The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-07-16
FIFTY D1sEMBoDIED SPIRITS.
Ghost Stories Founded Upon Somswha
Remarkable Facts.
The Glorified Image of a Dying Woman-A
Specter That Must Have Crossed the
Atlantic-The Shell of the
Human Chrysalis.
New York Mercury.l

known physician on the Vest Side afeW days |
since. The conversation gradually took |
splritualistic turn, when the host surprised |
his hearers by stating that he had been prac-
ticing medicine for over 40 years, and that |
he had certainly seen the soul erdolen, or |
spirit, of at least so persons during that pc
rod. There was general murmur of in !
credulity, and one gentleman remarked: 1T
was all Imagination, of course" The doctor
repudiated that theory. Had 1 been the
only witness to these spectral forms,'' he
said, 81 might attribute the appearance to
some abnormal condition of my system"
He then related the following curious expe-
rience, with the special request that his name
should not be made public in connection
with any newspaper article:
About six months since, he was sum-
moned to the bedside of an aged lady who
had been an occasional patient of his. The
matron's two married daughters were pre-
sent and although they are both middle
pect that their mother was SO close upon the
shore of the dark river. The extremities
were cold; the features we're pinched and
pallid; the heart alternately beat and
fluttered with Iabored slowness The doctor
informed the ladies that their
MOTHER WAS NEARING HER END,
and that all he could do would be to exhibit
a stimulant which would afford temporary
relief by driving the blood from the heart to
the extremities.
The stimulant was administered in tea
spoonfuls, with the result predicted. Next
day, however, when he called he found the
old lady was sinking fast She was quite
unconscious. Her energies appeared to be
entirely lulled. She was moved by none of
those dreams which impel the dying life TO
murmur out the names OF friends or the
occupations and recollections of past life.
She was leaving the world as unconsciously
as fourscore years ago she had entered it.
She Law on a bed on the parlor floor; or, to
be more specific, her bed was placed in the
intermediate room between the two parlors,
and separated from them by folding doors
The doctor took seat near the foot OF the
bed. The eldest daughter occupied similar
position. There was nothing further to be
done but to wait for the end. 1t was in the
afternoon, merging toward evening. The
| light in the apartment was subdued, but
sufficient to see every fold and wrinkle per-
fectly.
| there sadly gazing the former began to per
ceive peculiar change in the bed-clothes
| The diving woman lay on the further side of
the large bed. On the side nearest him.
there was gradual upheaval OF the bed
| clothes, as if some form were slowly rising
! from the mattress below. Gradually this
weird expansion assumed the form OF hui
man being. 1t became, in fact, the duplica-
/ ton of the dying woman. There were the
features, the form, everything perfect; only
THE SPECTRAL OR SOUL FACE
was turned toward the dying actual face,
| and about six inches from it. The doctor
| eazed stesdfastly at the two forms, wonder
ing whether the daughter were vouchsafed
| the same revelation. Suddenly she started
I'D. CRYING: 80, doctor! do you see that?''
Immediately the vision disappeared. The
| bed clothes subsidized. The old lady was
dead.
No remark was made by the physician at
the time, but after the funeral, which he at
tended, he asked the daughter what occa-
stoned the sudden exclamation just as her
mother died She described the appearance
of the erdolen-its position, It's etneresl
hue, lust as the doctor had seen 1t. As she
remarked SIT seemed to be agloritied image
of her mother" ~.
THAT" said the gray-haired physician, sis
nv last experience in soul seeing. On De
ing further INTERCEPTED as to his
FIRST GHOST,
he stated that when he had only been few
years engaged in the active practice OF ms
profession, his only brother was FRUSTRATED
with severe malady. One day, after leav
ing his bedside. he suddenly met him II
the garden. II was never SO surprised II
my iife,r said the doctor. " hadnt lei
! him an hour, and had come to the conciu
sion that he was not long for this world
poor fellow. So 1 shouted "Halloo, Dick
: you don't mean to tell me you're up ant
: out 7" He smiled a sad, sweet smile. ane
2 as / stood transfxed, watching, he fade'
gradually into thin air. l rushed into tn
j house. and found that he had just died"
. The doctor Is one of those men who prid
themselves on the fact that nobody can foo
o them, and hence his testimony on this sui
: ject is the more extraordinary. He aver'
as has been already stated, that he has see
! at least so ghosts, If ghosts these deatn, pc
he has seen the soul form lowering dlrectl
Y over the dying person, suspended In air, .
il were; sometimes he has seen 1t standin
), at the head OF the pee
and at other times 1t hs
i taken the form of duplicate sleeper. as /
:. the case of the venerable lady already dc
II scribed. The physicians vision is remark
II bly, keen, and he Is perfectly assured that b
was not the victim of any optical or oth'
l illusion. 1t is his opinion that quite COZ
st siderable proportion of mankind behol
= those
a SPIRITUAL APPEARANCES,
h but that they are prevented from admittiI
ID the fact from dread of ridlcule. Ii TINS
so, there must be some peculiarly OF co
as stitution and temperament which bestoN
this ghostly vision.
e. A TRANSATLANTIC GHOST.
highly educated gentieuau, ~ NJ ~
of merly held a responsible position in Ne
I'd Jersey, recently related an instance , OF quo
in SINCE he was sitting at his dssk In Jers
City, when he suddenly beheld his broth
who ought then to have been in Dublin
> standing beside hum. He noticed bis DIRE
y his watch-chain, his scarf, ms nat. ms COM
y, Speechiess with astonishment he cou
ng hardly believe his eyes, although it W
broad daylight. Finally, he stretched Q
Ks, his hand, crying, why, Harry my d q.
all fellow. was never SO surprised IN my "
70 When did you arrive?' No hand grasp
ID his. The vision faded away ss mysterious
~ as it had appeared. 81 was SO overpowsredo
- continued the narrator, that | felt Il
er- fainting. I pulled out my watch q
no looked at the hour, ana ma
he : memorandum of it and
lg, date for I felt that something had happen
S 49,, = saa,.ah somathinp had happens