Year: 1867




Yesterday morning at about O'Clock
Lieutenant Alfred s. Newlin, Of the
Twenty-first United States Infantry, wa.
found dead in room No. III at the Ballard
House by Claiborne Green, the servant
man who attended the floor upon which
the room Is situated.


There were no marks Of violence about
the body whatever. The deceased was un-
dressed, lying on top of the covering in q
natural position. His features were COM
posed, and a newspaper was upon the bed
at his side, as if he had put 1t down just
before going to sleep. A broken laudanum
bottle was found in the yard just below
his window.


A coroner's inquest was held at O'Clock
by DR.. John P. Little, coroner-Mr. John
H. Pecor being foreman of the jury. The
following evidence taken at the inquest
will show most Of the facts:


Claiborne Green, waiter at the hotel,
sworn.-I was waiting on this gentleman
during his stay in this city, and this morn
ing at about five minutes past Z / came up
to his room. | went right in and called
him; Lieutenant" / shook him, and
found out there was something wrong
about him. / then went down to the Office
and reported to the clerk. That's all /
know. Cross examined" He came here,
as well asI remember, last Thursday night.
No one else was in the room with him last
night, as l know of. The other bed in his
room looked as if some one else had been
lying on top Of it.


Henry Orth, cashier Of the hotel, sworn.
The first intimation had Of the death Of
Lieutenant Newlin was from the boy Clai-
borne, who informed me this morning that
he thought the man in No. III was
dead. / told him to call DR.. Temple,
thinking that the boy might be mistaken,
and that the Lieutenant might only be
sick, knowing that he had been drinking
for several days. / went to the room with
DR.. Temple, and found him dead.


William Camm, clerk at Harrison's drug
store, sworn. = Examining the broken
laudanum bottle found outside the room
That's my handwriting on the label, but l
have no recollection of having put it up,
as / was very busy last night. l have seen
the corpse, and think l saw the man in
the store last night, though | am not posi-
tive. He had on light coat, and stick
in his hand.


George Lee, waiter in hotel, sworn
Last night was sent for to wait upon this
gentleman in his room. He asked me to
bring him drink of brandy and cigar.
| carried it to him, asking if he wanted
anything else; to which he replied " No,
nothing but light for my cigar" then
left the room and closed the door. He
seemed perfectly sober. It was then be-.
tween 10 and IL o'clock. He was in bed,
reading but was not undressed. He had
on light coat, blue pants, and light vest.


DR.. Theo. P. Mayo, sworn.-The body of
the deceased has the appearance, particu-
larly about the face and neck, indicated
when an overdose of laudanum has been
taken, and it is my opinion, looking at it
with the surrounding circumstances, that
his death was caused by narcotic poison.


The evidence being closed, the room was
cleared, and the jury in a short time came
to the verdict that "The deceased came to
his death by his own act, having taken
laudanum."


The following fragments of letter were
found in the cardcaSe of the deceased,
which bore no signature. The half sheet
had been torn in two, and upon one side
Of the portion found was written: "Write
mother care of Mrs. Gleason, No. l Ir-
wing Place, New York. Let my words
sink into your heart, and d"- On the
other side were the words: =" she Is q
noble woman, and dear brother let it not
be said Of you and that we have not done
all we could. Send her the fifty dollars
regularly. Write her frequently. She
complains if you do not write her-and
let your"


We are led to believe from the state
ment of young man who was with the
deceased during the day on Sunday that
he did not premeditate suicide when he took
laudanum. The young man was with him
until 10 o'clock on Sunday night, and he
appeared to be in very good spirits. Just
before he left him, the deceased remarked
that he was feeling badly on account Of
having taken big dose Of laudanum.


Lieutenant Newlin, we hear, was from
Philadelphia, and was of highly respecta-
BILE family. He was young man of good
appearance, and apparently about twenty
two or twenty three years Of age. He had
been stationed at City Point, and was to
have been tried yesterday by court-mar-
tial for being engaged in duelling affair.