The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-05-16
(st. Louis Post-Dispatch.)

est. Louis Post-D ispatch.)
Was the aveneing spirit of an
Egyptian prieStess who died in the
holy city of Thebes 1900 years before
the birth of Christ present upon the
Titanic. pursuing with immortal NAL
evidence those who had desecrated
her tomb n memory? Did tho
the storied Nile upon all who should
insult her bones have power to rush
down the centuries into the age of
wireless telegraphy and the waters of
The new world?
In the twentieth century. with its
general rejection Of the supernatural.
these questions will at once be pro-
nounced absurd. But even now per-
sons will be found to take the prob
lem seriously. because of the mystic
rlous series of shocking tragedies
which ave befallen all who had to
do. either in deed or word. with the
mummy case of a priestess OF the
College of Amen-Ra which now
stands in the First Egyptian room Of
the British museum.
Among those who would not have
been skeptical was the famous Eng
fish editor. William T. stead, who
persisted when the Titanic f%oundered,
and who would. in all probability.
consider himself as the latest of the
long line of victims of the priestess's
ancient malice.
Although trained in the modern
rationalistic thought. Stead had a
strong bias toward the supernatural.
as was shown in his We'll known in
terest in occultism and s~piritualism.
AT the saloon table of the Titanic
ne related 20 a fellow passenger.
Frederick Is. Seward. an uncanny
tale of the adventures of the num-
my in h British museum which had
punished, he said. with great calami-
ties all who had written its story.
He told of n person after another
who had come to disaster after writ
Ing it's sinister history.
Il know the story. but l shall never
Write it," added the veteran publicist,
mus b~etrayins how powerfully the
somber doom of many less credulous
persons had affected him.
stead did not say whether i'll luck
would attend the mere telling OF he
story. but it is difficult to see what
distinction the malignant priestess
would make between the written and
the spoken word. The difference in
atront would seem to be at most one
of degree. not of kind. At any rate,
greWsonle narrative with obvious re-
spect his body lay lifeless beneath
1000 fathoms of water.
me perilous tale, as related by
stead. was probably in gist as fol-
lows the account being taken from
the English edition of Pearson's
magazine for August, 1900.
About 1900 years before Christ, a
priestess of the College of Anlen-Ra
lived and died in the mighty city of
Thebes. Possibly she was 4 rovaI
parsonage: she appears at least to
nave been Of high rank, but of her
name and life history nothing is
known. Nc doubt her body vas en-
balmed with all the care that the
Egyptians, particularly the priests,
bestowed upon this work, an essential
part OF their religion. The mum
my was inclosed in it's wooden She
and placed in the appointed burial
place Of the priests and priestesses
OF the college.
Probably the burial place was
carefully hidden. for the object of
embalming was that the body sbould
remain preserved for the use. of it's
owner on her return from the under
world; and the body of the priestess
Jay IN peace through the centuries,
until at last it was disturbed by \
rowing band of Arabs. This was about
%" years ago. and in some way tho
umn was separated from it's case
and disappeared. '
Aoout the middle Of the sixties a
party of five friends went in a daha-
ola for a trip up the Nile. They went
70 luxor on their way to the Second
Cataract' and there explored Thebes.
With its temple to Amen.Ra. nm,
equaied on earth for it's ruined mag
\ we'll known English lady of title
entertainer Sha rarf1. o~<l a. ---.,
Mustaph Aga. gave a fete in their
honor. One night the consul sent to
ms friends an Arab. who reported
he had just found a case of
unusual worth.
Next morning he reported the case
1or inspection. 1t bore the portrait
OF a woman of strange beauty, but
me Ozark eyes stared into vacancy
With a old nalignity of expression.
The case was brought nv one Of the
party, Mr.: D.. who however. agreed
to draw lots for possession of the
Ireasure; and the case passed to a
friend. who may be called Mr.. W.
Almost Immediately it was recall
ed afterward with awe the vengeance
OF the ancient priestess began to dis
play itself. 1t was as If she were
noverlng, 3 gloomy and implacable
Nemesis. above them. armed with
-n even IN Cne1f
financial affairs in far distant Lon
don. On the return trip one of the
members Of the party was hot acct
dentally In the arm b yhis servant,
tarough a CUR exploding without Wis
IDLE cause. The arm had to be am.
putated. Another died in poverty
within a year. A third was shot
The owner of the mummy case found
on reaching Cairo that he had lost
a large part Of his fortune, and died
soon afterward.
If the differences Of the tale are To
be believed the spirit of the priestess.
with unappeasable wrath. did not
halt at the confines of Egypt, but
pursued the d%espoilers of her wooden
shroud even to Great Britain. When
the case arrived in England it was
given by its owner, Mr.. w, to a mar
ried sister living in London. A,
once large financial losses were suf-
fered. ~
One day the famous thosophist.
Nine. Blavatsky. entered the room
in which the case had been placed.
She soon declared there was a malig-
nant influence in the room. On fnd-
ing the cover, she begged her hos,os,
to send it away. declaring it to be
thing OF the utmost danger. The