The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-06-03
4 startling Incidcnt-wonderful Trans
formation OF Character,

A most remarkable premonition has
i Just come to our knowledge. 1t Is one
i Of those startling incidents which stag.
ger the credulity, reaching beyond the
realm of fancy, and trench upon the
supernatural. We can only hope t.
give the readers of the Journal a toler-
able idea of the affair, leaving details
to the Imagination: sr--.s
4 John w resides on the Hill, in
the eastern part of the city. He had
for years proclaimed himself materi-
alist; and he took pride in saying that
he believed in nothing that could not
be recognized with the aid of thesenses.
He did not "believe in supernatural
| manifestations" and he utterly secuted
the idea of an existence beyond the
grave. His Sundays were mainly
spent in hunting through the fields and
forests contiguous to the city with his
dogs and gun. he was very Nimrod,
and he had a taste for preserving, in
excellent style, the game he secured.
We note these matters to show the
reader that w. is not a man who is
easily affected by those demonstrations
which are termed spiritual manifesta-
tions."
Some time ago his wife was taken Sc
riously i'll; and in order that she should
have the most careful nursing and pa
tient attention It Were possible to Sc
cure, he assisted i'm the duties of minis
tering to the wants of his sick wife, both
day and night. Despite the best med
ical attention and the NEST loving and
devoted nursing, the wife grew worse,
until all hope of her recovery was CIV
en- UP by the attending physicians,
though the affectionates husband could
not believe the unwelcoine intelligence.
The evening before the dissolution
of Mrs. W., her husband, who was al
most overcome with anxiety, watching
and fatigue, laid down on a lounge in
the sick room to obtain little rest
not to sleep. A queer sort of drowsi-
ness came over him. He did not sleep.
He was conscious of everything trans
piring in the room. He was, for the
moment, incapable of motion. Hehad
no volition of will. Suddenly there
appeared before him monstrous, fierce
looking bull, eyes blazing fire, his
mouth open, smoke issuing from his
nose, and he was lashing his sides with
his tail! 1t was fearful sight. 1t was
too real for an apparation, and w. was
appalled,. What could he do? Max
ing a desperate effort he sprang from
the lounge to the floor, and the same
instant the terrible brute vanished.
Observing that his sick wife was
watching his strange movements, he
inquired of her if she had seen the fear
full sight She had been awake all the
while, but she had seen or heard moth
ing of the apparition which had so
startled her husband. She told him it
was all his own imagination; that he
had worn himself down by constant
watching, and that he needed rest and
sleep that she did not require so much
attention; and that if he>did not obtain
the rest he so badly needed, he would
also be sick At length w. also came
to the conclusion that the thing was
the fancy of an over-wrought mind.
But he could not Danish the incident,
and he was much annoyed about it.
He was perfectly wide awake al the
while, and how the thing have merely
been in his fancy?
w. again laid down ON the lounge,
and was in that position only few
moments when the same horrible brute
again made its appearance, looking
much more ferocious than before, and |
threatened to tear him with hoofs and
horns. The huge brute approached
W., glaring in his eyes, while the hot
breath of the animal fairly stified him !
With a yell of terror, w. sprang from
the lounge, and the same instant, the |
horrid brute disappeared! AT the same
time, the stove in the room was envel-
oped in sheet of flames, which shot |
up against the ceiling! and w. feared
that the house would be set on fire. |
But the flames vanished as suddenly as |
they appeared, and there was not the
smell of fire in the room, nor the sign
of smoke ON the ceiling.
w. who had never knew fear, and
had never prayed, now fairly trembled
with terror, and prayed to the Great
Being for protection for him and his.
From that moment w. became firm
believer i'm hereafter, and system of
rewards and punishments. He has not
seen the wonderful apparition since
DdytOa Journal.