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

IL Is fact known to science that with re-
gard to the admin stration of arsenic to
horses and the taking of it by human beings
that If it is discontinued the constitution
breaks up with just the same symptoms as
those which ara produced by arsenical pois-
CHING. The sufferers die from thu want of
it, but with every appearance Of being the
vic inns of poison.
Mary Atkinson, the parlor maid, was
then called. if you have been present at
serious trials for murder, or at equally
painful inquests you must have noticed on
the part or the spectators tendency to be
amused 1t is as if the mind, weighted
with the tragic story, sought relief in the
merest suggestion of comedy. The clever
dramatlst, dealing with a pathetic situa-
ton, understands this well, and seeks to
give his audience the quick relief of an ex-
cuse for laughter. Mary Atkinson came
upon the scens at Hampstead with the rep
alton of a humorist. She had, according
10 the butler, habit OF desert ling people
whom she did not quite unders tand as being
''ma1 as hatter' Mary was an inteili.
gent, bright-looking young woman, with a
snub nose AMI a snowy Lonnet; AMI she was
received with general smile of approval.
She related with minute detail particular
interview she had ia with her late master
vi Liz dlu9ruOOu III Ills ISaUQ.
"And you said he was ma1an
eyes, sir, beg his pardon" daughter.
''Why did you think he was maig'
ut was such odi thing for MIN to ask.
men
ITO ask you what2"
'If I'd ever been to the opera"
And so you thought he was mad becauses
he ked You if you hal ever been to the.
opera?'
''Well sir, I did beg his pardon"
G4aughter)
Don't beg his pardon, poor gentleman:
he is bevo1a hat Aud must rauues IL,
officer 10 clear tho court if there is any
more laughter"
YES, sir. I'm very sorry wasn't
laug hing and its no laughing matter for
me, losing good place and a good master"
And here she began to cry
There, there, that will do" said the,
coroner. pray control your feelings
Was there anything peculiar in Mr.. Med
hams manner that should lead v GU to think
he was not in his right minds"
mo more than what I have said. as It.:
seem I'd SO curious he should ask me if I'd
ever been to the opera"
"Oh, yes, yes; we We heard that before.
Naughter.) l mean in his appear ance or
in his manner"
mo, sir; I can't say as there was. But:
to say as he would give me and the others,
tickets, and he should see us there, was
something SO odd beg his pardon"
Ha1ghter.)
Very well That will do"
Eyes, sir; thank you, sir" said Mary.
retiring into corner to be upbraided BY
the cook for making fool of herself, stand
making all OF US look as silly as you
are"
Then came the evidence of Mr.. Nolan.
He described his visit to Mr. Need aam on.
turday morning. He had received a.
telegraphic message from Dublin relating
to some financial business, which he
thought it desirable Mr. N9edham should
sea- Mr.. Needham was in financial d fl.
cultles far more serious than he, his sollci-
tor, had contemplated, although serious
enough to give him great anxiety. He.
found Mr.. Neeiham not in his usual state.
of health, but depressed; looking very
weary and tired, yet full or intellectual and
mental resource. He shouldn't say that he
exhibited the sill htest tokens OF insanity,
1t was not his intention to stay and break.
fast with Mr.. Needham, but he remained,
and they talked over great many busi--
ness matters in relation both to the London
and the Dublin Tanks, AMI to some cues
tons of mortg ages aud other SECURITIES.
He left Mr. Needham about ha If past three in
the afternoon, ami that was the last time
he saw him alive.
Henry Nee1ham, brother of the deceased.
next gave evidence of an unimport ano char
acter, with the exception of the reproduc-
ton of the letter with which the reader is
already acquainted. The witness was very
much affected during the reading of the
md nuo
come that he paused and turnel away his
head to wipe the tears from his eyes, The
dead silence in the court was ample evil
dence OF the deep sympathy that was felt
for the witness and other members of his
family.
Horace Byles, of the firm of Byles, Or mt
& Byles, solicitors, L mbari street, deposed
thas on the morning of Friday preceding
his death, the deceased, John Neednam,
called upon HIM AMI asked for fnancia, as
sistance in the in terests of the Naedham
Joint Stock bank, showing him some tel
graphic messages he had received from
Dublin on the subject Of their vans. pro.
posed several schemes for witness consli-
Grafton in regard to raising money, and
after he (Horace Byies) told him they were
not such schemes as he could recommend or
adopt, Needham grew very excited an ex-
clalmei, ''Great God! If toe bank fails it
will be my fault AMI the ruin of thousands"
He walked about the office with his han to
his head, and urged witness to help HIM
He hal not been on very friendly terms
with Needham for some time previously 60
this interview. on account chiefly of a dis
appointment in money matters. About
month before his death he remembered that
security Nsedham had given him, upon
which he had fou I'D money for the Irish bank,
had not been registere l. and after Nesd-
ham left on Friday he deter mined to nave
it registered. There was something so le-
spairing in Needhams manner that be felt
the bank was on the eve of collapse During
the conversation he (witnes) ment. onei
this security to Needham, and there was
something so strange in his manner he
(wltness) had sudden sus picion that there
was something wrong about it. He tn re-
fore sent his partner with the deed to Dub
lin. On arriving there he was not long in
discovering that it was a forgery The
security purported to be a deed given on
the purchase Of an estate in the encum-
bered estates court. 1t was signed by two
OF the commissioners and two attesuing
witnesses, and not single signature was
genuine. Sensation in court.) 1t had a
real seal of the enoumbered estates court
attached to it, but there was no doubt it
mad been transferred from some other
genuine deed. He (witness) attributed
Needham's death to his excitement about
the Needham bank and to his knowledge
that ne (witness) was about to send this
deed over to Dublin for registration.
There were rumors Of other for ,eries, but
he knew of no other forget deed than his
own. Several of Mr.. Needham's deeds
had from time to time passed through his
hands to persons who had advanced money
upon them, but he (witness) had no reason
to believe that any one of them was not
genuine He did not think ANYBODY en-
joyed the deceased's confi1en Mr.. NaeI-
ham was very reticent man; it was d fl
cult to get any information from nm b.
You'd what he CHOSE to impar5 He should
think Mr.. Sadler had written the ettsrs
produced under great excitement, and he
believed that soma of th9 stat ement, in
them were not correct.
There was then long discussion between
the coroner and the witness as to what it
was proper to disclose in regard to the de.
ceased's affairs. what might be kno wn and
what might not: and the witnass ,na,