Screaming or howling

The suicide took place in this parish on Thursday night, March 9th, 1876, at or about 10 p.m. The inquest was held on Saturday, 11th, by , the then coroner. He has been dead some years, or I might perhaps have been able to obtain a copy of his notes then taken. You will probably find some notice of the inquest in the of March 17th. I did not myself hear any particulars of the event till my return home on Friday afternoon, 17 hours afterwards. The slight snow fell about 8 o'clock — not later. After this the night was bright and fine, and very still. There was also a rather sharp frost. I have evidence of all this to satisfy any lawyer. I went early the next morning under the window to look for footsteps, just before leaving home for the day. Perhaps it is not quite correct to call it snow ; it was small frozen sleet and hail, and the grass blades just peeped through, but there was quite enough to have shown any steps had there been any. I was not myself at the inquest, so in that case only speak from hearsay. In my narrative I say the groom was awoke by 'a shriek,' I have asked the man [name given], and cross-questioned him closely on this point ; and it is more correct to say by ' a series of noises ending in a crash ' or ' heavy fall.' This is most probably correct, as the son of the tenant [name given], living in the next house, was aroused by the same sort of sound coming through the wall of the house into the adjoining bedroom in which he was sleeping. I do not, however, wish it to be understood that any material noises heard in that house or the next had any connection with the peculiar noises and scream which frightened me so much, as anyone knowing the locality must admit at once the impossibility of such sounds travelling under any conditions through intervening obstacles. I only say that the scene enacted in the one was coincident with my alarm and the phenomena attending it in the other. I find by reference to the book of , chemist, of , that the poison was purchased by young S. B., on March 8th. I enclose a note from Mrs. A. Z., according to your request. The enclosed note, signed by Mrs. A. Z., also dated June 12th, 1885, is as follows : — v.] OF SPONTANEOUS TELEPATHY. 225 I am able to testify that on the night of March 9th, 1876, about 10 o'clock, my husband, who had gone into the adjoining room to consult a book, was greatly alarmed by sounds which he heard, and described as the gate clapping, footsteps on the drive and grass, and heavy breathing close to the window — then a f