St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-26
PREsERVEDIN MEDFORD RUM.
The Body Of the Late Walter L. New
berry, Enshrouded in Rum,
Goes to Hayre, France. Finally Reach-
ing Chicago on a Freight Train,
And Is Taken to the Cemetery on a
Dray and Buried Without Prayers.
Special to the Globe.


CHICAGO, Dec. 25.-SensatioEal details
of the death of Walter l.. Newberry, who
died in 1867, were made by the Herald here
to-day, which, owing to the fact that the
Chicago Public library is to receive be-
quest of SO, $780, 900 from his estate as the
result of the death of his widow, two
weeks since, has created considerable ex-
ctemenu here. Newberry was cold,
peculiar man. with few friends, and
fewer intimates, whose only aim in life
was to pile up fortune, and whose
only posthumous design was to thWart tn
expectation of his collateral heirs. The
story OF his death at sea, and the manner in
Which his body was saved from the sea, and
its subsequent burial here. is strange and
remarkable story. In November. 1867,
MI. Newberry started for Paris to join his
family there. Going to New York from
this city, he shipped for Havre. He was
always austere and tactiturn on shore, and
he chose to remain so at sea, repelling
every effort at friendship, or even acquaint-
ance. AS a natural result, the ships regis
ter disclosed all that was known of this
silent passenger. His appearance and such
remarks as fell perforce from his lips suf
feed to stamp him as a
MAN OF INTELLIGENCE.
but to all the passengers he was 'Walter
l.. Newberry, Chicago" and no more, ex-
cept gentleman from New York, who
knew him by reputation and did not care,
under such unpromising circumstances, to
force his acquaintance further. In such
surroundings as these, NeWberry sickened
and died. The common fate of those who
q OF 10 CHI md r,lach inf hn
water, and, obedient to- this superstition.
have gone the usual route. but for the in
reference of the gentleman of New
York above referred to. This per-
son urged. upon the ships captain
that he knew the Newberry family
to be one of wealth and distinction. and
they would begrudge no expenditure to
bring the corpse back to land for burial, but
the captain was obdurate. The New York
gentleman, however, ascertained that part
of the vessels cargo was Medford rum and
he at once offered to buy cask of that
liquor for preservative. This suggestion
finally prevailed, the liquor was bought and
the body of the millionaire plunged into its
alcoholic bath. Arriving at Havre the next
outward-bound steamer from the port OF
Havre carried both letter and cask and in
due course of time it arrived
IN A FREIGHT TRAIN
at the Michigan Central yards here. The
letter, meanwhile, had reached Chicago and
had fallen into the hands of E. I. Tinkham.
an old friend of the Newberrys. and now
comes the end of this strange story. The
statement is made that Mr.. Tinkham had
prepared for the reception Of his friends
mortal remains no less vehicle than a
dray. He brought no clergyman. but had
instead several mutual friends. Into the
dray went the cask and away
to Graeeland the strange procession
took its route. No clergyman
here either and no funeral services of the
orthodox sort. The barrel was rolled out
of the dray and into the hole and the earth
closed over the body of the millionaire.
Surely there never was such an end to such
life. Lowly at the beginning; harsh and
autocratic in it's prime; at the end very
lowly and alcoholic. To be enshrouded in
rum, he, the most abstemious of men. What
fate for topper and upon the word of
several gentlemen, whom none can gain
say, the body lies there in Graceland to
this day.