MR HALSE’S AFFAIRS.

Patea Mail, 15 April 1882, Page 3

MR HALSE’S AFFAIRS.

A distressing shock has fallen on New Plymouth, affecting almost every household in some degree. The tragic death of Mr Halse, and the later revelations of his financial affairs, have been painfully surprising to all who knew the old lawyer. He was so largely respected, and so many persons trusted him with moneys for investment and with properties in course of transfer, that the bankruptcy of sucb a man may spread ruin to many homes. There is too much reason to anticipate a deplorable revelation of financial details. Private reports from New Plymouth convey this expectation in language we hesitate to repeat, until facts are made public through the investigation which creditors must now make into his affairs. Mr Halse appears to have held the titles to many sections at Waitara, in the future greatness of which port he had large faith. Most of these properties have been practically unsaleable, and their conversion into cash could not therefore help to extricate him from other embarrassments. He is understood to have long held an insurance policy on his life> the amount being reported at about £5,000. This will not be lost to tbe family or to the estate by the fact of his committing suicide, as the insurance companies do not now treat suicide as a bar against payment unless committed within a short period after insurance. He is known to have lost large sums by an easy-going carelessness which is not expected in a man of law. In one case not long ago, he had to execute a mortgage for a client to secure a loan of £ISOO. The mortgage was not registered ; eventually the property was seized by other creditors, and the lawyer had to repay the £ISOO to his client, as a penalty for careless negligence.

It is understood that the revelation of Mr Halse’s financial position came about through a simple incident. A client living out of the district had entrusted the lawyer with £SOO to invest, and this was supposed to be invested in mortgage on a certain property. The client visited New Plymouth a few days ago, and went to see the properly in which Mr Raise professed to have invested his money. It soon appeared that the mortgage had no existence. The client demanded explanation, and Mr Raise appears to have made the matter worse by trying to conceal the deception. The client instructed another lawyer in the town to take legal proceedings, whether in the criminal form for breach of trust, or in the civil form of an action for debt, we are not aware. The matter became in a few hours a raging scandal in the place, and a crowd of people besieged Mr Halse’s office demanding surrender of deeds and other forms of satisfaction. Mr Raise became so distracted that Mr Roy had to take the responsibility of calling a private meeting of creditors. Before the creditors met, and indeed on the same morning, Mr Raise was found dead, having poisoned himself with strychnine, a deadly but excruciating poison, in his occasional residence at Waitara.

His liabilities are reported to be about £22,000. His assets may be worth more than that, when looked into and realised. Mr Roy, the son-in-law and partner, had also substantial means before entering the business. It is supposed, but wo do not know definitely, that the £5,000 for which Mr Halse’s life was insured has been settled many years on the wife.