The Mystery of Bloomsbury Crescent

Introduction

... j I. A BLOOMSBURY LODGING . . . .26 II. SIRS gastonville .... 41 III. A MYSTERIOUS LODGER . -? IV. A RECOGNITION . . . . , . 6l V. MISER CRUGHER . . . . . .77 VI. ' COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS BEFORE ' 89 VII. UNDER A CLOUD ..... 107 VIII. LAW AND FACT ITq IX. THE TORN SLIPS OF PAPER . . . . 131 x. 'the world's A STAGE' .... 142 XI. ADVERSE FATE . . . . . jcr xii. an old man's fancy 1 65 xiii. miser crugher's den . . . . .182 xiv. Rachel's disappointment . . . .195 xv. a mystery solved ..... 205 xvi. keziah betrays her trust . . .215 xvii. the stolen treasure .... 232 XVIII. the curtain falls on the last act OF THIS DOMESTIC TRAGEDY .... The Mystery of Bloomsbury Crescent

INTRODUCTION.

( Do you believe anybody possesses hypnotic power to throw a sensitive subject into a trance, and compel that person, by force of will, to carry out his behest ? ' I asked my old friend Fred Bartop, as we discussed the subject one evening in the drawing-room after dinner. Fred Bartop was a society man, par excellence. He had seen a good deal of the world in other lands, as well as England. A younger son of good family, he had been educated for the ministry, so that in due time he might be inducted into a family benefice in the Midlands, but Fred Bartop failed to realise that A the Church was his vocation ; although he took honorary degree at Oxford, and in course of events might have become a bishop. A rural and clerical life possessed no charm for my husband's college chum. When he found him self free to follow the bent of his own inclinations, he came to London, and rented chambers in the Albany, having inherited an income sufficient for his wants, he employed his leisure in observing life in its various phases.

He had already dipped into what he called mystic science, which included mesmerism, clairvoyance, prevision, and spiritualism. Hence my question anent hypnology. A merry light twinkled in his bright grey eye, as I watched rather eagerly for his answer. ' Your question,' said he, ' oddly enough carries me back to my boyhood, when a venerable uncle of mine asked me just such another question — Ah me ! ' he added with a hearty laugh, ' what a dance Jack Trampista and I led the reverend old gentle man during that vacation, to be sure ! '

INTRODUCTION.

3 * My uncle was at that time Rector of Thulme, where I went to spend part of my Christmas holidays at the Rectory. Well, the time your question reminds me of was when mesmerism was a sort ot' revelation to the good people of Thulme. Railways and penny dailies had not then invaded the midlands, nor did news flash over telegraph wires from one end of England to the other in those days ; so that in remote country towns the inhabi tants were a quarter of a century, at least, behind the age. When it became noised abroad at Thulme that a medical gent from London could mesmerise folks, and make them do just what he willed them to do, a sort of awe pervaded the nervous portion of the community, as though an evil spirit had suddenly arisen in their midst. Jack Trampista, the medical student, opened his campaign at Thulme by giving a siance in the parish schoolroom.

This performance, which included spirit-rapping and table-turning, so mystified, and astonished the good people of Thulme that the more superstitious portion came to the conclusion that the magnet man, as they dubbed Jack Trampista, had sold himself to Satan ; and nothing else hut the seance was talked about in Thulme for many a day after wards. My uncle, who had not much faith in mesmerism, regarded Jack Trampista as a rather bungling prestidigitator, but as he loved to witness a con juring performance just like any boy, he engaged Jack Trampista to give a stance at the Rectory, and invited a goodly number of his friends to be present. The stance was given in the library, Jack first taking care to have it properly darkened for the occasion, and a space left at the end near a bay window. This window was filled with beautiful^ stained glass, the centre pane having the family coat of arms emblazoned on it.

Well, it was in this space with the bay window as a background, that Jack and a lady medium, whom he introduced by the name of Ottone, took up their first position.

