The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-20
A REMARKABLE CASE.
Mrs. Shorts Vision Solves a
Mystery.

The sudden death of Mrs. Ellen Short of
Jamaica, L. l., and the result of the investi-
CATION of vision she claimed appeared to
her has cleared up mystery which has
puzzled tie residents of that quiet town for
over year Mrs Short died last Monday
at her home on Washington street, and
shortly before her death repeated to one of
her children the story of dream she often
had. 1t was that size had seen the body of
her husband, who mysteriausly disappeared
on July IA, 1890, lying at the bottom of a big
well in the Long Island Railroad round
house. A search party found the body.
William Short was 45 years old and car
cleaner in the employ of the Long Island
Railroad. On the morning of July 14th
he was left alone in the engine
again. Mrs. Short was left to provide
for family of seven children, the oldest
one but IA years old. 1t was believed at
first that Short had abandoned his family.
Mrs. Short did not believe it, and soon aft
erward a vision appeared to her while she
slept which confirmed her disbelief. One
night she said, she was awakened from a
Sound sleep and saw plainly in the dim
light OF the room her husband, who told her
to have some one look in the well, into
this story to some of her neighbors, hut
they were incredulous. The railroad Off
cials were told about It, They refused ia
investigate. The Oldest boy of the family
had for some time held position at the tele-
graph Office OF the railroad. He was dis
l<charged scon after his fathers disappear
ance, and the loss of his income was a seri.
Ons one to his mother. She tried evert
kind of work to provide food for her chill.
dren, even working for farmers in their
fields. Every day the struggle for existence
became more severe. 1t was no unusual
thing for her TO spend an entire day seek
ing work and then to send the children to
bed without bite to eat
On Monday. after she had had an unsuc-
cessful day, she came home utterly worn
out. and dropped into a chair hardly able to
speak. She sent one Of her daughters out
to get some water, kissed another of her
children who climbed into her lap. and then
| leaned back in her chair. The children
played around softly so as not to awaken
her. Finally, when she did not get up to
prepare their supper, one of the youngest
pulled her by the dress. There came no
answer from the white lips, and when the
daughter returned with the water she saw
that her mother was dead. kind-hearted
neighborS found the children crying and
hungry. The sisters of ST. Dominck took
charge OF them. Coroner McEverett, OF Ja-
malca, held an inquest on Mrs. Shorts
body on Tuesday night. One of the
boys told the Coroner that the day before
his mother died she had another sight of her
husbands ghost The Coroner had not
Hcdtu lle stOTy DelOTe, ana lie interested
several men in it and got up search at mid
night. William Magale, who was in charge
of the engine-house at l o'clock yesterday
morning. volunteered to go down the we'll.
1t is about 10 feet wide and 60 feet deep. A
pair of rickety stairs circle about the sides,
and the descent was dangerous. Magaie,
lantern in hand, finally reached the bottom
and looked about. The first thing to catch
his eye was the body of man lying at full
length, with a piece of timber across it.
ItkrA fhrnn 4 .InI NI.-
fearful sight. BY the clothing it was known
as Shorts. The body was taken out and
carried to the Morgue. The bodies of hus-
band and wife will be buried together.-N.
Y Special to Globe- Democrat