ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO
THE AMERICAN CONSUL

AMERICAN CONSULAR SERVICE

Valetta, Malta, December 10, 1920.

Norman Douglas, Esquire,

Chez Mme Rola,

4 Rue St. Charles,

Mentone, Alpes Maritimes, France.

Sir:-

Mr. Michael Borg has shown me your letter to him in which you inquired about the circumstances of the death of Mr. Maurice Magnus. I understand that Mr. Borg has written you fully about the death, but, risking repetition, I shall state briefly that Mr. Magnus took his own life, by swallowing hydrocyanic acid, on the 4th of November. Apparently the cause was financial embarrassment. I reported the death at once by telegraph to Mrs. Magnus in England and received a reply to the effect that she could not pay for the expenses of the funeral. A few friends contributed a sufficient sum of money to keep him from being buried as a pauper, purchased a few flowers, and accompanied his remains to their last resting place.

It appears that Mr. Magnus died penniless and in debt. His effects, which were turned over to me by the local authorities, have been inventoried and appraised, as will ap-

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pear from the copy of inventory enclosed. If the effects are claimed by a duly authorized legal representative of the estate, who will furnish a sufficient amount of money to pay the local debts, they will be delivered up. Otherwise they must be sold and the proceeds applied to the payment of debts.

The enclosed statement of account is, so far as I know, a complete statement of the debts of the estate in Malta.

In memoranda, written shortly before his death, Mr. Magnus said: "My literary executor Norman Douglas Chez Mme Rola 4 Rue St. Charles Mentone Alpes Maritimes France." "All manuscripts and books for Norman Douglas." "I leave my literary property to Norman Douglas to whom half of the results are to accrue - the other half my debts are to be paid with."

The contents of the suit case containing the manuscripts were not examined in detail by the appraisers and, not knowing the value of the writings, they placed no value upon them.

I shall be glad to hear from you.

Enclosures:

Inventory
Statement of account

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AMERICAN CONSULAR SERVICE

Valetta, Malta, December 28, 1920.

Norman Douglas, Esquire,

Chez Mme Rola,

4 Rue St. Charles,

Sir:-

I have to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of
your letter of the 22nd instant.

By way of reply, I beg to enclose a copy of a letter
I am this day writing to Mrs. Magnus.

I should be only too glad to comply with your suggestion to send the manuscripts to you were I only in a position to do so.

Enclosure:

To Mrs. Magnus, December 28, 1920.

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Mrs. Lucy Seraphine A. Magnus,

1 Almdale Road,

Tyndall's Park,

Bristol, England.

Madam:-

In memoranda, written shortly before his death, your husband said: "My literary executor Norman Douglas Chez Mme Rola 4 Rue St. Charles Mentone Alpes Maritimes France." "All manuscripts and books for Norman Douglas." "I leave my literary property to Norman Douglas to whom half of the results are to accrue - the other half my debts are to be paid with."

I have been in communication with Mr. Douglas and under date of December 22, 1920, he writes: "Regarding the literary materials of Mr. Magnus, I suppose they had better be sent me here. I may be able to dispose of some of his manuscripts and would hand over the proceeds as a contribution towards the settling of his accounts."

The suggestion of Mr. Douglas seems very reasonable and, under ordinary circumstances, the obvious thing to do. But there are difficulties: I am merely the temporary con-

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servator of the property left by Mr. Magnus, on behalf of
the legal heirs. Except for the satisfaction of local debts,
I have no authority to dispose of any of the property, in
the absence of instructions from a duly authorized legal
representative of the estate. In any event, the scribbled
notes, left by Mr. Magnus, cannot in any sense be regarded
as "wills." They do not comply with any legal requirements
as to the execution of wills. And even if they did, I
could not act under them, because I am not the executor.

This matter is reported to you in the hope that you
may take proper steps to secure the appointment of an ad-
ministrator of the estate who would be in a position to
give me authoritative instructions with reference to the
disposition of the effects.

Of course, if there was a subsisting contract between
Mr. Magnus and Mr. Douglas under the terms of which Mr.
Douglas is entitled to one half of the proceeds of the sale
of any of the manuscripts, that is a matter which Mr. Douglas
must present to the legal representative of the estate.

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AMERICAN CONSULAR SERVICE

16

Valetta, Malta, April 4, 1921.

Norman Douglas, Esquire,
C/o T. Cook & Son,
Via Tornabuoni,

Florence, Italy.

Sir:-

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 2nd ultimo with reference to the estate of Mr. Magnus.

Mrs. Magnus has furnished a sufficient sum of money
to reimburse those of us who advanced the money to defray
the funeral expenses and I have sold all of the effects,
including the manuscripts, to Mr. Michael C. Borg, 130
Strada Vittoria, Senglea, Malta, whose attention has been
called to Mr. Magnus's last wishes respecting the disposi-
tion of his writings. Mr. Borg has been given your address
and will doubtless communicate with you at once.

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