INTRODUCTION.

5 Ottone certainly appeared to be a practised clairvoyant, and went through the role of thought reading and table-rapping in a way that sent a thrill of excitement through the frame of the dullest sceptic present. But when the heavy oak table, near which the medium sat, was lifted from the floor without hands or any visible agency, and began making gyrations hither and thither, the excitement be came intense, some of the ladies screaming with fright. To allay their fears Jack Trampista assured them, that the phenomenon they witnessed was not caused by any supernatural agency, but simply by high magnetic force or animal magnetism. That magnetism being the great trunk force of nature, it possessed the power of at traction and repulsion, and as that magnetic force pervaded the human form more than any other, man also, in a high degree, possessed the force of attraction and repulsion, and by the force of his will alone, could throw a sympathetic person into a mesmeric state and compel the subject to obey his behest, and to show that he — Jack Trampista — possessed high magnetic force he would undertake to mesmerise anyone in the room who would like to test his magnetic powers.

No one, however, seemed inclined to test his powers, and after a long pause my uncle suggested that the footboy would make a good subject, and ordered him to step forward. Tommy who had watched the medium open mouthed, behind the company at the far end of the library, came forward shamed-faced, but quite willingly, and with a broad grin submitted to the mesmeric passes. In about five minutes, however, a marked change came over Tommy's fat face and he appeared fast asleep, But no power could make the obtuse footboy a thought reader, he did, how ever, make some revelations concerning high life below stairs, that sent the cook from the room in high hysterics, and made the butler turn purple with rage. ' That will do, Tommy, that will do ! ' cried my

INTRODUCTION.

7 uncle laughing heartily, but Tommy did not heed his master in the least, his talk flowed on like a stream set in motion by machinery. ' Get up you young rascal, and cut about your business ! ' cried my uncle louder than before, but as Tommy showed no sign of obeying his master's orders, the butler was desired to wake the sleeper and march him out of the room. The butler nothing loth, went up to Tommy and taking him roughly by the arm tried to pull him from the chair. Move him, however, he could not, although he was a man of some muscular power and Tommy was only a lad. ' I have willed the boy to remain on that chair, and there he remains until I release him,' said Jack, making some powerful passes towards Tommy. ' Oh, bosh ! ' exclaimed my uncle, making a rush and seizing the footboy by the other arm, but lift Tommy from the chair master and man could not, neither could they awaken him out of his mesmeric trance. 'Well, I confess I am beaten,' said my uncle looking rather mystified, ' how long do you mean to make Tommy a magnetic fixture?' ' For a few minutes only, but if you will kindly return to your seat I will show you that I possess magnetic force over animals as well as human beings.' ' Well, don't set them talking, at any rate,' replied the rector with a forced smile, as he rather reluctantly released Tommy from his grasp, and went back to his seat.

Jack Trampista meanwhile had espied my aunt's favourite great black cat curled up in an arm-chair, on the other side of the fire-place. My uncle had scarcely taken his seat, when Jack took up poor unsuspecting pussy, and carrying the animal carefully under his arm, placed it on the oak table that had gyrated, and then stood still a few feet from the stained glass window. How it happened I hardly know, but in the dim light few could see what Jack was doing until the cat appeared ablaze with electric light, the eyes

INTRODUCTION.

9 glowing like danger signals ; scarcely had the audience time to realise this — to them — strange phenomenon, when there was a prolonged hiss, a dash, a loud crash, and puss and the emblazoned armorial bearings disappeared into space. My aunt screamed, my uncle started to his feet white with rage, ' We have seen enough of your juggling force for once, sir,' said he with stern irony. 'Unless you can replace that broken window by your boasted magnetic force, you are but a poor bungler at the conjurer's craft, after all.' Hobble-de-hoy like, I had looked on with supreme indifference, if not contempt, until now. Was not the Wizard of the North far cleverer ? What were Jack Trampista's tricks, compared to pulling glass bowls full of water, all alive with gold-fish, out of the sleeves of his dress coat ? not to speak of his ferretting out no end of white rabbits from an opera hat.

