The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-17
THE DEATH KNOCK.
An Old Celtic Superstition Revived in Indiana
What was lit

An Old Celtic Superstition Revived in Indiana
What was lit
The death Of Mr.. Thomas Feast, last
Sunday afternoon, has developed
singular circumstance in the history of
mis- family, which illustrates the old
Highland tradition OF the banshee. The
ban shee, as it is commonly called, is an
embodied spirit or ghost, which gives
warning to persons whose death Is ap-
preaching, by peculiar scream or wall
In the nignt, by appearing to the doomed
person, or in various other ways,
MI. Feast was born III the Isle of Ely,
Cambridgeshire, England. forty seven
years ago, came to this country when he
was young, andhas been living in Evans
Vile about twenty-three years. He was
a shoemaker, a good citizen, and man
of quiet, unobtrusiye demeanor. He
was. moreover, a very intelligent man,
and devoted a portion OF his Time to the
study OF the philosophy and religion OF
lite, 1t does not appear that he was u
spirituallst, but he lad leaning that
way, Since Mr.. Feast came to Evans
Vile with his family there have been
i've deaths in the home circle, the lastol
WHICH was that OF The father himself
last Sunday. Each one OF these deaths
has been preceded at midnight OF the
previous night by death knock on Tue
door. Mrs. Feasps death, which oc-
cured last summer, was preceded at
midnight by heavy, sudden knock on
the lront door, which aroused The entire
family. Upon search being made no.
body was found at The door. MIS-. Feast
died the following day.
Three weeks alterward her infant
child died, and the same warning was
re peated al The same hour OF The night.
x.The death OF his wife seemed to prey
Upon her husband. He has been feeble
and ill, but thought that he would 1--we
through the winter. On last Saturday
afternoon ne had a sudden spasm, and
came through it much weakened. Wuen
the family retired that n1gut ne Was ap-
parenlly AZ well as usual.
Suddenly, in the middle of the night,
there came a loud, hollow knock upon
the street door, which aroused all OF The
family. His son Georgia, u young man
about twenty-three, was awakened by
the sound, aud rising from his bed
sought his fatlel's room, thinking he
hau been seized With another spasm and
desired assistance. When ne entered
| the room he found his father awake, and
| inquired Ii he had caIled. ..'.I.
| HNo,' replied the old gentleman, 'ii
was somebody knocking at the front
door" ..y.... .4-... ..-...
George descended the STAIRS and
opened the door, but nobody was with.
out, and further examination revealed
the fact that nobody was passing in the
street. George went up STAIRS and told
his father of this. A sudden change
passed over the lace OF the doomed man
as he softly said: ~, ,-.t
Go to bed, George; it is the same
knock" ,.. So.
George returned 10 bed, observing that
it was a few minutes past IL O'Clock.
The singular warning occurring In other
cases oithe family had been noticed by
all tue family, and, after lying down, the
son remembered the fact, but, dismiss
ing il as a coincidence, went TO sleep.
Next morning the father called him up
III mis- usual voice, apparently losing no
4 strength. George Went down to take
his order for 'breakfast, bull he said:
"a want no breakfast; nothing but q
quiet room to-day"
A second application met with the
4 same response, and accordingly the
Younger cuildre nWere sent away to the
4 house of friend, and George remained
4 with hin. Duriug the morning he was
\ very quiet, and lnen. he was discovered
4 asleep. THIS continued durdng Tue after
\ noon, and at O'Clock it was discovered
| at he had g1ided quietly from life TO
4 DEATH Evansville (lnd.) Journal. p
.