Evening journal., 1897-07-24
NEFF'S DEATH SURE.
Body OF the Unfortunate Man
Awaiting Burial a Month.
TOOK DEADLY MORPHIA TWICE
HE FEARED ARREST FOR CRIMES
COMMITTED EAST AND KILLED
HIMSELF TO ESCAPE THE DE-
TECTIVEs- STORY TOLD BY A
CALIFORNIA PAPER.

scOnulng clerk or the Clayton House;
The body of William Neff. OF Cincin-
natl. o.. who committed suicide at the
Hotel Broadway on June % last, has
lain embalmed and coffined in the un-
dertaking parlors of Orr & Hines await
ing claimant for the remains
All this time the body has awaited
sepulture. and for weeks before his
dea,h detectives were securing the
country hunting William Neff to arrest
him on the charges of forgery and
ombezzlement. crimes he committed in
The far East, just before he came to
California. and it is now almost certain
That Neff committed suicide. not on ac-
count of dependency. as was alleged,
but because he had reason to believe
the officers of the law were close upon
him. The story of William Neff's life,
crime, death and long waiting for bur-
ial is an interesting one
The Neffs in Philadelphia and Gin
cinnati are among the wealthiest and
most prominent people of which those
cities boast. The male members of the
family have distinguished themselves
in the political. business and profess
sional world. while the women have
been leaders of the best circles of So
ciety and foremost in works of charity
and benevOlence. Will Neff was no eX-
cepdon to the rule He was an unusu-
ally bright boy and was early in life
given every advantage that unlimited
wealth and great influence could pro-
cure for him. lie was. however, wild
and dissipated. and was in constant
trouble as a young man. After the
| death OF his father in Philadelphia
some years ago. his mother moved to
Il Cincinnati and young Neff soon found
that his relatives would not furnish
him with money to get out of trouble
as his father had done. He was forced
TO go to work. and selected the occu-
patton Of hotel clerk. one for which
he was well fitted naturally and by
education. This business he followed
with varying success until May last Dis
sipation having undermined Neffs
health. he determined to come to Cali
fornia. and more particularly to this
. city, where he at one time had a sister
living. but who has been dead some
, years. In order to supply himself with
funds. Neff. who was working in a
Philadelphia hotel as clerk, committed
the crime of embeZzlement and followed
3 it by committing forgery in the STATE
e Of Delaware. He then disappeared
The governors Of the states mentioned
q issued requisitiOn papers for Nef, anC
e officers started to trace his movements
The fugitive arrived in Los Angeles
4 about June l last How much money
o Neff secured by his crimes is not
known here. but it is known that wheT
he arrived in this city he was nearly
broke" and was suffering from weeks
of dissipation. He went to the Hollen
beck Hotel, registering under his owl
name. and at once set about hunting
= up people who had come here from
Cincinnati and knew him or his family
in other days. He succeeded in findinl
o. two brothers. who have extensive bust
= ness interests here. both being wealth!
2 men. and, fortunately for Neff, gener
i Gus. To these men he soon proved h
= was what he claimed to be. "one of tn
r Neffs" they had known in Cincinnati
> and he asked them to help him. BOtl
: brothers aided him in a financial wa.
on more than one occasion. but Neff'
actions and manner were such as L
warn them against employing him. Be
sides Neff seemed 10 want to get ava,
into the country to work at some re
sort. or even country hotel He did no
want to remain here.
d On the night ofJune22 the proprietor
s. of the Hollenbeck notified Neff he mus
'e pay his bill or leave the hosue. Tn
ST young man seemed very much agitate
/ before being tod this. however, an
4, merely said he would leave. He ha
some money which had been given hiI
In during the day by the gentlemen re
q ferred TO. and with this he went an
-o purchased morphine and then went [
e the Hotel Broadway and rented a room
In registering Neff wrote his tru
name. but ran his sleeve across the in
g while still wet. so blurring the sigma
le ture that il could not be read. He wa
j agftated. but complained of feeling IL
IN and. indeed looked very sick. Durin
the night Neffs' stertoriOus breathin
NJ N attracted the attention Of ether room
in ers. and notifying the clerk they force
an entrance into the room and foun
ss the occupant dying. A physician wa
w summoned. and one Of the brother
mentioned was sent for. Neff havin
the Los Angeles mans business car
IS on his person.
= When the gentleman arrived at th
6 motel. the physician told him Neff wa
IN as coed as dead. and he telegraphed
OF the suicides relatives in Cincinnati
N asking what to do with the body. a
f. answer was received to have 10 EN-
e. balmed and hold it here.
- In the meantime the doctor had SUI
- ceeded in resuscitating Neff, and SCI
4, word to the gentleman who had tell
graphei. that he would live. Ancth'
y dispatch was rushed to the mother
IL Ohio with the goods news. ard ever
be thing possible was done for Neff. II
nix was bound to die. however. and watcl
e ing his chance got his bottle of pois1
and took another dose. This killt
TO him. and the third telegram had to
an sent to his mother announcing Il
facts. This telegram was never deli
: cred. and its failure to reach the mothi
led the officers who were hunting Ne
- to believe he was still alive. and
start for this city to capture him. TT
rnl Cincinnati Enquirer published the siol
H. of Will Neff's crimes when they oceu
red. and naturally the relatives gar
ne the paper The news of his death, that a
"a. notoriety might cease. In scme VIZ
of the paper learned of his resuscitatS
SCI and published the fact that Nen W.
OF not dead after all. and failing to get q
news Of the second and successful a
OF ctrioidn pQfhing was 81