DIED INTESTATE

Evening Star, Issue 22145, 27 September 1935, Page 2

DIED INTESTATE

MEXT-OF-KIH CASE SEARCH FOR TWENTY YEARS ■ [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 26. Birth dates gild other dates entered freely into the hearing in the Supreme Court to-day of the case in which a man applied for a declaration that Lis deceased mother was the next-of-kin to an Irishman who died intestate 20 years ago. In the search for next-of-kin it, was stated that advertisements had been published in New Zealand, America, and Ireland, and from 15 to 20 persons responded. Great difficulty had been caused by the Irishman’s reticence as to his antecedents. The value of the estate was £2,357.

The plaintiff was James O’Connor, a jeweller, of Thurles, Irish Free State, and the defendant was tho Public Trustee, as administrator of the estate of Thomas Tray (or Thray), of Waitohe, Canterbury. Mr P. B. Broad, explaining the case for the Public Trustee, said that Tray died at Pleasant Point in July, 1915, and had been in partnership for many years with two farmers, the Orr brothers. He had been extremely reticent as to his antecedents. He had been dead for 20 years, and in the first 10 years there were between 15 and 20 applicants as next-of-kin in response to advertisements in New Zealand, America, and Ireland. These narrowed down to one woman named O’Connor, who died in 1924. She claimed to be a first cousin to Tray, and it was by her administrator that the claim was now being made. The question was whether she was on the wrong track or whether she was a first cousin of the deceased. After legal argument had been heard the court reserved its decision.