from the kitchen stairs. It stayed there till Madame had gone past our door again, and then it went up again. Just as it got to the top of the stairs I peeped out and saw it was the Baron. Madame was close behind him. I said to John, “Why, John, there’s the Baron.” He said he supposed he had come to look after his wife. After they had gone John and me went into the bottle place. We found the glass on the table. There were a few drops of stuff in it. John and me smelt it, and it was just like wine. It tasted just like wine, too. Then we looked for the bottle. It was at the end of the second shelf. It was about half-full of stuff that looked like wine. There was something in gold letters on the bottle. I can’t tell what it was. It was “vin” something. I know that because John and me settled it must mean wine. I think I should know the rest if I saw it—[being here shown several labels, witness picked out the following “Vin. Ant. Pot. Tart.” designating antimonial wine, a mixture of sherry and tartar emetic]—I am pretty sure that was the one. I remember it because they were such funny words. I remember John and me joking about “pots” and “pies.” The stuff in the bottle smelt just like wine. It was just like sherry wine. I did not taste that. John wouldn’t let me. He said I might go and poison myself for aught I knew. We put the bottle back and then John went away. I said nothing about it to anybody. Not even when Madame was taken ill that night. I was afraid by reason of John. I have never said a word about it to any living soul till I was asked to-day. Certainly not to Mr. Aldridge, nor he to me. I will swear to the truth of all I have said. I am quite positive that Madame never went near the kitchen. I am quite positive that the Baron must have seen her come out of the bottle place. He was standing with the candle in his hand waiting for her. That I can swear.
N.B.—The statement of the “young man” referred to fully corroborates the above statement. The accompanying plan will make this witness’ evidence more clear.
9.—Copy of a letter from a leading Mesmerist to the compiler, with reference to the power claimed by mesmeric operators over those subjected to their influence.
“Dorset Square.
“My dear Sir,—
. . . . . . Many times after throwing Sarah Parsons into the mesmeric state, I have willed her to go into a dark room and pick up a pin or other article equally minute, and however powerless she might be at the time out of the state was quite immaterial. My will and power being employed was sufficient. Then, Mr. L, a paralytic, under my influence, without losing consciousness or undergoing any recognisable change, has many times, with the lame leg, stepped up on to and down again from an ordinary dining-room chair. This of course was a masterpiece of mesmeric manipulation. I wish I could write more and better, but my eyes forbid***
“With kindest regards,
“Yours most truly,
“D. Hands.”
10—Fragment of a Letter found in the Baron’s room after the death of Madame R**.
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COMPLETED.
. . . . . On(?)
te . . . pendrait n’e . . . st ce pas mon
p . . . auvre philippe? E . . . h bien par
ce . . . t enfant, ce pauvre . . . petit ange (?)
q . . . ui nous regarde du . . . haut du ciel,
n’ . . . est ce pas philipp . . . e et que
no . . . us ne reverrons ja . . . mais, par
ce . . . t enfant je te le j . . . ure. Tu m’en
sa . . . is bien capable j . . . e crois.
En . . . core une fois, aujo . . . urd’hui c’est
le . . . 13, le 15, de grand . . . matin je
se . . . rai chez toi; il fa . . . ut que je
t . . . e trouve seul, tu . . . me comprends;
se . . . ul au monde! n’ . . . en sais
tu . . . pas bien le moy . . . en?
O . . . h! philippe je t’ai . . . me (je t’aime?)
sa . . . is tu ce qu . . . e c’est qu’ une
f . . . emme ja . . . louse?
Translation of above.
