The Stockton Insane Asylum Murder by James Musgrave

Author:James Musgrave [Musgrave, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: EMRE Publishing
Published: 2019-02-12T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8: The Visitor

The Women’s Section, Jacob’s Ladder, Stockton State Insane Asylum, Morning, April 27, 1887.

When Clara learned about the incarceration of her daughter, Bertha May, she was inside Jacob’s Ladder talking with Adeline. Clara realized her committee needed to increase its pressure on the authorities of the asylum. Dr. Rooney had mentioned that he was going to keep the female, Deidra Watkins, in solitary confinement, so the committee could not interview her anymore. Unless her group discovered a way to overrule Rooney’s authority, Bertha would remain in isolation. One less spy for them to use, and perhaps Dr. Rooney might even attempt to torture her daughter for information.

Downstairs, beneath the ladder leading up into the attic storeroom, Captain Lees was holding vigil as their guardian. The light inside the room was a dim reflection coming from a small window on the far side. Clara could barely discern Adeline’s face in the shadows, but it was the importance of her information that she was focused upon.

“What has been the motivation of these two men upstairs? Who are these five women, and what do Dr. Rooney and Francis Galton plan to do with them?” Clara was trying to remain calm, as the news about Bertha had increased her tension and fear.

“I am so sorry, Mrs. Foltz. I am not allowed to see these women. Mr. Galton contracted with Dr. Rooney to have them locked in a private room. All I do know is there are going to be experiments done on them.”

Clara could tell by the tremors in her young voice that Adeline was quite emotional. “Don’t be frightened. However, I am afraid you are now our only link to their endeavors. Until we can come up with some hard evidence to force our way into their research, we will have to rely on what you tell us.”

“Only link? What about Bertha May?” Adeline reached out to grasp Clara by her right forearm. “Has she been harmed?”

“Oh, no. Dr. Rooney informed us she was placed in isolation due to some serious infraction of the asylum’s rules. Therefore, we have nobody to watch over Polly at the moment. Mrs. Packard is attempting to interview the girl, but there is always a nurse standing by, so her questions are limited.” Clara moved next to Adeline and put her arm around her shoulders. “Please continue, dear. We must know whatever you have been able to perceive, including your psychic abilities.”

Instead of becoming calmer, Clara could feel Adeline’s body begin to shake with emotion. “Francis Galton is also a telepath. He informed me that my psychic talent was one of the major reasons he hired me for this job. He knew I had access to past history. I discovered we could read each other’s thoughts when I was being interviewed at Leland Stanford’s mansion. I have to be so careful around him, Mrs. Foltz. It is giving me nightmares about being found out. What if they do discover what I am doing? Would they kill

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