The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-03-08
REM ARKABLE EXPERIENCE CLAIM
ED EY ANOHIO MAN,

/ We have come into posission O.
some very singular facts in relation tC
the escape of Bellevue man in two
railroad accidents, , one of them tha
I of Ashtabula. The gentleman is S
Mr.. Freese, and the truth of his story
is vouched for by some of the bes
people in Huron and Sandusky coun-
ties. 1t is said by those who know
him that his reputation for veracity is
unquestiOned. Several years ago Mr..
F! freese and his entire family (wife and
two children) went from Bellevue to a
village i'm Pennsylvania to visit some
| relatives. After staying at their rela-
tives' homes for few days, Mr.. r.Freese
and his family started one evening to
return TO Bellevue. They took the
cars at Erie. Mr.. Freese says that the
moment he stepped aboard the train
he felt strange and unaccountable
disinclination to commence the jour-
nev. There was something that SEEM
ed to oppress his mind, aud he felt an
impulse to turn back and take some
later train. But he shook off the feel
ing as best he could, and tried to laugh
at himself for ents raining what he
considered wild and foolish notion,
of W liich he was even ashamed 10 speak
TO his wife. AS the train moved Oh
he held one OF his children on his lap
and fell into doze. While thus hall
asleep he had dream, III which he
saw, with startling distinctmess, his
wife aud children lying in coffins, and
all the preparations being made for "a
funeral service. Such a sight was well
calculated to carry terror even to the
stoutest heart. But the worst was vet
to comc-the awful realiz alton of the
dream. In q few moments there was
a jar and a jerk of the train, shiver
seemed 10 run through every timber
of the coaches, there was crash, a
fall, and the cars plunged into the wa
ter. a bridge had given way. Mr..
Freese found himself held down in the
water by piece of timber, but he cue
ceeded in releasing himself. and
crawled out of the car. He saw a train
with lantern passing along
on a log besIds the train, aud the man
helped him cut of the wreck and put
him on his feet. Mr.. Freese found |
that he had suffered no special injury,
but he was completely unnerved. The
terrible reality of the presentiment |
flashed upon his mind, and his BRAN
reelei as he thought that he should see |
his wife and children lying cold in
death, as they had appeared 10 him in
his dream. A search resulted in dis
Mrs. Freese in the wrecked |
,ar dead, and the dead bodies of the
children were found near by. The re-
mains were taken to Bellevue for in
erment.
Some time thereafter Mr.. Freese
married again, and a while prior to
he Ashtabula accident he and his
amily went East. They determined
lpon day to start home, but when
he time arrived Mr.. Freese felt
strong disinciination TO start. A
strange impulse again seized him, and
lie felt that if he were to go then,
omething terrible would happen on
he way, He had disregarded this feel
ng once, but he had resolved never to
10 so again, consequently he decided
o start one day earlier, and to 60 a
'art of the way by different route
rom that he had intended to take. 1t
vas his first intention to reach Cleve-
aud on Friday night, December 10Th,
nd the train which he and his family
would have been compelled to take to
10 SO would have been the ill-fated
ne that went into the terrible abyss
t Ashtabula. The change which, he
hade i'll time and trans kept him and
is family out of one of the most ter
lbIe accidents in the history of rail-
rays Sandusky co. Register.
WAsniNGToN was very ignorant