ed the
ghost to answer whether he had indeed poisoned her. There being no answer,
the question was put by Mr. Aldritch, who conjured it, if it were indeed a
spirit, to end their doubts, make a sign of its presence, and point out
the guilty person. There being still no answer for the space of half an
hour, during which time all these boobies waited with the most
praiseworthy perseverance, they returned to the house of Mr. Aldritch, and
ordered the girl to get up and dress herself. She was strictly examined,
but persisted in her statement that she used no deception, and that the
ghost had really appeared to her.

So many persons had, by their openly expressed belief of the reality of
the visitation, identified themselves with it, that Parsons and his family
were far from being the only persons interested in the continuance of the
delusion. The result of the experiment convinced most people; but these
were not to be convinced by any evidence, however positive, and they
therefore spread abroad the rumour, that the ghost had not appeared in the
vault because Mr. Kent had taken care beforehand to have the coffin
removed. That gentleman, whose position was a very painful one,
immediately procured competent witnesses, in whose presence the vault was
entered, and the coffin of poor Fanny opened. Their depositions were then
published; and Mr. Kent indicted Parsons and his wife, his daughter, Mary
Frazer the servant, the Rev. Mr. Moor, and a tradesman, two of the most
prominent patrons of the deception, for a conspiracy. The trial came on in
the Court of King's Bench, on the 10th of July, before Lord Chief-Justice
Mansfield, when, after an investigation which lasted twelve hours, the
whole of the conspirators were found guilty. The Rev. Mr. Moor and his
friend were severely reprimanded in open court, and recommended to make
some pecuniary compensation to the prosecutor for the aspersions they had
been instrumental in throwing upon his character. Parsons was sentenced to
stand three times in the pillory, and to be imprisoned for two years; his
wife to one year's, and his servant to six months' imprisonment in the
Bridewell. A printer, who had been employed by them to publish an account
of the proceedings for their profit, was also fined fifty pounds, and
discharged.

The precise manner in which the deception was carried on has never been
explained. The knocking in the wall appears to have been the work of
Parsons' wife, while the