Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-09-22
MYSTIC ASPIRATIONS,
The Weird and PuzzIing Enigma
Of GhostIy Visions.
MESSAGES FROM THE DEAD.

Il
tune-Ths Strange Case Of a Boston
| Msn and His Deceased Sister.
In the Riddle Of Personality" the
author. II. AddIngton Bruce, discuss
ing the proposition that human per-
sonality persists beyond the grave,
cites a number OF instances OF apparI-
lions that were closely investigated by
the Society For PsychlcaI Research
and says:
In order to appreciate the nature Of
the evidence accumulated, let us
glance at few typical instances, each
drawn from the society's records and
thus sufficiently authenticated to merit
serious consideration. We may begin
with an old fashioned ghost story OF
the simpler sort. In this instance the
percipient, a Mr.. j., was personal
acquaintance OF +. w. II. Myers, who
obtained first hand account of the
experience. In 1880 1t appears Mr..
q, the librarian OF X. library, died,
and Mr.. j. was appointed his success
sor. Mr.. j. had not known Mr.. O., nor
had he to his knowledge seen any
portrait of him when In 1884, or four
years after his death, he made the old
Librarians acquaintance under these
circumstances
Il was sitting alone N the library
one evening late in>AIarch, 1884, fin
ishIng some work after hours. when it
suddenly occurred to me that | should
miss the last train TO H., where l was
then living. if did not make haste.
gathered up some books in one hand,
took the lamp In the other and pre-
pared to leave the librarians ROOM
which communicated by passage
with the main room of the library. As
my lamp illumined the passage l saw
apparently at the end Of 1t mans
face. | instantly thought sthief had
got into tn. library. turned back
into my room, put down the books and
took revolver from the safe, and,
holding the lamp cautiously behind
me, made my way along the passage
into the main room. Here saw no
one, but the room was large and In
numbered with bookcases.
II called out loudly to the intruder
to show himself several times more
with the hope of attracting a passing
policeman than of drawing the in
truder. Then saw face looking
round one Of the bookcases. l say
round. but It had an odd appearance,
as II the body were In the bookcase, as
the face came so closely to the edge
anfI could see no body. The face was
pallid and hairless, and the orbits of
the eyes were very deep. advanced
toward II, and as did so saw an old
man with high shoulders seem to ro-
tate out of the end of the bookcase
and with his back toward me and with
"a shuttllng gait walk rather quickly
from the bookcase to the door Of a
small layatory which opened from the
library and had no other access.
heard no noise. / followed the man at
once into the lavatOry and to my ex-
treme surprise found no one there.
Completely mystlhed, l even looked
into the little cupboard under the
fixed basin. There was nowhere hiding
for child. and confess l began to
experience for the first time what nov
elists describe as an 'eerie' feeling. l
left the library and found had missed
my train.
Next morning | mentioned what /
had seen to local clergyman. who on
hearing my description said, why,
that's old O." Soon after saw a pho
tograph from drawingl Of O., and
the resemblance was certainly striking.
Q. had lost oil his hair. eyebrows and
all from, l believe. gunpowder acct
dent. His walk was a peculiar rapid,
high shouldered shuttle. Later inquiry
proved he had died at about the time
Of year at which saw the figure"
This is capital illustration OF the
/ revenant type Of apparltion, the
ghost" that visits a locality with
which II was familiar in life.
Then there is the ghost" that ap-
pears to warn a living person OF i'm.
pending misfortune. Take the strange
case Of Mr. F. G. OF Boston, who
writes;
I'm 1867 my only sister, young lady
- NtAAtSNA years, uASW SuUUtUIY OF
cholera In st. Louis. My attachment
for her was very strong and the blow
q severe one to me. A year or 50 after
her death the writer became a com
merciai traveller, and it was IN lsTa
{ while on one Of my western trips, that
the event occurred.
Il had 'drummed' the city Of st. Jo-
/ seph, Mo-, and had gone TO my room at
the Pacific House TO send In my orders.
which were unusually large ones, so
that ! was In very happy frame OF
mind indeed. The hour was high noon.
! aud the sun was shining eheerfully
into my room. While huslly smoking
cigar and writing out my orders I
suddenly beCanle conscious that some
one was sitting on my left, with one
arm resting on the table. Quick as a
dash turned and distinctly saw the
/ form of my dead sister and fosaa brief
i second or SO looked her sqUarele In the
/ face. aud 50 sure was that Il was she
.