Mysteries of Sleep.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 19, 6 November 1912, Page 59

Mysteries of Sleep.

TRAGEDIES REVEALED IN DREAMS Puzzles for Psychologists—An Old Woman's Death.

AqV TRANGE indeed are the ways of death. How it caine to *a lonely J old Highland woman is recorded in a weird story just to hand which shows that the remains of Grace Cameron, an old-age pensioner of eighty years of age, who has been missing for thirteen months, were recovered in the Reelig Burn. Inverness, last month, by foresters who were cutting away a tree which was forming an obstruction. The remains were in a very decomposed state, but the bones have been identified as those of an adult female, and the circumstances leave little doubt •hut the remains are those of Grace Cameron. Deceased was a native of G Icnurquhart. and left home on 6th. July, 1911, presumably to walk there, leaving her house at Drumehardine open, and her basket ready to go out shopping, with her pension book on top. Some money was also found in the house, and there ■was never any idea of robbery or foul play. The woman, who was not very sound in her mind, must have wandered ■on through the woods until overcome iby fatigue. Search parties scoured the country for days after the woman was missed, but without obtaining any clue. ■ Extraordinary interest is imparted to the story by a remarkable dream which a Mr Martin, a native of the parish, has had. Mr Afartin. who has been in the service of the Caledonian Railway Co. at Glasgow for the past ‘forty years, happened to be at home when the woman nyent amissing, and took a great interest in the case. After returning to Glasgow it was much in his thoughts, and about eight months ago he dreamt on two successive nights that Grace Cameron had wandered out, and had died in the I’eelig Burn. . So impressed was the man with his double dream that he wrote home, particularly impressing responsible persons to go to the spot and put the matter to the test. His letter was ignored, although it still exi-ts, and bears out the above stateinent. The strange part of the all'air is that the remains were 'found at the very spot dreamt of by Mr Martin, who arrived at Kirkhill on the evening previous to the finding of the remains, and had fully intended to personally test the t rut it of his dream. A Host Biwch Recovered. But there are many other outstanding instances on record of similar dreams. The story of how a dream led to the recovery of a gold brooch is an interesting one which comes very pat here. “f missed my gold brooch,” says the lady narrator, “which I supposed I had left in a sitting-room of an hotel. I &ent there at once, but was greatly disappointed to find that after diligent* search they could nut find the brooch. ‘‘That night I dreamt that I should find it shut up in a number of the ‘Queen*’ newspaper that had been left <ni the table. : ...d in my dream 1 saw the Very page where it would be. ‘‘Directly after breakfast I went hack to the hotel amt asked to see the papers, at the same time telling Ihe young ladies about the dream and where I had seen the brooch. “The papers had been removed from the roo.m, but were found, and to the astonishment of the voting ladies, [ said : — “This is the one that contains my brooch; and there at the very page I expected, I found it.” Murder Srene Enacted. An English lady, who had resided in India fur some time, once related the billowing remarkable experience: I fell asleep,” she said, “and dreamt I was in the next room, when I saw a-half-caste woman enter hurriedly, screaming. She was followed by three mon with sticks. Two of these men proceeded to beat her to death, while the third looked on, the whole time the woman was shrieking 4‘or'help.-- - 1 was wakened hv a ladv friend

shaking me and begging me to wake. She told me that I had been screaming out for help for somebody. 1 began telling her my dream. She would not let •me finish, and we sat up talking the rest uf the night. ‘‘The next day she told me that the dream was true. A woman who had been unfaithful to her husband in the house had been beaten to death by her husband and one of her brothers, while her other brother looked on.” I’ve Cut Her Throat. ■A Kensington lady once had ftn equally startling dream. “One night.” she said, in relating her experience, “f dreamt very distinctly that 1 saw a crowd and 1 heard a voice saying ‘She is quite dead, I've cut her throat, Tvv cut her throat.’ I was very- frightened, as it impressed me as being too real. 1 awoke and noted the

time- 4 a.m. The next morning at breakfast I told my family. “When 1 arrived at my place of business 1 saw a crowd out-ide the next house, and found on inquiry that a man had murdered his wife by cutting her ■throat, about 4 a.m., in this house.** Railway Tragedy Witnessed. For real out-and-out vividness of detail, however, the stirring narrative of an American lawyer is in a class by itsel f. lie relates: “About midnight, headsore ami fatigued, I left my study, where I had las'll pouring over uninspiring law text, and. climbing to my chamber door, fell into bed for the night. “Nothing unusual had transpired in my all'air.- during the day, ami yet, when I gave myself to rest, my brain buzzct on with myriad fancies. ‘‘The weird intonition of an old kitchen clock fell upon my ears but faintly as it donged out tin* hour of two. 'the sound of the clock chimp had hardly died when I lavainp con-cions erf my IMtsition in a pa-sen ger couch un the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and (Imalu Railroad.

