NECKLACE MYSTERY

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1920, Page 8

NECKLACE MYSTERY

EGYPTIAN TOMB RELIC

PUZZLE POP SPIRITUALISTS

Some' remarkable manifestations, so far not susceptible of- any ordinary explanation, have occurred in Edinburgh in association with an ancient Egyptian necklace (says the “Scotsman.”). The necklace about Christmas, 1913, was sent by a lady resident in Cairo, who explained that it had been taken from an ancient tomb in the vicinity, and its present owner is the lady who lives in the West End of Edinburgh. Recently, when making- a search in her jewel box she found the necklace at the bottom, where it had lain completely forgotten. She took it out and examined it, and, deciding that it was scarcely worth while keeping it longer, threw it into a waste-paper basket in her room. THE CLUTCHING HAND.

That night she retired to her room about 10.30, and on placing her band on a chair when bending clown to get her slippers, which were placed beside the wastepaper basket, she was startled by the distinct feeling of a band suddenly clutching her wrist. Somewhat startled, but trying to convince herself that her imagination had played her a trick, she went back to her reading table and proceeded to read by the light of a table lamp.

Her attention was attracted by sounds from the waste-paper basket. Her first thought was that a mouse bad somehow got into it. She went over and lifted the basket, but finding no mouse there, returned to her reading. The sounds persisted and became louder: and being convinced that a mouse must be there, she determined to let it away by inverting the basket, and for that imrpo.se took it to another room. She failed to discover any mouse; and on examining the basket under the light of a lamp and removing some -torn letters, she saw the beads, which had escaped her memory, and thereupon for the first time associated them with the peculiar manifestations which had occurred.

She became so nervous that she took the basket and the beads to a box-ioom, and locked them up during the night.

TAPPINGS ON THE WALLS. The lady’s brother next took the beads with him on retiring- for

ti'p night, and placed them on his pillow, a little to the right of his head. About twelve o’clock his attention was suddenly arrested by a movement as if a hand had made a sudden grasp at the beads lying on the pillow. He remained silent and very wide awake. Tapping sounds were heard on the walls near the ceiling—sometimes single knocks and some-* times two or three in quick succession. Tie had never heard anything* of this kind in the room be- ' fore. The sounds kept him from

:.—*, i ~ ~ , sleeping- for a considerable time. The necklace also seemed from time to time io be moved somano w on the pillow by some unseen agency. Being- unabja to sleep, and getting rather wearied, he eventually took the beads and threw them over the staircase, and thereafter he was able to sleep soundly until the morning. PESTLING AND SOBBING. Pursuing his investigations a night or two later, with the beads on Ins be I, be was wakened up after be bad fallen asleep owing to the bed being actively moved from side to side. Thinking it possible that he might- unconsciously be himself shaking and causing the movement he made sure that he was lying perfectly still, and that the manifestation could not be accounted for in this way. No afterwards heard the necklace producing- a rustling movement.

Eventually he took the necklace in his right hand, and had the sensation at one time that it was moving-. He replaced it cn the pillow, and again heard the rustling movement associated with. it. On the following night he slept soundly with the necklace in the room till four in the morning, when he was awakened by the bed again shaking, although not so violently as on the first occasion. He also heard a sound near the window, very difficult io describe, but the nearest description he could make of it was of someone sobbing. Tins went on for nearly a minute. On the following two nights lie was awakened frequently bv tapping and similar manifestations.

Steps are being- taken to procure precise information as to the finding of the beads in Cairo.