Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-01-16
CHAPTER z

. CHAPTER z.
DESCRIBES THE %coRoNER's INQUEST. tn,
NATURE OF THE EVIDENCE AND THE RE
SUIT.
Inc inquest was openel on Tuesday morn.
ing. The body had been idant' fed by the
deccased's brOth., Henry an | BY the butler.
Several Personal friends wera present. in.
Gliding two members of parlialn,nt Thee
had not been the smallest doubt, of course.
Us to the suicide, AMI the evidence of tn,
servants showed how completely Needham
had laid his plans. Some of the jury, while
chatting among themselves, had expresse |
surprise that the deceased should have
taken so much trouble about it, and that he
should do such an odd thing as to drive ut
to Hampstead. In ans wer to this it WE
suggested that he might have done these
curious things for the purpose of leading ut
10 a verdict of insanity.
This was the nature of the conversation
that took place while the jury was going
to view the body and returning to Jack
Straw's Castle, where the inquest was held.
James Rogers was the first witness called.
He deposei that he was butler Of the de-
ceased, and resided at his masters house.
Portland place. He had seen and identified
the body as that of MI. John Needham.
whom he had last seen alive at about six
o'clock on Saturday evening, OF which
time he waited upon him at dinner. Mr..
.Ncedham had sent the footman and the
coachman to leighton Buzzard an hour or SC
before. His master took a very light dinner,
and afterwards he (Rogers) went with the
other servants to the opera. Tho witness
then related the circumstances under which
he and the rest had gone to the opera, and
afterwards TO supper. They did not return
home until two in tn, morning. Found
the house very much as it was when he
left. In the library there we're the remain;
of some coffee, and the spirit bottles and
other things We're on the table. Mr.. Need.
ham had, he should say, had his cup Of
coffee and cigar as usual. The cup had
since been washed, and so also had the
coffee pot. OF course il he had known of
the sad business he would have had the
things remain as they were. Nobody had
been to the house during tho day except
Mr.. Nolan, the solicitor. He came to
breakfast, and the master drove him home
in the afternoon. The carriage used was the
pair hofs,. brougham, aud the coachman
aud footman were Oh the box. Had not
observed anything peculiar in his masters
manner during the. last few months.
Thought it curious at the time his treating
everybody to the opera AMI being so par.
ticularly aRable, but put it down to a
sudden act of generosity and being his
birthday, though lie must say it astonished
him very much. Tue parlor maid, however,
had said she thought the master was mad
but it was n way she had"
"A way she hadF the coroner asked.
Twas Sfr Arxy NJ, - :. l.
don't quite see, she'd say, oh. he's mad
mad as a hatter.'' Q.auyhter.)
"And she did not quite see the maste,,s
invitation. to the opera, che
THAT was it, sir; an SO she bounces. o.
l understands, into the Kitchen and SAYS the
masters mad
"Yes. that will do; We don't a to
hear what you understand, but what YOU
know Of your OWL kno wledge.''
"Yes, sir; that's what l was a-sayin-'
THAT will do; the next witness.'
Thomas Bobbins was then called. II.
sud he was u bird catchcr-'lealt in emf
land lived at Iiclh,el courss, Hampstead.
Came across tho body at eight O'Clock SIN
day morning. Saw the horse first; the,
tue body; then the brougham; called to e
chap as h. see near the castle to come afor
NJ tou:ileu | ; and tden the police, some
tim, afterwarl. All the clothes was on
the body, and the deceased hal laid his
oVs"coat down, first to lie upon, that wa
ev!lent;. and close by was the opera hat,
and thu bottle and flask now produced. The
clothes were wet, as it had rained heavy
the first part OF tire night. The bottle had
'E' Oil of Almonds OH it, and
Poison i'll. big letters, and the druggists
name.
Here the coroner explained that Ii, had
preferred to let this witness give his evil
dence exactly in his own words batore ask.
lug him any special questions, but from
this point he asked him q great many
further eliciting that there was no evidence
OF q struggle aud no particular footmarks
seeing tha5 the spot where the body wa
lying was furry" and not calculated tc
show much in tho way of footmarks. But
there were plenty of footmarks there now,
for tho spot had been crowded with people
ever since. and a lot of the gorse had been
torn away.
Tue coroner expressed his regret that the
footprints had been obliterated; he thought
the police shouli have kept the place clear,
and he thought it a matter for serious rep.
ROTATION the morbid curiosity of the pub
lie as exempli1e1 by the removal of gorse
as mementos. (Applause.)
Police Constable Jones te2lS) gave evil
dcnce as to the removal of the body. There
were no signs Of a struggle. In the de
ceasefs pockets were a razor, six pound;
and ten shillings in gold and silver, a cast
with visiting cards Of the deceased in it.
The bottle Of poison was lying near his
right hani as if it had dropped out of it
Tue deceased's clothes were wet, but other
wise unlisturbed.
Mr.. Jabex Northwick, surgeon, practic
ing at Hampstead, said he saw the body at
nine o'clock on Sunday morning in the dead
house 1t was cold, the limbs rigid, the
eyes gli:tening. life-like; the face calm
and placid, and there was q powerful odol
OF tho essential oil Of bitter almonds per
2csptibls at the mouth. There was no frotl