River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-11-01

way to Europe after few days, and re-
NAMED there some years. On my re-
turn | simply passed through New York 4.
and had almost forgotten the whole af-
fair. After several years residence in
America again, and after tfs esDGg the
whole length and breadti,>EOl our
country twice. it is quite natural 70 sup
pose that I should have forgotten al
about it. One day / was writing a very
lively, sprighuy letter, and feeling in
particularly good spirits, when all at
once | pushed aside that letter. and
drawing other paper toward me wrote
out a simple history of that affair, just
IS it was, and mailed it to the New ork
sun. They took only time to verify
what they could Of the story and pub
ished it. II made considerable stir,
and reporters visited the room and in
terviewed Mr.. Adams, who admitted all
that is here told; and also added that
he felt positive that | was perfectly sin
| cere and honest, and particularly level
headed person, and one not given to
any Of the lallacies of spiritualism, and
that he did not doubt that | saw every
thing as | said. He had had one or two
| persons who desired to leave that room,
but he did not know why. lie would
not be afraid to sleep there, but never
had done 50. Then several persons who
bad occupied that room began to be
| heard from, all relating different expert
/ ences, though none had seen what
| had.
A Catholic priest published an article
relating 10 il, and accounting for it AL
saying hat he believed that the man
mad been murdered and that the assassin
was still living, and that, as a punish
ment for his crime, he was obliged to
enact II every night in spirit while
asleep, and that it was a well known
flct that one mind bad influence over
another to a greater or less extent, and
that his mind during its free moments
h al forced mine to behold the tragedy.
Some Of the newspapers suggested
that it was the ghost Of Tammany others
declared It Bill Tweed, and some ridi-
cuied the who affair.
An English sea captain also published
hisexperience while occupying that room
He had been playing cards with friend,
and while at the little table there came
an invisible shower of apparently heavy
articles down on the bic, scattering
lie cards right and left. Another man
had had peculiar, but not startling, ex-
perlences there.
Several years have passed since that
time, and | had almost forgotten that
bad ever written or seen anything, when
about two months since the whole was
brought to my mind by strange and
shocking incident.
I was walking along one of the busiest
streets in New York, and it was very
not and | did not wish to get unneces-
-afily heated, when | became aware Of
an uncomfortable sensation, as if a cold
hand was touching ME and leading me
| Onward. A few steps further took me
toward a lady of graceful mien and fig
are, who was stanCing by the side Of a
gentleman whose face and figure seemed
strangely familiar to NE. | caught his
iJJk, which was fixed upon me, and he
drew his lips back in an attempt to smile,
which was so CHASTITY a sight that all who
saw it shuddered, and then he fell to the
ground dead.
Of course everything was done that
couli be done to restore HIM, but use
lessIy, and the doctor said he died in d
lit. | was the only other woman pros
ent, and, as such, l felt it duty to stay
Dy the woman. who seemed to be strick-
en- with pallor of death, though she
did not faint or cry when they said he
was dead. | took her hand and asked
her il she was able TO give orders, and
asked what could be dOue for her. She
replied YEARLY but simply, nothing"
she would nave the body taken to an
underwriters and buried from there and
then she would 90 home.
turned to 90 and gave her my card,
saying that should be but too happy to
| be of service, and started out; but as
my eyes fell upon the face of the dead
/ man | saw, with shock that | fear [
shall never forget, that it was the muir
derer of my vision, without any shadow
of doubt.
The next day brought me package
| by post IN which was q pack of cards
! and a slip of paper, on which was writ
| ten: lit is all over now and the unhap-
| py sight you were forced to witness has
wrought its result. The man you saw
die yesterday slew his half-brother for q
fancied wrong, the prete1t Of Il quarrel
at cards being a subterfuge. As soon as
my husband knew that his brother had
not supplanted him in his fathers affec-
uonS he became the victim of a remorse
as terrible as imagination could paint.
| His father became almost a maniac when
| he heard of his younger sons supposed
| suicide, and as my husband dared not
own himself a murderer to that poor old
| father, ne suffered such tOrtures as You
| can imagine. He was man of power
| full wilt and could control himself while
| awake, but as soon as he would sleep it
seemed to fly through space,
and no matter where we were
and we travelled everywhere be would
return i'll spirit to that fatal room
| He told me all, and | loved him we'll
| enough to love him still and to pity him
| Intimately, and of all he ever saw. you
and one other woman were all to whom
| he could ever show the tragedy plainly.
| He has told me that sometimes in his
| balfled rage he would long to be there
| in body to be able to kill the sleeper.
| This other woman died, and at last you
l made public what convinced the father
l that his beloved son had not been guilty
| Of self destruction, but he never dreamed
| of suspecting his elder son, SO that he
| died content. We were on our way to
| Savannah, where we both were born. |
| send you this to thank you and to ask
you to publish it, as true story which
may work among passionate ones who
| let unreasening anger and suspicion
| have their sway. You will not see me
again. Before you receive this shall
have Joined my dear husband. Perhaps
/ God viii he merclful to n i'm In pity tor
| his suffering Good-by."
| That was all. No address; no name.
| The papers next day recorded the death
1 of an unknown woman at lodgln G.
house. She was buried from the money
found on her person. At the same time
| the corpse of the strange man was bu-
ried by the undertaken. It was sad and
unsatisfactory ending to this singular
mystery, in which l was unwillingly
| made an actor.
If any one can explain how such q
thing could be | should be glad to kno"
it. In the meantime | assure such per.
| sons as may read this that every word
| - hi cfn e aPf1InIlV
far as am concerned, and as for the
rest, / believe it though cannot under
stand it.
| ~. r-....4:..~. NU.anxr