A WEALTHY PAUPER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1660, 15 April 1884, Page 2

A WEALTHY PAUPER.

Some years ago an old lady died in the barony of Kinnalea, who was 'supposed to have been wealthy, but no, money or valuable documents were iound by her relatives, It was known at the time that a laboring mail on the farm, Jeremiah Riordan, had been in her confidence; and the roof of her house being broken through on the night of her death, arid it being evident that, her boxes had been rifled, suspicion attached to Riodan, but no evidence could bo adduced against him, and the circumstance was forgotten. - Subsequently Riodan married, and become tenant to a plot of live acres of ground and a mud cabin, in which he lived in apparent wretchedness, so much so, that the gentry, hi his neighborhood occasionally employod him to come to Cork for messages, and ho brought back small loads of marketing on a donkey. About twelve months after his wKo died he proposed to marry ; a young woman; servant to a gentleman' on whose, property ho resided. Sho scouted his offer, sayiug that an old pauper (ho being sixty years of age), with a large family had much impudence to ask' her to bo his with. For some months ho pressed his suit; and to induce her to become his partner sent six of his childron to America, keeping but one at. home, a boy about 14 years of age. .He then offered to settle .£lO on her, which was refused; and each clay he increased, his offer, until sho consented to marry him if £9O was lodged in the savings bank to her account. The money was lodged and Riordan and his affianced went to the coadjutor to get the nuptial knot tied. Here a new difficulty arose; £lO was demanded as the marriagofco, This Riordan protested he did not possess, and tendered £1 as beintj all the money ho could command. The priest refused and the parties retired to their respective.homes: Riordan called on the priest the following, day, and said ho had sold some of his furniture'and had now £2. This was also refused, but the priest said he would accept £5, After a long colloquy, Riordan left him, but shortly after returned offeriug to swear that he had sold all he was owner of, including, the donkey, and that he could only increase his funds to £i. After- much declamation on the one side and protestation on the other—the puroliase money for the wife never having been hinted at-the bargain was made, and Riordan was, for a secondHiroe married,

After tbe ceremony Riordan and bis spouse retired to the.cabin; but tbe next ruoruing she quarrelled with tbo bridegroom, who wanted to get back tlio savings bank book he had given her; a fight ensued between them, and. she quitted the cabin having him bleeding at the nose and mouth, with'a pair of swollen eyes, He lay for threo days moaning, on his bed of straw, and when he rose he wandered through the country crying '•' Norah! Norah!'.' but she did not return.

About a fortnight after his marriage, he remained out a|l one night, and returning in the morning,,'fell faint upon the.ground ; and after two or three times addressing his son, the only inmate of the cabin, withthewords, " Shawn, 'tis ia the tliatcb," expired, ' The boy immediately ran out find called in a neighbor,.sayjpg his father was dead, who asked. '(Did the/popr man say anything before he. died f She was .told his last words; ; She ajid young Riordan. instantly set to work to rummage, the thatch, ani, after a diligent search, found 188 sovereigns, in cartridges of, six each, wrapped in rags stuok in several parts. .:. The story went abroad, the 'neighbors flocked in and the resumed; at.last, his" caub" (hat) wjis alighted' on, when, in. the. crown of it, were' discovered 1 receipts 'of the National .Bank for £776, 'and "sayings bank books fori2lo, J : s' v [Xn-l