Evening star., 1911-05-27
TELLS OF VISIONS
Strange Phases in Life of Mrs.
Ole Bull.
DOMINATED BY MYSTICISM
Witness in Will Case Discloses Much
Heretofore Kept Secret Con-
cerning Deceased.

ALFRED. Me-. May 27.-Miss Siri
Edith Swanander of No. 629 Madison
| street. Brooklyn. disclosed many
strange phases Of mysticism in the life
Of Mrs. Ole Bull on the witness stand
yesterday in the suit to break Mrs.
Bulls will. brought by her daughter.
Mrs. Olea Bull Vaughan. Mrs. Swan
ander lives with her mother In Brook
lyn. where she teaches school, and 1t
was at the Swanander house that Mrs
Bull passed several of the last weeks
Of her life.
Mrs. Bull had strange visions" said
the witness. "of Hindu priests standing
under cherry trees in full blossom, and
believed that her granddaughter, Ed
wilma Vaughan. who died. came back to
visit her enclouded in pink radia-
ance.'
Mrs. Bull told me that the night Ed
wilma Vaughan died she was with Swami
Vivekananda in India, and that the
Swami came to her and told her that
Ole Bull had made him his son when
Edwina died.
"At Greenacre last year Mrs. Bull
said to me: Swami Vivekansnda came
to me from the spirit land. He stood
by my couch under cherry or apple
tree in full bloom. He spoke to me
and said he had sent Siri to take care
of me. Edwina, my daughter. also
came to me from that land. She came
in a pink radiance and comforted me-
Malign influence Came Into Life.
"When I came to Greenacre." continued
Miss swananda, Mrs. Bull was sick in
body and mind. She spoke to me OF her
illness 1 told her l thought 1t was in
testinal trouble. She said that some
thing had come into her ufe-a malign
influence that sapped her vitality-but she
said she was better and had conquered
that influence. She told me that In over
coming this malign influence she had
,,S, broken I'd down her health but that Sue
Did she tell you the source of this
malign infiuence?" asked Attorney Whip
pie.
NO" said Miss Swanander. Twice
she promised she would tell me- hut she
never did So"
Did you notice anything in her condi-
ton or speech which led you to think
her abnormal or unusual?" Mr.. Whipple
queried.
Il noticed 1t IN connection with her
speaking. especially when she was speak
ing of that malign influence answered
Miss Swanander.
did you hear her mention any of her
relatives?"
She spoke most lovingly of her brother
and Mrs. Vaughan"
Did you notice what sort of room the
meditation chamber was?''
I'm this room she had the pictures Of
those whom she thought most precious
At the meditations the Swami would read
the Rajah Yoga."
did you have an altar in the room?"
Yes. At Greenacre there were pic
lures OF Swami Vvekananda, Owani
Ramakrishna and Edwina, and flowers
and sometimes fruit and incense on the
altar"
Never Ate Same Food Twice.
Did you have any talk with Mrs.
Bull about food?"
"She said she never could eat the
same kind OF food twice. It disgusted
her. She wanted Norwegian cooking,
and she had my mother come to Green
acre, but she was only satisfied a little
while"
Reference to the late Prof. William
James Of Harvard and to Swami lee
lures In Boston were made in letter
from Mrs. Bull to Mr.. Thorp, dated
September "a. 1901. 1t read in part as
follows:
"Dr. James forbearance and chivalrous
support OF Miss Farmers ideas to the
very last make me regret more truly
her efforts to hurt him with her pres
ent statement of consideration which Ilea
reports to me for myself. / feel that
silence Is the best course. So strong
and true man needs no defense from
the line Of attack made. and 1 feel
that to discuss the matter now would
be unworthy under the circumstances
One feels too deeply the sorrow and
temper that made the last weeks of
| his work SO difficult"