The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-19
DREAMS AS EVIDENCE.
THRILLING MURDER TALES RECORD
ED IN TIE OLD LAW BOOKS.


Killed and AvenGcs His Death.
Law reports of the Sixteenth and Seven
feelth centuries contain numerous refer
en.es to supernatural occurrences in court
and on the scatIold. One Of the most ~
markablc records Of this kind is connected
with murder trial which took place in
England eal1y in the reign of the first
Charles. Sir John Maynard, one Of the
first lawyers Of the century, is the author
ity for the supernatural events of the trial,
and in his quaint preface TO his notes he
says he thought good to report tho ovi-
deuce which was given, which many did
hear, that the memory thereof might not
be lost by miscarriage Of papers or other
wise"
One Johan Norkett, farmers wife, had
died, and ut the coroner's inquest evidence
was given proving that the womau's throat
had been cut from ear to ear, At first the
jury favored q verdict of felo de sc, and the
body was inferred; but cumors became
general pointing to foul play, and the body
was eXhumed Thirty days after the death
the jury assembled before the body, and
four suspected persons were brought in.
The only evidence against the prisoners
was that they slept in an adjoining room,
and that no one had passed that room;
"therefore, il she did not murder herself,
they must be the murderers,"
QUEER ACTIONS OF \ CORPSE.
What took place ut the remarkable post
mortem inquiry may best be described in
the words OF witness at the subsequent
trial, who was described as ''an ancient
and grave person, minister 20 the parish
where this murder was Committed This
estimable gentleman said: "lhey (the
priSOuers) did touch the dead body where
upon the brow Of the dead, which was be-
fore q liyid and carriOn color began to
have a dew or gentle sweat arise upon it,
which increased by degrees till the sweat
ran down in drops upon the face, the brow
turned and changed to q lively color, and
the dead opeued one of her eyes and shut
it again, which she did three several times,
She likewise thrust out the ring or mar
riase finger three times, and pulled it in
again, and the finger dropped blood on the
floor"
Naturally enough such remarkable evi-
deuce as this was received with some sus-
picion by the court, although the wit
ness, TO again quote Sir John Maynard,
was . reverend person about Cd years Of
age, Gs could be guessed, His testimony
was delivered -ravcly and tcmperate,y, bgt
to the great admiration of the auditory ~
Ample confirmation of an obviously inn
partial character was, however, torthcum-
inc. and the "admirati0n' turned to hOr-
r0r, so much so that the prisoners were
convicted and two OF them suffered death
dt the hand OF the common hcncmau.
Neither Of the victims, one Of whom was IN
aged woman, could ever be prevailed upon
10 confess any completely in the crime.
SAW THE CRIME ~ a DREAM.
In l1Jl an Irish murderer was convicted
largely upon dream evidence. 4 Water
ford publican named Rogers dreamed one
night that he saw a man murder another
man on q green spot on the summit Of an
adjoining mountain. He was able next
day to describe both men with perfect ac-
curacy and did SO TO many of his friends
One Of the men was exceptionally strong,
the other weak and puny; but l5 vas the
latter who, in the vision, committed the
murder. Rogers persuaded the parish
priest TO accompany him to the spot, which
he found without difficulty, but where
there seemed to be no traces Of q murder
or a struggle. Hence Rogers got rather
laughed at. Next day, however, two men
entered the public house and Mrs. Rogers
at once recognized them from her husbands
description rs the heroes in the vision.
Much alarmed she fetched her husband,
who was also certain they were the two
men.
When they rose TO leave Rogers begged
the one he expected to be murdered 10 re-
main, but without avail. He nearly faint
ed With fright after the men mad left, and
finally persuaded a neighbor to accompany
him to the green spot on the hill, where,
sure enough, the tragedy Of the dream had
taken place in reality. The murderer was
tracked and caught and Rogers was the
principal witness. His recital Of his dream
was so vivid that the prisoner at once con-
fessed, adding that he killed his compan-
ion exactly as foretoId in the dream. The
weapon used was a knife, and as eight
stabs were seen by Rogers in his dream, so
the murderer admitted that he drove his
knife up 20 the handle in his compani0n's 5
body exactly that number Of times
A MOTHERS VIVID DREAM
In 1910 awoman named Kraemc appeared
before a Frankfort justice and asked to be
sworn, as she had valuable information
about q crime committed in q remote vii
lage in Russia, many days journey from
l.- n Co-y,o-, b1v,o Tho atcr-- Sd "a .gII q l-.
justice was this: Ten years before her only
son had left home. She heard nothing Of
him, and had noidea at all where he was liv-
ing until the night before, when his spirit
appeared 20 her and told her what she now
hastened TO relate. The revelation was that
after leaving home the young man had
wandered about Europe till he had finally
found permanent work in the village Of
Kiaf, in Russia. Here he had fallen in
love with a scrf's daughter who had q Rus
sian beau. On the preceding night this
latter had inveigled the young Teuton into
the country, where he had stabbed him
and then concealed the body in q cave OF
the highway.
The justice knew that his informant was
poor and had never been outside Of her
native town, and he was so struck. with
the vividness Of her description Of victim,
assailant and location that he forwarded it
to a notary in Kiaf
Meantime Carl Kraeme had been missed,
and on the receipt Of the dream story tine
police hunted for the cave, found it exactly
as located, and also found the body, with
wound corresponding with that described
in the vision. The murderer was ut once
arrested, and the Widow Kraeme under
took the long journey to avenge her sons
death. Her recital in court was vivid in
the extromc, and she screamed with fright
when she first saw the prisoner, whom she
identified and picked out from among n
crowd of men in dimly lighted cell. She
also identified the woman who was nj the
bottom Of tho troublc.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
Hints for parlor Eiocution.
Commence by reading aloud. To do this
well is in itself worth good deal Of effort,
and you need never be without an audi
Dad Ahn Y,appy "a fotInr i, that