The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-14 00:00:00

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THE MISSING JOURNALIST.
DISCOVERY OF:„THE BODY.
The body of Mr.4rchibara M' rteilk-who has been
missing since Dec. 20, wasifound- on the. morning of
Friday the 6th inst. on the western beach of the deep-
sea harbour at Boulogne-sur-Mer. As will be gleaned
from telegrams received during the afternoon the
body was in a condition which indicated that it had
been in the water for a considerable time, probably
a couple of weeks, 'and it was considerably bruised,
as if from icontact with the rocks, or with the great
wooden piles of the pier. At first sight, however, the
appearance of the body afforded no justification for
the suppositiion that there had been foul play, but
after a, more careful examination had been made the
police authorities unhesitatingly declared that the un-
fortunate gentleman had been murdered. Upon the
neck were livid marks only too plainly due to violence,

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and not a single valuable or a farthuig of money could
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owing to telegraphic' delays, reached London very
late, and the knowledge of this had a very depressing
effect upon Mr. M'Neill. The next morning he seemed
in fairly good spirits, interviewed the fighters, and
started for London in company with several friends
and journalistic _ colleagues. On the journey he again
_ . _

became nervous .Lai-eiciteel, and= reaching Boulogne
complained of feeling unwell. He went aboard the
steamer, and just before the vessel started for Dover
he told a friend he would go down into the cabin
and take a rest. From that moment almost all is
mystery. Only one thing is certain, viz., that he volun-
tarily left the steamer—but for what reason no one
knows—walked into the town, whence he sent a tele-
gram to the Sportsman stating that he had missed his
steamer, but would come on by the next, and making
some rather incoherent remarks about his health.
Nothing more was seen or heard of the un-
fortunate gentleman until the discovery of
'Ais body on Friday, although the French
police have been most indefatigable in their
efforts to elucidate the mystery. Ile was not the
man to commit suicide; on the contrary, his opinion
expressed to friends innumerable shows that he always
held that mode of quitting this life to be cowardly. Mr.
Wellcome's researchea at Boulogne proved conclusively
that he was accompanied, during the interval of wait-
ing for the second boat, by a man ofoordinary appear-
ance, who officiated as interpreter. This man so far
has not been traced, and the French police, we under-
stand, are endeavouring to find his whereabouts.
Mr. M'Neill was a journalist of unusual ability. He
was originally intended for the Baptist Church ministry,
and received a thorough education in the college con-
nected with that denomination in Birmingham, where
his parents reside. He thought, however, that he had
a penchantjor journalism, and his first article was
written for the Birmivham Daily Mall in reference
to a local colliery in which coal had been found after
many hopeless months of mining. He subsequently
rined the staff of the Birmingham Morning News,
When that journal was edited by the late
iMr. George Dawson, the celebrated lecturer.
oedr. M'Neill was subsequently engaged as leader
. writer and dramatic critic on the Yewcastle
-Daily Chronicle. He came to London in 1878, and
wrote for several newspapers and magazines, ulti-
mately joining the Sportsman in 1882 as a descriptive
writer and dramatic critic. The well-known article
eigned "Lorgnette," and also the daily "Notes on
News" appearing in that journal were written by
him. Ile was about 40 years of age, umnarried, and
was a highly-respected member of the Savage and
Press Clubs, of the Gallery lodge of Freemasons,
and was secretary of the Savage Pub Fr xis'
Lodge. St 01.1100 .11/104.1111/
04 THE POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION. -
The post-mortem examination of Mr. M'Neill's re-
mains was made in the Humane Society's mortuary,
at ten o'clock on Saturday morning, the operation last-
ing nearly three hours. It was conducted by Dr.
Douglas Aigre, a French medical man, acting on behalf
of the judicial authorities, with the assistance of
`e. Harvey, one of the English practitioners here,
who represented deceased's family. Dr. Fletcher, of
St. Bartholomew's Hospital, was also present. Mr.
Hector M'Neill, the victim's brother, reached here
early on Sunday morning from London, accompanied
by Mr. Henry S. Wellcome, an intimate friend, who
had left Boulogne only a few days previously, after
.aking searching but unavailing inquiries respecting,'
the lost man. It was found at the post-mortem
examination that while alive Mr. M'Neill had re-
ceived numerous blows about the head, which ren-
dered him insensible, and that his nose had been
broken. A very marked congestion of the brain was
brought to notice, and the outer tissues covering the
brain were destroyed. Death doubtless had been
caused during insensibility by drowning. The body,
indeed, might have fallen into the water, but the
injuries had not been self-inflicted. The body
which it is proved never floated—had not been in
the water less than eight or nine days, and its im-
mersion is likely to have lasted since the fatal 20th
of December. The black and discoloured state of the
neck is attributed to the fastening of the collar, and
not to strangulation. The French police were in-
clined to regard the case as one of suicide, but the
result of the examination shows this idea to be
groundless, and the authorities are already convinced
