New-York tribune., 1878-02-07
PENNSYLVANIA SUPERNATURALISM

Two affairs of an extra mundane character have
recently occupied the Philadelphia mind and news
papers, The alleged raising from death OF Miss
Amelia Greth, of Mauch Chunk. through the
Offices of Father Heinan, German Catholic priest,
is first in order Miss Greth afrms that for
wears she has been under the care OF
a special angel. She prophesied that she
would die, or rather that her soul would leave on
the I'd inst, and that after condition Of ecstacy,
she would be restored to life and health. Last Sat
urday she appeared to be dead and her remains
were viewed by 1000 persons At time fixed upon
previously Father Heinan cried "AmeliaW and
she responded "Fatherw Being told to rise, she
Obeyed and walked to church, where she
gave thanks for her restoration, and the
Father preached two occasional sermons. she
processes to be entirely cared of consumption we
are not surprised to be told that Archbishop WOOD
repudiates the authenticity of this miracle"
The notion that the woman was neither dead nor
enranced but was living, though her soul had gone
upon its Journey, is considered by the Catholic
authorities to be of dubious orthodoxy. There
is also some popular scepticlsm about the
affair at Mauch Chunk. Some there go so tar as to
affirm that Miss Greth was not dead to any cOnsid-
cradle extent, nor vet particularly entranccd One
scoer asserts that just before her restoration she
was distinctly observed to wink. winkine
/
and q notable "miracle:" but that is not
the way in which the phenomenon will strike
the average human intellect. 1t is pos
sible that the priest deceives himself He
NAV bo the dupe of clever woman.
She may have been in a really cataleptic
condition. Years ago. at Freehold, n. j., the Rev.
Mr.. Tenant, respectable and pious Presbyterian,
supposed that his own soul passed from the body,
visited the realms of eternal bliss and after short
abiding there, returned to its tenement of clay. lie
averrcd tins to the last, and wrote some account OF
his temporary translation.
The second case to which we have referred, ap-
pears to be one of unmstakabe roguery. The man
who professed to die and come to life again,
was Joseph Harry Schrack, who seems to have been
all his life big scamp, given specially to thieving.
He had bad habit of joining churches, suddenly
falling i'll, and securing the contributions OF the
brethren He could by some ingenious means havea
hemorrhage Of the lungs whenever he thought it
would be profitable. He was at one time in prison,
and staid there until he attained his majority.
Finally all his money, OF which at one time
he had considerable, being gone, he joined the Old
Swedes Church and concluded to die and come to
life again. He played his game well. He
had the faculty Of throwing himself into
n comatose state. Grape placed upon his door
bell An advertisement of his demise was inserted
in the lie newspapers. His departure was announced
in church. Then, all things being ready,
he came to life and rected whole pages
out of Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress. One
kind gentleman, considering how hard must
he his return To this rough world, sent him an
easy chair Another Samaritan supplied him with
dressing gown; but both these gifts have been re-
claimed by the donors. keeper of an Atlantic
City hotel, it was said, prOfered him free
board next summer. A Snowman sought to engage
him to appear in the interesting character OF the
dead man come to life.' But l could not
accept" remarked Mr.. Schrack turning up
his eyes, "for / am Christian" His ply
scian who has really had a hard time
with him. declares him to be Z" an imp0stor and a
scoundrel and dangerous man to the community"
He might have carried the thing too far, and never
have recovered; and it would have been good
thing FOR the community if he had not" sarcastcally
observes the Doctor His pretended death IN the
opinion Of this physician was "a cleverly done
trick The resources of cheats are innumerable
We nav congratulate the sightseeing public upon
the failure of Mr.. Schrack to add himself to the
already TOO large number of doubtful curOsties on
exhibition. resurrectionized man might be
great deal harder to detect and expose than Bar
NUNS Colorado giant, of which The TRIBUNE has
recently given an authentic genesis.