Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1892-07-16 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

STRANGE WILL CASE.  The extmordinary case "In re the Petit Estate 4 nas been settled. M. Petit was an old gentleman bordering on 90, who, the Daiig Telerpap4 Paris correspondent says, deserves posthumous notoriety by reason of the strange distribution which he made of his property to the detriment of his natural heirs. He was long an official of the Exchequer, and died in IVO, leaving three sons, with whom he had resolutely refused to have anything to do for 40 years, owing to certain ideas which had arisen in his mind. When M. Petit was no more his children went to his abode in order to take possession of his property. They found no will, 119wever, and no money, although they estimated that their progenitor must have been worth at least L 120,000. The sons then arrived at the conclusion that. their father had portiot.el out his prop Try and given it to others during his lifetime. They would never have recovered a stiver had it not been for M.Petit's old and confl:h ntial valet Lebrum, who seems to be cut out for the hero of a sensational novel or a thrilling play. This mall searched diligently among his mater's ofd papers and lette;s until lie found enough documentary evidence to enable the Eons to see what had been done with their heritage. M. Petit had shared a large part of his fortune among five or six friends on cendition that they paid him an annuity. The r,mainder of his money he literally gave to the first stranger whom he fancied. The lucky people who received his handsome donations were begged to accept a certain sum of money and never to open their mouths as to its oriuiti. M. Petit's sons brought a criminal action against the beneficiaires for undue influence, but they were defeated. They then carried the cas t to the Civil Tribunal of the Seine, and the best talent of the Paris Bar was ergaged on both sides. The Cour,. held, however, that M. Petit had a peifect right to dispose of his property as he liked, even to the detriment of his children. The beneficiaries were at the same time directed to pay over to the plaintiffs sums remaining in seserve after the general distribution.  A girl of 21, who won the last prize for beauty at Turin, has been found murdered at Trieste. The body was disfigured by two shot wounds and seven stabs, and the face was mutilated, probably by a stone, in order to prevent recognition. The murder is thought to be connected with a love affair. News has reached England of the death under most painful circumstances of Miss Josephine St. Inge, the well-known actress, who went out to South Africa with Miss Genevieve Ward and Mr. W. H. Vernon's company. Miss St. Ange was killed in a carriage accident near Johannesburg, where she ha• lust been playing as Ophelia. • graceful and accomplished lady, Miss St. Ange began her professional career as an operatic vocaUst. ...Mersin/ Leader.  EXTENSIVE FRKEIN  At Liverpool on Friday Isaac Parry Lunt, aged 29, cashier to Reynolds and Gibson, cotton brokers, and John Alexander Wilson, aged 35, their salesman, were charged with embezzling £12,000, belonging to the firm. It was alleged that the prisoners gave themselves out as representing a syndicate formed for the purpose of buying and holding cotton to the value of from £lOO,OOO to £200,000. The representations were credited in many quarters, and on the faith of them the prisoners entered into enormous speculations in cotton and stocks, an old firm having been compelled to suspend payment in consequence. The prisoners when arrested admitted the charge.—They were remanded for a week, as the Investigations of the books are not yet completed. Some extraordinary revelations are expected. The Cotton Market is greatly excited over the frauds, but it is hoped no further complications will ensue.