The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-09-09
A Strange scene at Glasgow.

A Strange Scene at Glasgow.
| CURIOUS CASE OF HALLUCINATION-
CONDITION OF TWO WOMEN.
The Glasgow (ScotlanD Herald tells a
sad story. Some few years ago a master
mariner named Stewart came to live m
Glasgow, accompanied by two sisters, about
forty-four and thirty-eight years of age
respectively. -Four years ago Captain
Stewart died in Africa, and the two sisters
shut themselves up in their house, refusing
to hold any intercourse with the outer
world:
On the 10th warrant to search the
house was obtained, and the place was en-
tered by the police, accompanied by two
medical men. On the right of the lobby
were seen dining-room, parlor and bed
room, filled with excellent furniture, but
overlaid with a thick coating of dust,
which evidently had never been disturbed
for years. On the lett was room from
which allfurniture had been removed, and
the floor of which was covered with hor-
rid accumulation of refuse and filth of
every description. In the kitchen there
were two or three scattered books lying on
the dresser. In the fireplace were some
ashes, but to all appearance there had been
no fire in the CRATE for heightened period,
and the closest scrutiny of the apartment
failed to discover anything in the way of
food.
The whole of the open rooms having
been examined, the visitors next addressed
themselves to the closed door OF cham
Der lying between the kitchen and the
apartment that had been used as an ASH
pit. When they tried to open this door a
loud scream issued from within, and a
strange shrill voice asked who was there.
Answer made was to the effect that it was
the police, and request made that the
door should be opened. The voices re-
sponded that the place was the house of
God, that the seal of the Apostle Peter
was on the lock, and that the visitors were
not the police, but belonged to the Free
Church, and were sent by the Free Church
Presbytery. 1t was in vain that the party
repeated that they were the police, and
had nothing to do with the Free Church !;
they found the inmates of the chamber in.
exorable, and were at last obliged to force
open the door. They found darkened
apartment, and near the door could be OBJ i.
served haggard looking female, who
made great outcry about the intrusion.
The other inmate could not at this time be
seen, but her voice chimed in with that of
her companion, and she was speedily dis
covered huddled up in remote corner of
the apartment
With good deal of trouble, the two
wretched creatures were got out into the
lobby, and then into the dusty dining
room. They resisted with what little
strength they had, and earnestly begged
that they should not be taken out-that
they should be let back again to the house
of God. When got out into the light the
appearance they presented was shocking
in the extreme. They seemed to be ema-
ciated as if from semi-starvation. Their
apparel consisted Of some scanty under
clothing in sadly filthy condition, and old
black merino wrappers, and they wore
neither shoes nor stockings. Their hands
and faces looked as if they had not been
washed for years, and their hair hung
about their faces and over their shoulders
in matted and dishevelled masses. When
taken into the dining-room the unhappy
creatures became perfectly wild with ex-
element. They seemed persuaded that
their visitors were spirits, and flung them
selves about with the utmost violence in
order to escape from their custody; and it
was only when DIR. Liddell threatened to
pour some water over their heads that they
became comparatively calm. They still,
however, chung tenaciously to the notion
that the party before them consisted OF
spirits from the other world, and prayed
earnestly to God to protect them from the
spirits that had come to injure them.
In all their words and gestures it was
observed that the younger of the two took
the lead, and the other repeated with par:
rot-llke imitation whatever her sister said
or did. The younger woman, indeed,
seemed to have established a sort of ascen-
dency over the elder, and when the latter
attempted to put her oar in, as if on her
own footing, her sister would turn sharply
about and tell her to hold her tongue and
sit down, as she had lost her mind-a re-
buke which seemed always to be taken
with meek scquiescence.
While this strange scene was going for
ward in the diniug-room the apartment
from which the two women had been re-
moved was subjected to scrutiny. In Or
der to admit the light of day, it was nee
essary to remove three black shawls which
had been nailed one over the other across
the window. When these had been taken
down, and the dust-covered blind drawn
up. q miserable spectacle presented itself
The floor was covered in most parts to the
thickness of about q foot, with ashes and
rubbish. In the fireplace was great hear
of ashes, with a small fire smouldering or
4 the top-the fire standing out from thu
chimney altogether, and sending its emok,
up along the wall Of the room, which wa
thiokly coated with SCOT The only fur
niture in the room consisted Of low bed