The New York herald., 1920-01-25
MORGAN OONElSON

-WO farmhands walked into the little
village of Princeton, Mercer County,
Missouri one Saturday night in Decem-
ber and told story of miracle that
had happened out at Morgan Donelsons farm.
six miles north of town. the night before. Nor
had been sitting in the living room read
ins his Bible when suddenly the ceiling opened
and his dead wife and baby came down out OF
the sky. Strange voices had spoken. Donel-
sons mother had seen white finger trace
certain outlines on the ceiling and when the
spparition vanished there a queer little
design left in the smoke and dust above the
sas lamp It a picture OF the dead wife
and her little baby had just lain down to-
gether in the coffin on October before the
undertaken buried them.
The farmhands had the picture with
their eyes. Morgan Donelson had pointed
it out to them in broad daylight. 1t was
about three inches long and not quite as wide
It looked like the negative of photograph
You could see the parting in Mrs Donelson's
hair and the outlines of her arms folded across
her breast. And the little baby at her side.
Around the town square of Princeton the
story flashed and the Saturday night groups
gathered to discuss IL. That night the story
travelled out Of Princeton in every automobile
and horse drawn vehicle that left the village
and the tale in travelling grew nightly in pro-
portions. some said it a print as large as
life and YOU could faint radiance coming
from it, Others said it was big the side
Of a door.
Early on sunday the roads began to fill with
motor loads of pilgrims to this rural shrine in
the northwest corner of Mercer county. The
Donelson house was thrown open and Done-
son himself Bible in hand. met the visitors at
the door He took them inside and pointed
out curious tracery on the ceiling just above
the gas lamp. Some of them stared at it and
shook their heads. They couldn't make out
thing. Donelson looked at these pityingly.
You haven't got the spirit in you.'' he would
tell them Others seemed transfixed by the
vision as soon as they crossed the threshold
Several women exclaimed IF il amt Morgs
wife Just as plain as day: and the little baby,
too" And then began to cry.
BY Monday the tale had spread up into Iowa
and all day long stream of motor cars poured
eager throngs into Doneson's front yard In
the afternoon the traffic congestion was so
great that new arrivals had to stop and un-
load down the road. Several times the living
room became so jammed that Donelson had to
tSh llOse ulSlut W SAtp ouA anu 5iNt hhN9' VI"
the porch chance.
a Rock Island freight train stopped on sid
ing mile away and the whole crew-engineer.
fireman. brakeman and conductor-walked
across the fields to the farmhouse and trooped
into the living They took the strange
tale with them and that night there whis-
pers of it in every rsvitchmans shanty and
way station for fft> miles up and down the
line.
The Miracle Picture stayed until Tuesday
afternoon and more than five thousand per
sons saw IT, The Doucson living
filled with people when il disappeared. Here
Is the prosac story Of It's disappearance:
4 stranger came to the house on Tuesday
afternoon and taking Doneison to one side
told him Of dream in which it was revealed
that the picture was the work of the devil
Donelson listened and became alarmed. lie
got his Bible and asked all the people in the
room 10 knee down with him and pray.
II asked God il that picture was the work
Of evNs spirits OF the devil 10 take IT away
Donclson says Immediately was led TO 90
into tho next room and get n towel II seemed
as II voice within me urged mo 10 put soap
and water on the towel went back TO the
front room and was led to stand up on
chair. Again I prayed to God and asked him
if the picture was evil TO take it away II dis
appeared"
''Did YOU rub the ceiling with the wet towel?'
Mr. Donegon vas asked -
We'll yes But that wasn't what took the
picture away II was prayer that did it. and
the people who there at the time will tell
YOU so.
The intelligent people Of Mercer county are
inclined to believe that while Donelson was
sincere enough the picture was nothing more
than religious hallucnation Donelson ia a
member Of the Apostolic church. whose mem
bers are often referred to as Holy Rollers ."
This is not tho first time that the county has
been amazed at some OF the religious aberra
tions Of this sect. Several years ago they
boarded up Nhe doors and windows OF their
church near Princeton declaring II was pos
sessed of the devil. and refused to hold services
in II for more than year. That was four years
ago after an itinerant preacher from Texas had
raused in the community long enough 70 create
scandal and divide the congregation sharply
Into two factions Onc faction opposed him