The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-02

faces. Then came voices. which were
heard by al present Ia the room. simple.
sincere people and despisers OF sham
and fraud. the Arnolds resolutcly refused
To attclu mec tings OF followers OF mystic
cults Of any kind.
They considered that IL would be "A
sacrifice 10 accept money In return for
their sittngs. They Stunned notoriety,
but when the story OF the ghostly doings
leaked out their friends and acquaint-
ances were welcome 10 come and witness
the exhibitions OF Mrs. Arnold's mys-
tcrious power Mrs Arnold came 10 re-
gard her strange gift az somewhat OF an
siiiction and often told me she wished
she was well rid OF IL.
THE strain on her nerves was some
times very great, and she would issue
trembling from a sitting. On one occa-
sion she uttered cry OF horror and coll
lapsed in a dead faint When her hus-
band carried her into the lighted room
and she gradually revived she told OF "a
sh3stly sight she had seen, a mangled
and bleeding human body.
She would not stay alone I'm the house
after dark. Neither would Arnold or i.
Let us 20 In and have a talk with these
fellows, Arnold would say IN his iocosc
way when proposing a sitting, but no
amount of familiarity banished a sense
or dread on entering the darkened room.
" There Is lady standing at your
side. said Mrs. Arnold one night 10 me-
"a blond lady In white gauzy dress, and
she proceeded 10 describe my young wife.
who had died some six years previously.
ASK her to give me some sign that
Ia known only 10 her and me. / said
= She is gone but now she reappears.
Oh. she was fond OF flowers. was she
noty She now wears on her breast two
beautiful Gala lilies. a large one and
snlalli one said Mrs. Arnold.
Then remembered that. as the body
OF my wife lay in the casket preliminary
To burial. the two last lilies large one
and small one, were cut from favorite
plant Of hers and placed crosswise on her
I" Now she is gone round 70 your left
side and lays her hand on your shoulder.
Dp you nat see herr
see nothing I replied, but as
spoke my words were reflected as IL were
back Hpop me from some object close be-
hind me. II became conscious or pres
ence. A shivery feeling took possession
or me, and my whole nervous system be-
gan 10 tingle. / thought had enough of
H. aud begging TO be excused from
further experiences for the time being /
undid the folding door and went into the
parlor.
Two wealthy girls OF Chicagos most
exclusive social set visited the Arnold
home, accompanied by a certain count.
who was trying his luck on the local ma
trimonial market. Mrs Arnold gave
them sitting, and shocking revelations
were made regarding that unsavory scion
OF European nobility, whose chances for
good marriage were ruined
Some OF my experiences with the Arm
olds and their weird visitors were of a.
grotesque nature. betokeninR that all
was not solemnity In spirit land, and that
some OF the disembodied were not averso
To playing sundry antics. Various objects
were taken up and carried through the
air floating around as IL borne on un-
seen hands.
Among other things and old family
relic, large tin horn. which had been
used on the farm for summoning the lab
orers 70 their meals, went sailing about
the the r,' roTm' Occasionally Knocking against
The chandelier. Sometimes II would come
down with bang on the table between
w, missing our encircling hands.
The ghostly manipulation OF the old
TN horn somehow lacked dexterity. Once
as the horn went ,whizzing past me. a
| point of the tin where the Joining was
broken caught me on the bridge OF the
| nose. We Immediately ligted the gas.
Ihere was small trickle or blood down
my nose. i still retain trace of the scar
when we resumed our sitting. there
came a message written I'm pencil on n
scrap OF paper conveying an apology for
the accident. which was explained on the
ground that the spirit that manipulated
the horn was rather new to that kind OF
business | began 10 realize that spirits
We're liable to the human frailty of awk-
wardness, also that they could be very
polite.
The writing was not the least curious
lnr lRart is OF s,v ~ IL came IN In many hands differ
iole We would lay on the table sheet
nI paper, placing on minute piece OF
thst' ,sse' me Top OF lead pencil & fragment ss,,
10 hold In the finger tips.
"A letter that struck me as very re-
present. II was written on the table be-
fore US. on very wide paper in close-set.
delicate lines each straight as an arrow.
IL was addressed to Mrs Arnold whose
maiden name was Raymond.
Mrs Arnold is native of Meadville.
Pa, but she was reared by her grand
watering place ON ,he New w9S Yorn .ved al, IN
AT sight OF the letter Mrs. Arnold burst
INTO tears IL purported 10 come from an
old lady, and I'm affectonate language EN-
phssiEed the necessity OF constant prayer
"At one of the sittings an Incident
which II is hopeless to attempt to explain
on natural grounds, happened In connec-
tion with the visit OF an intimate friend
OF mine. a blun. rugged Irishman OF 81.
IN his youth he had been "A Roman Cath
profess the Christian religion I'm regard
TO which he declared hmeslf skeptic.
His name was Anthony McDonough
and he was n man OF considerable wealth
When I told him of the Arnold mvstery
he was naturally interested as student
Of the occult
SURPRISE FOR M'DoNoUGH.
"one day about noon | took him to the
Arnold home. Mrs. Arnold kindly con-
sented 10 give sitting We had not been
long seated In the dark room when a deep
voice came from directly over our heads
uttering the one word:
'McDonough.'
Well, who is it?' after a pause. sturd-
lily demanded McDonough
'Gavan. Gavan-Pete Gavan,' was the
reply, and Immediately small. brilliant
cross OF reddish fire came f'oa ting down
ward. as n from the ceiling. IL went
straight 10 McDonough's breast and I
heard it. as IL solid, 40 tap, tap against
his shirt front, before IL disappeared.
we returned TO the outer room. where
McDonough walked moodily up and down
uuttering tn himself. Well well Pete
GaNsR over and over In uneasy and be
wildered comment. Al length he proposed q
that We resume the sitting which We did
when, In reply to McDonough's query,
the same name was repeated.
Il did not think you'd ever come 20
me- said MCDonough.
-" Well. have prayed for you replied
the voice.
'McDonough was the one of us who
knew anything Of the mysterious Pete
nasF 49,