that a murder has been committed. Inquiries made
by the police in conjunction with Mr. Stammers, an
English detective who had been instructed to watch
the case, have resulted in a discovery that the deceased,
in company with a man acting in the capacity of inter-
preter, went to two cafés chantants, near .the Fish
Market. It would appear by a statement made in one
of them, which is corroborated by several of those em-
ployed in the establishment, that on rising to leave
Mr. Nl‘Ntill was followed out by a man. Whether the
man is one named Dubois, who, it is understood, was
seen with him, and who is reported to be of very bad cha-
racter, remains to be seen. The name mentioned
happens to be not uncommon in Boulogne, and all
those known by the name of Dubois have been
blled on by the police. Several are indignant
'at the insinuation, and have come forward
with disclaimers. It is now asserted that a man
known as Dubois has not been seen since the journal-
th- st's disappearance. It may not be inopportune (says
e Times corresirndent) to express an opinion as to
ow the murder was perpetrated. I do not think it
•at all likely that the body was thrown off the jetties
or. from the quays into the harbour, or robbed, and
afterwards pushed in as ' traveller war: on his way
to the nighe - temer for estone. The zorpse would
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be found on the body. Subjoined are the telegram
referred to :
"Boulogne, 6.2l.—The body of Mr. M'Neill Maud
at eight a.m. to-day on the sand near the new har-
bour here. No money of any kind on body, and the
only things found are telegram forms with report
resriecting the fight, two pencils, a pair of scissors,
~ pa)r of gloves, a French map, with the name of A.
.Aill, 139 Fleet-street, no doubt in his own hand-
.t- - ,
1
tng ; two tickets from Boulogne to London, dated
; 20.—STABINERS (Detective)."
' oulogne, 6.3o.—Clothed as described; nose
(B
Ilten ; severe wounds on head ; no money in pockets;
Ifpencils, scissors, ticket; account of fight on tele-
gragh-torin ; map of France with his name. Stammers
thintis rings taken off before death, as fingers are
swollen. Post-mortem takes place to-morrow.—
Fs ' lER (Harbour Master)."
uter's agency else sent the appended telegrams :
ulogne-sur-Mer, Jan. 6. The body of Mr.
"
111‘. ill
l, who has been missing since the 20th ult., was
washed ashore on the western sands this morning. An
exatnination of the body has revealed marks of stran-
guldtion on the neck, which, taken together with the
falthab, the deceased's cash, notes, and watch are
mis ing;renders it evident that Mr. M'Neill was the
victim' of foul play. The remains were in a decom-
posed state, having apparently been in the water for
aboirt eight days. A one franc piece was found on the
shore atsome distance from the spot to which the body
had drifted.
"Boulogne, Jan. 6, 10.15 p.m.—A post-mortem exa-
ination of the body of Mr. M'Neill will be held to-
n Tow morning. The discovery of the remains has
;used considerable excitement here, and forms the
tilef topic of conversation. Various rumours regard-
Angthe cause of Mr. MiNeilPs death are current, but
great reticence is observed by the authorities, in order
thalt the course of justice may not be defeated."
Spililr. M'Neill was delegated by the editor of the
rtsman to proceed to Rouen upon the occasion of
thi intesnatiOnal prize. ith ar4
Ja e KBrain, and.writ of .t
journey out and home, , " - _
outside incidents of the fight. _An
seetns to have got abroad that he was sen,
tho actual fight ; but there viawnever any fi
for thatailpposition. Mr. M'Neill had no e __
t •
wliateveii of prize-fighting, and it would e beep
absurcVlitherefore, to have entrusted him with thF,
duty :of aescribing the rounds of one of the most,
deiperate pugilistic encounters:whictethis generatiorf
has witnessed. As. a matter of fact, the actual!
describing of the fight was left to a gentleman whaNi
had been present at scores of such encounters, and
wliose nerves' would be equal to the occasion. Mr.
M'Neill was certainly excited over his commission;
but do far -from shrinking from it he was evid(
proud of. it, and deter-mined to do his best
the intereitca, his 'paper, as any journalist would
have bien`iiiider " the circumstances. Ho was per-
fectly at liberty-to decline the work; but as a matter
of factitterniqo rather fond 'of reporting anything to
wliicii-grelt extiternent attached. He did not think I
much of danger, and all his life he delighted in deeds
of during. On one occasion he went down with an
exploring party after an explosion in a fiery mine at
Barnsley when he represented the Newcastle Daily
Chronicle. On another occasion he ascended in a
balloon from the Dudley Castle Grounds, Worcester-
shire, and made a lengthy voyage over the midland
counties. Subsequently he went out on a stormy sea
in an open boat to convey provisions to a beleagured
party in the lighthouse on Holy Island, off the Northum-
berland coast. This proves that Mr. M'Neill was not
deficient in courage: but he was a man of sm.
stature and of little physical strength, and when de-
prived of his glasses his eyesight was so poor as to
amount to partial blindness.
Mt M'Neill received his instructions on Saturday,
Dec. 17 last, together with a sum of £lOO with which
to defray the expenses of his journey and the cost of
telegraphing. He left London on the Sunday evening
with a large party of sportsmen and journalists, duly
reached the rendezvous at Rouen, witnessed the fight.,
and proceeded to Paris on Monday evening, Dec. 19,
whence he despatched a long message to the Sports-
man. Unfortunately, the greater part of his dispatch,
_ _

