UNUSUAL STORY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3668, 21 July 1927, Page 4

UNUSUAL STORY.

MONEY IN OLD CHEST

AUCKLAND, July 19

An unusual story of money hidden away in an old tin chest and discovered by accident wa6 told at the meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board. Nearly a year ago the late James iHarley Lucas and his wife, who were living in rooms at Otalmhu, handed over the chest to their landlady to do what she liked with. Lucas was aged 84 and his wife was over 90. They appeared to be in poor circumstances and were in receipt of pensions. The landlady, Mrs Fothergill. opened the chest and, finding only old clothes in it, shut it up again. Some months later curiosity prompted her to open it again, and' wrapped away among a lot of old clothes she came across the sum of £265 in notes and coin. Shortly -afterwards Lucas died and his wife seemed too aged to know whether the money belonged to them or not. Mrs Fotliergill handed the sum over to her solicitor who gave it to the secretary’of the Hospital Board. In the meantime the Pensions Department was informed of the discovery and has now issued a writ against the board for the recovery of the money. The chairman said that the board intended to fight the case and that its defence had been filed.