Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-01-01
Mysterious Case ut Terre Hautc.


made your Junior when here, proceed give you a
narrative of of the facts, relating to the strange
mental manifestations of Susan E. Pearson. This
female has resided in the family of Mr. w. of this
place. some two or three years.
She Is from Kentucky, where some of ner connex-
ions reside She is about twenty-five years Of
age-has been sleep-waker from her earliest recol
lection.
You are aware that the family of Mr.. W., from
whom have received most of the facts respecting
her, persons of perfect integrity, and that
who know them, could Tor moment suspect them of
intentional Misrepresentation. Strange and startling
many things are, respecting her apparent gift of
second-sight, it can hardly be expected that many
Will not regard them merely fabulous, at best
the illusions of diseased imagination. My purpose
give facts which fully established and leave
others to draw their conclusions All the facts
connected with such instances highly important
to the cause Of science and the only anxiety which
the genuine lover of truth should feel, would be- 10
deduce from these and other facts, the true science of
mind, regardless of its effects upon his preconceiyed
opinions.
Up the latter part of June last Miss p had suf-
fered for several years from very frequent hemor-
rhage of the lungs by which she reduced to state
of great physical prosration. The slightest exer-
ton, when awake, would often cause fresh parox-
ysms of her complaint She suffered from very acute
headache and pain In the chest. Still she in the
habit of walking in her sleep; and would often leave
the house at night. Every device contrived to
prevent her, by fastening the doors in various ways
and placing heavy objects against them but with
the sagacity and skill peculiar to somnambulists, she
contriyed to remove all obstacles. On one OCCASION
settee placed directly in front of her bed so
that she could not get up without stumbling against
it. She at night and in attempting to get out
Of bed fell with her stomach directly the back
Of the settee.
This fail injured her severely. Medical aid was
called in, but as her injuries seemed to be internal it
was found impossible to afford her relief. She re-
NAMED thus, with health deeply impaired and suffer-
ing great pain, for three or four weeks and had re-
lnquished nearly all hope of ever being better. At
this time, (Which early in July ast) the family
observed that she remained with her eyes closed and
slept nearly the whole morning At breakfast time,
she requested to rise and eat breakfast She at
tempted to rise, but seemed wholly unable TO do so,
and appeared to suffer great pain and told Mrs. II.
(the mother of Mrs. W. that she should never eat
more She had eaten nothing for two or three days
previous to this time. She placed upon pallet
on the floor of her room and remained there appa-
rently unconscious until near noon. She would pray
and sing at intervals, but took no notice of things
about her, her eyes still remaining closed. About
noon she was replaced upon her bed and fell into a
very profound slumber, III which she remained until
three o'clock. She then awoke. Mrs. w. heard her
talking strangely and went to her. She said she was
to get up and leave the room-was removed into an
other room, and placed in easy chair supported by
pillows She then related what she had seen while
asleep. Stated that San appearance" had come to
her and conversed with her-that it white
robe and had its hair parted upon the forehead and
falling upon its shoulders 1t was the figure and face
of man, but she could only see from the waist up
wards. Its face was surprisingly beautiful and
beamed with more than human mdness and benig-
nifty. A bird in size like a robin or mourning dove,
pure white, excepting two small black spots on its
back kept uttering about the shoulders Of the aps
pearance, but did not alight
The appearance had in Its right hand a white
substance of kind, she could not tell what with
which it made several passes down the right side of
her forehead and down across her breast and then
made similar passes the left side. 1t then said to
her, "you will never bleed at the lungs again. and
you will never more have pain in the breast" II
then said 70 her that it would return six O'Clock
that evening" and that she would then either die or
recover and it would tell her which was to take
place. She stated that this visit four minutes
before four o'clock and that the appearance remained
with her Just four minutes The bedroom had no
tme-piece in it, nor had the in which she now
sat- There clock In the room between the two,
but 1t could not be from her bed nor from the
other During the time which elapsed between
four and six that evening, she repeatedly told the
act time by the clock although she could not see it.
The family tested her powers in this respect num-
Der of times, and always she gave the time with
much exactness as the person who was looking at the
clock. This power remained with her, until after
| SECOND WISH vi IDe appearance
During this interval she expressed frequently an
anxious desire to 'go, that is, die and her only
fear seemed to be that she should not. AT precisely six
O'Clock, the appearance returned. The family could
easily discover when it came, for she then seized
with trenor, and her face became radiant with loy
and she moved her lips as if speaking, though no
sound escaped her. They could tell when it depart
ed, for then her countenance became sad
1t remained Just four minutes. When it had left
she said that she could not gO-that the appearance
had told her, that at twelve minutes past six, she
would be entirely free from pain and would get up
perfectly well.
At twelve minutes past six she arose apparently
well, and asked for water and washed herself. She
then sat down to table and ate freely. taking meat
thing she had not done for days. Her strength and
general health improved from this time end became
better than it had been for years Her pain in the
chest left her at four o'clock and the headache at
twelve minutes past six. Her eyes had remained
closed during the entire day. This circumstance
makes the fact that she told the time accurately still
more remarkable, and removes every shade of sus-
pcOn of her having been able ascertain it by the
evidence of the senses.
Her health remained good until the tenth of Sep
TENDER. During this interval she had not the power
of telling time, nor had she the power of second
sight, so far as others could observe. She however
continued her sleep-walking and her habit of read
ing at night in the dark. When she was heard read
ing in the dark, the family sometimes took bible
ana looked over ue passages Tea0 Oy ner ana always
found that she read with perfect accuracy. After
reading and praying at night, her CUSTOM she
would return to bed and sing sacred songs with Pc
culiar sweetness These songs she cannot repeat
when awake but sings them correctly while in the
somnambulic state. She sometimes would in the day
time fall into very deep sleep, and rousing from
it, would go through with the exercises of read
ing, praying and singing, but her voice on all these
occasions very different from her natural voice.
September 10th. During the morning Miss P. APP