The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-07

dicating the serious financial difficulties in which
Mr.. Needham was involved.
The inquest was then adjourned until Thurs
day, when fresh evidence of a long and yolumin-
ors character was given and other private letters
were produced, and the correspondence in the
Times was mentioned in terms anything but
complimentary to Mr.. Green. The coroner also
deprecated the fact that several public Journals
had discussed Mr.. Green's remarkable statement
that he had seen the deceased and spoken to him
at Liverpool on the Sunday, when it was fact
beyond all manner of doubt that the unfortunate
gentleman was lying dead at the Hamp-
stead Work house. 1t was not his bust
ness to reply to these things, but he
thought it pity that member of Parliament
should give his countenance to the new so-called
spiritualistic craze which was the revival of an
old delusion much more worthy of the Dark Ages
than the present AS for the journal which
threw out the suggestion that the unfortunate
deceased had procured the corpse of some other
person to represent his own, and thus complete
his villainies by carrying off large sum OF
money and getting away to some other country,
he thought it mistake for the writer of that
article to waste his imaginative powers upon
mere newspaper, instead of writing stories for
the London Journal. or compiling dramas for
the transporting stage No man, he believed,
more than himself appreciated and valued the
freedom of the press but in this matter he con-
fessed he thought both editors and correspond
ents had outstripped the line which divides liber
ty from license.
Passing 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 reference to any property the deceased
might have left and in anticipation of the jury
finding verdict of felo de In ordinary cases,
he said, so far as he could see. there was not,
unfortunately he regretted to say it-any
evidence to show that the deceased was not per-
fectly sane when he arranged TO take his own
life and did take it, The only suggestion to his
mind even of eccentricity in the matter. was that
ne shonld drive himself up to the
| spot where he was discovered This was no
doubt strange thing to do Nevertheless
it was clearly by forethought and design
On the day when he felt that Byles, Grant q
Byles would within twenty-four hours, have dis
covered the secret OF his forgeries, he had re-
solved to commit suicide, purchasing the drugs
for the purpose, sending his two men-servants
into the country, writing his last letters and
making other careful and intelligent arrange
ments to close his earthly career. 1t had been
suggested that Hampstead Heath was a favor
lite resort of the deceased, and that he had fire.
quently been seen walking and driving there,
walking more particularly during the last two
weeks, about 1.-The heath behind Jack
Straw's Castle and near the spot
where his body was found. He must repeat,
it was curious thing that he should get
his servants out of the way for that was evident
ly the intention Of the opera and the suppers,
himself putting his horse into his carriage sitting
upon the box and driving it, evidently late at
night and possibly through storm of rain and
thunder, to Hampstead.H Heath That was the
only indication in the entire story that could
warrant even thought of insanity But this
was overbalanced tremendously in his estimation
by the other facts of the case. With these sug-
gestions and instructions, he left the verdict i'll
the hands of the jury, and thanked them on be-
half of himself and all concerned for their pa
tient attention to the painful details of one of
the saddest cases that had come under his at
tention for many years.
The jury, after short deliberation gave a
verdict of felo de Sc, which it was generally
understood meant midnight burial, with some
thing worse than MANNED rights: but in this case
the body had been previously removed to the
deceased's residence in Portland Place, and on
the fifth day after death it was inferred at
Kensal Green, in the presence of few private
friends and relatives the service being conducted
by Roman Catholic priest, to whom John Need
ham had protested to confess his sins, but of
whose existence the real deceased had had no
more knowledge in life than he had in death.
And in due course there was written black
| and silver plate over the remains of Joseph Nor
bury, the dishonoured name of John Needham.
Meanwhile a strange instinct of fear and mis-
trust in regard to her brothers welfare took
possession of the mind of Kate Norbury.
ITO RE CONcIuDED NEWT SI1NDAy1