When, however, I beheld the black cat all ablaze, as it were, under Jack's mesmeric passes, I could not help crying out ' Bravo ! bravissimo ! ! ' and was about to clap my hands when Sambo dashed clean through the stained glass window. Nevertheless, I determined to know how that trick was done, and made friends with Jack Trampista without delay. For the next week or ten days I was on the watch for stray cats until I had secured a goodly number, and lodged them in a barn at the back of the stables. When all was ready I invited some dozen youths, friends of mine home for the holidays, to come and take part in the feline stance that was to take place in the laundry, a great bare room at the end of a long stone passage, admirably fitted for such a performance. From a boy's point of view it was the most glorious fun imaginable to see electric sparks, like hundreds of fire-flies, darting from the coats of a dozen tabbies, all hissing, spitting, and yelling like so many feline fiends. In our excitement we quite forgot that the seance was to be kept as secret as a conspirator

INTRODUCTION.

11 conclave, and began laughing and shouting in high glee, at the success attending our joint efforts to mesmerise our feline subjects. There was only a glimmer of light high up in one corner of the room, and when the electric sparks began to fly like hail from the furry coats of our captives, and their eyes emitted a yellow glare, the scene was weird enough for a witches' sabbath, and the noise made by bipeds and beasts equalled pandemonium let loose. When the uproar was at its height, the door of the room was thrown open, and a loud voice was heard to exclaim, ' What the d — ' but the exclama tion was cut suddenly short by something between a shout and a roar, as the frightened and infuriated cats made a dash for liberty over my uncle's head and shoulders, between his legs, and in short swarmed over and around him, in their frantic efforts to escape by the wide open door, spluttering hissing and caterwauling with horrid discordance.

The din was something fearful. The terror-stricken butler, not knowing what was up, rushed to the hall door, opened it wide, and ran towards the entrance gate shouting police at the top of his voice. The entire household was in commotion. Cook promptly fell into hysterics, and the kitchenmaid screamed in chorus. After the first shock of surprise, my uncle promptly flew up the kitchen stairs, and shut himself into his study to escape the onslaught. Whilst, like any other batch of conspirators, we took advantage of the hubbub to decamp, hoping to escape detection. Fortunately no damage was done ; and although he pretended to be highly displeased, I could see that my uncle regarded the whole affair as a boyish freak, he had not the remotest idea that Jack Trampista had any hand in it ; and afterwards used to declare, that the butler calling in the police to quell a Cat Riot in the basement was as good as a harlequinade, after a pantomime. Before the holidays were over Jack Trampista, or the magnet man, as the townspeople called him, had

INTRODUCTION.

13 earned for himself a rather evil fame in Thulme and the neighbourhood. The parish clerk and schoolmaster had an only daughter called Sabina, who was tall and fair and of a most romantic and sympathetic disposition. At a seance, Jack Trampista mesmerised her, when she proved her clairvoyant power in a most remarkable way. A farmer, present at the seance, had a large sum of money stolen from his strong box in a most mysterious manner. The key of the strong box — so he averred — had never been out of his possession night or day, yet, on unlocking it a few days since, he found the money gone, and the box half filled with stones. Hearing the wonderful things the magnet man did, and believing him to be a wizard, he attended the stance with the purpose of testing the magnet man's power as a detective.

To the astonishment of everyone present, Sabina declared that the money would be found hidden in an old corn-chest in the barn. ' How much money is there in the bag ? ' asked the farmer still incredulous. Jack Trampista put the question to Sabina, ' You must look into the bag and count the money,' he said in a tone of command. In a dreamy voice, like one talking in a trance, she stated the sum to be two hundred and forty three pounds, two hundred in bank notes the rest in gold. ' Then there's seven pounds short ! ' shouted the farmer, ' but I'll soon see to the rights o't,' and he rushed from the place in a state of high excite ment closely followed by his wife, and some half dozen men and lads. I afterwards heard that the money was really found in a bag in an old corn-chest fastened by a strong padlock.

