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Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1073, 15 December 1903, Page 1

Spain is to spend about £5,000,000 in improving her army. Jcisiah Newcastle, of Geneva, an aged and retired undertaker, sleeps in an old hearse, which, years ago, ho used in his business. The old man lives alone in a barn on his premises, and rents his farm and dwelling out. For fifteen years he' has slept in the hearse. The latter is an antiquated affair containing the old-fash-ioned oval glass windows and doors and the usual lugubrious trimmings and draperies. Newcastle was an undertaker during the civil war, and conducted what was known as the “underground railway.” He was paid fabulous sums to get wounded Union soldiers—and in fact any one else who was willing to pay the price for transit —over into Canada in those troublesome times. The hearse still contains the telltale " air-holes,” which afforded the supposed corpse air. In the hearse was a rough box ingeniously made with holes to admit enough oxygen to let the 11 corpse " breathe.