The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-24
John Needham'S Double.
A STORY FOUNDED ON FACT. BY JOSEPH HATTON
Author "Clyie" Recruits Etc.
'Clytie," "Cruel London" "Three Recruits" Etc.
PART II-CHAPTER w.


hours. If they had been false they would have
seriously affected Mr.. Needham's credit Being
true they crushed him. The city firm with
which he had done business began to examine
the securities he had placed in their hands; the
banks required payment Of overdrafts and his
MARGINS in respect of current operations In
stocks were suddenly closed He was asked to
retire from the craftsmanship of the English and
County Banking Corporation, and he did so,
! fighting desperately to keep the dreadful ex-
posture which for over period of five years he
had reason to dread and fear. Tempted to meet
reyerses in speculation by forgery, he had
! gone on staving off the inevitable in the same
| way, hoping for somo great stroke of fortune
| to pull him through. It came, when it was
| too late But for the necessity of using his Of
| fetal influence while it was yet green, he might
have lived to convert the Secretaryship to the
Treasury into means of emancipation; but the
Ministerial bride of Office had not come in time
for the use he meant to make of it; and with the
first blush of his honors thick upon him, came
disaster, financial downfall and exposure. He
fought however, to the last, fought on with a
desperate coolpess fought, forged, lied and held
up his head. The drafts of the Needham Irish
Bank had been dishonored at n leading London
bank. He went to the city writers for the press
and requested them not to refer to the report
that he was in difficulties. He assured them
that his embarrassments We're Of temporary
character. The sinking man did not merely
catch at straws. He seemed to he swimming Wig
orously. His audacity secured him some little
aid; but trifing assistance was no good to him.
The bank which had refused to pay the Need
ham Joint Stock drafts without remit
tances put him into the most serious
straits. He appealed to great financial firm
(Byles, Grant & Byles) who had often advanced
large sums on his securities. His proposals to
them on this last occasion were SO very unreas-
enable that they began to suspect the genuine
| ness of certain deeds under the seal Of the Irish
Encountered Estates Commission, upon the Sc
curty of which they had already made consid-
cradle advances. 'Needham," says the historian,
detected the doubt which he had unwittingly
raised. and he was moi mistaken in his expecta-
ton that Byles, Grant & Byles would take
! instant steps to satisfy themselves. He saw at
once that the game was up-for the signatures
to the documents were forged, the official seal of
the court having been transferred from genu-
! inc deed-and he at once made up his mind to
commenced the most careful and complete ar
rangements for committing suicide"
CHAPTER V.
DESCRIBES John NEEDHAM's LAST DRIVE FROM
| THE CITY; AND CONTAINS A COPY OF ONE OF
THE LETTERS WROTE FOR DELIVERY
AFTER HIS DEATH.
! This was on Friday, this going home to pre-
pare for his last hours, on Friday in the last
| week of "the month of roses"
He knew that Byles, Grant & Byles would
| have to send confidential messenger to Dublin
for the evidence of his guilt, and that by Mon
| day they would be in position to order his
arrest. He foresaw the long train of other
| frauds which their discovery would bring to
| light. and he knew there was no chance of COM
| promise
| At first he thought Of fight, but flight de-
| manded energy, and he was tired, beaten out of
hope, out of spirits. Flight would mean pur-
suit and pursuit capture; but, above all, it
meant action, energy, physical grip, and he had
| lost all this with his last move, played unsuc-
| cessful in the private counting house OF Byles,
| Grant q Byes. The expression of surprise in
the face of Byles senior and the peculiar and
| doubling remark of Grant had dropped his hopes
down to zero. The ak was at the tree. He
| knew it must fall. In short, he had had enough;
he was played out; and in this frame of mind he
went home. revolving plan Of suicide.
| 1t was hot summer day. June was just
| merging into July The London season was wan
| ing, though to all appearance it was in its hey
| day. st. Pauls was booming the hour of four
| as his single horse brougham, which he used for
city work. pushed its way through the vehicular
traffic of Ludgate Hill and Fleet street towards
the West End. The jaded banker and member
of Parliament noted, in dreamy way, the Ian
| guild manner of the pedestrians. SO unusual in
| London; but eighty degrees in the shade was
serious tax upon street energy. At Charing
| Cross he saw two parliamentary colleages walk
ing leisurely to the House, and in Regent street
| a Cabinet minister returned his nod. and in
wardly thanked his official stars that Mr. Need
| ham was now quite out of the political running,
for the government could not afford to make
| serious mistakes of any kind.
| At Piccadilly Circus Mr.. Needham pulled the
check string at druggists, and entering the
store asked for speedy means OF death, as Romeo
had asked of the apothecary in Mantua But
| there was nothing picturesque in the bankers
| approach to the London drug seller: nor did he
confide to the modern tradesman the need re
| had for the mortal drugs. 1t a very prOsaiG
request that Mr. Needham preferred-''a large
| bottle of essential oil of almonds" He said his
| groom wanted it for the horses he presumed
The chemist suggested that arsenic was the only
| drug he knew of that was given to horses, and
| then only in very small quantities. II think my
| groom says it is for dressing" said Needham,
| sbut shall see to that myself; my stud groom
is very clever fellow, and is advised by an ex-
perienced vet" 1T is deadly poison" said the
druggist "Not more so than the arsenic an
swered Needham. ''They are both severe
s sad ns dI1ggs ABOUT bout h ho arss
said the customer. The shopkeeper conferred
with some other person for few minutes. The
customer seeing, as he thought. some hesitation
in regard to serving so large quantity, said,
make it up and send it to my house---Mr.
Needham, Portland Place" The name and ad
dress had their due weight "Send it this even
ing, am going to Leighton Buzzard in the
| morning, ana want to take it with me-"
| The druggist was "a bit of sporting man."
| had ridden to hounds now and then, and had
heard of the Needham stud. He was on this
account all the more impressed with his new
customer. and said the drug should be sent at
once. mark it poison" said Mr.. Needham,
'Of course, SIR" And Mr.. Needham drove
home. Portland Place was more or less en- fete
with afternoon receptions, as it would be later
with dinner parties, and later still with gayer
throngs at evening ''routs and dances" for the
season was particularly gay one, and Portland
Place was the headquarters of one of the most
snowy and interesting of Oriental embassies.
"a messenger, SIR" said the butler, shortly