A SAD STORY IN REAL LIFE.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 165, 19 April 1872, Page 3

A SAD STORY IN REAL LIFE.

The case of Sarah Salmon and the Paupe Lunatic Asylum at mel bourne came before the Vice-Chancellor’s Court on December 15. The petition was presented by the Master in Lunacy of the colony of Victoria for the purpose-of having the arrears of dividend on a sum of £I4OO consols applied in discharge of the expenses to which the colony had been put in maintaining Sarah Salmon, a lady who has been confined in the Pauper Lanatic Asylum at Melbourne for the iast (fourteen years, and for the further purposes of having the future dividends applied in her future maintenance. From the evidence it apeared that she was the daughter of a Mr. Samuel Baker, a gentleman of considerable wealth, who, besides owning several fauns in Essex, had personal property or property not in land to the amount of upwards £IO,OOO. In 184 G, Mrs. Salmon, then Miss Baker, married Laurence Salmon. On June 13, 1852, two days before his death, Mr. Baker made his will, or, to speak more accurately, formally executed the heads of his will, andthereby, after leaving the farms to his sons, and giving enough to make up £OOO a piece to such of his sons as he had not advanced to that extent in his lifetime, directed the income of the residue of h : s property to be paid to his widow for her life, and after her death to he divided equally among his children. With reference to his daughter Sarah, however, he settled the £6OO, as we'l as her share of residue, upon her strictly, directing the income of both to be paid to her into In r own hands for her separate use and to he unalienable for her life, and at her death to go to her children, and if she had no children to her brothers and sisters. The testator died on June 15 without having executed the more formal and elaborate will. The sons entered into possession of the farms, and the clear residue, which realized more than £9OOO, was invested, and the income paid to the widow. Some time after her marriage Mrs. Salmon seems to have gone with her husband to Australia; she next appears in the case as the pauper inmate of the lunatic asy’uin at Melliourne, to which she was admitted on October 27 1858, and where she has remained ever since. Mrs. Baker died in 1864, " hen the property was divided, and Mrs ahium’s share was paid into court b\ tii - \ nt< r. The Master in Lunacy in the c<*ion\ no • presented a petition for the purpose o having the dividends applied on ois harmof the expenses incurred in In r maintenance, and questions argued wenfirst, as to the Master in Lunacy’s powers under the Colonial Acts ; and second, as to the power of the Court to make such an order in reference to property settled to the separate use of a married woman without power of alienation. The ViceChancellor held that on the construction of the Colonial Act the Master in Lunacy of the colony had the same powers as a comniiti.ee in lunacy in this country, and that lie was thereby authorized to receive and collect the lunatic’s property. He should, therefore, diiect both the arrears of dividends to he paid to the Master in Lunacy for the expenses incurred in the past maintenance and the future dividends to he paid to him during the life of Mrs. Salmon, or till further order,