Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-26
IN TEN-DAY TRANCE,
VISITS DEAD FRIENDS
Amazing Tales Told BY New Jersey
Man--coes to Heaven, He Says.
Messages from Other
World

NEW YORK. Dec 25.-Physicians and
psychologists are greatly interested in
the strange case of Edward Shea, well
known young man of Montclair. N. j..
who has been in trance for ten days.
Shea. who is twenty-nine years old and
resides with his father, went into deep
slumber on Tuesday November 26, and
since that time he has been unconscious
except at short intervals. When he
awakens out of his trancelike siumber
young Shea in strange voice tells the
members of the family, who are constant
ly watching at his bedside, that he has
been to heaven and talked with many OF
his relatives and friends there.
Shea was always vigorous. He had
been employed at the grocery store of r.
Mattfeld and never was 'tempera-
mental" On November 26. when he went
to bed, his condition was as usual, but
the next morning he did not awaken. At
ter he had slumbered two hours past his
usual time the family became alarmed
and tried to arouse him. The most
earnest efforts failed and DR.. Alexander
e. Wrensch was called. The physician
prescribed, but still the man continued
in a somnolent state.
Says He Met His Mother
For two days Shea remained uncon-
scious. Then he awoke and told a
strange tale about going to heaven and
meeting his mother. who died year ago.
Shea said his mother had spoken to him
of her great happiness, and sent mes
sages to various members of the family,
which he delivered in phraseology that
all recognized as typical of the mother.
After fifteen minutes Shea again, fell
into trance. While awake he did not als-
pear hungry, and although food was Of
fered to him he refused it.
News of the strange case of the young
man spread, and the Shea home was vts-
tied by many persons. all anxious to wit
ness the manifestation of supernatural
revelation with which the sleeper was
accredited.
DR.. Wrensch and DR.. j. s. Brown, botn
eminent practitioners, who made care
full study of the strange case, were Urn
able to ascertain any cause for the
trance, and ali their remedies had no ef-
feet on Shea's somnolence.
After a period of about forty hours
Shea again awoke and began murmurirs
in the same manner as before. On this
occasion he told of meeting with the
Rev Father Mendl. late pastor Of the
Immaculate Conception parish in Mont
clair whom he knew well. Many per
sons who were present at this recital py
the young man wept when they heard
the message the sleeper delivered from
the dead pr! ST..
Talks of Man Killed
On another of the occasions on which
Shea has since awakened to a semi-con-
scious state he said he had again been
to heaven, and there encountered Luke
Farrell, man who was killed at the
Lackawanna railroad station in Mont
clair few months ago
During the ten days that Shea has been
sleeping he has partaken of no food, AMI
the only liquid that passed his lips was
small cup of tea, which was urged on
him last Tuesday night by his father
His physical condition is good.
During the entire period of his trance
members of the Shea family have sat be-
side his bed, but the young man never
has made any communication to them
during the time he was entirely uncon-
scious. That he had a subconscious
knowledge of some of the AFFAIRS thas
were hap ening during his slumberI how
ever, was shown by the fact that he
made inquiries as to the identity of one
of the visitors to his bedchamber while
he was apparently oblivious to his sur
roundinRs.