The key was nowhere to be found, but the staple was easily wrenched out and in the presence of his wife, and the party who had followed him to the farm, the farmer took out the bag, and counting the money over, found it just seven sovereigns short.

INTRODUCTION.

15 Next day the farmer came to Jack Trampista and offered him ten pounds to let him know who took the bag from his strong box, and stole the missing sovereigns. The farmer was well known to be a miserly old wretch, who kept his wife in ignorance of his savings in order to pinch the more, was told very curtly by Jack that he ought to consider himself lucky in getting back as much as he did, that thief catching was not in his line. Truth to tell Jack rather believed that the farmer should look for the thief pretty near home. That was Jack Trampista's last stance at Thulme, but it gave him the chance of getting Sabina under his influence. He boasted to me that by the exercise of will power he could make the girl do anything he wished. ' When I am back in London,' said he, ' I could compel her to come to me by the force of my will alone.' I gave my shoulders a shrug and laughed mock ingly at this bombastic statement. ' I'll give you a proof of what I say if you'll go into the schoolmaster's house this evening, just as though you had dropt in to have a chat with him,' he answered quite seriously.

The schoolmaster's living-room was entered by the house door which opened directly into it. When I called in the evening as agreed on with Jack Trampista, I found Sabina engaged on some fancy work, and her father reading a newspaper some ten days old. The schoolmaster welcomed me very cordially, and Sabina appeared pleased to see me; but scarcely had I taken my seat and entered into conversation, than I saw Sabina's lips twitch nervously, and rising from her chair she went towards the front door in a jerky spasmodic sort of way like one walking in sleep although her eyes were wide open. On reaching the door she leant her forehead against it and sighed wearily. The Lord help us, and save us ! ' cried the

INTRODUCTION.

17 schoolmaster, turning the hue of a winter turnip ' that's the magnet man at his tricks again ! I believe he has dealings with Satan, and ought to be excommunicated. I'll speak to the rector about it. You just look out of the window and see if that fellow isn't outside, only take care he don't fix you with the evil eye, like he's done my poor Sabina there.' Sure enough Jack was standing within a few feet of the house-door holding some glittering substance in his hand, which shone like a star in the dim light. I afterwards found that this was a piece of rock-crystal with the pointed end held towards the door. On seeing me at the window, he reversed the rock-crystal, and Sabina returned to her seat. The whole thing appeared to me so uncanny that I left the house without another word, and told Jack Trampista in no measured terms my opinion of this diabolical proceeding towards a weak, defenceless girl. ' How do you mean to end B this one-sided game ? ' I asked, ' will you make a comedy, or a tragedy of it ? ' ' Heaven knows ! ' cried he, with more show of feeling than I thought him capable of. ' I am afraid I rather prided myself in my mesmeric powers, than considered the consequences that might arise from it.

Poor Sabina, she is as pure and guileless as a child. I'll away by the night mail coach for London, and leave Sabina and temptation out of my reach,' he added, in a lighter tone as he bade me good-night at the end of the lane that led to the schoolmaster's abode. Not knowing of Jack Trampista's departure, the schoolmaster called on the rector next day, and laid the cause of his grievance before him. The rector was quite at a loss what steps to advise. The time had gone by when the offender would have been hauled to jail as a wizard or sorcerer. 'I don't advise a breach of the peace, but if it were my case, I'd give the rascal a good hiding if he came prowling round the house again,' said

INTRODUCTION.

