A RICH PEDLAR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2711, 15 January 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

A RICH PEDLAR.

A £9OOO FORTUNE

A romantic story of a pedlar who continued to travel about with his wares after having made a fortune was told during the hearing of a will suit- at Dublin, on November 10. Tbe testator was James Brazil, of Cull a lie, Ballylanders, County Limerick., and formorlv of Swansea, who, said Mr. Matheson, K.C., emigrated to Aus_ tralia. There he engaged in every sort of -employment, from gold digging to peddling. He managed to accumulate a fair sum of money, and, when he came to England, 30 years ago, lie had some thousands of pounds. (The will, it is stated, concerned a sum of £9000.) In England he continued to follow the profession of a pedlar, living in various towns and preserving the parsimonious habits he had acquired in Australia. He used to go about selling looking-glasses and oleographs, and things of that kind, and it was said that he would sell the clothes off his back if he could make a profit on the transaction.

About 20 years ago he gave up peddling and settled down in Swansea, and he devoted the rest of his life to what lie called “gambling,” which consisted in judiciously investing his money and dealing in stocks and shares. His chief investment was in shares of the Canadian-Pacific railway. Subsequently, counsel stated, the former pedlar went to live with his cousin, William Brazil, in Couuty Limerick. He was ill at the time, and the doctor who was called in advised that lie ought to settle up his affairs. The old man said .he had settled them, and had liis share certificates -and bank deposits under his pillow. The doctor, added Mr. Matheson, wrote the will at the dictation of the testator, who left all his property to William Brazil, his cousin, who was not in the house at the time the will was being executed. The next day, as the old man was getting into bed, his heart failed, and ho died suddenly. The will was disputed by Joseph Brazil, a nephew of the testator, who alleged that liis uncle was not of sound mind, memory, and understanding at the time the will was executed. The will was attacked by William Linnard and George Linnard, the latter of Cardiff and the former of Swansea, who claim, ed to he nephews, and that the will had been obtained bv tile- undue influence of William Brazil. ‘