The Valet's Tragedy, and Other StudiesLang, Andrew
History
The Valet's Tragedy, and Other Studies
Lang, Andrew
History; World history
On October 25, 1828, one William Edden, a market-gardener, did not come
home at night. His wife rushed into the neighbouring village, announcing
that she had seen her husband’s ghost; that he had a hammer, or some
such instrument, in his hand; that she knew he had been hammered to
death on the road by a man whose name she gave, one Tyler. Her husband
was found on the road, between Aylesbury and Thame, killed by blows of
a blunt instrument, and the wife in vain repeatedly invited the man,
Joseph Tyler, to come and see the corpse. Probably she believed that it
would bleed in his presence, in accordance with the old superstition.
All this the poor woman stated on oath at an inquiry before the
magistrates, reported in the Buckinghamshire county paper of August 29,
1829.
Here is her evidence, given at Aylesbury Petty Sessions, August 22,
before Lord Nugent, Sir J. D. King, R. Brown, Esq., and others:
‘“After my husband’s corpse was brought home, I sent to Tyler, for some
reasons I had, to come and see the corpse. I sent for him five or six
times. I had some particular reason for sending for him which I never
did divulge.... I will tell my reasons if you gentlemen ask me, in the
face of Tyler, even if my life should be in danger for it. When I
was ironing a shirt, on the Saturday night my husband was murdered,
something came over me--something rushed over me--and I thought my
husband came by me. I looked up, and I thought I heard the voice of my
husband come from near my mahogany table, as I turned from my ironing. I
ran out and said, ‘Oh dear God! my husband is murdered, and his ribs are
broken.’ I told this to several of my neighbours. Mrs. Chester was the
first to whom I told it. I mentioned it also at the Saracen’s Head.”
‘Sir J. D. King.--“Have you any objection to say why you thought your
husband had been murdered?”
‘“No! I thought I saw my husband’s apparition and the man that had done
it, and that man was Tyler, and that was the reason I sent for him....
When my neighbours asked me what was the matter when I ran out, I told
them that I had seen my husband’s apparition.... When I mentioned it to
Mrs. Chester, I said: ‘My husband is murdered, and his ribs are broken;
I have seen him by the mahogany table.’ I did not tell her who did
it.... I was always frightened, since my husband had been stopped on the
road.” (The deceased Edden had once before been waylaid, but was then
too powerful for his assailants.) “In consequence of what I saw, I
went in search of my husband, until I was taken so ill I could go no
further.”
‘Lord Nugent.--“What made you think your husband’s ribs were broken?”
‘“He held up his hand like this” (holds up her arm), “and I saw a
hammer, or something like a hammer, and it came into my mind that his
ribs were broken.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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