The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-01
It ForetoId Deaths, So Became
Unpopular With a Sway
zee Family.
MECHANISM IS SILENCED
OWNER OF THE ANCIENT HEIR
LOOM VALUES IT GREATLY BUT
HE WOULD NOT FOR ANYTHING
PERMIT IT TO STRIKE.

Marion. Ind. Nov. DIR J. T. An
derson of Swayzee, has an old-fash-
Toned clock. standing four feet high
and constructed almost entirely OF
wood. possessed by himself and ances-
tors for at least 125 years. an heir
loom which money would not buy, and
yet DR.. Anderson would not hear this
old clock strike for any price that
could be offered. The relations of the
striking of the clock in the past have
been so woven with deaths in the fam
lily that DR.. Anderson has for some
years kept the clock in the woodshed
far removed from the house and so
weighted it down that there is no pos
sibility of its running or striking.
The clock was originally the prop
erty of John Reasoner. of Ohio, grand
father of Mrs. Anderson. This man
lived to a ripe old age and shortly be-
fore his death had a presentiment that
on certain day when the clock struck
II. he would die. True to the pre-.
sentiment. his death occurred shortly
after the clock tolled the hour OF
twelve.
A daughter Of John Reasoner. Mrs.
John Jennings. inherited the clock
and brought it with her to Blackford
county. Her husband joined in the
rush of gold seekers to California in
1910 and she never heard Of him aft
erward. The clock next passed to an
other member of the family. William
NJ. Reasoner. a physician, and 1t oc.
cupied a place in his office at Sulphur
Springs. Henry county.
Clock Sounds ~ Omen.
1t was silent for many years and
much to the surprise of DIR. Reasoner
it struck after a silence of almost
twenty years. Within a few hours
after the clock struck. he received
word of the death of his mother. then
eighty-one years old. The striking OF
the clock after such a long silence was
connection with this death. but 1t was
not until afterward that the strikings
of the clock in relation to death caused
all the relatives to regard the clock
with superstition.
1t was six years after the death OF
DR.. Reasoners mother before the clock
struck again, and that night DR.. Rea
soner's wife. who was the mother OF
Mrs. ]. T. Anderson. of Swayzee, was
taken suddenly ill and died. Five
years later. in 1886, as DR.. Reasoner
and his daughter, Mary Reasoner
were sitting in the physicians office
the old clock. which had been silen,
since the death of DR.. Reasoner's wife
struck. to the horror of both persons
Dr. Reasoner was taken i'll within a
few days and died after a sickness OF
short duration.
The clock, after the death of DR.
Reasoner, became the property of DR.
and Mrs J. T. Anderson, who then liv
ed at Honey Creek. Henry county. II
had been in their family four years
without running. when DR.. Anderson,
as he entered his home one evening
heard the clock strike. DR.. Anderson
had no belief in signs or superstitfons
but remarked to his wife. Il wonder
who will be the next to die?" having
no thought that the striking of the
clock would mean another death in
the family He received a message
the next day announcing the death Of
his sister. Mrs. Jane Enright. in Han
cock county.
The clock has now been silent nine
teen years and the mechanism has
been so changed that there is said TO
be no possibility OF the clock running,
and yet the clock is regarded with
some dread by members of DR.. Ander-
sons family. and it is kept safe dis
lance from the house that the death
knell might not be heard even II it
should strike