Orangeburg news and times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1875-1877, 1876-07-15
SWAPPING SOULS.
A:.MAR EELLOUS sToRY
HE In1MoRTAL BoD1Es OF Two MEN,
DYlNa AT .Orros1TE PoRT1oNs OF
THE GLOBE, SEEK DIFFERENT
EARTHLY HABITATIoNs.

Members of the AIctlico-L Legal
Society of New York are astounded
mt the present time by the following
remarkable events, the intelligence of
which has just reached them:
By the direction ofthc Emperor Of
Rnssia, q scientific investigation is
now going OH into the most astound-
ing case of mctcmpsychosis, or
wandering of the human soul from
one body into another, that has ever
been known to the world. The inst
ance referred to is vouched for by the
Medical Weekly Journal of St. Peters,
burg, by newspaper printed ut New
Westminster, British Columbia, ly
the imperial governor of Orenburg,
by Professor Orlow, Of st. Petersburg,
and by several gentlene Of New
York, to whom Orlow told the strange
story about nine months ago, and who
themselves had an opportunity to see
:and converse with the two men whose
souls are alleged to have been so
'miraculously interchanged.
I'm September, 1874, in Orenburg.
Russia, there lay sick with typhoid
fever wealdhysJew by the name of
Abraham Chhrkoy, a native of the
place, known to everybody, married,
and father of several children. On
The 22d day OF that month lie seemed
to be dying. At midnight he suffered
greatly, and the physician pronoun-
ced him in the agonics Of death.
A number Of Jews were called in,
'as is customary, prayers were said
wax candles lit, the wife and children
were .sorresss S xsyeeep; rftheiir.
bereavement, when suddenly the sick
anan goye Is tremendous Jerk, hcavcd
=, deep sigh, began to breathe freely,
opened his eyes and locked with
:amnzemelft at the deings of The people
'nrd,rlfd him, ssd then fell asleep.
':rlfe paNgHian an.rounccd that now all
.daMgee was over. lie sk9,t through
ahe night, hHt What sSppcncd in the
snorning was n,oss wondesia.. When
s,e awoke lie refused TO recognize
either his wife or chiltlrc,a, and push
ed them away in anger when they
came near him. Besides, he spoke
language none could understand
Previously he had known only cor
auptcd mixture Of German and He
brew, and some little Russian, but
now when addressed he seemed not to
understand word. In IL week he was
well enough to leave the bed, but
utterly refused to wear his customary
clothes. The physicians unanimously
pronounced him insane. In appear
ance he had not changed. Hc was
the same tall, lean man, with dark,
curling locks of hair, long black beard
and dark, furrowcd line across his
forehead. Yet hc spoke m unin tclli-
ssisle language, refused to know his
family, and even his fnthcr and
mother appeared as perfect strangers
to him. BY chance one day lie be
held himself III mirror, and fear
ful shrek escaped his lips. lie touch
ed and pulled at his long, Oriental
nose, he felt his long, black curs, his
flowing black beard, and with II
scream he fell to the floor rs in a
swoon. The case caused great excite
ment, and full report was made to
the medical section Of the Ministry of
the interior Of St. Petersburg. The
order went out to Orenburg to send
the Jew md his family, his parents
nnd the other witnesses Mt once to St.
Petersburg, to be examined by the
medical faculty. The exam ination
wns conducted by Professor Orlow,
one of the most learned men of Russia.
The astonishment Of the professor may
be imagined, when he found that his
illiterate jew from Orenburg spoke
pure, idiematic English with huency
and even with some elegance, that he
wrote it dramatically and orthogra-