CHEIRO’S DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 December 1936, Page 3

CHEIRO’S DEATH

CLOCK ACTS STRANGELY. I Mrs. Edith Phelan, a brisk, matter-of-fact English nurse, told this story of tho death of “Cheiro,” the noted mystic: — "Three times the clock tolled the hour of one. ... “At the last moment the whole house was filled with an overpowering fragrance of flowers. There were none in the room and none outside. Yet we all smelled the fragrance and could still smell it in the morning. "I was sitting at the head of the stairs —except at the last moment —and they were empty. Yet they creaked as though an army of people were coming and going.” Mrs. Phelan was frankly puzzled. She said she could not deny the evidence of her own sense. Nor could she believe them. “Cheiro” was Count Louis Hamon, an Irishman, born in County Wicklow. He was nearly 70 years old at the t.ime of his death,and he had said that 58 of those years were spent in the study of the occult. “Cherio’s” guest book abounded with thousands of famous names. Many left glowing and often astounded notes of commendation. “DON’T BELIEVE IN SPOOKS.” His death, as the nurse described, outrivalled the most unbelievable stories of his life. “I’m a registered nurse,” said Mrs. Phelan. “I’ve seen hundreds of people die, and 1 don’t believe in spooks. I camo to this house four days before the patient passed away. I didn’t know his name when the doctors called me."

“Cheiro’s” documents — magazine articles, notarised statements, and affidavits—set forth that he predicted the date of the death of the late King Edward VII., of Mata Hari, the famous spy, and of Lord Kitchener, who lost his life under mysterious circumstances during the Great War. The most recent document was nearly a year old.. it told the date and manner of the demise of Mr. Irving Thalberg, husband of Norma Shearer, who died several weeks ago. At. about midnight on the night "Cheiro” died, the nurse related, "1 noted that he was sinking rapidly. 1 went in and told his wife and Mrs. Frances Kernan, who were in the house, that he couldn’t last long. “They were just asking me how long I thought his strength would hold out when the clock struck one. My wrist watch showed 12.15. I thought nothing of it, except that perhaps the big clock on the stairs was wrong. Twice again, at about 10-minute intervals, it struck one. He died at 1.5 by my watch.” Mrs. Kernan, a friend, and the widowed countess corroborated the statements.