The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-09

the firm of Bessel, Hart & Brown OF st.
Paul's churchyard, and for many years
he was well known among those inter
ested in psychical research as liberal
minded and conscientious investigator
He was an unmarried man, and in
stead Of living in the suburbs after the
fashion of his class, he occupied rooms
in the Albany, near Piccadilly. He was
particularly interested in the questions
of thought transference and of appar-
itions Of the living. and in November,
1885, he commenced a series of expert
ments, in conjunction with Mr.. Vincent
of Staple inn, in order to test the al
legged possibility Of projecting an ap
partition on oneself by force Of Will
across an intervening space.
The experiments were conducted in
the Following manner: AT a prear
ranged hour, Mr.. Bessel shut himself
IN one of his rooms in the Albany, and
Mr. Vincent in his sitting room in
Staple inn, and each then fixed his
mind as reSolutely as possible on the
other. Mr.. Bessel had acquired the art
of f-hypnotisnl, and so far as he
could he attempted first to hypnotic
himself and then to project himself
as q phantom of the living" across the
intervening space Of nearly two miles
into Mr.. Nincents' apartment. On sew
eral evenings this was tried without
any satisfactory results, but on the
fifth or sixth occasion Mr.. Vincent did
actually see, or imagine he saw, an ap-
partition of Mr.. Bessei standing in his
room. he states that the appearance,
although brief, was very vivid and real.
He noticed that Mr.. I3esSefs face was
white and his expression anxious, and
moreover that his hair was disordered.
For a moment Mr. Vincent. in spite of
his state Of expectation, was too sur
prised to speak or move. and in that
moment it seemed to him as though the
figure glanced over his shoulder and
incontinently vanished.
1t had been arranged that an at
tempt should be made to photograph
any phantasm seen, but Mr.. Vincent
had not the instant presence of mind
to snap the camera that lay ready on
the table beside him, and when he did
so he was 70 late. Greatly elated,
however, even by this partial success,
he made note of the exact time and at
once took a cab to the Albany to in
form Mr.. Bessel OF this result.
He was surprised to find Mr.. Bessel's
outer door standing open to the night
and the inner apartments lit and va
cant, and in an extraordinary disorder
An empty champagne magnum lay
smashed upon the floor; its neck had
been broken off against the inkpot on
the bureau and lay beside it. An oc-
tagonal occasion table which carried
a bronze statuette and a number of
choice books, had been rudeiy over
turned, and down the primrose paper
of the wall inky fingers had been
drawn, as it seemed, for the mere
pleasure Of defilement. One of the del
lently torn from its rings and thrust
upon the fire, SO that the smell of its
smoldering filled the room. Indeed,
the whole place was disarTanged in the
strangest fashion. For a few minutes,
Mr.. Vincent, who had entered sure of
finding Mr.. Bessel in his easy chair.
awaiting him, could scarcely believe his
eyes, and stood staring helplessly at
these unanticipated things.
Then. full of a vague sense of ca
lamity, he sought the porter at the en-
trance lodge. Where is Mr.. Bessel?'
he asked. DO you know that all the
furniture is broken IN Mr.. Bessel' s
room?" The porter said nothing, but,
obeying his gestures, came at once to
Mr.. Bessels apartments to see the
state Of affairs. This settles it, he
sid, surveying the lunatic confusion.
I didn't know of this. Mr.. Bessel's s
gone off He's madl"
He then proceeded to tell Mr.. Vim
cent that about half an hour previ-
ously, that is to say, about the time
of Mr.. Bessels apparition in Mr.. Vim
hcents rooms, the missing gentleman
b2d rushed out of the gates Of the AL
f5any, into Vigo street, hatless and
with disoTdered hair. ana had vanished
Ain the direction of Bond street. And
as ne went past me-" said the porter,
he laughed-a sort Of gasping laugh,
with his mouth open and his eyes glar-
ing. 1 tell you, sir, he fair scared mel
like this
According to his imitation it was
anything but a pleasant laugh. He
waved his hand with all his fingers
crooked and clawing-like that And
he said, in a sort of fierce whisper
'Lifei Just that one word-Lifel'
Dear me!' said Mr. Vincent Tut
tut, dear me-" He could think of moth
ing else to say. He was naturally very
much surprised. He turned from the
room to the porter and from the porter
to the room in gravest perpleXity. Be
yond his suggestion that probably Mr..
Bessel would come back presently and
explain what had happened, their con-
Versation was unable to proceed. 1T
might be sudden toothache," said the
porter, "a very sudden and violent
toothache. Jumping on him suddenly
like and driving him wild. I've broken
things myself before now in such a
case" lie thought. IF it was
why should he say Life to me as he
went past?"
Mir. Vincent did not know Mr.. Bessel
did not return, and at last Mr.. Vincent
having done some more helpless star
ing, and having addressed note OF
brief inquiry, and having left it in a
conspicuous position on the bureau, re-
aNeax~s of
mind to his own premises in Staple
Inn. This affair had given him a shock
lIe WAS at loss to account for Mr.
1esseTs conduct on any sane hypothe-
81 He tried TO read. but he could not
It So; he went for a short walk and was
-foNpreoccupied that he narrowly escap-
10 4 cab at the top Of Chancery lane
ana at last-a full hour before his usual
tirne-he went TO bed. Tor q consider
able time he could not sleep because
of his memory of the silent confusion
OF Mr.. Besscl's apartment, and when
at length he did attain an uneasy slum-
Der it was at once disturbed by a very
vivid and distressing dream of Mr.. Bes-
sci.
He saw Mr.. Bessel gesticulating wild
w: and with his face white and con-
torted. And, ineXDlicably mingled WITH
his appearance suggested. perhaps, by
his gestures, was an intense fear. ar
urgency TO act. lie even DelleNed Lhai
he heard the voice of his fellow eX.
primenter calling distressfully to him
though at the time he considered this
TO be an illusion. The vivid impression
remained. though MIR. Vincent awoke
For "a space he lay awake and tremb
ling in the darkness, possessed viii
that vague, unaccountable trror of un
known possibilities that comes out O.
dreams upon even the bravesI men. 6u
ia hf1eaca1F and
ever and went to sleep again, only fol
the dream to return with enhanced