Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-08-06

what thoughts were exchanged. Suf-
flee to say that none of our surmises
approached the truth.
"And now, to so back to Mr.. Tomp-
kins' sudden seizure and the events
which followed OF course our inqui-
ries after the sick man were frequent,
and my father called several times, but
Mr.. Tompkns did not for some time
recover consciousness. At length he
began to evince some slight intelii-
gence. and my father or myself was
thereafter with him day and night. so
that If he recovered his senses we
might he ready to do anything FOR him
he might desire in relation to the ar
rangement of his affairs. He had no
relatives near at hand and, In fact,
none with whom he ever directly COM
municated. He had n younger brother
who had disgraced himself and been
convict and was occasionally helped
through us, by Mr.. Tompkins, but al
ways in so indirect q manner as to pre-
vent his discovering the whereabouts
Mr. Tompkins had made no will, and
yet we knew that he must be worth
over $1,500,000.
"But will come to the occurrence to
which | alluded at the outset. l was
sitting in the sick mans room one
night reading before the fire. He grew
restless, and | arose and saw that he
was moving and struggling as though
trying to rise. i spoke to him, and he
tried hard to respond and grlpped my
hand with, extraordinary yigor for so
sick person. Seeing that he was using
every exertion to sit up In bed ! helped ]
him as well as | could. but Just as he
had acquiped IN apparently upright po-
slton his frame relaxed. and he fell
back. | stood by him for some min
utes, and, as he seemed TO be breathing
easily, | resumed my place at the fire.
side, once and again casting a glance
at the bed.
Suddenly | experienced a strange
sensation, and, on looking up, | saw
spectral figure standing right opposite
| me. ] rose with an exclamation of sur,
prise and approached the form. Won
|
| left his bed and passed me without my
having observed him. l did not lose
my presence of mind, but took a step
toward the dimly outlined figure. Then
saw that one hand was pointing to-
ward small, old fashioned desk which
stood on the top of a bookcase. AS
my eye followed the direction indicated
the form disappeared, l turned. ex-
pecting to see the figure moving to-
ward the bed Nothing, however. was
visible. went to the bed and gazed
upon corpse!
''The man was dead beyond question.
l summoned the housekeeper and other
attendants, and when the body was
properly disposed all of us quilted the
room. ! locked the door and gave the
key into the custody of the housekeep-
er, directing her to allow no one to en-
ter the room until my father came next
day with the undertaken.
Next morning accompanied my fa-
thcr to the house. had already In
formed him what had occurred, and as
soon as some other matters We're ar
ranged my father took the desk, and
|
Ing the desk there was apparently
nothing in it but quire OF note paper.
We made a close examination; but as
1t was simply a desk to be carried in
the hand or in a trunk, we found moth
ing that would Indicate any secret
drawer. | took up the note paper and
carelessly turned over the sheets. \
surprise was in store, for on the inside
sheet there was writing. 1t turned out
to be the Photographic will of the de-
ceased-that Is. Il will wholly written
by himself 1t bore date the very day
when he last visited our Office and was
struck down by apoplexy.
"The will left all in trust TO n certain
woman for the benefit of the testator's s
five children, mentioned by name, with
} their placts of abode. The name of the
! trustee / cannot, OF course, mention,
nor would 1t be right to give the adj
dress. The will was duly admitted to
probate. The trustee did not bear the
J name of the testator, but all the chill
drCn did.
"How do | account for the spectral
form? Well. | think he had felt symp-
+ toms of the attack which carried him
, of and wrote the win and came direct
' ly to our office, intending TO inform my
4 father of the fact of its existence At
$ the point of separation from the body
O the spirit obeyed the last impulse of
q the dying man." BROOKLYN Citizen.
) For some reason the man Nho n,
IN htt- +.