19 my uncle rather sceptical on the score of Jack Trampista's alleged mysterious power over the schoolmaster's daughter. 'Ah, sir, I daren't! he has the evil eye, and would cast his spells around me, same as he's done to my poor dear Sabina. Couldn't you have him taken up as a rogue and a vagabond, same as you do the fortune tellers, sir ? ' queried the distressed pedagogue. ' I'll order the police sergeant to keep an eye on him, I don't see my way clear to do more, unless the fellow commits a breach of the peace,' said my uncle reflectively, ' anyhow, you need not fear his casting a spell over you, he's rather a clever conjurer, nothing more.' After the schoolmaster departed, my uncle called me into his study and asked me if I be lieved that Jack Trampista possessed mesmeric power enough to make a weak-minded girl like Sabina do whatever he willed her ?

And my answer was, ' Certainly, sir, certainly. There are more things in heaven and earth than our poor philosophy e'er dreamed of ! and after thirty years of world wide experience, I am of the same opinion still.' ' Ah, well, seeing is believing,' said my husband unconvinced, ' I never came across anyone of that sort myself, these tricksters fight shy of the legal profession as a rule.' ' Ah I grant you the theory of hypnology and mesmerism opens a wide door for trickery and fraud ; nor did I ever witness any good resulting from its boasted powers ; its influence as far as I have known, has been rather towards evil than good.' Some thirty years ago or more when I first settled down in West End Chambers, a sort of tidal wave of mesmerism, spiritualism, and clairvoyance flooded the north side of Oxford Street from Cumberland Place to Bloomsbury, a wavelet or so flowed here and there southwards but I never heard of it penetrating east of Temple Bar. Jack had become Dr Trampista by this time, and

INTRODUCTION.

21 was advocating mesmerism as a cure for all the ailments, if not the ills, that flesh is heir to. He took me to a great many private residences, where mediums had been engaged for the evening to amuse the guests, like any other prestidigitator might have been. Notably a Mrs Marshall who was, or pretended to be, a spirit medium, used with her niece to give stances in some of the best houses at the west end. I must own that the spiritual manifestations I witnessed, did not impress me with a very high opinion of the spirit world. All their revelations were so deadly commonplace. Fancy the spirit of a departed sire, sending word by another spirit that he was unable to attend the medium's call, but he had forwarded a letter, by said spirit, to his son which on being duly rapped out, was found to begin with, ' My dear son, I am delighted to have this privilege of communicating with you.

I am one of the spirits that inhabit the higher circles of the spirit world. The Creator permits us to make these manifestations through certain constituted persons.' And thereupon the spirit of the departed sire went on to give said constituted persons a very high testimonial as to integrity and so forth, and ended the epistle by rapping out, ' What proof can I give you of the truth of this ? Bo not doubt what I say, — Your Affectionate Father.' I believe this was about the best and most rational communication I ever heard any spirit rap out, although a Mr Foster, who gave himself out as a discerner of spirits, could read any word that a person wrote on a slip of paper and folded into a pellet before placing it on the table before him. He did not go in much for spirit rapping, but communicated with the spirits direct, and gave their answers by word of mouth to inquiring friends.

I remember his startling Mrs G. R. one evening by telling her, after she had laid her pellet on the table amongst others, ' Your cousin John, whose name you wrote on that little piece of paper, stands by your side, and desires me to say that

INTRODUCTION.

23 he often watches over you and reads your thoughts, which are always pure and good.' If nothing else, Mr Foster was clever at tricks of sleight-of-hand. One evening at a stance in the drawing-room of a west-end mansion, he addressed himself to Lady R. ' Your mother, the Duchess of stands by your side,' said he, ' and desires to give you her blessing and fond love. She is so pleased to find you here, and is smiling sweetly on you ; in proof of what I say her Christian name is to appear on my arm.' Mr Foster drew up his sleeve and there appeared on the skin of his arm the name Elizabeth, the Christian name of Lady R's mother, the letters were red and nearly an inch long, but in a few minutes the letters began to fade and gradually disappeared. He used to perform some wonderful tricks in darkened rooms.

