The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-28
ST. ANN APPEARED TO HIM.
mn. DOYLE CONVINCED THAT HE HAD
GHOSTLY TISIoN

preme Court In the County Court House. ID
FIRMLY convinced that he saw an apparltion o
Bt. Ann. the mother OF the Virgin Mary. few
blocks from st. Jean Baptlste Church In East
Seventy sixth street. where rests a piece OF the
bone of St AIMS arm. Thousand Is OF pc pie have
visited the church since the Saints relic was
brought from Rome a few years ago and numer-
Gus miraculous cures are said to have taken
place among invalds having faith In tho EN-
eacy OF the relic. The presence OF tho relic
seems to have had the effect OF causing the
people in the neiRhborhood to be more atten-
tive to their religious devotions. Court Omcer
Doyle Ia not a religious enthusiast nor Is he
any more superstitious than the average per-
son. but all the arguments OF his friends to
whom he has related his experience. cannot
change his belief that he saw tho spirit Of st.
Ann.
Whatever It may have been. It has made .
deep i'm preston cd the mans mind. He has
become decidedly meditative. and at times Is
10 absent minded that people have to repeat
their remarks before he understands that he
In being addressed. In conversation with his
friends he apparently unconsciously drifts into
the discussion Of religious topics and super
natural phenomena. There appears to be no
doubt that he is honest In the belief that he
saw an apparttion. Nor is there any reason to
suppose trick was played upon him. He
thOuRnt IL was the spirit oI Dt. hHn iIoh itS
appearance. taken In connection with the fact
that the relic Of the Saint is In the church only
o short distance away. 1t may be said that
the m an Is q teetotaler. 10 tho father OF good
sized family. and 10 not addicted to any habts
that would make him see things hidden from
tho ken OF ordinary mortals. He has the repu-
tation among the court officers Of being an in
telligent and level-headed man.
One Of Doyle's twin babies was sick last
Tuesday evening and he sent for Dr. Charles
B. Murray OF 307 East Seventy ninth street
to attend 1t. The doctor called at Doyle's
home. 315 East Eightieth street. and pre-
scribed for the little one. He told the father
to call at his office later and let him know how
the baby was getting along. 1t was about
IL 80 o'clock whom Doyle went to the physi-
clans Office to report the infants condition.
and he remained chatting with the doctor
until the clock struck midnight. They were
the only ones in the house not in bed. 1t is
very quiet in that neighborhood at that hour.
The light in the main hall had been eXtin-
gushed. ard when DR.. Murray suggested
lighting II to show his visitor out. Doyle said
II was not necessary. as he knew the way
we'll enough to get along in the darkness As
he passed out from the rear office he closed the
door Of the private hall after him and started
for the street door at the other end OF the
main hail. which is about thirty feet long In
less than minute after his visitor had gone
the doctor heard a banging sound at the door
OF the private hall and hastcned toward 1t. his
fox terrier following at his heels. There was
another bang bang! on tho door before he had
time to open it, and when he finally threw 1t
open Doyle stood before him.
Doctor. doctor let me in. There's some
thing in the hall" he exclaimed as he stepped
inside and made for the office. The dog ran
h,n t,uin a han
scurried into the office. The doctor followed
his visitor inside and asked him what was the
matter.
Did you see it," returned Doyle.
See what" asked the physician.
The ghost in the ha!'
What nonsense. i" the doctor responded He
went to the door OF the private hall and looked
out into tho main hall. but all was darkness
there and he could not see anything. There
was no sound. lie lighted the gas and looked
about but saw nothing unusual. and he thought
his visitor might be trying to play joke on
him. On going back to the office. however. he
saw that it was no joking matter with Doyle.
who was in an armchair almost In a state Of
collapse. His face was blanched and drops OF
Precipitation stood out on his forehead. The
doctor felt his pulse and found it beating
rapidly. Tho man began to trcmble as though
in chill and shortly afterward became fever
ish. The doctor gave him medicine to calm
him. and when he had recovered somewhat.
Doyle said:
You may not believe me. doctor. but saw
ghost in the hall Just as plain az see you now.
1t was O woman In white. all white and there
was a light about her. She seemed to come in
through the closed door and she advanced
straight toward mo with her arms out
stretched. l did not hear any sound of foot
steps or other sound as she came slowly along
from the door to me. 1t could not be anything
human. I'm as weak as eat"
"Oh. you imagined you saw it. but don't You
know there are no such things as ghosts"
Relieve it or not. saw it," repeated Doyle
The doctor was convinced that his visitor
had really seen something, or fanciei that he
had. and calling Joseph McLoon. a friend who
is stopping with him. the two went out into tho
hallway to thoroughly investigate. The street
door was found locked nor could they find
any trace OF any person having been
about the house recently. When Doyle
had fully recovered from his excitement he
declared that he was not easily frightened by
anything human. but when he saw the figure
in white with a bright illumination about IL.
he realized that he was face to face with some-
thing supernatural and his nerves deserted
him. The face OF the figure. he continued. was
calm and smiling; it held out its arms rs a
mOtnoT WOulu btTetCn out ner arms to n child
running toward her He could not tell where
the light came from. 1t seemed to surround
the figure and lighted the hall for several feet
on all sides. He did not notice what finally be-
came OF the figure as he was eIcited at the
thought OF being in the presence OF a being
from the other world and his mind was filed
with the idea that he wanted the door opened
90 that he could get inside for human COM
partnership He feared that the doctor would
never get the door open.
Now that am calmer and am able to think
commercially and can recall the details OF the
figure" he continued. Il am satisfied it WINS
the appariton Of St Ann. whose relic is over in
the Seventy-siXth street church. | know YOU
don believe in ghosts or spirits coming back
to the world. but If you saw what | saw you
would change your mind. The figure was like
what we SEQ in pictures of apparitons that
have appeared in different parts OF the world "
After time Doyle rcGaincd his customary
calm and went home. He reiterated yester-
day that he had really seen a sprit adding
that the more he had thought about II