The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-03-19
A GHAsTLY CONTACT.


Hosc n Was Ful1iIsed-A Ren,arEable Story
of Speesat Tisisasios.-Oae of the Weird
Forms srhir1s Isasassity scilg Assmpsse.
fFrom the Davenport Qowa) Gazette.J
One OF the strangest cases of insanity
ever heard of in this portion of the coun-
try is engaging the attention of we'll
known physician in Davenport just now
We say insanity because the doctor says
that the man is insane-a monomaniac-
while the patient himself declares that
he Is IN his right mind and he talks
sensibly enough upon every topic brought
to his notice, not excepting the one which
has alarmed his friends and caused
physician sattention.
The person in question was a soldier
in the I'd Iowa cavalry during the war,
and when the regiment was In camp near
Davenport he and a fellow-soldier of his
company became warm friends, although
strangers before enlistment. One day IN
May, 1858, we believe. the two were ON
picket near Pennington, Miss, and they
fell into conversation about the state of
the soul after death-a topic which en-
gagged the minds of soldiers of the late
war frequently, IS many of our readers
know. On this occasion the two troopers
talked earnestly on the subject. One
believed in the immortality of the soul,
and the other did not; but then and
there each pledged the other that, should
death come TO him during the wal, he
would visit the survivor, if possible.
The next day battle was fought near
Pennington and the party who believed
in the hereafter was killed, and his
body now lies in national cemetery in
Mississippi.
That was nearly twelve years ago.
The surviving trooper was deeply grieyed
over the loss of his friend, but he con-
tinued in the service till the end of the
war, and was honorably discharged when
his regiment was mustered out. He re-
turned to Iowa, engaged in business
presently, was married and has family.
Some five weeks ago his wife became
alarmed at his actions in the night. He
would wake her and ask her If she saw
anybody or heard any noise in the room /;
and of course she had not. In a few
days, finding his wife was becoming
nervous over his nocturnal wakefulness,
he insisted on occupying room alone,
but on the third night thereafter he came
to his wife's bedroom at midnight, threw
himself into an easy chair and said he
would sit for he could not sleep. just
before Christmas, while with his wife on
Second street, the intention being to
purchase holiday goods, he asked his
companion if she could see form before
them, that had walked just few feet in
their advance ever since they left their
gate. No, she had not
On Christmas the wife went to the
family physician and acquainted him
and the doctor returned to her home with
her, and both demanded the reason for
his strange conduct. Heretofore he had
refused to converse with his wife on the
subject.
Then the afflicted man told his COM
panion and physician the story of the
promise of his comrade to return to him
after death, made under the circum-
stances told above And he stated that
thoughts of the pledge of reappearance
came to him often during the few months
after his comrade was killed, but he had
long since dismissed it from his mind.
But in November last he was wakened in
the night and saw the form of his friend,
distinctly, in his room-not in uniform,
but with q robe for apparel, face not
very pale, and eyes and hair of natural
look and hue. The lips moved as If the
form would speak, but he could hear no
words the face smiled also, as if the
vision was glad to see his friend. Nearly
a month elapsed before he spoke to his
wife about it, and then it was because he
had become SO nervous that he could not
help ii. Several times the form seemed
to accompany him on the street, and it
appeared to him In his bedroom plainly
every few nights. This was his plain
story, and we give it as it was given to
us. The patient knew that he had been
affected by the visitation his sleep had
been broken, nervousness engendered,
and appetite much impaired Weeks
have elapsed, and he is still patient
insane patient his relatives believe him
to be, though he talks sensibly on every
topic suggested except the one that re-
fers to the ghost, and he believes his
friend has come to him for some good
purpose which he cannot define. He
attends to his business almost daily,
though, and none but his near relatives
know Of his ailment. 1t is not unlikely
that trip abroad may be advised for the
patient
DEATH or 4 REFORMER.
Mr.. Trask, the wen known anti-tobaoco
apostle, died at Fitchburg, Mass, re-
Gently at the age Of seventy -nine. Mr..
Traak's long and active life was spent in