducjosed his rank, except to one person, his medical adviser, Mr Fitzgerald; but of late years he had taken to impressing his crest, a cubit arm, grasping in tha hand an arrow upon all cheques which he eigned. One occasion on which Poore was recognised is mentioned by a friend of his, who was with him one day in Collins-street. The friend whilst talking to Poore met a thirJ party, whom he introduced to Mr Pooro ! Tho stranger looked straight at the man to whom he was preBented, and said, " Ha, Mr Poore i Only Mr Poore?" The latter replied, "Yes; isn't that enough ? What more would you want ?" Then in repjy to questions by the stranger Poore said that he had never been in England, that he did not know Chartham in Kent— the town, it will be remembered, of which his father-in-law was roctor. Among the papers of the deceased is a dairy of, his life, which has not yefc been looked into, bufc there are evidences among the collection of articles in hi# trunks that he had given unbridled scope to his passions, and to that alone he owed his many reverses. It is not at present clear how Poore raised the money, of which ha got possession from time to timo, but it is believed by Mr Dunn, his confidential man, that he disposed of some of his estates. It is not known out here whether Lady Pooro is utiU living, or whether she obtained a divorce when her husband left her. Tha deceased made a statement on one occasion that his eld esc son Bichard, who would have been his heir, died in Sydney some years ago, but there is no certainty about it. Should ifc prove correct, the heir, according to Bnrko'* Peerage, would be his sou Herbert, who wa3 born in 1863, and he will succeed to the title and what is left of the estates. If the mine in West Australia prove of any value then the new baronet may be able to rehabilitate tho estates.— Melbourne Age,