The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1902-09-05
pREMoNITIoNs OF DEATH, !,
Curious ctincidcnccs Which Await
II Natural Explanations

'Ircmonitlons or death arc often,
secuted att" said a well known Wash
ingt on ncwSpap per man, but there arc
occasionally authentic instances ariS-
ing which raise doubts as to whether
there may not be, after all, some sort
Of indetlnable spiritual phenomena In
the Incidents.
1t will DC recalled that well
known chief OF division in one Of the
departments, in apparent perfect
health IN the last day he appeared
at the Office, died recently OF apoplcxy
on that night. l have since learned
that on the evening in question, short
ly before he retired, q large dog In his
household set up such IL prolonged and
dismal bowling III bis yard that lie
went out with u revolver, under the
superstition that there might be in-
trudcrs prowling about, although tho
dog howlcd and did not bark. The dog
refused to stop bowling upon tho APP
proach or his master, and followed
him In the house, whining and show
ing evidences Gf distress, looking up
into the ollciap;, face in such q pccu-
liar manner that lie members OI the
family at the time thought it exceed
ing strange. The dog continued to
follow his master about the house,
acting strangely in the manner have
described. On the following morning
the Official was found dead in his room,
The above incident Is q curious
fact, as is also the following, and
while not Of startling ghostly interest,
is also local TO Washington, the par
ties being members OF my own family.
Some time ago my witc'S mother
started on Il Journey to California
Several days after her departure an cl-
derly colorcd woman, who had been !,
slave in her family, having been raised
with my wifc's mother, called at the
house. AS in similar instances in the
South, there had been Il warm attach
mcnt existing between former mis-
trcSS and slave, which has continued
through life. The old servant was
visibly agitatcd. She declared she
had been warned that my wifc's mo-
thcr died at an carly hour that morn
ing on the train. When asked whether
She had received telegram to that
effect She replied that she had not, but
that at the hour in question she had
been awakened by the ringing Of tic
front door bcil. III responding to the
call She had found no one on the steps
In each instance, the bell having been
pulled three successive times Her
house, by the way, was on down
town street, and was recently RACED to
make room for a business structure.
"Atabout 10 O'clock on the morning
OF the day when tho former slave had
communicated the intelligence OF my
wifc'S mothers death we received Il
telegram from the officials OF the rail
road, dated from far western state,
announcing her sudden death at about
| tho hour when the colorcd companion
OF her early childhood had heard the
pulls at tic bell. Had the bell been
rung during tho ordinary hours of the
day VIC would have attached no i'm
portancc to the former slaves positive
assertion OF Il spiritual visitation from
the deceased lady, but as it was about
3 o'clock in the morning the incident
has ever been one or more than usual
interest in our family. lf the pulls
al tlic bell were not supernatural, they
were assurcdly a strange coincidence. I"
nm Washington Star