ten o’clock at night
The servants stated that the testator before signing it was perfectly acquainted with its contents , for the niece had made him repeat them in their presence . They also declared , however , that he seemed in a terrible fright , and said twice , `` It 's behind me ; it 's behind me ! '' Within an hour of the signing of the will the testator was found dead , apparently from the effects of fear , but the niece was not in the room at the time of death . The only other remarkable circumstance in the case was that the disreputable lover of the niece had been seen hanging about the house at dusk , the testator having died at ten o'clock at night . There was also a further fact . The son , on receiving a message from the niece that his father was seriously worse , had hurried with extraordinary speed to the house , passing some one or something -- he could not tell what -- that seemed to be running , apparently from the window of the sick man 's room , which was on the ground floor , and beneath which footmarks were afterwards found . Of these footmarks two casts had been taken , of which photographs were forwarded with the brief .