Spirit hands would float in the air, and rest on the table ; shadowy faces appeared peering out of the opaque gloom in distant corners ; indeed the spirits appeared to run riot, just like a lot of schoolboys when the pedagogue and ushers are out of sight, they, i.e., the spirits, threw boots at ladies' heads, put choice ornaments into their laps, rattled the pictures on the walls, chairs hopped about and the tables were turned topsy turvy ; Mr Foster was wafted out of one drawing room window, on to the balcony, and in at another apparently treading on air, crying out in great alarm the while for some one to hold him by the hand lest the spirits might convey him he knew not whither. However, Home and a few other American mediums went a little too far, and brought table rapping, furniture dancing, and other spirit mani festations into such disrepute that the tidal wave of mesmerism and spiritualism ebbed as suddenly as it had flowed, but like all tidal waves it left some noisome effects behind, not to speak of evil creep ing things lurking in unsuspected corners. Truth to tell, I never yet knew a medium that effected any good by his boasted magnetic force, but I have witnessed some terrible results from

INTRODUCTION.

25 designing men using their mesmeric powers over highly strung sensitive natures. One such instance came under my own ob servation. I noted down the facts at the time, meaning to publish them in the Zoist, or the Spiritual Telegraph, but time went by and the unfinished manuscript lies still in my desk. I am really too idle to get it ready for the press, I'll just send it on to you. It wouldn't make a bad tale for a book, as truth is often more startling than fiction, and the truth of what I have jotted down, I will vouch for.' Well, I have ventured to send forth Fred Bartop's story to the ' Wide, Wide World,' only premising, that it is Fred Bartop who vouches for the truth of the following tale, not I.

Chapter I

A BLOOMSBURY LODGING The September sunset was casting a yellow gleam through the window of number seven Chesham Street, Bloomsbury Square, on to the head of a young girl bent over an easel, who was busy de signing Christmas cards for the following Christ mas-tide. Sibyl Markham was never idle, indeed, idleness to Sibyl meant want, and hard as she worked, she had enough to do to keep the wolf from the door of her stuffy Bloomsbury lodging. Sibyl, or, at least, her father, had seen better days. Richard Markham was the only son of a solicitor, who, in his day, carried on a lucrative practice in Bedford Row, and owned a house in Russell Square, where Richard and his young wife resided for a year or two after his father's death, and where Sibyl was born. Richard Markham's wife brought him a small fortune, but it was found when his father's affairs were wound up that he had lived up to his income, and left little else for his son to inherit except his interest in the firm of Markham and Catehford.

Richard had never taken to the law. He was an idle, dreamy sort of man, whose only passion was chess. Set him down before a chess-board with an opponent worthy his skill, and business and clients were alike forgotten. Catehford, who was a sharp man of business, soon got tired of this unequal partnership, and offered Richard Markham a certain sum to retire from the firm, payable over a term of seven years at so much per annum. Richard Markham, who never cared to look far ahead, gladly accepted the terms, which meant freedom from professional worries, and plenty of time to pursue his favourite pastime. He meant to economise and save something yearly, and with this view he sold up his establish ment and went into furnished lodgings in a street leading out of Russell Square. When a man begins to live on his capital, it is astonishing how soon it dwindles away.

In the space of seven years Richard Markham had man aged to lay by something over a thousand pounds. When his annuity ceased he had to break in on his savings, which, as a matter of course, did not last him very long. His wife was a visionary delicate woman. She had indulged in stances until spiritualism got on her brain. Some people said she was a spiritual medium herself. Be that as it may, she became quite crazed over mesmerism, and was constantly holding stances in their lodgings, and making such a racket with the furniture that the landlady gave the Markhams notice to quit ; and Mrs Markham was considered a sort of witch by every landlady where she subsequently lodged. She possessed a weak thread of life at the best, and this unnatural excitement soon cut it short ; she passed away one night in a mesmeric sleep, out of which no one was able to awaken her.