Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 09.pdf/392

 Convicted by a Dream. The boat, partly filled with water, was dis covered further along the shore, whither it was supposed to have drifted. It was re marked, in connection with the finding of the bodies, that neither of the shawls was upon them, nor could the most careful search discover the whereabouts of these highly colored articles of dress. It is not stated that there was any inquest held over the bodies; but we learn that Clif ford was put under arrest, and a court of in quiry held by two magistrates of the town. All the facts attainable, which were practically no more than I have related, were con sidered, and the prisoner was discharged, the court deciding that there was not sufficient evidence to hold him for further trial. Thus far the case is of no greater interest than the ordinary. But now comes the strange part. Ten days later, Clifford was again arrested, this time on the evidence of a woman who had a dream. The new wit ness was a Mrs. Marvin, who lived nearly a mile and a half from the lake, and fully two miles from the scene of the drowning. She dreamed that she saw Clifford, after he had drowned his wife and children, come out of the water bearing the two shawls in his arms and, proceeding to a point some fif teen or twenty rods from the shore, through timber and undergrowth, deposit them in a clump of alder-bushes, twisting them to gether and matting and tangling the grass over them. The spot was fixed in the dreamer's memory by a fallen tree beside the hiding place. Thus far the dream related to the past, but before it ended she also saw what was to be Clifford's punishment. She dreamed that he would be tried, and upon her testi mony convicted of the crime of murder; that he would not be hanged, but would remain in prison until, by slow decay, mind and body should perish. This dream was continued for three nights in succession, and on each morning Mrs. Marvin repeated it to her husband and

357

family. So convinced was she that she had received a message to be obeyed, that she begged her husband to accompany her to the spot, in order that the shawls might be found, and the guilty man brought to jus tice. But he remained incredulous, and for a day or two the matter was postponed. At length she persuaded a couple of her neighbors to go with her, and they started out on their strange quest. They went first to the spot on the shore which was now well known as the scene of the tragedy. Mrs. Marvin herself had never been to this place before. The frió then walked inland through timber and under brush for a dozen rods or so, when Mrs. Marvin suddenly exclaimed : " Look, there it is; that is the clump of alders I saw in my dream! " and coming a little nearer she added, " and there is the fallen tree." Ex citedly they approached the clump and dug into the tangled grass at its root, when pres ently, behold the shawls! wadded up and twisted together, still moist, and slightly flecked with sand. The authorities being notified of this dis covery, the machinery of justice was set in motion, and, as before stated, Clifford was again arrested. A second court of inquiry was held, witnesses were summoned and sworn, and among them, of course, Mrs. Marvin, who, under oath, related her dream and the steps she had afterwards taken to discover the shawls, which were now produced in court. She was known to be a woman of irreproachable character and sound sense, and her testimony passed un challenged. "A full and perhaps fair inves tigation was had," says Mr. Beardsley, " with little regard to legal formalities, but with honest intent by the magistrates to do jus tice. In spite of themselves, they, in com mon with others, interpreted the dream to mean, ' Thus saith the Lord.' " Clifford was bound over and committed to prison without bail. At the next April term of the Franklin