BACK TO LIFE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 November 1928, Page 10

BACK TO LIFE

— I • WOMAN’S EIGHT-DAY TRANCE. Scientists and students of the occult are.puzzling over the strange case of Mrs Ethel Baldwin, of Long Beach, California, whose apparent death and seemingly miraculous resurrection recently startled the physicians who had been called in. The very manner of Mrs Baldwin’s .decease —if decease it was—seemed remarkable. Her-husband, Roy Baldwin, had been ill with pneumonia. He was a patient in a hospital at Long Beach. Mrs Baldwin sat at his bedside. That morning a report on Mr Baldwin’s condition had been serious. Toward late'afternoon he showed signs of improvement. Then he had a sudden sinking spell and died. His wife was at the bedside when the end came. On the very instant that Baldwin breathed his last fluttering breath, his wife lapsed into a death-like coma. All efforts to rouse her proved futile. Electric current applied to her body had no effect. Vigorous "“pinching produced ncr visible reaction. Her face was the colour of marble, and when physicians lifted her eyelids the glassy eyes refused to respond even

to strong lights thrown into them. Every method known to science was used to rouse the woman. Her two children wore brought to her side and sat by her for Jiours calling her name. She continued in her death-llkd trance after' she -was -taken -home. Investigation into the lives of Mr and Mrs Baldwin revealed that their marriage had been an ideal one. They never had been separated for a night in the 16 years they had been man and .wife. They loved the same books and sports and -amusements. Never

liad they known even a trivial quarrel, and never had an unkind word passed between th'em. Many times they had talked of what would happen when death came. They had prayed to .pass away together; neither one cared to survive the other. Physiciaps acquainted with these facts reaJised that it would be a tremendous task to bring her out of the apparently cataleptic state. “The desire to live,.” they said, “is essential to the recovery of the majority of patients.” Mrs Baldwin probably had suffered the collapse because life held little interest for her after her husband has passed away. Therefore, on the chance that she might awaken of her own accord; her children were warned to stay in or near the house. “We are certain,” the physicians said, “that if consciousness returns we can renew the patient’s interest in life by having the children talk to her.” And so, for eight long days and nights, the two children sat by the bedside, calling her, and took only short periods of rest. Young Thurman Baldwin, to keep himself awake at night,'would play his violin. He is quite a good musician, and his chum George De Bamee, came to the house to keep him company. De Ramee is a pianist, and together the boys would while away the weary hours playing the violin and piano. It was on the eighth day that the boys were playing some of the favourite airs .of Mrs Baldwin. They had just struck up the first solemn bars of

“Holy Night” when those at the bedside noticed a faint fluttering of Mrs Baldwin’s eyelids. The nurse, quick to realise that this change might be traceable to the effect of the music, hade the young men to continue their playing. The boys played as if inspired. Young Thurman realised that upon his playing might depend the life of his mother. Gn and on -floated the beautiful Christmas melody. Doctors summoned by the nurse were speeding to the house. The alert nu/rse and Mrs Baldwin’s daughter watched eagerly for further indications of life. Suddenly the long, pale fingers of the woman began to move faintly. The watchers saw that they were beating a feeble rhythm to the music, and convinced the nurse that the music must continue until the doctors came. The movement of the fingers gained strength as Thurman repeated the carol several times to. the accompaniment of his chum. Probably no musician ever felt a greater inspiration. Eventually the doctors came, and after a quick examination of the wo-

man, hastened to the next room where Thurman was playing, and told him to continue. “Don’t let anything stop you,” they demanded. Then returned to the patient.' The sleeper was now trying to stir in the bed. It seemed to the people at the bedside that life was fighting to

creep back into the body that had foi’ days lain rigid. The eyelids continued to flutter and the white hands gained strength. As the chords floated in from the adjoining room in increased tempo, the fingers kept time. The boys kept playing for more than an hour and were almost exghausted. Then the woman, who had been in a trance for more than a week, slowly

opened her eyes. “Holy Night,” she whispered. “I cannot, yet I must —I must go back to him.” Then her murmurs drifted off into unintelligibility. Those who watched witnessed one of the strangest battles ever seen by human eye. It was as if the soul of -Mrs Baldwin were being pulled back into space by unseen hands on the one side, and on the other the forces of earth were trying to hold it. Agony was depicted on the ashen face of the victim. ' Slowly, but surely, however, the call of life apparently drew the woman’s 'soul back to earth, and soon she opened her eyes, alight with consciousness. “I am so tired,” were her first words. Informed of her long sleep, Mrs Baldwin was amazed. There is a wide divergence of opinion concerning the remarkable awakening of Mrs Baldwin. Psychologists say that the trance was the result of hysteria. Physicians expressed the opinion that such trances may result pathologically from great shocks. But students of the occult insist that MJ’S Baldwin’s soul fled when her husband died ,and that she was called- back to life by the strains of her son’s music.