The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-18

WASHINGTON WOMAN'S STRANGE
HAILUciNATION AND DEATH.

Believed the vermiform Appendix Wa
satan-Could Only Drive It Out With
the Gacrament-Made Many Converts
Remarkable Religious Mania.
Administration circles in Washington
have received within the past few weeks
shock without precedent In the history
of sensation A lady of birth and station,
popular as o hostess, with no mean repu-
tation as a wit and raconteur, has with
drawn to privacy in the west, conjured
new religion, gathered her disciples and
died. a dramatic expression of her convic-
lions.
One Of the few congressman remaining
IN that city narrates the spiritual election
and death of Mrs. D.:
at was shortly after Christmas that 1
noticed first the unusual fact that Mrs.
D. s cheeks were getting paler than their
wont. and that certain Gstlessness OF
manner betrayed itself from time to time
in her actions. But put it down to the I'M
usual gayety Of the season and the languor
incident to loss of sleep and thought little
Of the matter. My surprise was great,
therefore when one day Mrs. ID. said to
me:
"'Do you know. I believe that am pos
sessed by the devil?
81 expostulated, Of course. Mrs. D.
then said:
L am in deadly earnest. feel it.
know it. May heaven help mel
ST never saw Mrs. D. again. The next
day she was taken suddenly sick and new
er saw any one before leaving for the west.
The rest of the story l have from her
friends.
"Mrs. D. was left in the west by her
husband. She improved rapidly in health
and seemed to be doing well when Mr.. D.
received word from neighbor that she
was looking Ill, and then from the serv-
ants that she was dead.
"The preparations for the funeral went
on in due form, Mr.. D. being only surpris-
ed at the number Of strange women who
came to view the corpse. He observed that
they all prayed about the coffin, and that
all were strangely pale. However, they all
professed to be friends OF Mrs. d. and
much concerned at her strange death.
''To cut the story short, Mr.. d. found
out the following curious and tragic story
of her death The attack she had under
gone in Washington of appendicitis, cou-
pied with her deranged nervous system,
had affected Mrs. d. s mind to tremen-
dous degree.
"From medical statistics she easily dis
covered the great number of deaths due TO
Inflammation of the vermiform appendix,
and she came easily to the conclusion that
that fatal duct was the devil in her and in
humanity. To get rid of him was the next
point and Mrs. D. made up her mind that
the one thing the devil could not subSist
on was the sacrament.
Accordingly Mrs. D. prescribed for her.
self fast of 80 days, in which she was to
take nothing bat hard water crackers as
the flesh and claret wine as the blood. This
90 days she passed SO successfully that 1t
strengthened her convictions.
Chow Mrs d. succeeded in making con-
verts to her belief is not know. The serv
ants said she would be gone all day and
return at night only to go at once to bed.
But she made many disciples, as was at
tested by the great number at her funeral.
Their rubric was 90 days (Which was
subsequently extended to 80 days) fast.
When q person died during the fast, it was
asserted that the appendix was the only
thing which had stood between them and
election. Much rejoicing ensued at every
death.
''But, perhaps from having her mind
too much on the organ or perhaps because
it had never quite healed, Mrs. d. IS devil
began again to trouble her. She then said
she had been too proud of her success, and
that pride went before fall, and that she
had admitted the devil again. So she
concluded on 60 days fast. She al
lowed her fellow believers to come to read
to her and encourage her in the last strug-
gle, saying, as they saw her gradually
sinking, that she had overcome satan for
ever. She died among them, singing q
hymn and promising her assistance from
the other world If they would abide in her
teachings.
'This sounds, know, like fiction, but
1t Is absolute truth, as I have it from the
lips of her husband. '-Cincinnati Com
merciI- Gazette.