Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-02-14
X-.-Y=Z;
Or, the Sleeping Preacher.
From the N. Y. Observer.

planned by science. What the writer Is
about to state are facts, and if human tes-
timony from the very best of men is worth
The subject of this short sketch is the Rev.
G. B. Sanders, now living in Mayesville.
eleven miles east of Huntsville, Ala, and
for % years, highly esteemed minister OF
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He
utterly refuses to be called a splritist. clair
voyant, or admit that he is a subject of mes
merism, or animal magnetism, but simply
says Of himself, II am a vessel OF mercy
whom the Lord hath chosen to this end;''
and further says, my peculiar develop
ments will not be explained from scien-
tifc standpoint, at least SO long as it is as
sumed that my physical sufferings are the
cause of my mental phenomenal lie is
indeed wonder to himself and to- the
many who have both seen and heard him
while in his peculiar sleeps for the last
twenty OF more years.
The developments of Mr.. Sanders COM
menced in 1854, and continued more or
less until 1876. 1t 1854 lie was attacked
with typhoid fever, during which he was
taken with violent commissions, affectin
his whole body, especially his arms, chest.
throat and tongue. The suture Of the
skull separated to such an extent that one
could bury the little finger in the opening.
His head and lungs seemed to be the seat
of the most intense pain In extreme
cases, respiration would be suspended for
such length of time that it seemed i'm
possible ever to return, the pulse beating
feebly but SO rapidly as to be beyond
counting. These paroxysms contin ued
until 1859; but he still suffers from vic lent
pains in the head and lungs
He is called the Sleeping Preacher for
want of a better name, by all who know
or have heard of him. and the writer heard
him thus called eighteen years ago: Some
times he sleeps, and yet seems to be wide
awake, the eyes wide open but wit bout
winking, and in this state will talk. an
swer questions, walk to a consider BILE dis
lance, and in this respect seems sOmllam-
bulistic; and yet has no knowledge when
in his normal state of what he has said or
done. Sometimes, when the pain is severe
in his head, he has it bandaged heavily, COW
ering the eyes, and will pass into one his
sleeps, which may continue Tor an hour.
or day, or several d ays, and in this condi-
ton will call for pencil and paper. and
with his hands under the cover will write
letters to friends, moral essays, or report
sermons at that tire being preached miles
| and miles away, following the lines as
closely as if awake, not emitting the dot
ting of an or the crossing of a He thus
reported, during one of his sleeps a ser
mon preached by the Rev. DR.. F. A.
Ross, of Huntsville, Ala, in 1874, twelve
miles away, giving text. subject, and in
fact the whole sermon complete, and
| read it the next morning to his friends
DR.. Ross was written to, and vouches for
the correctness of the sermon. In 1876
Mr.. Sanders was in Tullahoma, Tenn.
conversing with Dr. Cowan, between 70;
and at night tMr. Sanders being in one
OF his nervous sleeps. The passenger
train for Chattanooga was heard coming.
Mr.. Sanders began telling DR.. Cowan OF
passenger on board who was suffering from
a disease of the heart. and described his
| condition; suddenly he exclaimed, There
asked who. he replied, "A man on the
platform of the Car, wearing a cap. The
coin is silver, with an advertisement on
one side, which is up" Search was made
that night. by the aid of a lantern. Mr..
Sanders directed the exact spot to look.
The advertisement read as follows:
JAS. S. BRADLEY,
Glider 81 and Nd Frame E. \ Maker N
Cheapest in the City.
Mr.. Bradley was written to, and replied
that he issued such silver tokens twenty
years ago.
He IS gone! gone! gonel poor fellow,
what pity!' "Who is gone p was
asked. "Lieutenant Mcclure; he has just
died in Clarksville, Tenn,'' was the an
swer. A telegram was received by Mrs.
Mcclure the next morning, announcing
the death of her husband by bursting of a
blood vessel. Mr.. Sanders was at Athens,
Ala, $50 miles from Clarksvsville. Com
ing into friends house one morning,
with slip of paper in his hand, he COM
menced reading it, saying, Y our folks are
them last night; there was large fire
there;' and then described its origin and
progress in minutia. The next letter from
Salisbury confirmed his statement.
The writer could ill columns Of the
s'Observer'' with similar wonderful things
concerning the ''Sleeping Preacher His
most eloquent sermons are preached while
in his abnormal condition. A newspaper
is as easily read with his eyes heavily
bandaged as when in his normal condition.
In regard to his peculiar exercise of the
mental powers of seeing and hearing, he
says it cannot be explained so as to under
stand the phenomena. His soul does not
leave the body, but, like rays of light, his
sight penetrateS in every direction, aud
without any limit-distan seems ami
hilated. In all his written communica-
lions during the sleeps" he Invariably
signs the same XfY=Z. No explanation
is given as to what this formula means.
He has been told that this condition will
return again, when all will be explained.
For the last three or four years he has
been free from this peculiar state, sleeps
naturally, and is conscious of having once
dreamed, the first time in % years. The
pain in his head and lungs continues with
severity; yet his general health is good.
From 1870 he has increased to 22O pounds
He is now as he has always been, hard
worker in the cause of the Master. Before
closing this sketch copy from letter re
Gently received from his intimate friend
the Rev George w. Mitchell, Athens,
Ala, who has written short sketch of
Mr.. Sanders
"There have no new facts occurred since the book
was written Mr. Sanders has been in al
most lncessant ministerial labor and has been
greatly blessed in the same, not only in his own pas
toral work, which has steadily prospeled but in
6 aye been T ct through his nstry
The book written by Mr.. Mitchell has
the Endorsement of such names as DIR. f.
A. Ross, Huntsville, Ala: Rev. H. r.
Smith, Montgomery, West Va; Rev. Ir.
Mcdonald, Lebanon, Tenn; Rev. M. B.
Dewitt. Nashville, Tenn, and a host of
other names of ciergymen, doctors, judges
and other prominent citizens, many Of
whom were eye-witnesses.
AsHwooD, TENN.
GRATING TEETH.-Two French den
lists, MN. David and Magitot, have re-
ported to the Academy some hopeful re-
suits in the practice of dental grating.
Two principal forms Of such grating are
distinguished, the graft by restitution and |
the graft by borrowing. In the former a