AN EXTRAORDINARY BEQUEST

Kumara Times, Issue 1132, 15 May 1880, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY BEQUEST

A well-known citizen of Brooklyn, United States, alike renowned fpr his wealth and eccentricity, died a few weeks ago, and his last will and testament was found by his sorrowing relatives, with whom he had been at odds during his life, to contain the following curious bequest ;—“ I own seventy one pairs of trousers. • It is my desire that they be sold by public auction alter my death, and that the product of their sale be distributed among the deserving poor of my parish. They must, however, be disposed of severely to different bidders, no single individual being permitted to purchase more than one pair.” These directions were duly carried out by the heirs-at-law. The seventy-one pairs of trousers were successfully knocked down to seventy-one purchasers, and their price was handed over to the parochial authorities. A few days after the sale one of the buyers took it into his head to make a careful examination of his newly acquired property, and found a small canvass bag neatly sewn tip in the waistband. Upon opening this bag an agreeable surprise met his gaze, in the shape of ten 100 dollar notes. The tidings of this amazing discovery spread like wildfire throughout Brooklyn and New York, and each fortunate possessor of a pair of these precious pantaloons was rejoiced to find his investigations rewarded by the acquisition of a sum equivalent to £2OO sterling. It appears that the eccentric testator’s heirs have instituted proceedings to recover the amounts secreted by him in the linings of his trousers from the present proprietors of those garments, on the ground that he was.obviously out of his mind when he made such an insensate will.