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Instead of the grim exhibits that are a sine qua non to the average felon, we had somewhat of an altar, and images of the Virgin Mary with crucifixes, candles, swords, robes etc. Thompson, a well dressed man of black complexion and Martin, pleaded not guilty. Mr Hendrick, Acting Clerk of the Courts, conducted the prosecution.
Daniel Howell's evidence: he stated he was a District Constable for St Andrew, and he knew both defendants. He became acquainted with the male defendant in September last. He was introduced to him, or rather the defendant introduced himself to him. He was standing one night in Orange Street at about 7 o'clock. Thompson came along with another man. He was carrying a handbag. Thompson said to him. 'You are sick. You are a sick man. Your wife is also sick and I can help you.' He asked him for his address and defendant replied: 'I am Thompson, and living on the Shortwood Road.' He told Thompson he would come to see him. He went home and told his wife. He said he made a report to the police at Halfway Tree. Howell said he went to Thompson's house on the Shortwood Road. Thompson took him into his drawing room and gave him a chair. Thompson asked him what he could do for him. He told Thompson his wife was sick and he was sick and he had come to see what could be done for him. Thompson asked him if he had brought any money. He said no. Thompson told him he would have to bring 6/ and a bottle of white rum so that he could fix his compass. The following day, the 26th September, he went back and took the 6/ and a pint of Bootlegger white rum. Thompson took him into a small hot room. He saw 'lighted candles, swords, images, fowls, and a variety of other curious looking things.' All of what was on the table in the court room was what he saw. Howell said after he had seen all the things he became frightened. Thompson handed him the Bible (produced) and told him to read the First Psalm. He had given his name as Henry Garvey. Howell said prisoner robed himself in a black and red gown and put on the cap (produced). Prisoner then repeated the Apostle's Creed, after which he took a small looking glass and looked in it. Prisoner then said that three ghosts were on his wife and one on him; the case was a serious one, but he would help him. Prisoner threw a little ointment from a phial and made a cross on his forehead and on the back of his neck. Prisoner said he could not help him unless he agreed to pay £3. He told prisoner he had a hog which he would sell to pay him the £3. He left after that. The prisoner told him to get a pint of white rum, a yard of white calico, a yard of black cloth, one fowl, two quarts of sea water and a quart of draught porter. He got all the things and returned on the 3rd October to the defendant. He gave the defendant the articles now produced in court. Ashenheim raises the point the fowl and white rum is not produced. Howell said that he had prepared the money at home and he would get it at 3 o'clock on the 4th October. Before leaving Thompson told him to get one pint of white rum, a pound of rice, a pound of white Albion sugar and one candle, and keep it at his home until he arrived. Prisoner also gave him a phial of ointment and told him to drop three drops in his hands and rub it three times over his wife's head. Prisoner also gave him some tablets and told him to give them to his wife every two hours to digest whatever she eat as the ghosts was putting hand in it. On Thursday 4th October, according to an arrangement subsequently, he was to meet the prisoner and give him the money. He had no hog to sell but he got two one-pound notes and a pound in silver from Sergeant Major Williams. The Sergeant Major marked each of the notes 'Willie,' while Ewart marked each of the coins with a cross under the throat of the Sovereign. Howell produced the ointment and tablets. The money was also produced. Howell said he went to prisoner's house with the £3 at about 6.30pm on Thursday 4th. He saw Thompson and Martin and they went to his home at about 8.15pm. He took them through the back door into the room in which his wife was lying down. Thompson took his jacket off, looked at his wife and said that she was very serious. Thompson asked how long he was living there. He told him one year. Thompson asked how long his wife was ill,and how many children he had. After he gave the information, Thompson asked him for the candle and he gave it to him. Thompson lighted the candle and placed it on a basin. Thompson took his wife's hand and felt her pulse, then he felt her heart, and said it was beating three degrees above normal because three ghosts were on her. Thompson next asked for the pint of rum which was given him, also the rice and the sugar. He took some of the rice and scattered it around the back door. Thompson next sprinkled some of the rum outside and said: 'Go spirit! Go!' Thompson then took a drink of the rum. Howell said Thompson told Martin to open his bag and take the tablets out. Thompson took two of the tablets and told him to give his wife. He didn't give it to his wife, but threw it on the