davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07
But you heard a knock, did you?

But you heard knock, did you"
=" Didn't you?' 1 said.
why certainly But it wasn't the postman.
It was the Thing. 1 don't know what it is. That
makes 1t interesting
However, l knew it the postman, and In
stantly rose and went TO the door There no
letters in the box and opened the dopr. The
postman was just ascending the steps, He gave
the letters into my hand
Louis slipping his coffee when came back
to the table.
".Have you ever tried tabIe-turning? he asked.
It's rather odd
" No, and | have not tried violet leaves as
cure for cancer l said.
"'Oh, try everything, he said 4 know that that
is your plan just it is mine. All these years that
you have been away you have tried all sorts OF
things, first with no faith, then with faith-Oh,
well to remove mountains
"He rang the bell he spoke and his servant
came up and cleared the table. While this was
being done we stroled about the room looking
at prints with applause for Bartoozzi that Louis
had bought in the New Cut, and dead silence over
a 'Perdita' which he had acquired at considerable
cost Then he sat down again at the table on
which We had dined. 1t round, and mahog-
any-heavy with central foot divided into claws.
TRY its weight, he said; see if you can push
it about
so held the edge of it in my hands, and
1t required the exercise of good deal of strength
to stir it,
50 Now put your hands the top of it, he
said, and what you can do
I'VE pushed At least pushed, and observed
his fnger-nails From pink they grew to white
because of pressure. So must assume that he
pushed, too. Once, we tried this, the table
creaked But it did not move.
Then there came quick, peremptory rap, not,
thought, on the front door, but somewhere in tho
room.
Its the Thing" said he
Put your hands the table, he said, quite
lightly, and-how shall l say it-expect
Still protesting in spirit, l expected could
hear his breathing rather quickened, and it seem
ed to me as odd that anybody could find excitement
in standing in the dark large mahogany
table seemed to slip from under my fingers and
, laid lightly on the table there began to come
faint vibration, like nothing so much as tho vibra-
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

ly, but made no further progress, nor did the
Thing its shadow appear again, and began to
feel that really wasting time. Then 1t
occurred to to get in so-called medium, in
duce hypnotic sleep and see if we could learn any
thing further. This did, sitting as before
round the dining-room table. The room was not
quite dark, and / could sufficiently clearly what
happened.
THE medium, young man. sat between Louis
and myself and without the slightest difficulty put
him into a light hypnotic sleep. Instantly there
came a series of the most terrific raps and across
the table there slid something more papable than
a shadow with a faint lumnance about 1t as If the
surface of it was stirring. At the moment the
mediums face became contorted to mask Of hell
ish terror mouth and eyes were both open and
the eyes were focused on something close to him.
The Thing, waving its head came closer and closer
to him. and reached out towards his throat, Then
with yell of panic. and warding off this horror
with his hands the medium sprang up but 1t had
already caught hold and for the moment he could
not get free Then simultaneously Louis and
went to his aid, and my hands touched something
cold and Shiny. But pull we would we could
not get it away There firm handhold to
be taken it was as IL one tried to grasp Shiny fur,
and the touch of it was horrible, uncean, like
leper. Then in sort of despair, though / still
cpud not believe that the horror real, for it
must be vision of diseased imagination, l
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

/ hope have not turned Pharisaical shoulder on
sinners But in all branches of life and morals,
Louis had become infamous. He was turned out of
a club for cheating at cards and narrated the event
to me with gusto He had become cruel; he tor
tured his cat to death; he had become bestial.
used to shudder as ! passed his house, expecting
/ knew not what iendsh thing to be looking at
me from the window.
"Then came night only week ago. when
was awakened by an awful cry swelling and falling
and rising again. 1t came from next door. l ran
down stairs in my pajamas and out into the street.
The policeman the street had heard it too, and
1t came from the hall of Louis house, the window
of which w@s open. Together burst the door
in. You know what we found. The scseaming
had ceased but moment before, but he was dead
already. Both juguars were severed, torn open.
1T was dawn early and dusky, when got back
to my house next door. Even as / went In, some-
thing seemed to push by me- something soft and
Shiny. 1t could not be Louis imagination this
time. Since then have seen gimpses of 1t every
evening. I am awakened at night by tappings.
and in the shadows in the corner of my room there
sits something more substantial than shadow"
Within hour of my leaving DR.. Assheton the
quiet street was more aroused by cries of ter
and agony. He already dead and In no
other than his friend. when they got into
the house.
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

