The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1902-09-05
pREMoNITIoNs OF DEATH.
Curious G, incidcnccs Which Await
Nntural Explanation.

'PrcmOnitiOnS OF death arc often
secuted IT." said a we'll known Wash
ingtOn newspaper man, but there arc
occasionally authentic instances ariS-
Ing which raise doubts as to whether
there may not be, after I'LL, somc sort
Of indctinable spiritual phenomena in
the Incidents.
1t will be recalled that u well
known chief Of division in one OF the
departments, in apparent perfect
health on the last day he appeared
ut tho Office, died recently Of apoplcxy
on that night. have since learned
that on the evening in question, short
ly before he retired, Il large dog in his
household set UP such IL prolonged and
dismal howling In Ibis yard that he
went out with a revolver, under the
SuppOsition that there might be in
trudcrs prowling about, although the
dog howlcd and did not bark. The dog
refused to stop bowling upon tho APP
proacll Of his master, and followed
him in The house, whining and show
ing evidences of distress, looking up
into the otlciaP:, face In such u pecu-
liar manner that the members or the
family at tic 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.
'Thc above incident is u curious
fact, as is also the following, and
while not Of startling ghoStly interest,
Is also local To Washington, the par
tics being members or my own family
Some time ago my wifc's mother
started on a Journey to California.
Several days after her departure an cl-
dcrly colorcd woman, who had been Il
slave iD her family, having been raised
with my wifcs mother, called ut the
house. AS in similar instances in the
South, there had been II warm attach
mcnL 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 early hour that morn
ing on the train When asked whether
she bad received Il telegram to that
effect she replied that she had not, but
that at the hour in question she lad
been awakened by the ringing Of Tie
front door bell. In 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 Il down
town street, and was recently raZcd to
make room for business structure.
| ''Ata about 10 o'clock on the morning
OF the day when the former slave had
communicated the intelligence OF my
wifc's mothers death we received a
telegram from the officials OF the rail
road, dated from a far western state,
announcing her sudden death at about
the hour when the colorcd companion
or her early childhood had heard the
pulls at the bell. Had the bell been
rung during the ordinary hours Of the
day we would have attached no i'm
portancc to the former slaves positive
assertion OF il spiritual visitation from
the deceased lady, but as 1t was about
3 o'clock in the morning the incident
has ever been one OF more than usual
interest in our family. If the pulls
at the bell were not supernatural, they
were assurcdly strange coincidence"
Washington Star.