The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-24
CONDOLENCES.
STRANGE OCCURRENCES THAT HAVE
pcFlEO EXPLANATION

, IlffiN1E O1OO'tf-''N~
pcFlEO EXPLANATION.
A Discussion Of Mnrdcr and the Chnstly
seouoi 80 Dickens Predictions at the
Eacrs-Tho Three Legged Jims"-What
Happened to a friend OF the Poet Rogers
4 coincidence Of the war, Of serious
nature. - that Of tie three Jims." A
group OF four men were IN the trenches
during an artillery engagement. They
were lying on the ground. chatting ana
smoking, out Of tho direct reach Of hTe,
when shell suddenly exploded over
their heads and 50 seriously injured three
Of the men that it necessitated ampnta-
uon Of tie left leg Ia each instance. The
Christian name Of each of these three
mon vas the same-Jamss. The fourth,
who was untouched, bore another name.
The Lirce veteran pensioners have ever
since been known among their acquaint-
anc-5 IS the three legged Jims
HnOwEING's EXPERIENCE.
4 curious story OF coincidence is re-
lated by Robert Browning in On English
newspaper as having occurred 10 HIM
self and sister while visiting a remote
valley in Switzerland some years ago,
the circumstances Of which are substan-
italy a. follows:
While strolling about one evening 10
admire the calm and ropose Of the valley,
which lay spread out before them, their
talk unaccountsbly turned to the subject
If murder and each began TO speculate
as 10 what their first impulse would be
il thew should be 30 unfortunate % 70
find the BODY OF q murdered man in the
wood. Continuing IN this strain, the
Browning talked until they reached the
hotel, when tine matter was dropped.
5ir Browning applied for the use OF
canlro the next morning and was r.
felrcd 70 tie landlord, who informed
then that 10 would be impossible for
them 10 have the two horses intended for
their carriage, a. O,s Of them WAS
wanted 10 bring IN the body Of a man
found Callv that morning, murdered. az
the head OF the valley. Questioning him,
81 Browning leaned that az all prob
ability thc murder had been committed
r.rv fo1n after the C0nversaCln Of the
vonng before.
On visiting the SPOT where the body
had been discovered 1t was found TO be
lbe identical place where on the previ-
Gus evening. they had stood epeculaiiug
4s t0 what they should DO IN case OF such
IA event 10 hciehten the dramatic e.
lcct oi The coincidence, they were told
thar 10 crime OF violence. so far as
known. had ever before been committed
10 that valley The fact that the mind
If the poet should have turned TO such
subject iust 40 that time portakcs Of the
nature az a presentiment, and tho coinci-
lcnce is certainly one Of the most pecul-
lar on record
Ii Torster's "Life Of Dickens" a cuii-
Gus story is told Of what Dickens called
a 'paralyzing coincidence" experienced
On the DODca1ter race course. On the
Il. Lcgcr dag, IN 1851. Dickens bought a
card OF the races. and iacgiOusly wrote
down three names for the winners Of the
three chief races. lie had never heard
OF thought If any Of tic horses in lis
lile. but. as he wrote 10 Forster, IF You
can believe il, those three races were
won. one after another, by those three
horses
AFTER MANY YEARS.
The poet, Samuel Rogers, narrated q
coincidence which, although it may
have been . humorous invention, is quite
within the bounds Of possibility, and 40
the same time somewhat amusing. An
officer who was ordered 10 India went,
Oh the dav before leaving England, to
bis hwyer's The day Being wet, he
took a hacliney coach, and when he cot
out. 90 he was paving the driver,
dropped a shilling lie locked in the
mud and siush for it ia vain. and 60 did
the cOachmau. On his return home after
come years service he had occasion
again 10 20 TO his lawyers. When leay-
ing nc recolicc,ed his lost shilling. and,
BIZ some unaccOuntable impulse, began
10 look Tor it, when, strange to say, he
found, lust nc the very spot where he
had paid the coachman-not the shilling,
but twelve pennyworth Of coppers, done
up II brown paper.
Perhaps tie most astonishing cOincl-
denc9 OF any we might mention and at
tho same time ono perfectly authentic. Is
related by thai charming writer. "Iay-
eIner, 81 The Boston Post. Il was walk
Ing, says Iayemer, ION my way down
town, with ncighbor who was gong
the same way. when ray companion, Tor
20 apparent cause, suddenly changed the
subject on which we were chatting By al
inquiry concerning a common acquain-
lance. who had disappeared out OF our
lives several years before, and whom |
knew ho held in especial dete5taIi0n
" Sly MEND had heard Of him the
wear before in San Francisco, and later
~ somewhere Oh the continent Of Europe.
And there Is no man. he went on 10
as. chat I should more heartily enjoy
knocking down If he would only give me
the proyocahOn.' We had at that instant
reached fremont street, where, suddenly
turning the corner, one Of the passing
crowd came sQuarely into collision With
my friend. slipped upon O spot OF ice as
be- struggled TO keep his balance and
fairly measured his length on the side
WALL. ] turned to pick up the hat OF the
fallen man, when / felt myself grasped
by the arm by my friend, who whispered:
Great Scott, Tavernsr, don't YOU zee It's
the very man, and I've done it, after alg
Sure enough, It was the distant traveller,
who had TUNED up 70 be- Knocked down,
60 70 speak, By a coincidence st Louis
Clobe-DCmocrat
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