I was journeying to Duluth. Minnesota, from St. Paul v in which latter place I had gone to sleep. “I was aware that T had been in the train about four hours, and that I waa somewhere near the town of Shell Wis., distant from St. Paul about eighty miles. ‘T had often ’been over the road, and as 1 peered through the coach window I recognised, in the moonlit scene, features of country' and habitation 1 had seen before. “We were plunging on almost heedlessly. as it seemed, when suddenly I fancied I heard, and was startled from reverie by, a piercing shriek, which was protracted into piteous moaning and gasping, as if some human creature were suffering some hideous torture. “Then I *felt the train grind heavily to an awkward stop. There w«s a sudden commotion fore and aft. Train men with lanterns hurried through my car and joined employees near the engine. “1 could see the lantern lights lla-h here and there, beside and beneath the cars. A minute later I was out upon the road itself, where I was content to be told in very ugly snappish English that ‘someone got killed, I reckon.' “Everybody moved ami acted in a spirit of stealth, and each, it appeared, expected a horrible find. “The trucks were being examined from the rear of the train forward. Blood-splotches were discovered on nearly all the bearings under the entire

train. When the gang reached one of the forward cars all lights were cast upon a truck which was literally covered with what appeared to ’be brains human brains apparently, for amongst the clots were small tufts of human hair. “This truck particularly must have ground over the bulk of a human body. Every fixture between the wheel- was smeared with the crimson of some crushed victim.” Continuing with a wealth of detail which may stand deletion here, the gen tlonian said: “Horrible’ I shuddered ami awoke - relieved to find it all a dream. “’lhe evening following tin* night of Ihe dream I returned home at 5 o'clock, slipped into my study and took up my evening newspaper. The article which lir-t fixed my attention read: “Fate of a Tramp: Horrible death experienced by’ an unknown man on the Omaha Road." “Duluth. Every truck on the morn iug Omaha train from »St. Paul this niorning was -phislied with blond. Trainmen think some unfurl unale man must have bon stealing a ride. Train

men on a later train state that a man ’a leg was found 4»y-them at Spooner, amt that for miles thia side the tracks were scattered with flesh and bone. There is no possible means of identification.” Then folowed exact details uf my dream. ‘‘l had been living and sleeping ono hundred miles from this locality' when it occurred,” concludes the narrator. A Mother’s Murder Depicted. But the case of a poor, struggling servant girl is one <»f the strangest exam pies of dream warnings. I his simple la.-- was the sole support, of her widowed mother, who resided alone in • little ivy-clad, thatched “but and Im*u” some five mile.- •from where her cherished daughter worked in the service of the “laird.” I lie girl had retired t«» rest late in the evening, and about four o'clock in the morning sin* experienced a vivid dreampicture which portrayed the brutal murder of her mother. She saw an evil looking man stealthily enter the little cot ami. without apparent reason, club to death the sleeping form in the well-known kitchen bed. The girl awoke trembling in every limb, and so great a hold hail the dream upon her that she rose immediately, dressed, amt literally rushed to her home. When she arrived she found the picture was only' too true. A w'andering madman had found in her mother a victim for his demoniac impulse. Curious American Incident. The following occurrence has just been reported by the “(‘all" of San Eranciseo. A young man was recently’ killed as the result of being struck by a passing train, and his father says that at 5.39 a.m. on ihe day' of the accident his wife was awakened by' a shock that threw her out of bod. She told her amazed husband that someone had struck her. Husband and wife searched the house, but. could find no intruder. 'l’liey concluded it was only a nightmare. It was at 5.30 that morning that two young men. one of whom was her son, were sleeping beside the railroad track near French Camp, when they were struck by the Sau Francisco paper train and killed.