STRANGE PSYCHIC PHEOMENON.

Evening Post, Volume XLVIII, Issue 24, 28 July 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

STRANGE PSYCHIC PHEOMENON.

«. From the little prairie town of Washta, Cherokee County, lowa, there comes (says the New York World) a story of a Poe-like gruesomeness, about a gravestone that is credibly said to show on its face the dimly traced features of a murderer, the assassin of the old couple whose remains lie buried underneath. The marvellous likeness of this gravestone portrait of the man, now that he is missing, after haviug once been suspected of the crime, has aroused the Prosecuting Attorney of the County to vigorous search for him, while the superstitious Jcountry folk thereabouts for miles around are making pilgrimages to the cemetery to see this wonderful manifestation of supernatural forces, for such it seems to be. It is more than likely that this most remarkable psychologic mystery will be investigated by those past masters in the scientific pursuit of ghosts and other death mysteries, the Society for Psychic Research. But in none of their blood-curdling reports yet published has any psychic wonder had so many elements of the phenomenal as this one in lowa. The gravestone, a photograph of which, with the human features mystically written across its face, was made by a photographer for the World, marks the spot where lie an old couple named Schultze, who were murdered in their own home in the middle of the night. They lived a short distance from the town, and were staying alone in the house at the time. The old man had brought home, a few days before, a considerable amount of money, which he had taken from the bank on account of the panic. In the morning the old folks were found, their heads split open/ with an axe, and there were evidences that there had been a struggle. The money was gone. Tne murder created a great sensation, on account of its fearful details. There was nothing to indicate in any way who had committed it, but the neighbours suspected that the murderer might have been W. S. Florence, a hired hand who had been in the Schultzes' employ until a short time before. A few weeks after the murder Florence left that section, and went to Nebraska. As soon as he had gone the stories began to gain more currency than ever, and the result was that detectives were employed by the County authorities to hunt him down. He was found, and taken back to Cherokee County. The Grand Jury examined him, but for want of evidence discharged him. He promptly disappeared, and has not been heard of since. About the same time that the Grand Jury was engaged in the investigation of this case, the relatives of the old couple had a plain marble headstone placed over their grave. The grave was in a little country burying-ground on the side of a hill, within sight of the house in which the •murder had been committed. Before many weeks strange stories began to be told about it. At first they were whispered about the neighbourhood, and the superstitious people of the country-side shook their heads wisely, and often gathered in groups at the roadside or at the village blacksmith shop. It was Baid that the tombstone was slowly but surely developing human lineaments, just as a photographer's plate, under the action of chemicals, develops the lines in the negative. The first person to tell the story was an old woman, who had almost been the first to suspect Florence of the murder. It was received with incredulity, and even those whose curiosity led them to go and look at the stone declared that the picture had no existence except in the imagination of the old woman. But she insisted that she could see a picure there, and that it represented the features of Florence. From time to time the old lady declared that the picture was growing more and more plain. At last she convinced some of her friends that they, too, could see the features of a man on the stone. The face continued to grow more and more distinct, and to be more and more talked about, until it attracted the attention of the authorities. They inspected it, and the most unprejudiced were compelled to admit that they could see the features of a man. A marble dealer was taken to see it. He declared that the features were being developed as a result of exposure to atmospheric influences of the rust and veins in the stone. He said it would continue to grow plainer. The prediction has now I een verified. The picture on the slab has become distinct to even the most casual observer, and to-day there is not a person who knew Florence that does not declare that the features Bhow a startling resemblance to his. What is equally prophetic is the fact that since the picture has been developing on the stone and the suspicion has become general that Florence was the murderer, there haa developed evidence not known at the time of his examination before the Grand Jury that points to the conclusion that he was really guilty. The Prosecuting Attorney of Cherokee County said to the World representative that he was confident he could now prove the guilt of the suspected man, should he be located. But this seems to be now impossible. Florence has dropped out of the world, apparently. It is supposed that he heard of the strange developments, and got as far away aa possible.

It is stated on good authority that the Fall Mall Gazette paid £250 for the famous item about Mr. Gladstone's resignation. The Conarder Lucania has just made th< fastest passage from New York to Queenetown, the distance of 2894 miles occupying five days 13 hours, 11 minutes.