The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-01-29
CONDOLENCES.
STRANGE OCCURRENCES THAT HAVE
pEFIED EXPLANATION.

Sequel = Dtckens' Predictions ~ the
Races The Three Legged Jims'-what
Happened to = Friend Of the Poet Rogers.
A coincidence of the war, Of serious
nature. Ia that Of the "three Jims." A
group Of four men were In the trenches
during an artillery engagement. They
werc lying on the ground, chatting and
smoking, out of the direct reach OF fire,
when shell suddenly exploded over
their heads and SO seriously injured three
Of the men that it necessitated amputa-
ton Of the left leg in each instance. The
Christian name OF each Of these three
men was the same-James. The fourth,
who was untouched, bore another name.
The three veteran pensioners have ever
since been known among their acquaint-
ances as tho "three legged Jims."
BRowNING's EXPERIENCE.
A curious story of coincidence Is re-
lated by Robert Browning in an English
newspaper as having occurred to him.
self and sister while visiting a remote
valley in Switzerland some years ago,
the circumstances of which are substan-
TALLY as follows:
While strolling about one evening to
admire the calm and repose Of the valley,
talk unaccountably turned to the subject
of murder, and each began to speculate
as to what their first impulse would be
if they should be SO unfortunate as to
find the body of a murdered man in the
wood. Continuing in this strain, the
Brownings talked until they reached the
hotel, when the matter was dropped.
Mr.. Browning applied for the use OF
carriage the next morning, and was re-
ferred to the landlord, who informed
them that it would be impossible for
them to have the two horses intended for
their carriage, as one OF them was
wanted to bring in the body Of man
found early that morning, murdered, at
the head Of the valley. Questioning him,
Mr.. Browning learned that in all prob
ability the murder had been committed
very soon after the conversation Of the
evening before.
On visiting the spot where the body
had been discovered 1t was found to be
the identical place where, on the previ-
GUS evening, they had stood specializing
as to what they should do in case Of such
an event. To heighten the dramatic eff
feet of the coincidence, they were told
that no crime of violence, so far as
known, had ever before been committed
in that valley. The fact that the mind
of the poet should have turned to such
subject just at that time partakes of the
nature Of presentiment, and the coinci-
dence is certainly one of the most pecul-
lar on record.
In Forster's Life of Dickens" a curl
Gus story is told of what Dickens called
"paralyzing coincidence" experienced
ON the Doncaster race course. On the
st. LeGer day, in 1857, Dickens bought a
card of the races, and facetiously wrote
down three names for the winners of the
three chief races. He had never heard
or thought of any Of the horses in 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 a
coincidence which, although it may
have been 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 a hackney coach, and when he got
out, as he was paying the driver,
oiOPpcu Lie ioOhcu III tuc
mud and slush for it in vain, and so did
the coachman. On his return home after
some years service he had occasion
again TO go to his lawyers When leav-
ing he recollected his lost shilling, and,
by some unaccountable 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 coppers, done
up in brown paper.
Perhaps the most astonishing coinci-
dence of any we might mention and at
the same time one perfectly authentic, is
related by that charming writer, "Tav-
erner," of The Boston Post. II was walk
ing, says Taverner, ION 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 an
inquiry concerning common acquain-
lance, who had disappeared out OF our
lives several years before, and whom l
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 il no man, he went on to
say. that | should more heartily enjoy
knocking down if he would only give me
the provocation.' 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 q spot Of ice as
he struggled 60 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 grasped
/ Il - = n
AZ. ureat oco.e, iavern n don you see ~
who had turned up to be knocked down,
80 to speak, by a coincidence. st. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
Somefhin0 About Neu Soufh VyaIea