Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-05-04
Discovery of a Dead Body Ia a Cupboard
singular Ease OF Mistaken Identity
Four Conf licting Identif icatiens.

A horrible discovery was recently made an
Hackney Wyck, station on the North London
Railway, England, of a dead body in n cup
board OF an UNFINISHED house. by q carman
named Edward Morris, who, being instructed
10 leave a load of sash weights at this house,
perceived an offensive smell winch is sued from
a small cupboard beneath the staircase. ON
opening this he found the dead body of a man,
fully dressed, lying with the head towards the
door, In reclining position, and, from subse-
quent investigation by physician, AZ was evi-
dent that death had occurred two or three
months previously. No clue being obtained by
which TO Idsn nifty the deceased in the neighbor-
hoCd AZ was conveyed TO The Hackney Mortu-
airy. The features of the corpse are intellectual
and handsome, and evidence that of a man
belonging to the high walks OF life,
the hands soft and delicate and
the dress thai of person in a re-
spectacle social position. There are evil
dences OF foul play, "a the apparel il torn
and dlsarranged as n IN a struggle, and over
The right eyebrow rs a deep depression, as
though fearful blow has been inflicted. but
u 2 lace A. not so much dishgured but that
friends and relatives might Identity the remains
Notwithstanding this fact each one OF four sep
aTate parties Of people claim this body as that
OF an enuTely different indl ylGuaL. The first is
Dr. Ellis, OF tie ST Luke's Lunatic Asylum,
who claims That n Is the body Of a patent
named Heasman, who cohtriyed 20 effect his
escape from the central ward of the asylum
although there We're six locked doors sepa-
rating Linn from the exterior, and that in his
passage through other ward he had carried OF
articles Of clothing belonging 70 other patients
The Identification was also confirmed by the
brother of the deceased, who stated that the
lunajic was perfectly sane on ali points save
one. which consisted in the delusion that he
had been poisoned and was dead. In direct
and bewlldeTlDg conflict to-t6Ss testimony rs
that OF Mrs. Mary Ann Banks. of p York
Row, kIngland road, who, on inspecting
the body. declared II 10 be that of her missing
band, Mr.. Ebenezer Clark Banks, a COM
merCial traveller for a spirit merchant. Mrs.
Banks twice viewed the corpse, and was
confirmed IN this statement by her two Sis
tiers, Mrs. Williams, s. Jamaica road, Ber-
mondSey. and Mrs. Seamer, of 95 fairfort
road, Bow. She bases her recognition not
alone on the features and form, but also upon a
peculiar mark on one OF the fingers. This mark
she specially described TO the constable before
seeing the corpse, aud the officer found
she had described. Even after the post ynOrtem
examination mad taken place these three ladies
on third view declared NJ 10 be the BODY of
Mr.. Banks. Ii lie difficult 10 suppose that Dr.
Ellis who an his official position. had FREQ uent
opportunities of seeing has patient and Mr..
Heasman, who must naturally have been well
acquainted with the features of his brother,
could have been mistaken in their identifica-
tor, but n as equally hard 20 believe that Mrs
Banks and her TWO sisters could be- deceiye as
10 the identity OF her husband and the father of
her children. The morning after the post w Or-
TEN examination. a lady presented herself at
the Hackney Police Station and produced q
photograph OF a IN ssing relative, which bore a
tar more striking resemblance TO the deceased
Than did either OF the two photographs So bse-
quently shown by Mr.. Heasmau az those of ms
brother. This lady was not permitted TO sea
the body, a The police assured her il had been
Identified, and therefore could not be that of
her relative. The young ladies also believed
the corpse that of their brother, who md
been missing from 81. Jonn's College, Cam
bridge, Tor four months.