rug by the fireplace mapped Also
Funny wasn't it?' he asked.
"sAnd has the Elemental gone up the chimnev?'
said l.
Then suddenly he pointed at the wall lust be-
hind my chair, and his voice cracked as he spoke
Look, what's that? he said. There ON the
wall
considerably startled turned in the direction
of his shaking finger The wall was pale grey in
tone and sharp-cut against 1t was a shadow that,
as ! looked, moved. 1t was like the shadow of
some enormous slug, legless and fat. some two
feet high by about four feet long. Only at one
end of the thing was head shaped like the head
of a SEAL with open mouth and painting tongue
Then even as looked it faded and from some
where close at hand there sounded another of hose
shattering knocks
For a moment after there was silence between
u.s. and horror was as thick snow in the air. But
somehow neither Louis l was frightened for
more than one moment. The whole thing was so
absorbingy interesting.
THAT'S what l mean by its being outside my
control he said said l was ready for any
any visitor to come in, and by God, we've got
beauty
Nov I was still, even in spite of the appearance
of this shadow quite convinced that l was only
taking observations of most curious case of dis
ordered brain accompanied by the most vivid and
remarkable thought transference. believed that
had not seen a slug-like shadow at all, but that
Louis had vsuazed this dreadful creature SO in
tensely that what he saw. / found also that
his spirtuastic trash-books, one must say In
stead of textbooks mentioned this as a common
form for Elementals to take. He on the other
hand was more firmly convinced than ever that
we were dealing, not with subjective but with
objective phenomenon.
FOR the next six months SO sat constant
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

apparently without any brilliancy at all, had by
plodding and incessant work arrived at the top of
his profession, while Fielder brilliant at school,
brilliant college, and brilliant ever afterwards
had never done anything He was too eager, so
it seemed to his friends, to set about the dreary
work of accomplishment; he was forever learning
and prying, and striking out luminous ideas. But
at bottom the two men had this compelling inter-
est in common, namely, Unsuitable curiosity af-
ter the unknown, perhaps the most potent bond
vet devised between the solitary units that make
up the race of man. The rest or the story
I think, explains itself-or does not quite do so.
This is what I read to DR.. Assheton, being the
connected narrative of what he himself had told
me.
after returned from Paris, where had stud
led under Charcot l set up practice at home. The
general doctrine of hypnotism, suggestion and cure
by such means had been accepted even in London
at this time and owing to a few papers had writ
ten on the subject together with my foreign d-
plomas, | found that / was busy man almost as
soon as had arrived in town. Louis Fielder had
his ideas about how ] should make my debut-for
he had ideas on every subject and all of them orig
inal-and entreated TO come and live, not in
the stronghold of doctors, 'Chloroform Square, as
he called it, but down in Chelsea, where there
q house vacant next his own.
Who cares where a doctor lives?' he said so
long as he cures people? Besides you don't be-
lieve in old methods; why believe in old localities?
oh there is an atmosphere of painless death in
Chloroform Square! Come and make people live
instead! And on most evenings shall have much
to tell YOU can't drop in" across half London
'Now if YOU have been abroad for five years, it is
a great deal to know that you have any intimate
friend left in the metropolis and, as Louis said, to
have that intimate friend next door is an excellent
reason for going next door, Above ALL ! remem-
bered from Cambridge days, what Louis drop
ping in meant Toward bedtime, when work was
over there would come a rapid step on the landing,
and for an hour two hours he would gush with
ideas. He simply dffused life, which is ideas
wherever he went. He fed ones brain, which is
the one thing that matters.
II said something of the kind to Louis one
night, when, at the end of a busy day. had dined
with him. We were sitting coffee in the hall
or so it is called, where he takes his meals Out
side his house is just like mine, but on entering
intead of finding narrow passage with door on
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

