The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-12-02
A STORY OFLIFE AND DEATH
Spirits In Possession of a Young
Lady's Dead BOdy-A Mystery
of Two Voices.
Boston spiritualist Scientist.

/ of Two Voices.
/ Boston spiritualist Scientist
In Lawrence, Susie NJ. Smith, a
young lady about seventeen years of
/ age. daughter of DIR. Greenleaf Smith,
after short illness. died on We'd
nesday, September 9, at 6 o'clock in
the evening. and from that time un-
til Friday, at IL o'clock, the body
was apparently possessed in part by
other spirits.
On Wednesday,. the day of her
death, she said: = Father, have at
/ tended my own funeral She de-
scribed it as very real, declared her
self perfectly conscious of what she
was saying, and also spoke OF sing
ing and gave the names of hymns
she had heard.
She continued rational during the
day, when finally, about. 6 o'clock,
she passed into violent spasms; a
gradual paleness overspread her face
from the forehead she became
speechless. closed her eyes, and to
the senses of those about her bed
/
seemed to be no question about it.
Our readers are aware how a loving
heart refuses to believe its compan-
| ion has departed this life, how it
hopes against hope almost TO the
tomb. So with the father, mother.
brother and sister gathered around
this bedside. The body had the un-
mistakable death-damp on its face.
Many minutes had elapsed, when
suddenly, to the indescribable sur
prise of all in the room, came deep,
gruff voice, the parted and moving
lips of the body indicating its where
abouts, which said Rub both of
her arms as hard as you can" With
out second bidding. and recover
ing from their surprise, the command
was obeyed. when came a second
voice, Raise her up in end" This
being only partly understood, brought
the heavy voice to say, Raise her
up in end you're deaf, amt you?"
Up came the body; it breathed nat
urally. but did not speak for few
moments.
DIR Smith sat behind the body,
holding it up, when it again spoke
in another voice: "If could move
her legs around so that | could set
her upon the foot-board, she'd be all
right" The doctor was preparing
to carry this suggestion into effect,
when he. with the body. was actually
taken-lifted from their position to-
gether-and both placed upon the
foot-board by some unseen power.
The body was now possessed by
spirit that was cheerful, lively, and
not unlike its natural occupant.
The doctor was about to ask if she
hadn't better be laid back, when the
same force again lifted them, carried
them both backward, he to his feet
and she falling to her first position
in bed, apparently again as dead as
could possibly be.
A few moments elapsed, the doubt
was settling into a certainty, when
mild voice opened a conversation
which continued three hours. Dur
ing this time it acknowledged that
the body had been controlled by spir-
its out of the flesh.
A trance sleep followed.
The next morning the body open
ed its eyes and said to the doctor.
- Please lie down on the side of the
bed" He obeyed, and the voice
said, "Who am /. any way?" He
replied, "You are Susie Smith, 1t
answered, mo, amt; Susie Smith
died last night" and this opinion it
maintained
On Friday the symptoms were
again worse there were several faint
ing spells. but after II o'clock there
were no indications of life.
The next morning. while in low
er room, and endeavoring to decide
where to lay the body, an apparition,
or Susie Smith, as the incredulous
or credulous will have it, walked IN
to the room with plain footsteps and
said. Right on the school hill !;
right on the side of the road"-then
disappeared.
The location indicated was select
ed. In Denmark, near Brighton,
Maine, the body lies IN new select
ed lot on the school-house hillside.
The illness and disease occurred at
the residence of her sister, corner of
Cedar and Franklin streets. The
young lady resided in Lawrence for
a number of years. and was organist
at Webster Hall, with large circle
of acquaintances. We advance no
| avnlauofinD Or theory fn oouar tho
case We give the facts, easily at
tested, and the circumstances war
rant the trnthfulness of the state