bed. Thompson called for some water and told him to give his wife some. Thompson next told Martin to take his Bible out his bag and give him. He was then told to read the 3rd and 5th Psalm. He read aloud, Thompson took a second drink of the rum and gave Martin some. He asked Thompson what about the ghosts he was speaking about. Thompson said: 'I am going to handle them now.' Thompson went to the door and sounded a whistle three times. Then he threw away some rice and sugar and said: 'Don't you see I have them now, one, two, thee, five!' Ashenheim: 'What are those, the Psalms?' Clerk: 'No, the ghosts.' Howell said that Martin said to him he had been wasting money on the doctors and had not come to the right man. Thompson said he was to come on Friday night for a pint of medicine and bring 16/ exclusive of the £3. He was also to bring his wife to Thompson's yard on Sunday and he was not to carry her back as the yard was back. Thompson then put on his jacket and he gave him the money he had got from Williams. Thompson counted the money and handed it to Martin to put in the bag. At this stage Williams and Ewart came right in the room and arrested both defendants. Thompson said: 'I am only giving my brother Garvey's wife a little prayer.' He knelt down and recited the Lord's Prayer. Williams took hold of the hand bag and took out some money out the bag. Williams asked whose money it was and and Thompson said: 'It is mine, I sold a cow today.' (laughter). He accompanied the two defendants to Halfway Tree station. Williams counted the money and Thompson said it wanted four shillings more. The same day then went to Thompson's house on the Shortwood Road, where a search was made and all the things produced in court were found there. The things were taken from the same 'hot room' which he was taken into on the 3rd October. His wife was not sick. She was not a sickly woman.
Cross-examined by Ashenheim: It was the first night he met Thompson the night he spoke to him at North Street. They had no appointment to meet there and Thompson simply looked at him and said he was sick. When he said yes, he was sick and his wife was sick, he told a lie. When he told him his name was Garvey it was a lie. His Honour: 'There is no necessity for all this. The witness has already admitted these things.' Ashenheim said he would like to conduct the case according to his own light and the best of his ability. Howell said the image in court was the Virgin Mary. He didn't see a rosary. He didn't know what a rosary was. He didn't know what a Sacred Heart Altar was. He saw them on a press. The image was covered with red and blue cloth. The crucifix was somewhere on the table. You said you got frightened. Now what frightened you? - The big crook stick. 'But what frightened you? - The sword and the looking glass and his telling me that ghosts were on me.' Howell said he did not know the meaning of the word 'frightened.' He did not find the little looking glass. It was not true that the first time he saw Thompson was when he went to Thompson's house on the 29th September. He went there for the purpose of trapping Thompson. He told Thompson he was working on a steam roller out on the Rockfort Road. He did not tell Thompson that he was converted and had come to receive the Holy Spirit. He did not know that Thompson kept meetings and that the Rev. E. Grant helped him. He did not say he was anxious to pray with Thompson and to receive the Holy Spirit. On his second visit he read the 1st Psalm. They did not pray together nor did he say that his wife had an unconverted spirit in her. Thompson did not tell him she should go to a doctor. He did not tell Thompson that an old woman had advised his wife to go and stop at a mission for a while, so that she could attend prayers. Thompson and himself did not discuss the furnishing of a room with a cot etc at the mission. They did not add up the cost of the things at £3 and he did not say that whatever the difference if it came to more he would pay. He did not tell Thompson his wife was suffering from pain and could not eat anything else but rice. Thompson did not give him some Canadian Healing Oil and soda mint tablets to give his wife. He called Thompson Brother Thompson and Thompson called him Brother Garvey. At this stage the further hearing was adjourned to 14 November. Defendants were granted the same bail.
25th October report: extensive further details about the incident, Howell's testimony that at Thompson's house he had seen "lighted candles, swords, images, fowls and a variety of other curious looking things". Howells became frightened when he saw these things, but Thompson handed him a Bible and told him to read the First Psalm. Thompson proceeded to robe himself in a black and red gown and cap, and repeated the Apostle's creed. Looking through a small looking glass, Thompson told Howells that three ghosts were on his wife and one on him. On a later visit to Howell's house, Martin also attended, and assisted Thompson with his activities. Eventually case adjourned again until 14th November, with defendants granted bail.
No other cases are linked to this source.
