The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-15

the astonishing spectacle of a caravan
stopped ut night and cut in two by a
great gap, while the latter half Of it
waited for an invisible procession to pass
through
"All this, dare say" observed Cramp-
ton, sounds very fanciful and medieval
Just rs 1t did to me, and the smile on
your face is reflection of the same ST.
perior incredulity that l wore myself.
Well, pettus went back to louisiana,
and the whole thing passed out of mind
as the year rolled by. But at the begin
ming of the summer The Journal of Psy.
choiogic knowledge asked me to prepare
a paper on 4 woman of the name of lib
bits. who was attracting a good deal Of
attention at that time as a clairvoyant
| called on her. She was living in q shah
by Gentecl quarter On Varick street and
had already been overrun by reporters
and doctors. l found her an uneducated
woman Of about 80, Emphatic. unvoli-
tional and very impressionable, but rath-
or shrinking from public attention and
little afraid of her own powers, which in
q purely scientific sense presented q most
remarkable case of clear sight. / salts
fed myself that the woman had no fraud
ulcnt intent. had, indeed, Il most excel
lent moral character. She was singular
ly candid in avowing her own ignorance
and equally disinclincd to be made Il SUBJ
jet of public discussion. She did not
prescribe, had no nGStrums to sell and
never, | believe, overcamc her repug-
nance to the trance condition. She had
lost her husband some years before and
lived upon a small annuity which was
sufficient to support her comfortably,
with economy. Here was a rare oppor-
tunity to study n physical and perhaps q
pSychical phenomenon that was already
eliciting the wonder of the psychologists
in France and Germany and was not
at all confused with any spiritualistic
claims. In June Mrs. Tibbits came to
Chambersburg and became my guest.
She proved 4 very acceptable inmate of
the house, was fond of children, lent O
willing hand in the domestic arrange
ments and proved a modest, retiring,
methodical woman, who gave herself to
the scientific experiments with something
like u mild protest. DR.. ]. and I sue
cceded in eliminating everything Of
supernatural character from the investi-
CATION, and hers proved to be a remark
able case of unsupported visual function.
She undoubtedly did in certain condi-
LUIS DOOh WniGu was piSSSSu
against the back of her head when her
eyes were blindfolded and at other times
recognized different faces in total dark
ness, but she made no claim of comnuni
cation with departed spirits and secuted
the whole sprtualistic business.
One night DIR. j., my wife, Mrs. lib
bits and | were sitting in the dining
room. 1t must have been quite early in
tIn aIn,iiDsy No IiSfnninO RI tho
doctor narrate some OF his army expe-
rences. We sat in a careless semicircle
between the dining table and the b
fireplace, which was now closed with
screen. Mrs. Tibbits was in the mid lie
of the circle with her back to the table.
Eubc, the dog. | should have told you,
had died month or two before. l no.
ticcd that Mrs. Tibbits, who was very
much interested in what the doctor was
telling US. kept looking behind her at
intervals, as one will when somebody
annoyingly interrupts conversation.
Suddenly she stood up, turned around
and. in an attitude of intense eagerHess
and terror. stared into the southeast cor.
uer of the room. My wife jumped up,
crying out, what is the NATTER" and
both the doctor ard rose quickly. There
she stood, her elbows drawn up, her eyes
seeming to project and the lines of her
mouth rigidly CONSTRUCTED, so that she
showed her teeth. Then her head turned
slowly as il following something that
was crossing the room diagonally. The
doctor caught hold of her quickly, and
she swcoued away in his arms. We got
her up stairs as quickly as possible, and
the doctor and my Wife worked over her
well into the night. She appeared to be
overcome with mortal terror, nor could
any of us elicit the slightest information
as to the nature of the apparition that
had frightened her. My own appeals to
her the next morning We're of little avail
| asked her to be rational and for my
sake describe what she saw. But she only
shutIlered and said. Something terrible
crossed yonr room" What was it likeT
| asked Il don't know" she replied.
~ never saw anything like it before.
must get away from here today" This
WAS unhcarably aggravating. but nothing
could induce her to stay iii the house.
and the day after the occurrence | took
her to the station. she acting during the
whole Journey very much like woman
pursued by some unm"ntionablc horror.
Il am not q man." said Champion. 'to
be scared hy the visions of an unedu
Gated woma., but when she corroborated
some kind of clear vision in tive animals
| began to feel creepy whenever ! was
left alone in that dining room. and !
quietly made up my mind that there
might be more things in our atmosphere
than are dreamed of in our philosophy"
Did anybody else ever get Il shock
there asked FarwCll.
NO" said Champion. THAT end of
the house was burned down while | was
in England" New York Post.