The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14
SOME QUEER DREAMS.
VISIONS THAT RESULTED IN THE CAP.
TURE OF CRIMINALS.

Is Stranger Than Fiction
very remarkable Instance of the
tracing Of criminal by means Of q
dream occurred in 81. Louis. A woman
named Mary Thornton was detained
in custody for month. charged with
the murder of her husband. \ week
or so after her arrest she requested to
see one Of the prison officials and told
him she had dreamed that an individ-
ual named George Ray had murdered
her spouse, giving the official ut the
same time full details Of the tragedy
as witnessed in her vision The man
lay was not suspected at the time
but the prison authorities were so
much impressed by the woman's OBJ
vious earnestness that search was at
once made for him.
After some delay he was traced and
charged with the crime. the details Of
the same as seen in the dream being
rehearsed to him. Overcome with as
ton!shment, lie then and there con-
fessed that he had committed the
crime. Curiously enough. the woman
had only met the murderer once and
believed him to be on the very best Of
terms with her husband.
Almost as remarkable was the case
OF a woman named Drew. who dream.
ed one Dight that her husband, n re-
tired sailor. had been murdered by n
peddler at Gravcsend tavern, where
the said husband was in the habit of
putting up when visiting the town in
question. The first news that awaited
her on rising in the morning was that
her spouse had been assassnated at
the very tavern she had seen in hereX-
traordinary vision. whereupOn she
burst into hysterical tears and cried
out that her dream had come true.
She calmed down somewhat after a
few hours and then handed the police
officials an exact description of the
peddler of the vision. giving a minute
account OF his dress. which included
blue coat Of very peculiar pattern.
Marvellous as the fact may appear, q
man wearing such coat and follow
ing the occupation Of a peddler was
discovered two days later at an inn
some six miles from Gravesend, and,
On being taxed with the crime. he at
once admitted that he was guilty and
that robbery had been the motive Of
the outrage. He was hanged soon aft
erward. his doom having been brought
about by the fimsy evidence Of q wom-
ans dream.
Women rs dreamers seem more sue
cessful than men. but a rather peculiar
instance Of 4 crime being traced by
vision and in which the dreamer was n
member Of the male sex comes from
RenneS. in France. \ worthy mcr-
chant. having quilted his office one
Saturday evening. proceeded home to
dinner and after enjoying 4 Substan-
tial meal lay down on the couch and
fell into 4 light dOZe. A very vivid
dream then came to him wherein he
saw two men of the burglar type en-
gagged in riflng the safe in his office,
and SO much impressed was he by the
vision that he resolved. upon awaken
ing. TO at once go to the office and see
that everything was under lock and key.
His amazemcnt may be imagined
when. on arriving there. he discovered
the door forced and a burglary in prog
reSs. To summon q couple of gen.
darmcs was the work Of an instant,
and five minutes later the thieves. who
proved TO be notorious hONScbreakers,
were on their way to the police depot,
where the prosecutor told his eXtraor-
dinary story. In view OF the fact that
the safe contained valuablcs to the eX-
tent OF some thousands Of pounds, the
dream In question proved very for
tunate one for the dreamer
How TO explain these marvellous man
ifestations. which prove once more
that truth is stranger than fiction. is a
task beyond the ingenuity of man to
compass. Perchancc the theory of te-
lepathy may have something to do with
the mysterious business. but even that
theory would appear rather inadequate
IN such cases as the aforementioned.
y ski!lful fOrger who moved in the
highest circles Of society was once de-
tectcd by tie agency Of n dream The
AFFAIR occurred in Boston and caused
the greatest excitement of the time.
lHe forSer. Il young man OF eight or
nine and twenty. had become ac0uaint-
ed with Il rich publisher, at whose
house he became constant guest. One
day the publishers bankers discovered
that some one was forging their clients
signature to various large checks. and
two detectives were ut once instructed
to look out for the culprit
Their efforts proved useless. but one
evening the publishers youngest dnugh-
ter. a little girl Of II. dreamed that
she saw a man whom she described as
y like Mr.. Blank" the visitor to whom
reference has been made sitting In n
room In Maine street copying her IA
Tiers signature. The childs dream
was communicated to the police. who.
though inclined to ridicule the same mt
the outset. eventually promised to have