The St. Louis Republic., 1903-09-06
Fred Hoefert Learned of the Loss
of an Absent Friend in
Mysterious Way.
NEWS WAS LATER CONFIRMED.
Combination of Figures on Piece
of Cardboard Picked Up by
Chance Gave Date and Hour
That Man Passed Away.

Through a card picked up In front Of
the Commercial building. Fred Hoefert, a
mining man. was informed of the death ot
his associate. Wallace ]. Evans OF Den
yer. The circumstances under which the
revelation was made. bordering as il does
| upon the psychic, is mystify.ng Mr.. Hoe
fert and his friends.
Not only did the little piece of card
board convey the news OF the death 10
Mr. Heefert. but a series of numerals
printed on the card gave the exact day
and hour. and through some mysterious
power the message. evidently intended TO
| be conveyed 10 Mr.. Hoefert, was Immedi-
| asely uhaerstood by him.
On the afternoon The revelation was
made Mr. Hoefert left his Office in the
Commercial building end started UP Olive
street G!ancing at the sidewalk. printed
card met his eye bearing the name and
numerals. Evans, 8 IL 81" Contrary TO
custom. Mr.. Hoefert licked up the card.
Upon examining it after It reached his
hand. he was suddenly impressed with its
import
For some unknown reason said SIR.
Hoefert, in speaking of the incident, -as
soon as the card reached my aand I was
convinced that Evans was dead. I am not
by any means superstitiolS. and this Is
the first time 1 ever received an impress
sion OF that kind
81 was. however. 50 impressed by the
incident that / preserved the card and
placed it in fun view on my desk. and
when. on the following day. a telegram
arrived informing rie in a purely natural
Of GF. a y 7 all
surprised. fer through some nysts.ious
process my mind was settled upon the
fact
In company with Doctor F. C. zenk Of
Troy, H.. and President W. NJ Lucas Of
The Big Creek Coal Mining Company. Mr..
Evans. who was from Terre Haute. Ind.
left St Louis on July q. for Idaho 10 in
spect some mining properly. On Friday.
august -. MI Evans accompanied by
Doctor zenk. started on the return trip
TO St Louis.
Saturday morning on the Union Pacific
train near Aediclne BOW, Wy. Ar. ES-
ans was taken III Doctor Zenk, an ex-
perienced practitioner. hurried with HIM
10 Denver. where he was taken to 4 hos
pitaL The following Monday. August -
the day Mr. hoeferI found the card. Mr..
Mr. Hoetert, who Is In charge OF the
Big Creek Mining Companys affairs In
ST. Louis was informed OF the Illness OF
Ar. Evans. but the short telegram coz
veying the news dld not cause apprehen-
sioa-
..Os course, 1 considered the possibility
OF the serious illness Of Mr.. Evans" said
Mr. Hoefert, hut the Monday afternoon
The message OF his death was SO u1yste-
df6usfy conveyed to me, I do not believe
the thought Of him had entered my mind.
IL is easy to explain why the name -Ev-
ans On the card should attract my at
tention. but why l picked the card Up. or
through what process the peculiar sIg1in-
cancs of the numerals was impressed up
on my mind. 1 cannot explain
THE card was left upon my desk until
the return of Doctor Zsnk, who was with
Evans at his death AS soon as he en-
tered my Office inquired the hour of the
day that Evans passed away
-'It was IL O'Clock on the morning OF
the 2fth," answered tie doctor.
You will therefore see that the nSure
s represented August. II. the hour OF the
day. while "a designated the day Of tire
month But why the card should convey
to me tie message is beyond my under
standing II is coincident, of course. but
a very uneanny one"