the father of the girl, who denied, in the strongest terms, any knowledge or belief of fraud. The supposed Spirit had before publicly promised, by an affirmative knock, that it would attend one of the gentlemen into the vault, under the Church of St. John's Clerkenwell, where the body is deposited, and give a token of her presence there, by a knock upon her coffin. It was therefore determined to make this trial of the existence or veracity of the supposed Spirit.
"While they were enquiring and deliberating, they were summoned into the girl's chamber by some ladies, who were near her bed, and who had heard knocks and scratches. When the gentlemen entered, the girl declared that she felt the Spirit like a mouse upon her back, and was required to hold her hands out of bed. From that time, though the Spirit was very solemnly required to manifest its existence, by appearance, by impression on the hand or body of any present, by scratches, knocks, or any other agency, no evidence of any preter-natural power was exhibited.
"The Spirit was then very seriously advertised, that the person to whom the promise was made, of striking the coffin, was then about to visit the vault, and that the performance of the promise was then claimed. The company, at one, went into the Church; and the gentleman to whom the promise was made went with one
more into the vault. The Spirit was solemnly required to perform its promise; but nothing more than silence ensued. The person supposed to be accused by the Spirit then went down with several others, but no effect was perceived. Upon their return, they examined the girl, but could draw no confession from her. Between two and three she desired, and was permitted to go home with her father.
"It is therefore the opinion of the whole assembly, that the child has some art of making or counterfeiting particular noises[185:A], and that there is no agency of any higher cause."
Completely exasperated at the base methods adopted by his enemies to ruin his character, if not to affect his life, the injured party at length had recourse to the justice of his Country; and exactly one year after the exposure of this ridiculous as well as wicked imposture, the principals made him pecuniary satisfaction, to avoid worse consequences; but Parsons received sentence of imprisonment for two years, and to be pilloried three times; his wife imprisonment one year, and their servant six months. Thus ended the serio-comedy of Fanny the phantom, which afforded fine sport for the wits of the day; nay, Parsons shared in the joke, for the populace pitied his unmerited sufferings, and, instead of
pelting, cherished him when on the pillory, and even gathered money for him.
The Mayoralty of William Beckford, Esq. was distinguished by the trial of a greater number of felons than had occurred for many preceding years: 508 were placed at the bar of the Old Bailey; 58 received sentence of death; 187 were ordered to be transported; 15 to be branded in the hand, and five to be whipped.
Amongst the mal-practices of the Century may be included the Private Mad-houses. At first view such receptacles appear useful, and in many respects preferable to Public; but the avarice of the keepers, who were under no other controul than their own consciences, led them to assist in the most nefarious plans for confining sane persons, whose relations or guardians, impelled by the same motive, or private vengeance, sometimes forgot all the restraints of nature, and immured them in the horrors of a prison, under a charge of insanity.
Turlington kept a private Mad-house at Chelsea: to this place Mrs. Hawley was conveyed by her mother and husband, September 5, 1762, under pretence of their going on a party of pleasure to Turnham-green. She was rescued from the coercion of this man by a writ of Habeas corpus, obtained by Mr. La Fortune, to whom the lady was denied by Turlington and Dr. Riddle;