Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-07-25
FoREToLD HIS OWN DEATH.
A PreacherrWho Prepared His Own
Funeral Sermon.

In The New York papers few days
ago appeared the particulars of singular
affair at Valley Cottage, Rockland Coun-
ty. John Ryder, one of the prominent
residents Of that place, one day not long
ago made up his mind to die, and die he
did after predicting his taking off to his
friends and relatives. signing his will and
engaging an undertaken.
"Now, all this seems very singular to
person." said Squire James Alterton, Of
Port Jergis N. Il, "but am prepared to
believe that it is the actual fact. | can
tell YOU of more singular case than
that, in which death was predicted for
long time ahead.
"In 1874 my father, the Rev. Isaac
AlIerton, then in his Goth year, VINO had
been living with me for tiLle, went to
Chicago On visit to one of his sons. He
returned along in the summer to Port
Crane, Broone, County, where another
son was living. During the hot days Of
July and August he suffered very much
from the heat. One day in the latter
month he astonished his sons family by
announcing that on a certain day in the
coming February lin 1s75) he would pass
to the other world. Although the family
tried, in every way to rid him of the
peculiar idea he insisted that his pre-
diction would prove true. He was calm
and composed, and said something
seemed to tell him that his final dissolu-
ton was near at hand.
Accordingly. he set about to write his
farewell sermon. lie had told his son
that the day of his death would be Mon
day. On the day be ore, Sunday, he
would deliver the farewell sermon which
be was preparing, and on the following
Wednesday he would be buried. The
sermon vas to be review of his life
work and his religion, and he spent a
great deal of time upon it. The title was
Farewell to Earth He also selected
spot in the graveyard where he wished
to be, buried, and staked it out, also
making all the necessary preparations
for his funeral He even went so far as
to have the remains of his wife removed
from Port Jervis, where she was buried,
to the Port Crane burying ground.
"As the sullmer waned and fall spent
itselfthere was nothing in the appearance
offather that would seem 10 indicate the
approach of the silent messenger. At
times he would seem grave and tn ught-
full, and would talk to his family of re-
ligious matters. but usually he was lively
and went abOut in good health. You
must not forget that at this time he was
almost four score and ten, but he was
unusually active. Well, as the time
neared for his death, as predicted, he
assured his friends that the prediction
was correct, and that he would pass away
as he had foretold. But he had made u
slight error in some way, and he died on
Sunday, the day he was to preach his
farewell sermon, instead of on Monday,
the day he had fixed upon as the day of
his death.
"Another singular thing about it was
that the day on which he died was also
his Goth birthday, and a near as could be
decided upon, the hour of his birth and
the hour of his death were identical.
Father was not sick or in pain at auy
time after he predicted his death, nor
when the end was reached. He simply
laid back his head, said he was going,
and died."
There have been other similar cases in
this section, notably that of Nj. Thomas
Van Etten, father of Levi Van Etten, of
this town, who predicted his death. In
this instance it was only short time
before death. New York Sun.