The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-08-29
WONDERFUL-IF TRUE.

ApTopos of the recent discussion Of
the validity of the evidence of the senses, /
which. started by the RerUe .SciGtifq7te,
has been carried ON in French, German
and English journals, though as yet
Americans seem hardly to have more
than touched upon it, a dealer in the mar
yelous relates the following remarkable
story with as much eaTneStness and show
of candor as if he expected everybody
to believe it. He says:
have a few things to say and an instance
in point to produce which am sure viii not
be without interest to the public in general
as well as to people who are fond OF cOhsld-
eTing such matters.
Mr. Julius SaXe-the real name of the gen
tleman who first observed these strange things
/ am not at liberty to give, but that name viii
be as good as any-is an artist having his
studio in one of the large studio buildings in
this city. On the evening of the tenth of
January last he was lying on a lounge in his
studio reading, when suddenly he heard
ruStling behind an easel which stood in one
corner of the room and presently the picture
that was on it fell to the floor Mr.. SAKE was
surprised and went to the corner to see what
was the matter, but nothing was visible there
beyond what he had expected. lie replaced
the picture and returned to his reading, when
again he was disturbed and thought that he
heard footsteps i'm the same corner of the room
as OF some one Shuftiin9 along the caTpcted
floor, and presently there was a sound as if a
heavy body had stumbled against the tall
Dutch clock which stood there against the
wall. BY this time, although he is by 30
means SupeTStltlOuS, he was thoroughly in
terested and excited, and as nothing unusual
was to be found in the room while the strange
I noise continued, he stepped out and into the
neighbOring studio and asked a well known
marine palnteT-the occupant OF the room
/ to come into the studio. as most unaccounta-
bic things were happening there. Mr.. :.
/ readily accompanied Mr.. SAKE, but nothing
out of the ordinary occurred, and after con-
Verslng Tor an hour or two Nh =. returned to
his room and MI. SAKE went to bed. He Is a
light sleeper, and at about two o'clock he
T was aroused by q sound as if somebody were
tossing in sleep upon Turkish rug which
lay before but at some distance from his CRATE
fire. The fire was bright, but he could see
nothing, and still the noise continued. He
. rose. turned up the gas and stepped across
( to the fire place, but in attempting to cross
the rug, he stumbled against something and
fell, Yet nothing could be seen which could
/ have caused the mishap, while i'm falling he
distinctly felt a body beneath him which
/ moved. He was now thoroughly frightened
and ran hastily to Mr.. :. : studio, at the door
of which he pounded until its inmate awoke
/ and accompanied Mr.. SAKE TO his room again.
The studio was well enough lighted 10 ena-
I BILE them to see everything within il. but
there was no trace of a burglar having been
there, and certainly no living thing except
. the two artists seemed to be in the room.
Then noise was heard under the bed, and
. in moving this Mr.. :. ; foot struck against
/ something STOPPING at once he made
/ grasp in the place where the body should
. have been, and to his amaZenent and Ger
. tainlV to his hOTrOr-fOT all things considered.
/ the situation was fTightful enough-he seized
what seemed a small and delicate ankle.
The being, whatever it was, Stroye to tear it
self from his grasp, and a low moaning sound
was heard. Mr.. :. is 4 man of strong nerve,
( and did trclinquish his hold upon the ankle,
and presently Mr.. SAKE came to his assist
2 ance. and body wholly invisible, vet plain
. " possessed of weight, was dragged from
7 under the bed, moaning and whimpeTing all
the while. Its strength was not beyond that
. of child of seven or eight years but IT
. struggled violently, and not until its arms
. We're piniOned TO its sides did it cease in its
/ emdeaVOrS to escape. The surface of its body
was of 4 velvet s0ftneSS, and had the room
I been dark the gentlemen would undoubtedly
. have believed that they We're engaged with
! little naked child, but since the room was
bright with light they were wholly at loss
. to account for the strange facts, for they
, seemed to have mastered a child of solid air.
/ As they struggled with il the walls and floor
/ could be seen between their hands, which
7 evidently clutChed a palpablc thing After
. a time the struggle ceased, and the child, if
{ such it Is to be called, was placed upon the
! bed, both gentlemen keeping their hands
/ upon it. 1t bTeathed and sObbed, but
/ thencefOrth was perfectly passive. In pass
/ ing his hands alOngits body. Mr. SAKE found
/ at the shoulders two organs like wings,
/ which could easily be moved, and one of
Z which seemed to have been broken. PITY
/ was now mingled with wonder i'm the hearts
I of the two men who held this child of air
I within their power, and they tried to SOOthe
il as if it had been a human infant, but il lay
simply still and palpitatinC under their
hands They drew the bed clothes over it
and placed its head ON pillow, where the
imprint of its form could be seen and its
limbs could be felt precisely Il mother
watching in the dark beside her boys bed
/ would feel them. The two men watched
] nj
agreed that the facts should be kept wholly
quiet. at least until it should have been de-
cided what was the best course TO pursue in
so strange a matter. The child had appar-
emily slept soundly after its struggles and
in the morning it stirred in giving sound Of
iOy rose in the bed, and as Mr.. SaXeI took
light bold of its hand it attempted to fly up
= Z ward, but in a second fell back with q moan
. and its hand could be felt ClaSping the bro
ken wing.
The men were wholly at a loss as to what
! they should do. Wine and water were placed
! at the Child'S mouth. but with its hands il
I brushed them away. At last the two decided
, to admit DIR. l.. 90 their confidence and sum
I mon him to this strange bedside. lie was
| brought to the room without being told the
circumstances of the case, and when he had
7 learned them orally and felt the motions OF
the child he was even more bewildered than
= the two artists. He had TO believe eithel
that they Were practicing upon him, that
, I here was wholly unaccOuutable phcnome
z insane. He utterly refused to deal pro
fessionally with the case, since he had N,
2 grounds whatever 70 proceed upon, no
5 / knowing the constitution of this unheard q
o I being and the sources of its evident life
!, However, he suggested certain experiment
I / with it. which was carried out Placed on
pair of scales, the child was found to weigl
: twenty-five pounds and seven ounces. l
L was attempted TO clothe it, but the clothing
: caused it such evident suffering that the eX
n pertinent was relinquished. \ plaster cas-
, { of one of its arms was made which Shove
: the most beautiful and perfect proportions
i the hand especially being finely moulded
II dimpled and pretty. 1t was amusing, cor
|. sidering the fact, how the child could hav
t struggled as il did when IL was first col
n ! quered. The temperature of the body, q
= | shown by a thermometer placed in the aNiil;
was sixtv-four degrees Fahrenheit and il
e breath deposited moisture on mirror place
u over the mouth. Aside from inartculat
= cries. it emitted no sound, and even after
y had been kept and kindly treated for over
J., month it showed no trace of human affection
; although it would sometimes place its han
= on Mr.. Saxe's knee as he sat painting at n
II eaSal. OF course such remarkable occu
: renee as the appearance of tine child cou
not be kept entirely secret, and NJ. SAKE