"The fact that his wife died in a strange manner, and that an attachment was discovered between him and Mrs. Hayward, led to suspicions that she had been murdered. The excitement was great. The civil authority had the body taken from its resting-place, and he was required to touch the body; it being the general belief, that, if the murderer was made to touch the murdered body, there would be some miraculous demonstration of his guilt. But there was no such demonstration; and Mr. Thompson, the recording magistrate, made entry that some people went home satisfied, and that others were dissatisfied. Mr Reed, however, married Mrs. Prudence Hayward."
