Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-08
HEARD THE BANSHEE.
AYoung Irishman's Nerves Shattered
by Unearthly Shrieks.
GLOOMY FOREBODINGS OF DEATH,
Despoil Him of His Rest and Vigor, and
Plunge Him Into Despair.
he REFUSES ALL BUT SPIRITUAL AID

James A Devoy is young Irishman who
boards with Mrs. George Hill, on Watson
street, near Old avenue. Mr.. Dewey has
been employed as a clerk in a grocery store
since his arrival in this city in 1887. Dur
ing the past five days he has refused to do
any work, and is plunged in the deepest
melancholy. He eats barely enough to sup
port life, and never leaves his boarding
house. Medical aid he declines to accept,
nor have the entreaties and reasoning of his
friends the least effect upon his mind. The
cause Of this strange disposition is thus ex-
planned BY the Hill family, with whom Mr..
Dewey boards:
About A. M. on last Saturday morning
Devoy rushed into young Fred Hill's room
in frantic state of terror and excitement.
To the astonished Hill he exclaimed: "I've
heard il; I've got to 60 like the rest of
them"
A STRUGGLE IN THE ROOM.
Hill thought his friend was insane and
strong man, caught him in his arms and
threw him furiously back upon the bed. He
then began to wiring his hands and moan,
crying out that be would be a dead man
before the end of the week. The noise
brought other members of the family to the
room, and after much persuasion Dewey re-
vealed the cause of his extraordinary be-
havior.
Don't laugh at me-" he said, "because /
believe in spirits and such things, but not ten
minutes ago heard the shrek of the Ban
shee three times outside my window. You
know what the Banshee is? 1t is spirit
that follows some Irish families and warns
them OF coming death. My father was
warned like this; so were my mother and
brother Every one of them died within the
week. Now it is my turn, and must go
also." Dewey denied angrily that he had
dreamed the terrible Banshee cries so dread
ed by many of the Irish and Highland
Scotch. lie solemnly avered that the first
cry had awakened him, and that he heard
the two subsequent cries while standing
wide-swake on the floor of his room. The
Hills tried to ridicule Devoy's statement,
but he persisted in it, and bewailed his ap-
preaching end.
HAS NOT SLEPT SINCE.
He slept none that night and his present
haggard appearance would seem to warrant
the declaration that he has enjoyed no sleep
since. He has caused his room to be almost
entirely darkened, and be sits there await
ing the fate which he imagines is awaiting
him. The scanty meals he eats are carried
to him in this room. He admits very few
visitors, and nothing can shake his
firm belief that his death will occur
within a week. To-day he proposes to
seek spiritual consolation from one of the
pastors at the Cathedral. 81 want to make
all straight with Heaven before GO, he
said yesterday. 81 have delayed too long
as it is. Ny poor father was snatched away
the very day after he heard the scream of
the Banshee. 1 ought TO be very thankful
since have been allowed five days. Isn't
it awful that healthy and young as am
should be called away like this?''
Mr.. Dewey is 26 years of age. He is
about six feet high and well built His face
is rather good looking, but there is never
absent from it an intensely mournful express
sion. This sorrowful look has been intensi-
fed by his weird hallucination, until the
appearance presented by the young mans
ghastly countenance, is scarcely that of
mortal being.
The Hill family is plunged in grief over
Devoy's temporary insanity as they style it.
He has always been a favorite; his quiet,
gentlemanly manners gaining him the res
pect OF everyone in the neighborhood.