Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-12-22
CONDOLENCES.
STRANGE OCCURRENCES THAT HAVE
oeFlep EXPLANATION.

Sequel = Dickcns' Predictions - the
Rsces- Tho 'Thrce Legged Jims"-what
Happened 10 . Friend Of tho Poet Rogers.
A coincidence Of the war, of n serious
nature, is that OF the "threo Jims." 4
group Of four men were In tho trenches
during an artillery engagement. They
were lying on the ground, chatting and
smoking, out of tho direct reach Of fire,
when o shell suddenly exploded over
their heads and 30 seriously injured three
Of the men that Il necessitated amputa-
ton Of the left leg In each instance. Tho
Christian pame OF each Of these three
mon was the samc-,Jamee. Tho fourth,
who was untouched, bore another name.
Tho three veteran pensioners have ever
since been known among their acquaint-
AncSs as the "three legged Jims."
BRowNINos EXPERIENCE.
A curious story Of coincidence Is re-
lated by Robert Drowning In an English
newspaper as having occurred TO him
self and sister wbilo visiting remote
valley in Switxerland some years ago,
the circumstances Of which arc substan-
TALLY as follows;
While strolling about one evening to
admire tho calm and repose Of the valley,
which lay spread out before them, their
talk unaccountably turned to the subject
Of murder, and each began to speculate
as to what their frst impulse would be
II they should be 80 unfortunate as TO
find tho body Of q murdered man In the
wood. Continuing In this strain, tho
prownings talked until they reached the
hotel, when the Inatter was dropped.
carriage the next morning, and was re-
ferred to the landlord, who informed
them that 1t would be impossible for
them to have the two horses intended for
their carriage, as ono OF the-l was
wanted to bring In tho body Of man
found early that morning, murdered, at
the head Of the valley. Questioning him,
Mr.. Browning learned that In oil prob
ability the murder had been committed
very soon after the conversation of the
evening before.
On visiting tho spot where the body
had been discovered It was found to be
the identical place where, on the previ-
GUS evening, they had stood speculating
as to what they should do in case Of such
an event. To heightep the dramatic ef-
feet Of the coincidence, they were told
that no crime Of violence, 30 far as
in that valley. The fact that the mind
of the poet should have turned to such q
subject just at that time partalkes Of the
nature OF q rresentiment, and the coinci-
dence Is certainly one Of the most pccul-
lar on record.
In Forster's "Life of Dickens a curl
Gus story Is told Of what Dickens called
a a"patalyxlng coincidence" experienced
ON the Doncaster race course. On the
st. Leger day, In 1857, Dickens bought a
card OF tho races, and facetiously wrote
down three names for the winners Of the
three chief races. He had never heard
or thought Of any Of tho horses ip his
life, but, as he wrote to Forster, "if you
can believe it, those three races were
won, one after another, by those three
horses"
AFTER MANY YEARS.
The poet, Samuel Rogers, narrated q
coincidence which, although 1t may
have been a humorous invention, is quite
within the bounds Of possibility, and at
the same time somewhat amusing. An
officer who was ordered to India went,
on the day before leaving England, to
his lawyers. The day being wet, he
took hackney coach, and when he got
out, as he was paying tho driver,
dropped q shilling. He looked In the
mud and slush for 1t In vain, and so did
the coachman. On his return homo after
some years service he had occasion
again to go to his lawyers. When leav-
ing he recollected his lost shilling, and,
by some unaccountablo impulse, began
to look for it, when, strange to say, he
found, just at the very spot where he
had paid the coachman--not the shilling,
but twelve pennyworth OF copper" done
up in brown paper.
Perhaps tho most astonishing coinci-
dence of any we might mention and ut
the same time one perfectly authentic, is
related by that charming writer, "Tav-
erher," of The Boston Post. 81 was walk
ing" says Taverner, "on my way down
town, with neighbor who was going
the same way, when my companion, for
no apparent cause, suddenly changed the
subject on which we were chatting by on
inquiry concerning common acquain-
tance, who had disappeared out Of our
lives several years before, and whom ]
knew he held in especial detestation.
My friend had heard of him the
year before in San Francisco, and later
as somewhere ON the continent Of Europe.
And there is no man., he went on to
say, that / should more heartily enjoy
knocking down IL he would only give mc
reached fremont street, where, suddenly
turning the corner, ono Of the passing
crowd came squarely into collision with
my friend, slipped upon o spot Of ice as
he struggled to keep his balance and
fairly measured his length on the side
walk. turned to pick up the hat Of the
fallen man, when felt myself, graspesd
by the arm by my friend, who whispered
Great Scott, Taverner, don't you see iii
| the very man, and I've done it, after ALI
Sure enough, it was the distant traveller
who had turned up to be knocked down
80 to speak, by coincidence. st. Louil
| Globe-Democrat.