A REMARKABLE CLAIM. A Sheep Station Swallowed by An Earthquake and Tidal Wave.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 95, 28 March 1885, Page 6

A REMARKABLE CLAIM. A Sheep Station Swallowed by An Earthquake and Tidal Wave.

A most remarkable claim has been made by a resident of Sydney against a wealthy but eccentric Wellingtonian. The claimant asserts that in the very early days of the colony his uncle lived on the run adjoining tnat of no mars upc? whom he makes the claim. He further alleges that his uncle died, and left all hia property to him, but that the neighbour, who was executor, took possession of the whole of the property, and adding it to his own, grew wealthy upon the unearned increment. The circumstances are of a most peculiar character. The gentleman upon whom the claim has been made has written several letters to the claimant. In the first place, he denies that there was any stock on his neighbour's run, but says there were a large number of wild pigs, which he was compelled to exterminate because they had eaten fully 5,000 of his lambs. In another of his letters to the claimant he facetiously says : — " Are you in a lunatic asylum ? Your old uncie was very mad at times. Perhaps it is a family affliction. If so, lam very sorry for you. Keep quiet, and do not handle fire-arms or razors. With the former, you might blow out your brains, if you have any, and with the other you might cut your throat and bleed like a pig— some of your late uncle's pigs. Your uncle had a strong imagination. He supposed himself to have been a millionaire, and no doubt he was, but untortunatoly he was in the habit of burying his money, and nobody has been able to find it. It would be worth your while to como over to New Zealand in search of it. No doubt this hidden treasure was the secret he wished to communicate to me before his death, but he was struck speechless, and it was too late. You are a madman to offer your uncle's property for £3,500. I don't exactly know its situation, but it is somewhere in the clouds. I have the power of communicating with spirits, and I ascertained its value to be £50,000, and I will willingly give you that sum in deferred payment, say "at 1,000 years hence. Oh, what a lucky fellow you are to have had such an uncle ! For the rest of your days you will be rolling in wealth. I shall call on you shortly when I visit Sydney, and won't we have a rogular jollification ! For the present, shut up.— Yours, etc., etc. In a subsequent letter, this remarkable mdi vidual tolls the Sydney claimant that his uncle's property was swallowed up by an earthquake. Several Aveek3 later he adds : " I was wrong about the earthquake, which happened after your uncle's death. A tidal wave took his house and every building off the ground, carried three cargo boats nigh and dry on a bank, and goods were picked up on the beach for miles. No boats ever o-o there now, and the only carrying is clone by a steamer." In the same letter he says : " I made the poor man's will because nobody else would do so. Ho was buried by subscription, and no sooner was he dead than the Maoris began to help themselves to his tools and whatever they could find." Again, in a recent letter, the writer says he did not take out letters of administration because there was no property to administei\ The Sydney claimant is determined to proceed with his claim for a share of the Wellingtonian 's large estate. He alleges that before his death his uncle visited his mother in Sydney, and told her that he was wealthy, and that when he died he would leave a fortune to her son. The claimant also asserts that many years ago, when on a whaling voyage, he met a New Zealander who had lived on his uncle's farm and had seen the will made, leaving all the property, consisting of land, houses, pigs, and £800 in money, to him. Two witnesses are said to be now living in Hawke's Bay who were present at the time of the execution of the will by the claimant's deceased uncle. Mr W. J. Napier is now inquiring into the circumstances of the claim with a view to instituting proceedings for the recovery of a share of the estate.

Parliament is expected to meet in the beginning of June. There will be horse races at Ngaruawahia on Queen's Birthday. Time for receiving applications for space at the Exhibition expires 81st inst. No more cheap travelling to Whangarei. The Otago "Daily Times" and "Witness" Company has declared a dividend of 8 per cent. Remdnyi visited Taipari at Thamos, and " fiddled" a couple of mats out of him. Sir Julius Vogel's address at Dunedin is not to be given till Monday next. During the present month there have been ten wet days at Wellington, with strong winds and lightning. Poor Wellington ! At Mangaone Pa, about two miles from New Plymouth, a big Maori feast is proceeding, with Titokow&ru in command, Mr Reyburn, of Whangarei, has sent over 500 cases of fruit to Auckland this ; season. What next in the way of persecuting the Chinese ? At Wellington a Celestial has been summoned for indulging in the natural amusement of flying a kite.