membered that the switch Of the four electric lights
close to my hand. l turned them all
There the floor lay the medium. Louis
kneeling beside him with face of wet paper, but
there was nothing else there. Only the collar of
the medium was crumpled and tosn, and on his
throat were two scratches that bled
"The medium still in hypnotic sleep and
woke him. He felt at his collar, put his hand to
his throat and found it bleeding, but, as ex-
pected, knew nothing whatever of what had pass
ed. We told him that there had been unusual
manifestation, and he had, while in sleep, wrested
with something. We had got the result we wished
for and were much obliged to him.
II saw him again. A week after that he
died of blood d-posoning
From that evening dates the second stage of
this adventure. The Thing had materialized-
again spiritualistc language which l did not
at the time The huge slug, the Elemental,
manifested itself no longer by knocks and waltz
ing tables, yet by shadows. 1t there in
form that could be seen and felt. But 1t still-ths
was my strong point--was only a thing of twilight;
the sudden kindling of the electric light had
shown that there nothing there. In his
struggle perhaps the medium had clutched his
throat perhaps had grasped Louis's sleeve,
he mine. But though / said these things to my
self, / am not sure | believed them in the same
way that believe the will rise tomorrow.
''Now as student of brain-functions and a
student in hypnotic AFFAIRS, ought perhaps to have
steadily and unremittingly pursued this extraor-
dinary series of phenomena. But had my prac-
tice to attend TO, and / found that with the best
will in the world, ! could think of nothing else
except the occurrence in the hall next door, So
! refused to take part in any further with
Louis l had another reason, also. For the last
four or five months he was becoming depraved. L
have been no prude or Puritan in my own life, and
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07

side, leading into the dining room, which
again communicates with small back room call
ed the study he has had the sense to eliminate
all unnecessary walls, and consequently, the whole
ground floor of his house is all one room, with
stairs leading up to the first floor.
Study, dining-room and passage have been
knocked into one; you enter big room from the
front door. The only drawback is that the post
man makes loud noises close to you, you dine,
and just as / made these commonplace obervations
to him about the effect of the brain on the body
and the senses there loud rap somewhere
close to me, that startling
You ought to mufle your knocker,' l said,
anyhow, during the time of meals
Louis leaned back and laughed.
Z" There isn't knocker he said You were
startled week ago and said the same thing. So
took the knocker off. The letters slide in
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07


given me by DIR. Assheton of
the Thing in the hall. / took
notes copious as my hand al
lowed me, from his dctation and
subsequently read to him this narrative in
its digested and connected form. This was
on the day before his death, which, indeed
probably occurred within hour after had left
him had to give evidence concerning this be-
fore the coroners jury. Only week before DR..
Assheton had to give similar evidence, but
medical expert with regard to the death of his
friend, Louis Fielder which occurred in man
ner identical with his own. AS specialist he said
he believed that his friend had committed suicide
while of unsound mind, and the verdict
brought in accordingly, But in the inquest held
over DR.. Asshetons body. though the verdict event.
ualIy returned was the same, there was more room
for doubt
For had to state that only shortly before his
death 1 read what follows to him; that he cor
reeted ME with extreme precision few points
of detail that he seemed perfectly himself, and
that at the end he used these words.
81 am quite certain as brain specialist that I
am completely sane, and that these things happen
ed not merely in my imagination, but In the ex-
ternal world If had to give evidence again about
poor Louis, should be compelled to take a differ
cent line. Please put that down at the end of your
account, at the beginning, If it arranges itself
better so''
There will be few words must add at the end
Of this story, and few words of explanation to
precede it. Briefly, they these:
Francis Assheton and Louis Fielder were up at
Cambridge together, and there formed the friend
ship that lasted nearly till their death. In gen.
eraI attributes no two men could have been less
alike, for while Dr. Assheton had become at the
age of thrty-fve the first and final authority
his subject, which was the functions and diseases
of the brain Louis Fielder, at the same age, was
still on the threshold of achievement. Assheton,
Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07
oopyrieht 1908, by Thomas H. Mckee.

= HE following pages are the account
given me by DR.. Assheton of
the Thing in the hall. l took
notes as copious as my hand al
New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
APPEAL TO CARNEGIE.
Rockefeller also asked to Buy the
Garden and Gire 1t to City.

