“I must ask you not to interrupt. You are already very efficiently represented,” said the magistrate severely.
“Now, Henrietta Dresser,” continued the prosecutor, wagging his pince-nez. “Let’s hear what occurred when you and Amy Bellinger visited the prisoner.”
The policewoman gave an account which was in the main true, reading it from her book. She was not a married woman, but the medium had accepted her statement that she was. He had fumbled with several names and had seemed greatly confused. The name of a dog—Pedro—had been submitted to him, but he had not recognized it as such. Finally, he had answered questions as to the future of her alleged daughter, who was, in fact, no relation to her, and had foretold that she would be unhappy in her marriage.
“Any questions, Mr. Jones?” asked the magistrate.
“Did you come to this man as one who needed consolation? And did he attempt to give it?”
“I suppose you might put it so.”
“You professed deep grief, I understand.”
“I tried to give that impression.”
“You do not consider that to be hypocrisy?”
“I did what was my duty.”
“You saw no signs of psychic power, or anything abnormal?” asked the prosecutor.
“No, he seemed a very nice, ordinary sort of man.”
Amy Bellinger was the next witness. She appeared with her notebook in her hand.
“May I ask, your worship, whether it is in order that these witnesses should read their evidence?” asked Mr. Jones.
“Why not?” queried the magistrate. “We desire the exact facts, do we not?”
“We do. Possibly Mr. Jones does not,” said the prosecuting solicitor.
“It is clearly a method of securing that the evidence of these two witnesses shall be in accord,” said Jones. “I submit that these accounts are carefully prepared and collated.”
“Naturally, the police prepare their case,” said the magistrate. “I do not see that you have any grievance, Mr. Jones. Now, witness, let us hear your evidence.”
It followed on the exact lines of the other.
“You asked questions about your fiancé? You had no fiancé,” said Mr. Jones.
“That is so.”
“In fact, you both told a long sequence of lies?”
“With a good object in view.”
“You thought the end justified the means?”
“I carried out my instructions.”
“Which were given you beforehand?”
“Yes, we were told what to ask.”
“I think,” said the magistrate, “that the policewomen have given their evidence very fairly and well. Have you any witnesses for the defence, Mr. Jones?”
“There are a number of people in court, your worship, who have received great benefit from the mediumship of the prisoner. I have subpœnaed one woman who was, by her own account, saved from suicide that very morning by what he told her. I have another man who was an atheist, and had lost all belief in future life. He was completely converted by his experience of psychic phenomena. I can produce men of the highest eminence in science and literature who will testify to the real nature of Mr. Linden’s powers.”
The Magistrate shook his head.