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Flammarion, C., Carroll, L, - Death and its mystery: before death

216 DEATH AND ITS MYSTERY

Let us also listen to Dr Osty, concerning certain facts recently studied by him:

In February 1914, Madame Camille, who was exercising the profession of a medium at Nancy, gave, during a hypnotic sleep, indications which resulted in the recovery of the body of Monsieur Cadiou, who had been missing since December 30th, without there having been, until then, the least hint as to the cause of his disappearance.

There was at once a great noise in the papers. Police and magistrates could not conceal their annoyance. The 'strong-minded’ the shrewd, those whose superior intelligence shone in their expressions, did not hesitate an instant to accuse the somnambulist of being an accomplice, paid by those interested to mislead justice

Professor Bernheim, interviewed by a, reporter of the “Matin," declared that divination did not exist. “We have never been able to establish” he said, "in the course of my long career, phenomena of vision at a distance or of divination; all my scientific education revolts against the existence of such phenomena and until there is serious verification I shall contest the truth of them."

Nevertheless, nothing was more certain than this hypnotic revelation.

A month later, on March 19, 1914, Monsieur Andre Rifaut, the caretaker of the chateau of Boursault, disappeared. Men ransacked the woods and the lakes formed by the overflowing of the Marne.

The police and a company of the Rheims militia made an active search, but the judicial inquiry remained without results.

Then the brothers Rifaut did as the Cadiou family had done and had recourse to several mediums, who, with one accord, declared that the caretaker had been murdered and thrown into the water.

Madame Camille, who was one of the three, spoke thus, on March 24th according to the "Journal":

"You are seeking for a relative. I see him. After having exchanged some papers with a man clad in a uniform, he goes on into the night along a deserted road. There is a river a little farther on. He approaches his home. A man comes up and strikes him on the back of his head with a club. The unfortunate man falls, stunned.  The murderer picks him up and goes to throw him in the river. I see his body. It will be found in a few days, far from this spot."

On April 12th, the body of Monsieur Rifaut was picked up by some fishermen, who found it floating down the current at Jaulgonne, Aisne, Dr. Petit, the coroner, formally decided there had been death by violence. According to his evidence, the caretaker of the chateau of Boursault had been struck down, the skull had been driven in, and the unfortunate man was dead before he was thrown into the water.