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descriptive account.
Id what may be termed the
impression I
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either have been cast ashore a week or ten days earlier,
or have disappeared altogether out at sea. Mr.
M'Neill might very well on that dark night have ac-
cepted in a foreign town the Proffered assistance of
one acquainted with the pace, and by this means
been led off to some low house close to
the docks. The blows found on him would
not be dealt on the quay, for fear of a cry attracting
the Custom House sentries; but their presence
would not prevent two or three persons in the dead of
night dropping or rather lowering the body into the
bcasin allot. Already a very important piece of un-
solicited evidence has come to light. The Commissaire
Central de Police has received an anonymous letter
containing two Bank of England notes—a £2O and a
£5 note. The correspondent declines to furnish his (or
her) name, out of a fear of being mixed up in the
matter, but states they were picked up on the Cape-
cure Sands, at some distance from the spot where the
remains were recovered. This story is regarded as
quite false. 4The notes in question are very much
crushed and -r
ined, and its suspected that they have
been carried fbr some days in'the heel of a boot.

Another account states that the body of Mr. M'Neill
was found at high-water mark on the western sands
at a point some 200 or 300 yards west of the West
Fier, and between that pier and the new harbour,
shortly after half-past seven on Friday morning of last
week, by two working men. Almost at the same time
another Boulognais, M. Jueneuille, appeared on the
scene, having been attracted to the spot by the loud
barking of some dogs who accompanied him. At
this hour of the morning the day was only beginning
to break, and in the indiffei ent light it was difficult to
see what was the exact condition of the body. The
semi-darkness which prevailed may account for a some-
what important difference which exists in the state-
ments made on the one hand by the two workmen and
on the other by M. Jueneuille, for while the former as-
sert that they plainly saw footsteps on the sand around
the body, the latter is equally certain that there was
none, and that even if there had been the light was so
bad as to render it impossible to trace them. All agree,
however, that the body was lying face upwards, and
that a casual glance at once revealed the fact that the
face was much decomposed, and that the features and
skull were much knocked about. According to Ducloy
and Gra,delle they found portions of a packet of tobacco
and a pencil parted in two by the side of the deceased,
while they also had the impression, from general ap-
pearances, that the body hadbeen previously discovered
and the pockets searched. Subsequent events clearly
prove that in this view they were mistaken. It may
here be mentioned that at the time when the
remains were first seen the sea was at low
water-mark. Information was immediately con-
veyed to the police by a mounted man in the
employ of Mons. Vidor, fish salesman, of Boulogne,
while at the same time Ducloy proceeded to apprise
Mr. Stammers, an English detective who has been
engaged by the members of the Savage Club to work
the case and ascertain the fate of Mr. M'Neill, of
,tie discovery that had been made. Mr. Stammers,
'who was staying at the 11.5te1 Castiglioni, at once
'drove to the spot indicated, and was able without the
,htest difficulty to identify the body, both by the
lies and the features, as that of the missing man.
Le found the police already there, and on expressing
desire to search the pockets he was told by the
at in charge that that could not be permitted,
that he must wait until the Commissaire-Central