Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-12-25

| thought 1t pity InaG d member OF parma
ment should give his countenance to the
new so-called spiritua!istic craze whic 1
was the revival of an old delusio1 much
| more worthy of the dark age, than til,
present. As for the journal which threw
out thu suggestion that the unfortunate de-
| ceased had procured the corpse Of some
other person to represent his own, and thu;
complete his vinanies by carrying off a
large sum of money and getting away to
some other country, he thong hit i5 mistake
for the writer of that article to waste his
imaginative powers upon mere ne wspa per,
instead of writing stories for The London
Journal, or compiling dramas for the trans
pontine stage No man, he believed, more
than him;elf appreciated and valued the
Freedom of the press but in this matter be
confessed he thought both editors and cor.
respondents hal outstripped the line which
divides liberty from license.
Pes ing from this feature of the case to
the closing of the painful business before
the jury, he summed up the evidence with
great care dwelling at some length upon
the rights of the crown in references to any
properly the deceased mlgnu nave leIJ, and
in authorization Of the jury finding verdict
Of felo d 80. In ordinary cases, he said,
60 far as he could see, there was not, un-
fortunate.y--and he regretted to say it
any evidence to show that the eceased was
not perfectly sane when he arranged to take
his own life and did take it. The only sug-
gestion to his mind, even of eccentric.ty in
the matter, was that he should drive HIM
self up to the spot where he was discovered.
T1is was no doubt strange thing to do.
N3vertheless il was clearly by forethought
d design. On the day when he felt that
Byies, Grant & Byles would, within twenty
-four hours, have discovered the secret of his
fargeries. he had resolved to commit sui
eide, purchasing the drugs for the purpose,
sending his two men servants into the
country, writing his last letters, and max
] ing otaer careful and intelligent arrange
4 ments toclose his earthly career. 1t had Teen
suggested that Hampstead heath was a
favorlce resort of the deceased, and that
4 he had frequ entity been seen walking and
1 driving there, walking. more particularly
/ during the last two weeks, about the heath
! behind Jack Straw's Castle, and near the
spot where his body was found He must
repeat, iJ was curious Thing that he should
gsy ais ser wants out of the way, for that was
evidently the intention of the opera and the
suppers, himsell putting his horse into his
| Carriage, sitting upon the box and driving
| it, evidently late at night and possibly
| through a storm of rain and thunder, to
4 Hampstead heath. That was the OILY in
dicati IN in the entire story that could war;
| rant even thought of insanity; but this
1 was overbalanced tremend ously, in his e5ti-
4 matior, by tine other facts of the case.
4 With these suggestions and instructions he
/ !le1t the verdict in the hands of the jury,
1 and lhan1es them on behalf of himself and
4 all concerned for their patient attention to
/ the painful details of one of the saddest
cases taat had come under his attention for
many years.
Tno- of ochn n ali how
4 q verdict OF felo-de-se, which it was gener-
! ally understood meant a midnight burial
with something worse than MANNED rights;
but in this case the body had been pre-
| viously removed to the deceaseds residence
1 in Portland place, and on the fifth day
4 after death it was inferred at Kensal
| Green, in the presence of few private
| friends and relatives. And in due course
! there was written on a black and silver
pate over the remains of Joseph Norbnry
1 the dishonored name of John Nsedham.
Mean while strange instinct of fear and
mistrust in regard to her brothers welfare
took possession of the mind of Kate Nor
bury,
CHAPTER XII
Il BUNDLE OF LETTERS AND KILOGRAMS.
WHICH BRINGS THIS TRAGIC STORY TO
AN END.
From Joseph Nosbnry liverpool, to Mss
kate NorbasrU Wyedale.
AArrived here safe and well--much better
than when left home. Go on board Ocean
Quaen first thing in the morning God
bless you. Hope Aunt Dorothy is quite
well. Best love-"
Fron, Kate Norbury to Joseph Norbnyu.
Love and congratulations on your inn
proved health. Fair weather, a pleasant
voyage, and quick and sale return. Aunt
Dorothy joins with me and Dick in best
wishes and Godspeei."
From Joseph ;Narbury to Kate Norburu
'Good-by, my dear sister; just off ON the
tug to Ocean Queen: will write from New
York; write to me at New York hotel;
hest love to all"
These three telegI ans demonstrate the
completeness of John .Nesdham's escape.
and THE safe beginning OF his new career in
the assumed character of Joseph Norbury
Monday newspapers, however, had great
shock for Kate Nor bury, in the report of
John Need hams suicide. This was the one
acquaintance Joe had made in London. and
they were SO mucn alike In appearance that
The had written and described the odd cir
cumstances of their meeting. The affair
disturbed Kate good deal; but Aunt
Dorothy Gained her with aff,ctionate ad-
that truth is stranger than fiction. On
Tuesday night, however, when Kate real
that Mr.. Green, M. p, had seen John Need
ham on the Platform of the Liverpool rail-
way station, strange sense of fear and
alarm took possession Of her, and the fol-
lowing kilograms passed between her and
Dek:
Fnasa Miss Norbury to Richard WoodpiUe,
Manchester
"P1eass come to Wyeiale at once Aunt
Dorothy and myself are anxious to confer
wiEh you Oh an important matter"
From Richard Wooduille to Miss Norburu.
II suali catch the mail and be with you
before IL"
From Richard Wooduille to Horace Wood,
of Wyedale, at The Cottage Richmond
Bridge
'.At what hour did you seq Mr.. Joseph
Norbary on Saturday, and when did you
leave him? Please reply at once"
Wood to Woodptue.
'Dined with him at &, New Hummum's
hotel; lett him at 9; why do you askr'
Wooduille to Wood.
odd henaen ion Nsedham to you in your
conversation, and do you know where he
went after d1nners And if you do not.
please go to the hotel and telegraph at once
the hour be went out. when he returned.
and what he did Kate is disturbed, for
some reason, about him"
Wood Neao Htmamasan's hotel, London, to
Wooduille, Wyedale.
Gam staying here tonight; return to-
morrow. Joseph did not mention Needham
to me. The porter says he went out about
9 O'Clock, smoking cigar, that he returned
at about 1870, said he had been in the coun-
try, and had lost the local train, seemed in
good spirits was called in the morning at |
2, had breakfa't. paid his bill, and left by
10 tram for Liverpool"
WoodUHle to Wood
Don't come down; will come up-wait |
for me-"
Dick arrived In London on Wednesday |
night, read The evidence given at the open |
ing OF the inquest, conferred with Lawyer |
Wood, talked vito tue porter, and on the |
next lay asked permission to seq the body |
.of&l >c,,i< 10 CHI 1,oJ