Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-04
4 Erighifni TIA = ~ .DiriIu,ii..
Destruction.

A frightful tragedy occurred ON 81
between 35'h streets. ahnut75 o'e..e.a y w..
iug.involsing the self de,iruoti, uf IN.
john b. Fan banks. H..##.'
Mr.. Fairbanks roomed in five story b.,s..
a short distance from the Fremont III,
ner al 9Th ayenu' aud 10Th street. NJ VIII 60
BE- took hi meals. His place of b1,ina. l.#t'
3)S Broadway, whore he conluct4, e., p, "
geney. He was single nun; upward. ~ - \.
years old. '.fig
!. II appehrs from the statement, of tha :
of the house where he raomrd, ;; hat f,r '#t
passed the deceased has been investirats,
subject Of >piritua,rn.and that some W. 'ar
became firmly convinced Of its irnthfnlns. ''5'
took frequent occasion to converse VIII 4'
family on that subject, and attempted l. I'm
them to his views. He atiepda1 al 'ls
spiritual meetings in the city. and r4a5 a a1' '.r
works on the subject lie could get hold ar Ila
firmly believed that departed spirits ATTENDED u, ~
living constantly, influencing thrr actinn. w.
infu>ing their superior thoughts and iJ.a a
the human mind, '
He had lost sister and was seized viii
intense anxiety to see aud converse with h.. u
to iHer,an1 WAS heard often to say thai Ia
give ANYTHING could his internal vi>,ion l IN
ed and could he, like Swedenborg behold >,
splrlt world aud converse with its iuhabtant.
Ii seems that. with this idea upperno., j.,
mind, he oume to belive thai hi, si.,ar ~.
converse with him, and he was known NJ '''
occasion 10 say that she sometime, ayat a'5
him from his sleep. from which it ,pnesrs = i'4
he was laboring under IA mental hal1ueinati , ,
believed thai he saw her spirit H., c5,,, ''"a
much. and often in beautiful and tencbi,,. ia
of the elevating Influences of his faith a., -
delight II impars to the weary aweiIer.
earth. to feel and know that those ao4r ;, -
who have gone 10 The mystic land, come b,ck a,i
! / T., l.
thoughts, their conn.e- and Their b.,.,f'.:'5'
1t appears, also, that upon several mn,
he manifested symptom Of grrat mental safs.
ing. Oae night he was h"ard IL graan i3..,5 :.
Il long time, and finally come II the f,,ou,, :,
tIaettd ny hls cileS iapl ed al his door and M
cd him II IL mas i'll, to which he replied ~ -
They then asked him what aile,l him. aa3 l....
plied Nen viii know hereafter" 'u,.,.,,
day h. warned the family To have nothing T., \,
with mesmcri,m, clasrvoyauce or spirtanli,n,
Yet he soon exhibited the same interp, and
pleasure IN his faith. aud predicted with earnest.
ne>- that spiriiuali>m would soou hecom,. flo
prevailing faith, sweeping away all Other creed.
dagmas, and sects. lie also remarked toa yom,
lady present." You will live to see iha TIM
bat | shall not"
In the meantime, Mr.. Fairbanks attended T.,
his usual business pursuits. and nIthng. aside
from this, of an unusual character. awa>enedap,
suspicious to his sanity. But la~t ni.,#.
about eleven O'Clock. he went into the fremont
House, which wa, a very uuu~ual thjnr for han
to do at that time, aud wn- heard II rontpr,,# IL
"a loud tone of voice, asserting that spnr> a,4
constantly around Us, &e. He also c,nyrI,eI
with the family with which he room, GA tie ,sa,4
subject.
This morning he got up between and a.
clock, and went from the second floor, ON which
he rooms. to an unoceupi"d room upon the fin
floor, a young lady in an adjoining apartment
heard him raise a window and uttera loud eraan
She Immediately looked out and saw him fa1a,
to the sidewalk. He struck upon his forehead
crushing his forehead and face in most fra.
ful manner and causing instant death.
His body was taken t. a room in the Fremont
House, where the coroner held inquest, u1l
rendered verdict in accordauce with the abo4-
facts
Mr.. Fairbanks was man of good intel sauer
and business capacities, and of large p t-.fa;
being upwards of six feet high-N Y. Posi-