Daily Republican., 1881-08-08
VISITED BY THE VIRGIN MARY,
The Alleged Vision oil q Philadsl-
Ph1a Blind Glrl-Her sight said
to have been RestOvec.

a great sensation has been cause,l
among the Roman Catholics in Wes,
Philadelphia by the alleged appearance
of the Virgin Mary, first to Mary Agnes
Dunn, a girl 1S years of age, who has
been blind for II years; then to the girl 4
family, and finally to a crowd of visit
ors. Mary's father, A. j Dunn, keeps
n small grocery store at No. 405S Mar
ket stseet His daughter lost her sight
from scarlet fever when about 6 years
of age and four or five years ago rup-
tured the ball Of one eye by striking it
against the edge of u chair, notwiGh-
standing which she can now see ordi-
nary objects dimly and claims to SEQ the
apparition of the Virgin distinctly.
AS might be supposed, she is quito IL
literate, though she has been able to do
all kinds of house work. Five weeks
ago she was seized with 4 severe attack
OF diphtheIia, followed by cere1o- spinal
meningitis, and after several severe
commissions lay for more than week
in trance-like stupor, from which she
was reused with difficulty to take a lit
tie liquid food. The only Indication
she gave of consciousness during this
period was on one occasion when she
suddenly began to sing and sang u long
hymn. The Doctor, however, was con
vinced that the singing v as involuntary
and that the girl was entirely uncon-
scious all the time. Since that time she
has been in a very weak condition.
Three Sundays ago, she told her par |
rents that she expected to see the Virgin |
Mary that evening, and a crowd of SYM
pathizing. Catholic neighbors visited |
the house to see if her expectation would |
be realized. AS midnight approached
many OF them began to pray frequently,
and presently, so her father says, a
halo o, light appeared on the white
washed wall of her room, and SOON aEl
terward a woman's figure. abouta fool
high, c'othed in d white garIuest and7
attended by two kneeling angels was
clearly portrayed. A crown, glittering
with golden rays, was on the head OF
the figure, and suspended above it
was u crusitix. This was not the first
time the girl claimed to have seen the
vision, but it was the first time it has
been seen by Cthers. A numb,r of
= declare they saw it. Since
hat time Mary and the family have
seen similar visions three or four times
Dut by the doct,r's orders visitors have
)een excluded. {
The girl was found Saturday night s
asst lying on bed in a small white. I
Washed room, communicating hy u
With another room, in which I
'tood an altar, while several religious l
'lcturcs hung on the wall. /: is IN the I
after room that the visions appear, .
Mary has q pale but otherwise pretty
ace, with rounded and dimple cheeks t
nd brown hair. She was allowed to Il
ny "ery little, but firmly asserted her Il
I'm belief in the genuineness of the v
pparitions. and said she could now
ne objects dimly. She could see the 81
eporter tanding at the foot of the bed. Il
lrs. McLaughlip, Mrs. McCloskey, IL
nd several other neighbnrs of the e
'mily all claim to have seen the vision, a
nd all describe IL very nearly alike,
ut DR.. Hughes discredits them ell. II
rely, and says the girl is in a complete "
ate of hysteria, amt is liable to imag
e anything, AS to the testimony of
le o;her persons, it is supposed it i,
similar to the L0nrdes and
mock traditions. 1t is possible thar Q
lperslitious pietv, evoked by the ut pI
RANGES of the girl, astrong moonbeam n
array from the lamp falling OH the cl
4es Of the whitewashcd viii, and lie
enty Of jnaai4 i4s'Gssn may account for 81
e vision. ~ know the fami y is per- W
city respectable" said the Doctor, or
'ut do not think it is possible tina, the o1
RI coald recover her sight, for Que eye 10 u,
totally destro! ed and the other has 'f ps
pupil, while the eye it badly de- ~ ~
rmed.' Father O'Niel, the parish ID ID
lstor, was also visited, but declined =,
express an opinion. 81