Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-01-22

49,
~ these which belong
10 the genuine history of the BODY found az
HAMPSTEAD In the summer OF 1870, ana
registered az a case Of felo-ac-se by the
coroner for Middlesex and q sworn jury OF
responsible citizens and rate payers.
When John Neelham's dead bo1y was
Rsupd on Hampstead heath the reasons for
hs suicide were discussed and considered
efficient to account Tor hisdaath. Having,
However. regard to toe fact that no COM
p,ese explanation could be arrived at as to
ibe disposal Of the asi sums OF money
known to have besn IL his posses sion, it was
reDorted both il Irela II and America that
The body was not his, ''but on9 procured to
nersonate him. whils be, during the excite
msut Of the Supposed selt-murder, efected
his escape
The newspapers Of the time 4 have a file
Of them bsfoIe mel were full of the tragic
story, and a deceased journalist has in
Guided the hissorY of the case IN a record OF
sThe Commercial Crisis of 1878" shall
take the Liberty Of borrowing from his
RACES the facts CT Mr.. Needham's rise and
fall, supplying from my own note book the
solution OF the mystery with which the
famous financ!er's death has hitherto been
surrounded.
Prior to tho general election of 1917 John
Needham had been known by bis fellow
townsmen in Ireland as a respectable man.
Nobody suspected him Of the great capacity
fer fgurej and politics which he eventually
developed. His constituents selected him
to oppose the spirit and influence of Lord
John Russeirs famous letter to Lord Dur
ham. He was elected a member Of parlia-
ment on these simple lines at the general
election Of 141.
Al tall, silen5 man, John Needham was of
pale complexion, closely shaver, had thin
brown hair, dnrls-blue eyes. a hesitating
manner, and was fond of dress even to
~womanishness. His Irish friends called him
'the fopn He invariably wore an orchid
in his b~uttonhole, a diamond on the little
finger of his left hand, a frill in bis shirt
front, end be drove the best horses in
town. At home in Ireland he had been I'M
cstentatious il his ostentatiousness, if one
may be allowed to be paradoxical; for
though he crasS9d better than his neighbors
be never pretended that he could very well
afford it, AMI he would associate with the
humblest Of them on equal terms.
BuS from The moment John Needham ar
rived in Lcndon he put on, with his parlia-
mentary donors, the air Of the man Of
wealth. And he was accepted at his own
professed valuation. He had the special
faculty OF impressiveness, the capacity to
inspire trust, the power of influence; and
whatever natural gifts be possessed be had
tho art to exhibit them, without appearing
TODD so. He was essentially a clever man,
vain, polite, a mar with an ever-active am
bition that gave spirit to his natural au-
dacity.
Although in ireland he affected not to be
rich, It is shrewdly believed that he had
amasss1 a fair share of money; for through
the influence Of his late fathers banking
house, and his Own ability as a solicitor, he
obtained the agency Of several Irish proper
ties, and when the act for the establishment
OF the encumberel estate commission came
into operation, his knowledge enabled him
to make very advantageous purchases. The
railway mania was also turned TO soma &C.
count, and 1t was understood by the party
which nominated him for parliament that
he could well aff0rl TO maintain in town a
position of dignity and Independence. In
Lis address at the close If the poll in his
favor. he said:
my old friends, IL my descent is not az
pure Irish as some, believe me my heart l.
true to the cause, and promise you 1 am
not going across the Channel to the great
Saxon city yon1er without making YOU
wants known, nor without a big effort to
hand down TO posterity the fame Of our
dear old borough; and it is also nv intsn.
ton to give th,m cause to remember the
name of John Neadhamr'
And by the powers he did But when he
entered tae modern Babylon, the one in
terest, the one person whom he represented
and meant to represent, was his W in
te:est; tie one person, himself.
For such 9 character as John NeeIhom -
seys the historian, 'the period was neon.
liarly favorable 1t was atime when fnan.
cal acumen, anu a reputation Tor il. was al
especial yalua. Mr.. Needham knew how r.
advertise himself without appearing to dc
20. 1t seemel as it London had been wait.
sag for hon, 50 quickly were his services il
quest aiming the great financial CORPORA
pas Of tho dag. The name Of John Need
i - 49, IS was a udLlo 10 COn11Tf
va ~ the head of a new board, banSin?
or railway, 1t gave new value to the com
psny's scrip. He pervaded the atmospher,
q any institution which Ne patronized will
q sense Of security.
10 al ms engagements he was punctuolitv
Itself. His house in Portland place Vas =
model Of luxurious simplicity. He raw
dlnners that were the talk Of ~epicures not
lor the elaborate character Of the menu b1t
Aor inc perfection OF the cooking and scr.
wee and the excellence Of the wines. Within
q year Of his coming to London ba wae
chairman OF a great FOREIGN railway
aafecsor OF " lines running out Of London
managing director Of the Civic Credit com
Pany, director of the Valley Road Iron anf
sysiefy company, chairman Of the Steam
saipplg corporation, and the financial adj
slssr q many other equally notable under
uHAnss Not alone did his Irish friend
IonsaAv nm n their affairs, but Englisl
lus an0 bishops and great city ~financier
1850 moneys il any direction that hi
Judgment favored.
But perhapAn saws tho historian ..tb
nlost extraortinary circumstance n h;
career vas his appointment t
the very responsible position If cLairnan :
the National English I'D County bans
That be had sons little bankins aynor;ono
was true enough The Needbam .Toio
Stock Bank Of Ireland was 4 creation ~ 4
Own. His grandfather lad estabIisha4
hank at Sligo, which had carried ~ Fl
mang years a very limited ana. a. a. !
i Known, a very safe business. Vine
49,