The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-19
CALLED BY HER DEAD LOVER.
Strange circumstances Preceding the DeatI
of Young Girl.

of a Young Girl.
| Salt Lake Herald.
few DAYS ago we chronicled the death of
| Miss Athaiiah Gilbert of South Cottonwood. AT
| the time OF the announcement there were re-
| ports current that some events of the ordin-
airy were connected with her decease, but at that
| time there were no means of ascertaining the
| particulars Yesterday, however, Mr. James
| Gilbert. the young lady's father, and several
other Cottonwood people were in the city, and
from them reporter learned the facts which fol-
| low. All the names mentioned those of re-
| sponsible and we'll known citizens, and unreal
as the narration sounds, there can be no doubt
| of its authenticity.
The young lady was sixteen years old at the
time of her death, and appears to have been pos
| sessed of one of those warm, lovable. bright and
even-tempered dispositions which endear the
| owner 10 every one with whom she comes in con-
| tact Though SO young, she took busy part In
all church duties. and in improvement associa-
lions and the Sunday school her name always
! had prominent place. Some three or tour
| years ago she formed an Intimacy with a youth
| named John Cunliffe, the son of neighbor and
| despite the tender years of both they became
strongly attached to each other, and provoked no
| end of comment at their old-fashoued devotion
and steadfast affection for one another. This
state of affairs continued until the girl was fifteen
years old, when the association rudely broken
by the death of young Cunliffe. He lost his life
| from the kick OF c wild horse about a year ago.
when the intelligence was brought to Miss Gil
bert, her father says. it gave her shock, from
| which she never recovered. She almost sank
| beneath the blow and at his funeral her parox-
| ysms of grief were 80 violent that it was feared
| her reason would depart. In time. however, she
resumed her accustomed duties. but 1t was evil
| dent that the blow she had sustained had sunk
| deep into her life She seldom reused herself
from deep lethargy of sadness, and day by day
| her color. and strength, and the freshness of
| youth seemed to be ebbng away. A few months
| AGO she alarmed her sister by telling her that
John had visited her chamber and had told her
chat she must prepare to come to him. She
manifested no fear, but, according to her sister,
had told him she could not leave her parents,
but he had only said again that she must
come Once again. later. she told her sister that
| he had come to her with the same message and
| she had now evidently given up desiring to re-
MAN, as she told her sister how she wished to be
| dressed at her burial and whom she wished to
| dress her. Soon after that young Cunliffe's
father came to Mr. Gilbert, sorely disturbed, and
| told him that one morning as he was lying down
| his son had come to him and stood at the foot of
| his bed. His father hal asked him what it was
| he desired. and ne replied: 81 came to see you,
| father. l am staying at Gilbert's. and l am
| going back there now. have been there ever
| since left you Where else should be?" Mr..
| Gilbert attempted to reason the old gentleman
out of his notion, but he insisted that it was
| no dream or vision. but that his son
| had actually visited and spoken to him.
and that In broad daylight La the meantime,
| Miss Gilbert continued to maintain that her last
| day was approaching, and no amount of persua-
! sion seemed to shake her belief One week ago
last evening she and her parents were attending
birthday party at a neighbours Miss Gilbert
| was sitting at the lunch table, chatting with
| some companions. when. without word of
| warning, she fell to the floor motionless. Her
| father and mother raised her, and both said her
| heart had ceased to beat Their cries and
| lamentations and their frenzied attempts to
| rouse her, they state, rallied her for few mo-
| ments, and she hurriedly conveyed home
where she expired shortly afterward, leaving her
friends almost stupefied with grief. Her funeral
was one of the largest convocations of nourners
| ever seen Ia that locality.