The New York herald., 1922-04-02
What Was It They Heard?
Strange Experience at Night in Albany and tn
Sequel the Day Following.

lows. Before had time TO speak Hem
lcrson muttered Something Is trying
% get in through the windows"
But nothing was visible in the noon-
light that still flooded the house.
Perhaps it's a cat" / suggested
'atuously.
More like bird flutterins its wings.
replied Henderson In a half whisper.
Scarcely were the words out OF his
mouth when I felt or heard don't
xnow which--the rustling sound ascend
rapidly and the next instant the upper
windows rattled violently, ratified as II
assailed by a fierce gust Of wind, al
though there was not SO much as
breath Of air stirring in the treetops.
A peculiar feeling, half wonder, half
fear. crept upon me. and I observed by
the strange expression OF Henderson's
face that he too was somewhat shaken.
For nearly five minutes longer we
continued to stand watching the house
but nothing more happened to engage
our attention. AS we turned to go l
glanced at my watch. 1t was just
p'clock. I made mental note OF the
number of the house. 247 standing out
in gilt figures above the paneled door.
After reaching home spent an hour
or more racking my brains for an ex-
PLANTATION OF the strange occurrence but
to no avail 1t was well on toward
morning before / was able to sleep and
then I slept only fitfully. being harassed
by haunting dreams. During all the
following day I kept asking myself
"What was it?" No human being, it
seemed clear, had been in any way re-
sponsible for the strange phenomenon.
But equally clear did II seem to me
that some thing had tried TO gain an
entrance to the house.
But what could that thing have been
that was invisible in a moonlight al
most as bright as day? ! pondered the
enigma at dinner as I read one OF the
afternoon papers. As ! scanned the col
umns Of local news my eye caught the
following headline. Unfortunate Death
by Drowning The ensuing paragraphs
read:
''The tragic death last evening OF MISS
Estelle Blakewood at the home OF hcr
parents 24T Clyde street. comes as
distinct shock TO the community MISS
Lakewood had boon an invalid for years.
having suffered n severe injury In an
automobile accident in the summer OK
1915 Last evening about 1880. Mrs.
Lakewood as Is her custom. prepared
her daughters bath and sat reading IN
an adjoining room preparatory 20 assist
ing Miss Estelle TO bed. After waiting
nearly twenty minutes for her daughter
to finish her ablutlons Mrs. Lakewood
went 70 the bathroom and, opening the
door. was Mortified 10 see her daughter
huddled down In tho bathtub, her head
wholly submerged in the water.
"Dr Conkl.n. who arrived within ten
minutes after Mrs. Blackwood's cries
aroused her hwsband, who had retired,
Immediately rsroved the body 10 the
open back porch and used the most he
roic means TO induce resuscitation. For
nearly two hours he labored increasingly
employing every approved form OF arti-
ficiai respiration. II seemed at one time
that the doctors efforts would be re-
varded with success. for about O'Clock
there was perceptible fluttering OF the
cycitds and a distinct inhalation, but
these evidences OF returning life endured
but for an instant and shortly afterward
the doctor pronounced the patient dead.
.'Dr. Conklin characterlzes the case az
q most extraordinary one. as in all his
previous experience he has not known a
drowned person 10 exhibit such symptoms
Of resuscitation without being finally
restored"
SIMON CREEL.