New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-25
SEEING A SON AFTER DEATH.
A BROOKLYN MERCHANTS STRANGE sTOR'

A BROOKLYN MERCHANTS STRANGE STORY
HE BELIEVES THAT his son APPEARED TO HIM A
YEAR AFTER DEATH-A REMARKABLE EXPERT
ENCE IN REGARD TO A BROTHERS. WILL.
prominent resident of Columbia Heights Brook
lyn, doing business in New York who is an earnest
believer in Spirtuasm, has recently had his faith
strengthened by extraordinary experience of the
actual occurrence of which he has not the least
doubt. lie IS a shrewd. practical business man. in
clined as he says himself to be sceptlcal and to
doubt anything ont of the usual But he states
that few days agoin the daytime lie saw distinctly
his son, who died about year before. AS he desires
to avoid undue publicity all names are omitted, but
the story, as he related it yesterday to TRIBUNE
reporter. is as follows:
The death of my occurred year ago this
month. The severity OF the blow had become some
what softened by time and previous to his appear
ance to me had not been at all constantly ill my
mind. j had come homo in the afternoon, and just
about sunset | pissed from the front parlOr. where
we are now, 20 this room in the rear AS reached
the door | saw distinctly my dead son sitting in
low char by the window His face which was pale.
was turned toward me- and his head little inclined
to one side. Iii, eyes earnestly fixed upon me.
lie was dressed in the same clothes tbaC
he wore when alive. / stood as If
thunder-s;rucis gaZing at him. In an
instant the vision vanished like fash 1t seemed
To melt into the air the right the feet disappear
Ing last. Then | recovered myself am not easily
moved, but the Precipitation stood ont on my fore
head and my hands were cold zee. examined
everything aud tired to If could have been de-
ccvcd by the light coming through the window,
INT could ind no exclamation. ard lay awake all
the night thinking over Come INTO the back paror
and VIII show you what the arrangement OF the
room was"
The speaker entered tho rear room, which has a
large bay-window looking over the harbor 10 the
west Ne changed the positions OF the chairs solne-
what and continued:
q stood III this do lrway where you stand now,
looking toward the window. II was just
tl,s tine Of the day about sunset.
and the light was striking into tho room from the
west Directly in front Of me, by the tae vas thls
meh-backrd chair. Looking over the top OF this
char across the rays Of light from TIE west Jaw
my son In that low eJsY-chair, wh'h stood where
have placed il now, the corner tothc Lorh by inc
wIuGoW. Ny son was not III nv mind when en-
tered the room. have carefully studied the effects
of ;hc light and am sure that was not deceived.
My belief was confirmed by subsequent occurrence.
About a week aftcrward a medium. who knew Moth
iug oil whal had seen, gave nay wife communca-
tIon from M SON. he dcscrihcd my appearance and
th.. he repeated cIcma:ls made 10y members Of ny
FANNY when told 10y me Of my experience. lie sail
that lac WIS constantly with rs in spirit, and Lad
been struggling to make himself visible. lie had
succre ed this once but other forces were too strong
for him, and he was compelled 10 90.
81 cannot explain THIS appearance except by my
belief that there Is connection between this world
aud the next which people generally aro not ready
TO accept. There some singular occurrences
during my sons illness. He had been Ill for egh-
teen months with CONSUMPTION. and after travelling
m search OF health returned homo about three weeks
Lrtorr his death We learned then that he q
baheyerin Spritunlsm. lie announced his approach
ing end week before II came ana slld
that be would probably fall into trance. A lew
days before the end came he passed INTO deep
trance remaining in this state for about SIX horIs.
On regaining consciousness he exc alned Beahtl-
full and said that he had had n vision Of an open
sea containing many beautiful objects indescrb2hiy
bright from one OF which came VOICE Gaining MN.
Ilu frequently spoke of this VISION which seemed 10
recur to him up 10 his death. All these experiences
have taken away from tho members Ol my family
any fear OF death.
/" can tell you also OF an experience OF mine in
1872 OF different nature which IN hard to explain.
In the of Western journey with my brother
he told mo that he had made u will and appointed
me executor. Soon after lie died. and the Will could
be nowhere found although was sure
that he had made ono. | knew that he often en-
ploycd "A lawyer. belonging to Pne-st; firm,
Mr. Smith we will call him.. of tie firm OF
4
knew nothing of the will and searched his office in
| vain. Some months passed. II was about this time
| that DR.. Slado. who. aiterward came TO grief IN
| England. was producing written communications on
| n locked slate. never had any faith in this al
though | sometimes attended his SennCes. There
was another medium by the name OF Mansfield
whom had consulted n few times without any re-
suit | went tO him one day and wrote on slip OF
paper tins questor: Where is my brothers will
| Then folded the paper twice and handed It ia
| the medium. He kept It Tor moment
| and then gave 1t back. Opening it l found written
| underneath my question There are two wills and
| three drafts Of wills in Mr. Smiths Office | was
somewhat surprised naturally. AZ the medium had
never gwen mo an answer IN any way satislaStory
him that had additional reasons for bolieyng that
| my brothers will was there. He said, Well 1t II
vacation timo and Twill have all the papers IN the
drawers and pigeon-hoes OF the office looked over
This was DONE every part of the Office was searched
| hut no will was found. Then | rather gave the
| matter up, and thought little moro of what the
was sitting IN my office. one day, boy
cam. l. said, Yes. Did yonr brother
die rccentlyP .Yes.' We'll. Mr.. Smith, of the
| and wants you TO como down TO his Office"
| 1.-THE lawyer was of the same name rs the one
usually employed by my brother, whom had visited
in search of the will. / visited this MIR. Smith, and
Pho had my brothers will and two drafts. one folded
up inside of the other. l said. have reason e
think there is another will. Mr. Smith
said No! but consented to look T., and
book and forgotten. Then said. Il think there il
| another draft! The search was removed, and sure
enough another draft was found. making the two
| wills aud three drafts OF which the medium haC
told me. The lawyer was very curious TO learn how
knew about these papers. whose existence had es
| capped him. IL seems that my brother had occasion
ally made use OF his services, which did not know
and had COMO to him only short time before hi
death to have the last will drawn up."
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