The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-09-11
| PSYCHICAL STUDY.
gv +. A. mitchell.

yestigation a singular experience Oh re-
cent occurrence.
had been reading Poe's Raven,
hut my doctor. whom have cohSGl1e4'
saws that has nothing to do With Fhee
matter. | don't rely upon him as To-
whether It does or whether 1t doesh e.
was sitting in my library reading
&c T have said, Poe's Raven some Oh
his short stories and other or MS
noems. 1t couldn't have been that l.
was greatly wrought upon, FOR on
reading the poem for the first time III
twenty wears was trife disappolnt-
ed in it. / much prefer as an example
of Poes genius The Bells, -Whlch 10
me is literary wonder. was not SO
excited over my reading as to prevent
my falling asleep.
I was awakened by three distinct
taps on my door.
I occupied the house alone at Ine
time, my family being in the country.
7 slept at home, bit took my meals
elsewhere. The fr:.t thing that oc~
Cured to me after l had snatched my
| faculties from sleep was that any one
entering the house would seek admit
! lance by ringing the front door bell,
whereas the person had knocked at
once at my library door.
"Come inr' | cried
The summons being UNDECIDED,
arose and opened the door. NO one
was there.
Now, if were following a psycao~,
logical impression made by the poem
should have heard more knocks. But
| did not. My raven must have come
In unseen and unheard. At any rate,
had resumed my seat but few min
utes when | became conscious that
there was some live thing in the room
with me. Moreover, | was impressed
with the fact that it was human,
though whether in flesh or spirit
could not tell. Where it was at trss
did not occur to me. but presently I
knew that it was sitting on q CHAIR
on the other side of the library table,
note the following points:
felt no fear whatever
smelled smoke.
heard running water, the chopping,
of wood and a Kissing sound.
These impressions were mental, not
physical.
From having heard the clock several i,
times during the presence of my mys-
terious visitor can inform you that
it entered about 9 O'Clock. What was
passing all the while afterward / am
now not capable of putting in here.
Indeed. it is partly gap. though time
plays us strange tricks in that respect.
The next impression was the piping
of a bird.
: / can understand the other impress
sions as having real counterparts, but
the birds song ] cannot fathom.
Birds do not sing in the dark. and If
this one sang, judging by my clock.
it must have been shortly after 10
o'clock at night.
There were no more external impress
sions If my mental senses, SO to
speak. had been conveying to me such
things as we consider it possible only
to be transmitted through the physical
senses, there was from this time si-
lence.
Within the room it was different.
: While l heard no sound, l was con-
scious that my visitor had arisen. I
was curious to know where it would
next make itself known to me. If It
were coming toward me it would. if
flesh and blood. be obliged to pass
around a table. In exactly the time it
would have taken a human adult to
do this it made itself apparent in Il
: much more clearly defined way than
. before, and this time through the phys
y ical senses. felt hand clasp mine.
1t was not a wo!nan's or child's
hand: it was a mans. For few mo-
ments it rested IN mine, then gently
indicated a request for me to rise. I
did so. and the hand guided me to the
door, which / opened. felt a pres
sure of the mysterious hand, and it
was withdrawn This was the last
Of my visitor.
Any solution you may suggest will
be gratefully received by yours truly.
EDMOND GOFF.
Endorsement on the record by the
secretary of the Society For Psychical
Research:
This report was disc used at meet
ing Of the society and the following
Endorsement ordered:
"The paper Is evidently trap lai6
for the society by some unbelieVer il
supernatural visitations. A spiritua
being would not require the assistance
of a mortal to open and shut door fol
It's admittance or egress."
Subsequent Endorsement by Mr.. Golf
Letter received from the wife o.
my best friend, John Murchison. The.
were travelling in India on train
> There was collision. Murchison ant
~ his wife penned in, John under ;
= beam. Mid the kissing of escapin;
steam they were cut out with axes
e but before they were freed John wa
IN dead. They carried the body dow
ne to stream beside the track, and it re
10 NAMED there till morning Mrs. Mui
i+- Gibson was injured only by the shock
7 eli, Of u