The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-08-23
Remarkable Apparitions.

Whatever may be thought at the pr,
sent day concerning the reality of spe'
tres and apparitions, 1t is certain that il
the last century there were many VIII
firmly believed that they had been visite,
by beings of . supernatural world, or tha
they had seen the spirits of departed rela
tives and friends. One of the best authen
ticated of these stories is that of Nicolai
an author and bookseller of Berlin. Ir
the autumn of the year 100, he tells u
that he had been afflicted with an unin
terrupted series of misfortunes, which had
the effect Of causing in him very Low
spirits At length he fell i'll, and one
morning, while his wife and mother were
in the room, he saw at a short distance
from the bed, a form like that of friend
whom he had lost He asked his wife to
look at it. but she saw nothing, and en-.
deavored to allay his agitation At four
o'clock on the afternoon Of the same day
the figure again appeared to him. He
endeavored to convince himself that he
was laboring under some delusion, occa-
stoned by his weak health, but in q short
time numerous other phantoms, some.
times resembling strangers, but mosAy
acquaintances, surrounded his bed q
could, writes Nicolai, distinguish be.
tween phantoms and real objects, and
the calmness with which l examined
them enabled me to avoid the commission
OF the small mistakes exactly when it
only appeared to me that the door was
opening, and a phantom entered the door,
and when it actually opeued, and real
person entered" For = long time Nicolai
was haunted by these apparitions, not
only in his own house but when he visited
frIo L.
took no notice OF each other, and they
moved las in market place, where all
are eager to press through the crowd
Some were pleasing in a. pearance, and
none were disgusting or terrifying in
aspect Nicolai heard them talk occa
sionally, though all he says on the subject
is that their speeches were commonly
short, and never OF an unpleasant turn"
After this state had continued for some
time it was decided to bleed the patient,
and while the operation was being per-
formed Nicolai fancIed tha: he saw the
chamber crowded vii h lis shadowy guests.
Gradually they vanished into the AIR. and
the bookseller was free. at a subsequent
period Of his life he tells us that he ex-
perienced sensation as il the pbautoms
were going 10 reappear, but he saw
nothing. Nothing can be clearer that q
bad state OF health had coniured up the
spectres, and they were exercised by
means of u few leeches
Another extraordinary story is told Of q
commission which was appointed after
The execution of Charles l. TO survey the
kings house at Woodstock. One night
when all the doors were securely fastened,
a great black dog entered the room where
ih y sat, made dreadful bowling, over
turning TWO OF three chairs, and vanished
under the bed" While wondering at this
occurrence they heard the furniture being
throw II about the king presence chamber,
aud The following morning they found the
minutes OF their transactions torn To pie-
ces and the ink glass broken; in the might
some OF the beds were tilted up SO high
that the occupants began to think their
necks would be broken. aud then they
were let suddenly down with such force
as to shake the very windows and ceilings.
Bedclothes were stripped of, candies ex-
.,esaished, and all kinris Of 7auear,hfy
noises were heard. Huge stones we're
thrown into the bedrooms during the
night, canncn seemed TO be fired off, aud
DR. Pot, in his History of Oxford-hire,
states that this spectral canEouading was
heard sixteen miles round the county
The commissioners were thoroughly ter
rified by this time, and their horror was
increased on the night of the lst of No
vember, when burning logs of wood were
tossed into their beds, paifuls OF green,
stinken water were thrown iato their
room, the furniture was scatter eli and
broken, cannon laundering ia their ears,
like the broadsides Of ships of war, and
not only the commissioners but every one
in the neighborhood, were frightened
beyond measure. CrOmwelrs agents could
stand it no longer; they left the house,
and conld never be prevailed upon to
return.
All these "sisns and wonders" were
caused, it was afterwards discovered. BY
the commissioners own secretary-one
Joseph Collins. He knew ali the trap
doors and secret passages in the house,
and. with the aid of his fellow servants,
performed all the tricks that had so
alarmed the commissioners.
A pamphlet published in 1899 relates
the story of lady who, when lying ill.,
was visited by the apparition of female
relative, and heard her say: My dear,
you will recover from this sickness, but
you will most certainly die the day you
are q years old" Four years afterward
the lady reached the age indicated, and
ner nusO2nd assembled party 10 try
and divert her thoughts from the warn
ing she had received Her friends did
all that lay in their power to cheer her,
but they had not left the house many
minutes before she was seized with fit
and expired-no doubt from sneer exhaus-
ton and apprehension.
The anecdote Of Professor BaungArten
has often been referred to. One day,
while sitting at his study window, at Ber
lin, he saw a fuueral procession coming
down the street attended by mourners
who were his intimate friends. When
the coffin came beneath the window, he
read his own age and name on the plate
lie wrote his will directly, and the same
evening died In a fit of apOplexy-the
same cause doubtless, having been at work
in his case as in that of Nicolai
GorrscHALk-A good story is told Of
Gottschalk during his late professional
tour in Canada At his concert in Mon.
treal loud calls were made for Dixie" as
soon he took his seat For a moment
the pianist was confused, but, soon collect
ing himself, he faced his audience and sat