OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2238, 26 August 1914, Page 7

OBITUARY

MR. WM. M'LEAN. Mr. William M'Lean, one of Wellington's best known citizens, died at Nnrso Major's Privato Hospital, in Marion Street, at 11.15 a.m. yesterday. ■ Some inoiitflis ago Mr. M'Lean was engaged on a train journey between Wellington and Now Plymouth, when a slip occurred on the railway line, necessitating a rather difficult climb over insecure earth_ on t'ho part of tho passengers, who decided to. catch the relief train on the other side of tho earth-slide. Mr. M'Lean suffered oxposuro and a slight accident or heart-strain, which caused him to take to his bed when ho reached Wellington. After a few weeks' careful treatment Mr. M'Lean resumed his ordinary avocations,' but it was not long before he was laid low again, and on this occasion he was treated in the Privato Hospital mentioned. Early this, month he had apparently recovered sufficiently to visit his office for an hour or two daily, but it was not long before he suffered a relapse, and yesterday .sustained a heart seizure, which caused death. Mr. M'Lean, who was 69 years of ago, was born in Grantown,- Invernessshire, Scotland, and in his younger days was a school teacher. He came out to Now Zealand in 1803, arriving from England in the ship Dauntless. After trying his luck on the Otago goldfields, he went over to the West Coast, and there married a Miss Crumptou (who died nine years ago). After engaging in business in Reef ton for some years,. Mr. M'Lean came to Wellington, and sot up in business as ah auctioneer and sharebroker, in premises adjoining the old Bank of New Zealand on Lainbton Quay. There he instituted tho Empire Loan Office. Subsequently, after the' destruction by fire of the first Opera House in Manners Street, he was appointed secretary 'of the Wellington Opera Houso Company, a position ho retained up to the day of his death. He was also secretary of the Bonithon Oil Company, of I' New Plymouth, and during the last two or three years has been a frequent visitor to that town in connection with the company's works. He was a,firm believer in Spiritualism, and was for many years president of tho Wellington Spiritualists' Association, which mot regular-, ly in his New. Century Hall, in Kent Terrace. , ' Mr. M'Lean always manifested a | lively interest in politics, and in- January, 1892, was elected to the Houso of Representatives as a supporter of tho Seddo'n Government. He leaves a family of two sons (Messrs. Sydney and Ronald M'Lean, of Wellington), and three daughters (Mesdames'Whittem, of Vancouver, W. J. Ferkins, and W. M. Wright, of Wellington). The funeral will taKe place at 10 a.m. to-morrow. MONSIGNOR O'REILLY. ■" • (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Dunedin, August 25. The death occurred at 6 p.m. of tljo Right Rev. Monsignor O'Reilly, aged 72 years. Tho; deceased prolate was'a wellknown pioneer of the.Roman Catholic .Church'in New .and was for 22 years parish priest at the Thames, officer of the committeo who had rendor-