Both John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie
have been asked to help the city to become the
owner Of Madison Square Garden. This fact was
learned yesterday and caused considerable rejoicing
among those who have been foremost in trying to
devise some plan by which the property could be
preserved in its present form. 1t was also learned
that this proposition that Mr.. Carnegie and MI
Rockefeller help the city buy the property had
taken the form of request that one or both OF
them buy il md give It to the city as a gift
The property is fer sale at $1,000 and the cash
required, according TO report. to bring about
change OF ownership in the premises would he
somewhat less thar sao,6oo
So far many inquiries have been made at the
Office of George r. Read Co. agents for the
owners of the Garden. regarding what terms of
sale would be satisfactory 10 the owners. Some
Of the propositions purchase the property and TO
preserve it as great public institution. and es-
pecially as place for providing the city With an
ADEQUATE hall have been made by number of lead
ing real estate firms. The plan which seems to be
favored most widely is that which calls for the
sale Of the arrnory Of the I'D Regiment Engineers,
at esth street and Broadway. which will in about
year he vacated for the home of the regiment
i'm Fort Washington avenue. and also the sale OF
other properties owned by the city for which it has
further
part of the money derived from the sale of such
properties would be sufficient to vest title to the
Garden property in the name of the city 1t is
thought that this plan will be laid before the Mayor
and other city officials in the near future, and
the Corporation Counsel will be asked to prepare
bill TO be presented to the next Legislature which
would make possible the carrying out OF TINS
project early next year.
New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
CARNEGIE RUMoR sT1Rs MARKET.
Report That He Advocates Repeal Of Import
DUTY on Steel Causes Break

a sharp break occurred in the stock market about
noon yesterday, following a weak opening ascribed
largely 10 q report that Andrew Carnegie. in an
article TO be published in magazine within few
days had advocated the repeal OF the import duty
steel This report, which Mr. Carnegie de-
clined affirm deny, and which officials Of the
United States Steel Corporation unwilling to
discuss, used by the bears in a vigorous selling
movement, in which the whole. list Yielded and Steel
common broke nearly points, touching 54I2. on
very heavy transactions. representing TO some
extent liquidation by alarmed holders.
A in the late morning that E H Harri-
had given expression to bearish views in an
interview in the West also helped on the decline.
but this report was declared untrue in the early
afternoon Mr.. Hartman has not been West in sew
eral weeks.
Late in the afternoon q rally occurred on GOV
eTing OF shorts. and the market closed irregular.
with price changes generally fractional. United
States Steel common closed at 5Si. net loss Of
one-eghth Of point, while the preferred advanced
one-eighth.
An incident OF the day was the receipt in Wall
Street from familiar Boston source OF a message
predicting sharp public explosion. which will
play havoc with prices for few days, and giving
the advice: Don't remove your eye from Steel
common and preferred during the next ten days
New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
In the November Oriental Rug Sale

District 10 reconvene and add her the
register OF voters. Tho original motion was denied
by Justice Truax. of the Supreme Court Special
Term. and the appeal heard Yesterday By
Judges lnsraham, Mclaughlin, Clarke. Scott and
Houghton Judge Ingrsham presiding The judges
all paid respectful heed to Miss Colemans argu-
nents and all but Judge Houghton asked questions
Judge Scott wanted to know is the state had not
the right to make qualifications FOR voters.
1T make qualifications. but not discrinina-
tions.' answered Miss Coleman. a condition such
"a the one requiring voter to be tyenty-one years
Of age Is one that every human being can meet and
Is one that can properly be made qualification os
voters. But when condition that s under the
control CT the individual Is MADE a condition Of
exercising the franchise II becomes discrimina-
ton And is a condition which neither this
court nor myself nor any one else except God Al
mighty can control"
Miss Coleman rests her the fact that I,r
Sears voted in Colorado. She considers that in
accordance with the federal Constitution, New York
State has right to deprive her Of a right that
she exercised In another state The court reserved
Its decision.
New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
CITY NEWS IN BRIEF.

