noon
In later years , although this practice had been considerably curtailed , a number of unqualified people managed to eke out a living . Judge Bolitho discovered that one of these -- a certain Ezekiel Ashworth , who pretended to a knowledge of herbs , and who was also one who held high place among the spiritualists of the town -- had attended in a medical capacity on various occasions at 27 Brunclough Lane . He also found out that this man had , during the last few weeks , sent a good deal of medicine to Mrs. Dodson 's house , and , more than all this , that he had been called in on the previous evening some two hours after Mary had been in the street . A little after noon Judge Bolitho found his way to Ezekiel Ashworth 's house . He lived in a small , narrow street in one of a row of cottages which was let to him for four and sixpence a week . Ezekiel Ashworth had in his younger days been a weaver , but his mother , who was renowned as a very wise woman , had imparted her secrets to him before she died , and he had from that time followed his mother 's calling . He also claimed that the spirits told him many things which doctors were unable to find out , and thus he imposed upon the credulity of ignorant people .