The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-11-08
Very Curious.
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SPIRIT OF AN ANTI
SPIRITuALIST.

SPIRITuALIST.
The Louisville Cou1er-Jo,.ynol tells this
story:
Mr.. B., a resident Of this city, who
Is noted for the acuteness of his perez Dtiye
powers, his intelligence, and scrupulous
veracity, relates an experience that seems
10 merit the attention Of those who seek to
know more of the nature Of man, eSpec-
ally since Mr.. b. is not 4 spiritualist nor an
orthodox Christian, who might be sus.
peeted of credulity, but q materialist, who
believes that the soul is the result Of pbysi-
cal lie and ceases to exist rs all individual
itg when ply steal life ends.
He says: Some years ago l lived in st.
Louis. My residence was on Olive street,
and | occupied two stories Of the house.
We did our cooking in the first story, and
our sitting room was in the second story,
from which there was an outside and al
inside stairway by which we could 90 down
TO reach the street. One evening, return
lag home about nighttall. sat down in a
rocking chair III our Sitting-ro1m, while
my wife went down stairs to prepare sup
per. From the kitchen she could have seen
me if, in a somHamUulic state, had gone
down either of the Stairways, but she is
positive that l did not 90 down stairs. |
must have been but q few minutes sitting
in the rocking-chalr when l had an impuls,
To 20 down town. | had no special bust
ness, but felt that l must go, and seemed
to 90 down stairs by the outside stairway.
| WIS not conscious Of any unusual sersa-
ton.
Passing on down street I met many per-
sons rel turning from work, and ii struck me
u singular tt.3 none Of them gave way 10
me. / had TO get out OF their way or they
would bavc run against NE. Icnme oppo-
site u bank, and noticed thIt there was Il
light inside. This did not ustoniSh me. as I
knew that in many banks and stores light
| is kept burning all night, but ! looked III
and saw man inside ccuuting notes. |
! tcit Il wish to 90 IN, and l knew that the
door was Shnt and locked. l could see that,
+! but it seemed that the door did not close 50
| tightly but | could slip III, and did so. |
! noticed exactly the hour that was shown by
| tie bank Clock and could hear the clock
| ticking. 1 went opposite the mau who was
| buSily engaged counting notes. He had
hair little gray and very peculiar features.
| noticed that ne sorted the notes as he ran
! them over, throwing the different denomi-
nations apart, and then counting them.
Observing this tor q few minutes, | was
suddenly seized with dread lest the man
should look up, and, surprising / had
come in with some tcloniouS intent, do me
some harm, is by shooting me, before
could explain how get IN after the door
was locked. In considerable trepldation |
for the moment could act see how TO get
out. [ did not remember that l could 90
out where had gone in. Wishing 10 have
the man see me without being startled.
and thinking thnt the best way to excuse
INV presence was for him to see me be-
tween him and The door, went round tc
his side to attract his attention ; but he
did not seem to see NE even when he
looked toward me. attempted to put my
hand on his shoulder to insure his attcu-
ton, but somehow / could not touch him.
| spoke to him, but he did not seem TO
hear word that l said. ..
;;ecoIlectiny then how had got in, /
went out through the door-crack, and went
straight home, the only noticeable Incident
being, as on going down town, that those
met did not give way to me. / had still to
step aside or they would have run against
me. On getting back to our sitting-room,
[ settled myself in the rOcking-chair, and
the next thing knew my wife was shaking
me to have me wake up for tea. How long
had elapsed from the time when 1 came
home from work until my wife called me to
supper l have no means OF Knowing cX'
actly.
Now, ] might suppose that the whole
was dream but for some unaccountable
circumstances. One of these was that
had not previously noticed the bank in my
waking hours. The next day after this
curious experience / went down street as
had seemed to 60 the night before, and l
saw the bank, and the man whom I had
seen counting notes was there behind the
counter. L recognized at once his marked
features and grayish hair. I am utterly at
n loss to account for my experience. That
l did not leave my sitting-room my wife is
confident. When she woke me l was in
the chair. as | was when she went down
stairs. If there is spirit distinct from
body, and it was that spirit went down
street and saw things previously TN
known, why was / not conscious OF being
out of my body?