Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-11-12

A STRANGE INCIDENT WHICH sUo-
GEsTs MENTAL TELEPATHY.

go's Health Departmental "Pipe Story
Which Has Broken Down the Rules ans
Made Its Way Into Print.
Writers Of fiction have no monopoly
Of the strange O supernatural. There
are things taking place every day ii
Chicago which are as devoid Of rationa
explanation as the mysterious coiningl
Of the novelist's brain. Newspaper
men hear Of them, but In the rush fol
cold, hard facts, demanded both by city
editors and newspaper readers. the 'pipt
stnrias - aa ruaar aud unaxnleinahl.
happenings are called in journalistic cir
cles, are at a discount. We're it not fol-
this the following incident, which car
be verified by the word of several repu'
table men, would long ago have re-
ceived the space and attention 1t merits
instead Of being consigned to the waste
basket as the pipe dream" Of an opium
devotee:
One cold wintry night not 10 long
g DR.. l.. T. Potter, now connected
with the Chicago health department,
and a number Of his companions were
sitting in the office of the Oakland hotel,
at Drexel and lakewood ~boulevards,
when d stranger Of diffident manner en-
tered. ! His clothes and jewelry marked
him O person Of means, but he seemed
~downhearted and worried, and when
he asked permission Of the clerk to sit
in the Office awhile, DR.. Potter and his
companions at once sized him up as a
man who had been out on a spree, was
without ready cash to pay for a bed,
and took this means Of getting refuge
from the winters blasts. The stranger,
who was young and intelligent, grew
uncomfortable under the i'll disguised
scrutiny of the crowd and finally said:
"Gentlemen, / would like to explain
my presence here and why I sit up in
the office In preference to taking a bed.
In the first place, let me assure you it
is not q matter Of money. " drawing out
a goodly sized roll Of bills. "For some
years my father, who is a resident of
New York, has had trouble with his
family and has been q wanderer. He
was at one time worth considerable
money, but this has been lost, and a
number of letters which / have Of late
received from him show me he is de-
spondent. This afternoon l got O letter
from him, dated in Detroit, saying he
would arrive In Chicago tonight, take a
room at this hotel and end his life by
turning on the gas. He added that in
the event of the gas failing he had a
pistol with him, with which he would
send a bullet through his brain. Father
had no idea / would get this letter to-
day, as ! have been out Of town. and it
was only an unexpected case Of sickness
In my family which brought me back.
I am sitting up here to intercept him
when he comes in and prevent the sui
eide which he contemplates. Fortunate
ly ] have means enough for both and
can relieve his anxiety in this respect. "
DR.. Potter and his friends were at
once interested. They congratulated the
stranger on his good luck in having re-
ceived. his fathers letter in time and
rendered their services in any way in
which they might be desired. Two or
three times an effort was made to find
out the mans name, but he parried the
questions on the ground that, as his ia
plans would be frustrated, he did
not care to have his identity disclosed.
You may, however, call me Melchior,
as 1t Is awkward to address a man with
out a name, and Melchior is as good as
anything, barring the right one" The
evening sped along, and about midnight
stranger, being assured no more
trains would arrive before morning,
took his departure, saying he thought
his father must have been detained or
perhaps have happily changed his mind.
The occurrence was SO much out Of the
ordinary that DR.. Potter and his friends
sat up for an hour or more talking it
over. At l o'clock they went to bed,
a few minutes later the night clerk
leaving an assistant who had
lot heard the story in charge of the
office. About 100 in came an old gen.
ileman with a travelling bag in hand,
Who registered as George @. Mel
and was assigned to a room.
the morning the chambermaid re-
,orted a strong smell Of gas on that
ioor. The door of the newcomers room
vas broken in, and he was found dead,
With a pistol in his right hand and q
wound in his head. He had
urned on the gas and then shot him
ELF. By this time everybody in the
rouse had heard the story and of the
'ouhg mans visit the night before, and
ii were positive that the old gentleman
gho had killed himself was his father.
The afternoon papers had a report Of
he suicide and before night the young
nan was back at the house asking to
ee the body.
II don't understand how father could
ave registered as 'Melchior, for it is
lot his name. and I only used it last
light to conceal our own,'' the stranger
aid. ut must have been a case of
aental telepathy."
On reaching the room where the body
ay a much more peculiar episode &C.
urred. The moment the young man
aw the face of the corpse he said:
"That's not father. I never saw this
ian before. He is not known to me-.
Nor was he. A search of the dead
effects brought out papers prov
10 his identity IS George G. Melchior
nd giving reasons for suicide somewhat
to those advanced by the young
ranger when he was telling his story
ie' night before. Within a week DR..
otter heard from the young man, who
aid, his father was alive and well, hav-
q recovered from his dependency and
Dandoned his intention Of taking his
II, but the mystery of how a man
wing the same name should appear at
10 hotel selected by the strangers
lther, on the same night, and commit
licide in tho cama manner ortIipod hv