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vol. title: vol. period: 1879-1880 pages in vol.: 577 |
< The Prosecution of Mediums by Spiritualists (continued from page 10-449) >
McGeary, alias Dr. Mack, and Julia Ann Theodore Heurtley Ricard Hart-Davies, with jointly converting to their own use certain property of the said Susan, to the amount of $6,913, on the 6th of September. The other is against McGeary alone, charging him with obtaining, by false pretences from John W. Fletcher, $5,000 worth of the property of the said Susan, August 20th, at Montague. In each case the damages are laid at $10,000. Major Mahan was unable to readily discover the whereabouts of the doctor and the “superfluously” surnamed lady, and employed local detectives, besides notifying the police elsewhere. Saturday morning, however, the two were spotted, and in company. During the afternoon they were seen in conversation with two men on the east side of Washington Street, opposite the foot of School. About 2.30 o’clock Dr. McGeary and Mrs. Davies, arm-in-arm, walked into the Milliken House office, on Providence court, McGeary said they wished dinner in a private room, and expected parties to call upon business. Several rooms were shown, but none were satisfactory, and they concluded to take seats in the public dining-hall. They had been shadowed to this place, and hardly had begun their meal when Deputy Sheriff William D. Martin walked in, equipped with the two writs, and notified McGeary that he was “wanted.” There was some doubt at first as to his identity, and, before the arrest, several men were brought in to identify him; his appearance was somewhat changed, owing to his chin being shaved, as he has lately worn a full beard. Mr. Martin made no effect to detain Mrs. Davies, who was soon out of the way, and took his prisoner to his office in the court-house. The doctor was very composed. Feeling himself unable to immediately procure bail, bonds in the sum of $10,000 being required in each case, his first act was to procure counsel. His usual legal adviser, Mr. Stevens B. Ives, jr., being out of town, he secured Mr. Emery O. Bicknell, with whom he had a long interview. One of the results of it was that about 6 o’clock, yesterday afternoon. McGeary filed a petition for leave to take the poor debtor’s oath, and also the usually accompanying oath that he did not wish to leave the State. Last evening was appointed for a hearing upon the petition, before Mr. Edward J. Jenkins, commissioner of insolvency. At 7 o’clock the hearing before Mr. Jenkins began, at the office, No. 61, Court-street. Dr. McGeary was taken thither from the court-house in the custody of Deputy-Sheriff Martin.
Commissioner Jenkins ordered that a hearing should be had first, concerning the false pretence case. Major Mahan then began a series of interrogatories. Dr. McGeary stated that he was a healing physician, and had lived in Salem, Mass., thirty-six years. It appeared that he had worked as a currier for his father and other parties for a number of years; had afterwards been a dealer in hides and leather; had done business in Boston, and travelled considerably out of the state, particularly in Illinois. All this was subsequent to 1860, when he went to Europe, partly for pleasure and partly in the patent business. Major Mahan’s investigation did not get beyond this date. He had inquired as to McGeary’s residence and business during about every year between 1844 and 1860. Mr. Bicknell objected strongly to this course. It seem to him unimportant and a waste of time. Major Mahan said he proposed to show that McGeary was and had been a ‘roamer.’ After a wordy debate both gentlemen agreed to suspend the hearing at 9 o’clock, and it was adjourned to this morning, at 10 o’clock, at Commissioner Jenkins’ office. Dr. McGeary being left in the custody of Mr. Martin, a question arose as to bail. McGeary’s brother, residing at the Highlands, was present, and ready to furnish $10,000 sureties, with another man who was willing to stand $2,000. Considering the gravity of the charges, Major Mahan was unwilling to accept less than the $20,000 “named in the bond.” McGeary says himself and Mrs. Davies have been in the city daily, and made no effort at evading anybody. Deputy-Sheriff Martin and his charge spent the night at Young’s.
The Globe then gives an ex-parte statement by Mrs. Fletcher, to the effect that for private reasons Mrs. Hart-Davies asked Mr. Fletcher to take charge of her property. Mrs. Fletcher added: —
“My husband, after consulting legal authority, did so. After this she broke up her home, and came to reside not a great distance from our house. At this time she expressed a wish to make our residence her home, and, upon consenting to allow her to do so, she wished to make over to us, as our absolute property, all the articles that had been brought to our house; consequently, the deeds of gift which conveyed to me absolutely, and without reservation, the whole of this property, were given to me.”
Mrs. Fletcher showed the deeds to The Globe representative, one paper of which reads as follows: —
“Dearest Friend.—Out of gratitude for all the unselfish and inestimable services and of friendly kindness shown by you and your excellent husband repeatedly towards myself, thereby causing my life to reap daily blessings, I wish to notify you that it is my express wish and ardent desire to make over to you, as an humble and free gift from myself to yourself, the whole of the above property, and it shall henceforth become by right of gift your sole and absolute property, to bequeath or dispose of as you shall of your own free choice deem suitable.”
The context, if any, of the above part of the alleged letter is not given in The Globe. Mrs. Fletcher closed her communication to the reporter as follows: —
“Her statement about a command being given by her spirit mother to divest herself of all jewelry is absolutely untrue, because she never appeared without it, and was always noticeable for her conspicuous dress and her love of any article which would go to make up a striking apparel. The jewels, which have been valued all the way from $50,000 to $100,000 were taken by myself to a jeweller, who said they could not be sold for over $3,500. The actual value of the rest of the property may be estimated in a like ratio. After crossing the ocean and arriving at Lake Pleasant, we found that we had been preceded by one James McGeary, otherwise called Dr. Mack.”
Here Mrs. Fletcher characterized Mr. McGeary’s conduct as dastardly and scandalous, and accused him of being the person who had prevailed upon Mrs. Davies to take the course she has, and saying “that his action was taken purely out of revenge.” The arrests and search of the house were made as described in The Globe at the time of the affair. Mrs. Fletcher states that the property seized by the detectives at her Washington street residence was exclusively and absolutely her own property, and had nothing to do whatever with the property transferred by Mrs. Davies. The garments marked with Mrs. Davies’ initials were simply cast-off <... continues on page 10-451 >