Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1914-02-03
A Liar or
A Lunatic
By F. A. Mitchell

around table in the cafe of New
York club. The subject turned on tn
marvellous feats that are said to b
performed by the fakirs of India.
number of these feats were described
each one more wonderful than the last
when Ned Garland told the following:
you've hit on subject that come
very near home to me-" he said, so
one of my family was operated on BY
one of these Indians many years age
; with result that has recently mad'
my hair curl.
During the last war with England
in 1914 or thereabouts-my ancestors
lived on the family estate or farm, fol
that's all it was, not half mile from
where we are now sitting. One day
my great-grandfather, Timothy Gar
land, a young bridegroom, had quar-
rel with his wife and told her he wish
ed he might not see her again In hun.
dred years. Then he left the house
with bang of the door and, mounting
horse, rode down to Fraunces' tavern
where he proceeded to get gloriously
drunk.
1.-THE next day, when he was sober,
he was beside himself with remorse
and rode back home to beg his wife's
pardon. He found her lying in COM
atose condition, from which it was i'm
possible to arouse her. She had left
with the servants paper for him on
which was written:
"You have wished you might not see me
again In hundred years. You won't see
me as I was till that time has passed
1.-The upshot of 1t was that when he
had gone down to the tavern one Of
these Indian heathens came along, Of
fering to tell my great-grandmother's
fortune and do many wonderful things.
She was full of anger at the time and
told him she would give him all the
gold she had in a stocking if he would
put her to sleep for a hundred years.
The rascal took her at her word and
performed the trick.
"Her husband kept watching for her
to come to herself. He said nothing
about her condition, not caring to have
1t known that 1t was through his
harshness that she had come into 1t.
er awhile he locked her up in room,
and since he made no mention of her
she was at last forgotten.
when the farm was sold the family
vauIt was rptoined and the ground nm
derneath which it was excavated de-
scended to me. When came of age
few weeks ago and took possession
of 1t with other property l concluded
to inspect 1t. ! found grewsome
place full of collins, some of which had
partly rotted away. One that had been
made Of marble interested me. From
a crack in the lid protruded paper.
pulled 1t out and found that it had
been written in language l knew
nothing about.
II took the thing to professor of un-
known tongues in Columbia college,
and he told me 1t was written In one
of the languages of India and l had
to get an Indian of that province to
interpret it. I hunted all over the east
side among the slums for such a per-
son and at last found one. II read in
English:
"Tbis lady is TO be brought to life at the
expiration of hundred years. or in No
vember' 1913
II was told by the translator that
In 20 lyi do
but luckily one had just arrived from
Bombay. and ! was Informed where
he was to be found. He read the pa
per and said he would try to bring my
great-grandmother to life If | would
pay him $10O In case he succeeded.
agreed to the terms, had the sarcopha-
gus removed to the top floor OF
building l owned. paid in advance.
and the Indian went to work.
HE wouldn't permit me to be pres
ent during his manipulations, but call
ed me in after six hours. On lounge |
was woman about twenty-three |
years of age. She seemed only half |
alive, but was sufficiently resuscitated
to speak feebly.
"'Jim. she said, how could your
"Tm not Jim,' said. I'm Ned.
"'Oh, dear! What's the matter with
you. or is anything the matter with
me? | feel so weak
"She had evidently taken me for her
husband, my great-grandfather. who
was just my age in 1918.
,La o., Indt
he had gone. 1t struck me that I'd
better have some one about, and l said
% my great-grandmother
"'Please excuse me moment You
ire not well and need attention. l am
dc DO you know that while 1 was
]