The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-19
a PSYCHOLOGICAL PUZZLE.
Boy a Combination of Sherlock
Holmes and X-Ray Machine.


Flottum, who seems to be possessed
OF a most phenomenal clairvoyant
power. More than six months ago
somebody at Singaas, where the boy
IS living, observed the remarkable
ability which he has shown in finding
lost Things and persons
At first no special notice was TAX
en- of it. but about a fortnight ago
a commercial traveller living IN the
Oesterdal Valley was missed. Some
body took The opportunity to speak
to the police. who for nearly week
had tried in vain to trace the miss
ing traveller
John Flottum was appealed to, and
without hesitation the boy indicated a
river. about twenty miles away, where
the body was found.
The method adopted was as fol-
lows: A photograph of the missing
man was shown to the boy. who close
ly examined it. After short visit
at the house where the man had lived
the boy, escorted by two Norwegian
policemen. started in the direction
which he instantly Indicated After
a short walk the boy suddenly stop
right way. Here the man lately sat
down" After few minutes stay the
boy continued his walk. Though many
people followed the boy and the
policemen, the boy did not take any
notice of them He followed rapidly
IlAC SOQIS0 WHICH ne IldQ IelO OoN, ana
although it was dark, he requested the
police to follow him until he had
found a tree where he had seen that
the man should have lost handker-
chief. After one hours walk a tree
was found where a handkerchief was
lying 1t was the property of the
missing man. BY this time the boy
was SO exhausted that he said it was
necessary to give up that day further
walking.
Early the next day the boy arose
and told the policeman that in the
night he had seen the body of the
man at the bottom of the river which
he had indicated The boy Went
was at the shore. He. together with
the police and two fishermen, steered
in the direction which the boy indi-
Gated. Suddenly he cried: Here you
are" and at thu bottom of the river
where the boat stopped the body was
seen lying in about one and a half
fathoms of water.
The news of the incident rapidly
spread over Norway and numerous
CONSERVATION arose among the Nor
wegian peasants. The boy was sent
back to Singaas. where his mother.
a poor woman, lives. His father died
three years ago. His parents had
six children, of whom he is the
fourth. His oldest brother is work.
ing as a fireman. The next two are
maids. The two youngest children.
boy and a girl. are at home at Sin
gasas. Johns school teacher, Mr.. Nor
seth, 60 years old, says:
Il n<ver cared for such expert
ments which 1 always considered a
waste of time. but now 1 believe it
my duty to say that 1 am fully con-
WINGED about the remarkable sense of
the boy. He is phenomenal clair
voyant. 1 have already tried him with
M ma nr1xy a
has been "A complete success. Only
in a few cases. when he was excited,
the experiments have failed But
don't forget" added the old teacher,
that John is only boy"
Asked as to what sort of expert
ments the teacher had made with John
Morseth said: zone day l asked
John: = Please tell me what I have
in my purse?' Instantly John re-
piled: "A golden ring. some slips of
paper, but no money That was
quite correct. Another day 1 told
John that thirty years ago, seventeen
years before John was born, 1 lost a
gold ring when was playing with
the school children in the field. John
held his hand over his eyes and in a
few minutes said: 81 see your ring
flying through the air. Many small
hands are searching for it on the
ground and many eyes are looking for
it. 1t is very thick and fat boy who
with his one hand he covers the ring
for which he Is so eagerly looking"
The teacher now clearly recollect-
ed the fat boy. who died in prison.
Besides these experiments" he
continued, "many others could be
| mentioned; but in these cases sup
pose that it was merely thought read
| ing That 1t IS real you may be quite
assured. In school John was very
intelligent boy, but he did not care
for reading. He was not very indus
| trious or clever but he showed re-
| narkable common sense and much
ability at drawing. He was always in
| terested in ali sorts OF pictures and
| photographs"
Pastor Brisin. at Singaas, says: 81
| compare the case with the same sense
which we learn in the Bible of many
| of the prophets. 1 call your atten-
ton to the story of King SAUL who
| went to Samuel and got full 1nforma-
ton about some asses which had dis
appeared from his fathers stable
| Quite so with the boy john"
Last week the boy was taken to
| Christiana, where he was placed with
a family in the country, that he might
| recover from the excitement to which
he has been subjected in the last
month. He is, however. under the
nerve surgeon, DR.. Wefring, who was
at first very skeptical but after close
| investigation declares that he does
not deny that the boy possesses sixth
sense of which the scientific world
has no acknowledgement.
| DR.. Wefring made several expert
ments with the boy and had success
/ in nearly all cases.
/ The surgeon has now agreed that
| the boy next week shall take up the
| difficult task of finding little Nor
wegian girl, Gudrun Klaussen, VINO
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