A Strange Story.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 206, 4 June 1887, Page 2

A Strange Story.

It is not an unusual thing to hear of a Waterloo vefceian ; but the story of a man claiming this distinction, who appeared before the Benevolent Asylum Committee in Melbourne lately asking for admission to that in&titution, was peculiarly interesting. If the statement was correct the c tory is indeed a strange one. llichard Dwyer, now seventy-two years of ago, has, for home months past been living al Cheltenham, subsisting on the charily of the residents of that locality. At one time he appears to have been a very rich man, and 20 years ago he was, it is said, a passenger on board the steamer London during the voyage when the illfated vessel foundered in the Bay of Biscay. Dwyer was numbered among the few survivors, but his wife and two daughters went down with the ill-fated vessel. To add to his loss, a sum of of LI 1,200, according to his representations, sank with the wreck, together with cargo belonging to him valued at L 250. The unfortunate fellow seems never to have prospered afterwards. He is said to have worked hard in many ways, and for some years past has lived in the neighbourhood of Cheltenham. The other day, however, ho stood before the committee aged and infirm, utterly destitute and entirely alone in the world. His case was considered a pitiful one, and, together with the strangeness of his story, ho worked upon the feelings of the committee that they admitted hjm to the shelter of the asylum. His admission filled up one of the only two vacancies that were available, and for which there were numerous applicants.