The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15
WHILE SHE WAS ASLEEP.
CRIME COMMITTED BY A WOMAN
SOMNAMBULIsT.
How n Tragedy Was Finally Brought
Home to Her Charge.

h"" "a AFhEeuy was rlnuily brought
Home to Her Charge.
From the London Truth.
Certainly the most striking paper read
before the Phasmotological Society last
season was that by MRS. Mango Marks,
the celebrated novelist 1t was entitled "a
Case Of Second Sight" and described a
strange and remarkable experience which
short time previously, befell the reader
of the paper. Mrs. Marks was not a men,
Der of the Phas., as the society was usually
styled, but was introduced for this occa-
sion by her friend, DIR. Hatfield of VIM
pole 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 imE ressed
by the mystery attached to it, that he did
not rest until he had induced Mrs. Marks
to describe the affair before the Phas.-a
society of scientific experts who studied
spiritualism in all its branches.
THE circumstances which 1 am here to-
night to lay before you, occurred in con-
nection with 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 reports, more or less
accurate. which appeared in the newspa-
pers at the time, yet there is much also
that you will by this time have forgotten.
/ propose, 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 committed
we were large house party, assem-
bled for the occasion of Miss Jackabys
marriage. Miss Jackabay was an only
child, pretty and amiable girl of 49,
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 quail
ties, which made them deserVedly re-
spected and popular Their daughter
Queenie was going to be married to George
Bagshot, eldest son of Lord Farnborough
BILE match. Preparations were made for
the wedding ceremony on an Imposing
scare. Half the county was invited. The
great hall was craInmed with friends and
relatives from distance. ! formed one
or the party; my friend, DR.. Hatfield,
through whose good offices l am here to-
night and who will bear me out in what
l am going to tell you, formed another.
In addition to ourselves there cannot have
been less than thirty guests.
Most of us reached Barclay hall on the
day before the wedding. / had often stay
ed there previously. Queenie had been a
close friend of mine since she was quite
little girl. She and her parents were kind
enough to take an interest in my sto-
ries, many of which / wrote under their
hospitable roof. 1t was a charming old
house, in charming neighborhood. One
always met delightful people there, and
l will not deny that my most success
ful descriptions of country life, which
the reviewers have done me the honor to
commend, were modelled in a great meas
clay Hall.
sexes among the house party, and we
spent brisk and lively evening l. for
my part, enjoyed myself immensely. 1
was being rather OverWorked lust then
owing to a pressure of literary engage
ments, and this sort of relaxation was
delightful to me. Queenie herself was
radiantly happy. She was very much in
love with George Bagshot, who came over
that night from a 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
| taking manner and an effective address;
| just the sort of a man upon whom young
| girls maiden fancy might be expected to
| fall. But he was not in his best form that
! night and gave me the idea of being rather
excited and nervous. However, thought
| nothing of that, for my experience of men
has been that they generally are nervous
upon these momentous occasions; whereas
girls are usually self-possessed. He plead
| ed headache and went away early Be
| fore next saw him / understood the real
cause of this indisposition.
when we ladies went I'D to bed l ac-
companied Queenie to her room and sat
| talking with her for some time about the
| great event of the morrow.
4 left Queenie's room soon after II
| 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 sympa-
| thetic ear She needed rest, / was sure
| after all the hustle and rush of the past
few days. 1 therefore advised her to re-
tire to bed as soon as possible, and /
bade her goodnight and went. Little did
think that should never see her again
| alive.
''I have said before that Just then was
being rather pressed with literary work,
and when l reached my room that night
and was free from further chance of dis
| turbance / sat down to do an hour or
| twos work at a short story which 1 had
at the time upon the stocks. wasn't
sleepy. / felt somehow in the mood for
writing, and l thought that this was a
| good chance to wipe on a trifiing portion
/ of my literary arrears.
II suppose l wrote on for more than two
| hours. Then my brain began to tire,
| drowsiness stole over my eyes; 1 threw
\ down my pen and went TO bed where
slept well and soundly until next morn
II awoke to be informed Of the horrible
/ crime which had been perpetrated during
/ the hours of the fatal night. Queenie
/ Jackaby had been murdered. At first
| could not realize It, Queenie-to-day's
bride that should have been-Queenie
that sweet, gentle girl, who had not an
l enemy in the World-Queenie. murdered.