The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-19

rnele's I got hold of a book entitled Smith
on infdelty. by your DIR. Smith. / read L
about half through, ana want to get hold OF
ii TO finish reading it, i told him could
doubtless secure copy, Tor, though h2d
heard the doctor say recently that ne
had sold his last book, | supposed that some
who had read IL would perhaps be glad 10
give il up for the s. paid for their copy
Said he: Il wish you would see the doctor,
for long as he has been here have never
had an introduction to him. / wish you
would bring him around and give me an in
PRODUCTION" / saw DR.. Smith. He secured
q book the next day and we went TO Mr.
IdncolRs office introduced them. We
spent a pleasant hour. on leaving / went
out first, and as the doctor passed out Of
the door he turned back and said: Mr.
Lincoln. / should be pleased 10 see you
when convenient. at our church.. Doc
tor said he, Il will be there next Sunday
True TO his promise, the next Sunday he
anu MS Wlte were there. The following
Sunday both were there again.
AT that time was an elder, trustee, treas
urer. Sunday-school superintendent and
pew-renter During that week Mr. Lincoln
called on me and inquired If he could rent
q pew. | replied that he could, as de-
sirable one had just been vacated by
family about TO leave the city, and that the
rent would be $50 a year, payable quarterly.
lie paid $3.50 then, and a like sum each
quarter until re went to Washington. The
next Sunday his children were in the Sun
day school and with their parents in the
church. Shortly thereafter there was
and Mrs. Lincoln attended regu-
larry at the inquiry meetings. and it
was expected that both Mr.. and Mrs. Lin
coin would be admitted 10 the church at
the time. When the communion came Mr..
Lincoln was at Detroit. Mich, attending
patent-right case. Mrs. Lincoln came be-
fore the session, said she was confirmed in
the Episcopal Church when twelve years
old and did not wish to be admitted on pro-
fessed faith as she was never converted I'M
I'll under DR.. Smiths preaching. Mr.. Lin
coin never applied for admission to the
church.
Some months later the session invited him
to deliver a discourse on the Bible from the
pulpit. He accepted, and when it became
known that ABE" Lincoln was to occupy
the pulpit of the First Presbyterian Church
on Sunday night, ii was guarantee of
fun house. If the opinions of divines are
authority, there never was uttered strong
er vindication of the Bible in that pulpit.
Those who knew him best and heard him
on that occasion believe that Abraham Lin
coin had as much faith in the efficacy of
prayer during the civil war as George
Washington had during the revolutionary
war.
CURIOUS WARNINGS
Pardon the transgression while narrate
q few of the most marked premonitions
that led me to visit Mr.. Lincoln. These
facts would never have been published were
1t not to explain my visit. They have ever
been an unsolved mystery to me, and I
would be pleased to have an explanation.
In 1881 1 was doing business in New Bruins
wick, n. J. My father lived near there On
one Friday night 1 was awakened by soft,
fine voice saying to me your father is very
81. If you want to see him alive you must
go at once" He died at 4 o'clock the fol-
lowing Sunday morning. In 1910 the first
session of the Illinois State Legislature met
at Springfield. AT that time William Van
Nostrand, of New Brunswick, n. j., my
wife's father, was visiting us. He took de-
light in attending the meetings of the
Legislature. and on Wednesday evening
came in, coughing considerably. In those
days l went every two months to st. Louis,
either on horseback or by stage, a distance
Of 100 miles. The stage took day and
night the horse took two days. / had
ranged to go on Thursday morning. 1 be-
came q little uneasy about my father-in-
law, and before retiring L went to his bed
and said l thought l wOuid not go to St.
Louis, but he insisted upon my going. l
left at daylight and arrived in 81. Louis
Friday night about u o'clock. The same
fine voice awoke me and said: Your father
in-law is going to die" The next morning
Immediately mounted my horse and rode
Tome, arriving there a few hours before he
dies, Sunday night.
One year later l was in northern Illinois
on horseback, and before L had got through
with my business there l was aroused by
the same familiar voice saying, CLARK Won
Nostrand (my wifes uncle) is about to die
knew nothing about his being sick. but
started for home, riding sixty miles d day,
and reached home q few hours after his
death. In 1862, when the Union army took
possession of Memphis. eX-Chief Justice
Williams, OF Iowa, and myself, knowing that
there were no courts there except military
s1pd that the lawyers there could not take
the required oath, concluded that might
make 1t pay to go there. Having two part
neTs in law and two in publishing the daily
Union Herald, arranged with them to
leave, knowing all was right at home "A
few nights previous to my departure L heard
the sort voice again saying, If you want
10 see Abraham ldncoln alive you must go to
Washington before going to Memphis, as you
will never see him alive in Springfield" 1
had no more sleep that night / went to
Washington and soon learned that Lincoln
could not spend his time in daylight TO visit
me. waited until o'clock, hoping to find
over half dozen in the waiting room. The
door Keeper said l must await my turn. I
gave him my card, with the request that he
hand II TO Mr.. Lincoln, and l was soon ush-
cred In. We shook hands. / told Mr..
Lincoln that L was on my way to Memphis
10 practice law, and that 1 was there to
make short visit with him. He said: You
see the Xix / am in. l am kept here every
night from 8 to IL o'clock, and never know
when l. can leave. You go to Mary's room
and visit her until come. 1t will be between
and IL o'clock. Then we will talk Spring
{ was piloted to Mrs. Lincolns room. AT
81 O'Clock Mr.. Lincoln came in. At o'clock
las | rose to leave Mr.. Lincoln said, Keep
your seat minute" He took a card from
his pocket and wrote on it in pencil and
Hhen handed 1T to me- saying: Don't fail to
present this before leaving. L want you to
want to give you letter to General Grant,
aSthen at V1cksburg.) l remarked that had
Alo luSd OF gong below Memphis. He re-
piled: You don't know where you may go.
and letter from me to General Grant will
do you no harm. But it's too late to write
at now. L win mail it to you" He sent it
the next day. Lincoln's last words to DIR
Smith on leaving Springfield were: Doctor.
j wish to be remembered in the prayers of
you and our church members
At the time Lincoln was assaSsinated 7
was attending court at Springfield Very
soon after his death the newspapers began
printing conflicting statements in regard to
ldneolns belief in the Bible. The Rev.
James James Reed, ID. D., the successor. Of DR..
smith (Dr. Smith had been appointed by Mr.
Idncoln IS consul to Scotland) in the First
presbyterian Church i'm Springfield. in ms
lice TO the memory of Mr.. Lincoln and TO
Sefute the Misrepresentation, prepared a
becture. He called on me and I gave him a
written statement, the same as / have here
related. He also obtained from others writ
ten statements and incorporated them i'm his
lecture he delivered it in his pulpit, then
Went to indianapolis, Columbus Cincinnati.
P1ttsburg, Philadelphia, New York and Ros.
Aon, delivering the same lecture in each civ
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Who was the referee in the Sharkey-Fitz-
simmons fight WlftO or r.