"OCCULT SCIENCE."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 184, 4 August 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

"OCCULT SCIENCE."

NURSE'S REMARKABLE SUIT AGAINST

A - DOCTOR.

Before Mr Justice Darling and a commoa jury, In the Queeai's Bench division, i-on-don, on Tuesday, June 19, "Bowling V. Dods" was aa action brought to recover damages for libel. Mr Stuart Bevan appeared for the plaintiff, und Mr Hammond Chambers, Q.C., and Mr Fermlnger for tho defendant.

The plaintiff was Miss Agnes Dowlimg, a certificated nurse, who, at the date of the alleged libel, November, 1808, was residing at Ladbroke Grove, W., and the defendant was Mr Louis Ferdinand Dods, a surgeon practising at 246, Marylebone Road. The plaintiff's case was that In November, 1898, the defendant falsely and maliciously published a letter, written to the relieving oflicer of the Paddlngton district, In which the defendant certilied that, to the best of his knowledge, the plaintiff was of unsound mind, that she had hallucinatins, and had sent threatening letters to various people, some of whom went in terror of their lives. The letter went on to allege that plaintiff stated she was bewitched and hypnotised. The plaintiff had lately passed an examination as dispenser at the Apothecaries' Hall, and was now seeking a situation as such, nnd in her present state of mind that might be a great danger to the community. He had interviewed several people, who all AGREED AS TO HER INSANITY, and were afraid of her. That was signed by the defendant, and was the libel complained of. The defence was a denial of any false or malicious feeling, and a plea of privilege.

The plaintiff having given evidence in support of her case, was cross-examined by Mr Hammond Chambers. In the course of this plaintiff said she formerly lived at the House of the Holy Cross, 2, Ladbroke Square, W., end had written several letters to the nurses. Sister St. Clair was the assistant matron there, and she had written one long letter to her. In the letter appeared the following:—"When I was on night duty, and sleeping in your home, you kept me awake often, and made me write letters to you at Fnlhnm." That was by telepathy. Mrs Murphy (Sister Stephanie) was under the influence of hypnotism sometimes. In the letter she further said, "This is the message I have to send to you—you are a vile, unjust, unholy woman. One has only to look at you to see there is no spirit of mortification In you. You tried to take my soul from me with your diabolical practices." That could be called hypnotism, but she should call It occult science, which included everything. The letter went on, "You I

NEARLY DROVE ME OUT OF MY MIND

because I would not submit or consent to be your willing Instrument. You1 111-treated me and starved me, and you shall be punished for it, unless you decide to let me alone. You" took possession of my mind; you could read most of my thoughts. You threw me down in the street one day because you did mot approve of them."

That she accounted for by thought-body phenomena. She was not walking with her when knocked down. It was because she was thinking of her at the time, and how she disliked her. Sister St. Clair's thoughtbody followed her—what was called her "double." Scientific people believed in that.

Further on she wrote: "I have the blood of saints, martyrs, and kings in me, which you or they have not; therefore the holy Influence is too strong for you or them." Being an Irish Catholic, she maintained she had the blood of saints in her.

In reply to Mr Justice Darling, the plaintiff said she had heard the voice of Dr. Groves Several times at the time she was In, Ireland and Dr. Groves was In the Isle of Wight. That was telepathy.

Dr. Dods, the defendant, was called, and said that on November 20, 1898, he was la Dr. Farrar's dining-room, when Dr. Farrar was called out. Hearing scuffling In the hall he looked out, and saw the plaintiff waving her arms about, chattering to herself, laughing, and

BEHAVING IN A MOST PECULIAR

STYLE,

When Dr. Farrar returned he told him what had happened, and showed him a letter' he had received from Sister .St. CJalr about plaintiff. Iv her own interest he wrote the letter he did.

In cross-examination witness said he be> licved in hypnotism to a certain extent.

Mr Justice Darling, in summing up, said the letters showed that plaintiff believed that Miss Ashby had influence over her by occult and unholy means, and was in league with the devil. Belief in occult and devilish power was common in earlier times, and had been recognised by the law of England. Juries had convicted, a>rid judges on the Bench had condemned men to death on ac-fj» cusations which in this day were believed to have been downright folly. As late as 1603, in the time of James 1., an Act was passed punishing witchcraft with death. The learned judge directed attention to a trial at Stowmarket 230 years ago, when two witches were hanged on charges very Hire those levelled at Miss Ashby by the plaintiff, when she said that the former threw her down by a spirit form in the street. At that trial the court had the assistance of a learned medical man, Sir Thomas Brown, of Norwich, the author of the classical "Rellgio Medici," just as to-aay they had Dr. Forbes Wlnslow.

A juryman: I hope your Lordship Is not going to ask us to decide what a 'Witch Is? Mr Justice Darling said the jury would have to decide

WHETHER THIS SPIRIT FORM WAS

A FACT, Mllucinamns 1!' PlalUtlff WaS SUfferins from

The questions left to the jury were-— Were the words written by the defendant to the relieving officer true? Did the defendant act with reasonable care and with B0,? d f aith! Dld the d^endant write to the relieving officer without malice?

The jury, after an absence of an hour answered the first and third questions In «nnMf» Hvf' and assessed the damages at £100. The jury were sent back to find an answer to the unanswered question. After ft further absence of an hour they returned and found that the defendant had spoken' untruly when he said plaintiff wns of unsound mind; that It wns untrue she said she was bewitched; that it was untrue that asa dispenser she would be a danger to the community; and that It was untrue he had nterviewed several people who were agreed as to lier insanity. b

On these findings the judge entered judgment for the plaintiff, with £100 damajres and costs, and refused stay of execution