The outraged husband, as may be imagined, lost not a moment in demanding admission to the séances which were proceeding merrily under the direction of a servant in the Parsons family and a clergyman of the neighborhood. He found that the method practised was to put the girl to bed, wait until the knocking should begin, and then question the alleged spirit; when answers were received according to a code of one knock for an affirmative and two knocks for a negative. It was in his presence, then, though not at a single sitting, that the following dialogue was in this way carried on:
"Are you Miss Fanny?"—"Yes."
"Did you die naturally?"—"No."
"Did you die by poison?"—"Yes."
"Do you know what kind of poison it was?"—"Yes."
"Was it arsenic?"—"Yes."
"Was it given to you by any person other than Mr. Knight?"—"No."
"Do you wish that he be hanged?"—"Yes."
"Was it given to you in gruel?"—"No."