The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-06
MURDERED In SLEEP
Remarkable Instance of a Crime Com
mit.sd by q Woman Somnambuhst.
THE CRIME REENACTED
How the Tragedy Was Finally
Brought Home to Her Charge
The Tragedy Pos
sible Clue.


Certainly the most striking paper
read before the Phasmotological society
last season was that by Mrs. Mango
Marks. the celebrated novelist. II was
entitled "A Case of Second Sight, and
described a strange and remarkable ex-
perience which. a short while previous
ly. befell the reader of the paper. Mrs.
Marks was not a member of the Phas.,
as the society was usually styled, but
was introduced for the occasion by her
friend. DIR. Hatfield of Wimpole street,
under whose personal notice Mrs
Marks peculiar experience had come
He had been so much struck by its re-
markable features. and so much inn
pressed by the mystery attaching TO IL,
that he did not rest until he had i'm
duced Mrs. Marks to describe the af-
fair before the Phas.-a society OF
scientific experts who studied Spiritual
ism in all its branches.
The circumstance which i am here
tonight TO lay before you occurred in
connection with a very tragic crime.
which was perpetrated last year." said
Mrs. Marks. when / tell you that the
crime in question was the notorious
Barclay murder. the leading features
will at once recur to your minds. But
although you doubtless all read the re-
ports. more or less accurate, which APP
peared in the newspapers at the time.
yet there is much also that you will.
by this time. have forgotten. I pro-
pose, therefore, to retell the whole
story from the point OF view of one who
was staying at Barclay hall at the
time when this terrible crime was COM
mitted.
We were a large house party, as
sembled for the occasion OF Miss Jack
aby's marriage. Miss Jackaby was an
only child. a pretty and amiable girl OF
10. whose father was the fourteenth
squire OF Barclay In the direct line and
whose mother was a daughter OF a
well-known peer. Both. therefore. were
people of high social standing, and, in
addition. were full of good works and
good qualities. which made them de-
servedly respected and popular. Their
daughter. Queenie, was going TO be
married to George Bagshot, eldest son
Of Lord Farnborough-in every way an
excellent and desirable match. Prepare
tons were made for the wedding cere-
nony on an imposing scale. Half the
country was invited. The great hall
was crammed with friends and rela-
tives from a distance I formed one
of the party; my friend. DR.. Hatfield.
through whose good offices l am here
tonight and who will bear me out in
what j am going TO tell you, formed an
other. In addition to ourselves. there
cannot have been less than thirty
guests.
Most of us reached Barclay hall on
the day before the wedding l had
often stayed there previously. Queenie
had been a close friend OF mine since
she was quite a little girl. She and her
parents were Kind enough to take an
interest i'm my stories. many of which l
wrote under their hospitable roof. IL
was a charming old house i'm a charm
ing neighborhood One always met de-
oil I'm hn nd n Of
deny that my most successful descrip-
tions of country life. which the review
ers have done me the honor to COM
mend. were modelled in a great measure
on my actual experiences at Barclay
hall
There were many young people of
both sexes among the house party and
we spent brisk and lively evening.
for my part. enjoyed myself immensely.
j was being rather overworked just
then. owing TO a pressure OF literary
engagements. and this sort of relax
alton was very delightful to me. Quee-
ME herself was radiantly happy. She
was very much I'm love with George
Bagshot. who came over that night
from neighboring house where he was
staying for the occasion. to eat his last
bachelor dinner at Barclay, He was a
handsome. pleasant fellow, with a TAX
Ing manner and an effective address;
just the sort of man upon whom "a
young girls maiden fancy might be
expected TO fab. But he was not in his
best form that night and gave me the
idea of being rather excited and nerv-
Gus. However. j thought nothing of
that, for my experience OF men has
been that they generally are nervous
upon these momentous occasions:
whereas girls are usually quite self
possessed. He pleaded a headache and
went away early. Before I next saw
him / understood the real cause OF this
indisposition.
When the ladies went up 10 bed &C.
companied Queenie to her room and sat
talking with her for some time about
the great event OF the morrow.
left Queenie's room soon after IL
o'clock. She wanted me to stop longer:
there was so much that she had to say:
such a story of pent-up happiness that
she wished to communicate to my sym
pathetic ear. But for her sake 1 left
her. She needed rest. ] was sure. after
all the hustle and rush Of the past few
days. l therefore advised her to retire
10 bed as soon as possible. and L babe
her good night and went. Little did |
think that j should never see her again
alive.
Il have said before that Just when /
was being rather pressed with literary
WI n anu WIFI Itdtntu my room
that night and was free from further
chance of disturbance | sat down TO
do an hour or two's work at a short
story which had at the time upon the
stocks. ! wasn't sleepy. I felt some
how i'm the mood for writing. and |
thought that this was a good chance TO |
wipe OF trifiing portion OF my liter |
airy arrears.
Il suppose ] wrote on for more than
two hours. Then my brain began TO |
tire. drowsiness stole over my eyes. |
threw down my pen and went to bed. |
where ] slept well and soundly until |
next morning.
awoke TO he Informed OF the hor- |
ribie crime which had been perpetrated |
during the hours Of the night. Ouee- |
ME Jackeby had been murdered At
nrst could not realize r. Oueenie-
to-day's bride that should have been |
Queenie. that sweet. gentle girl. who |
had not an enemy i'm the world-Ouee- |
ME murdered, IL was impossible! But |
alas The dreadful fact was beyond |