Harry Rosenberg. Of No. 1872 Park avenue. was
acquitted yesterday by a jury in General Sessions
although identified by several bank officials the
person who had deposited alleged forged check
Ia the North Side Bank, OF Brooklyn
Professor Henry Bargy, OF Columbia diversity.
Will deliver public French lecture tonight at the
French branch OF the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation. No. l0s West 54th street, on the subject
The Scientific History OF Jacques Bonhomme
The young men and women Of the Church Of the
immaculate Conception. in East l4th street will
give entertainment and reception at Webster
Hail. in East nth street. on Tuesday evening the
proceeds 10 be used for the support Of the schools
attached 10 the church
william Robinson, the negro actor. VINO on Sep
tember sentenced 10 not Joss than eleven
years nor more than fifteen years IN state prison
on charge of holding up and robbing Hyman suss
f1an a tailor At No. 425 Sixth avenue got a new
trial yesterday following the discovery of more evil
dence and the receipt ny Judge Malone OF many
testimonials 10 the actors previous good character
The ssveuty-fifth anniversary Of the founding of
the Psi Epsilon fraternity win he celebrated bs
a hanquer at the WaldorrAstoria Tuesday oven
ins Members may obtain tickets from Austin NJ
Pooie treasurer No. IS Wall street
New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
"BEAUCAIRE" AT BARNARD.
Annual Junior Show Given Before Admir-
ing Audience.

"Nonsieur Besucaire" was given by Barnard
girls al the annual Junior show last evening, in
Brinkerhoff Theatre, before a large and admirihg
audience Of relatives and friends, To have the
first performance in the evening was an innovation
as "shows" usually tried OUT before the col
lege girls in the afternoon
fishers in caps and gowns presented each per
son with dainty programme in brown and gold
los class coiors-bearing gilded picture Of an
owl the class mascot. Promptly at SIS the cur
tain rose and the Junior show looked forward
to for three years was 'on.
II was a performance well up to the average Of
Barnard's best plays. The part of Beaucsire was
taken by Lillian Egleston, president of the class
This charming Frenchman fought his duel valiant
w. so that the audience quivered with sympa-
thetic fear and never thought TO ask how many
fencing lessons he had taken: and he made love 80
passonatey no one wondered that Lady Jane took
him. even IL he barber" The lady her
seIf-Miss Mary Nammack-was a very stately
heroine. Miss Gertrude Hunter, with her rich
voice and dark eyes, made a stern and swearing
villain acting SO well that everybody hated her.
Between the acts orchestra furnished music.
while those who felt that a college show was not
complete without fudge had a chance to buy il
and at the same time help the philanthropic COM
r?ittee Of the Young Women's Christian Associa-
tion pay for Christmas presents for poor children
The play was coached and staged by Mrs. w P.
Jessup los favorte coach. Costumes were sup
piled by Van Horn who staged the original Lon
don performance. TWO more performances will be
given this afternoon and evening.
The cast is as follows Beaucaire, /. Egleston;
Winterset G. Hunter: Molyneaux, V. Jacques.
Lady Mary Mary Nammack; Rakell c. Crosby;
Lucy, Julia Wagner Miss Presbrey, Margaret
O'Donnell: Miss Paitelot. Agnes Thompson; Mar
quis de Merepoix, F. Lawrence; Lady Greenbury.
Laura Stryker; Mrs Mabsey, ClaTice Auerbach:
Bicksit, D. Long Beau Nash. e. Plant; Badger.
" hamburger: Joelffe, G FRANKIE; Bantison, G.
Henderson; Townbrake, L. Spalding: Francois. II.
Way: Lady Rellerton. Marion Mcnteser; servants
TO Beaucaire n. Thorne T. Barrows and J.
Schwartz; servant to Nash, z. Shaw.
New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
6F FtNrERE ST noWbMEN
AD

are making a criminal of her son The iess u
.Pippa Passes is very charming, but 1t isn't true
that all service ranks alike with God fsrl une
service isn't as good whole time service ana
efficient service is better than inefficient 1t s very
beautiful to go singing through life, oesving that
Gods in His Heaven. ana all's right with the
world but it doesn't do much to make thihgs
right. Pippa went past Raines law hotels. ou' hei
pa ssing did not change them. She did not oreak
up the alliance between the police and the corrupt
Judge. and when she awoke next morning her onY
bathing facilities were old pitcher and bowl as
before
Mr.. Allen told of town which mas soINeo lIie
automobile problem by constructing pumps at the
corners of the streets that make unlawful speed
dangerous and he said that the art OF sood gov
ernment was very largely a question OF bumps ana
that one such bump would do more than anS
amount of talk The Forum voted. at the sugges-
ton OF the president, Miss Helen Varick Boswell
to appoint a committee on bumps TO CONFER WIN
Mr.. Allen from time to time