424 A. From the Journal S.P.R., vol. v. p. 61. The account comes from Mr. Edward Crewdson, jun., of Tuckerville, Chester Co., Nebraska, U.S.A.

Mr. Crewdson explains that at the time of the occurrence described he owned two ranches in Nebraska, called the " East" and " West" ranches. On the former he resided with his family. The other consisted of three sections, partially separated from one another by a section of Government land. In order to acquire a piece of this to connect two of his sections, certain conditions were necessary, of which continuous residence for six months was one. He was building a "frame house" there for this purpose, and meanwhile had a sod-house built and went over every week with one or two of his three sons to stay a night or two.

He continues: -

November 20th, 1889.

This brings me to about March 20th, 1885. My wife expected to have a baby towards the end of April. March 20th (as nearly as I can remember), I was leaving the East Ranche as usual, with blankets, food, etc, for the two eldest boys and myself, when the youngest boy Hugh came running out crying and begged to be taken. I forgot to mention that the three girls were at school in England. Mrs. Crewdson was standing by the buckboard, bidding us goodbye, and said, "Oh yes, do take Hughie, and I will have a thorough rest till you come back." So Hughie jumped up and we left. The West Ranche is fifteen miles from the East, and we got there about 6.30. I cooked our supper, had a pipe, and I suppose by 9.30 or 10 we were all sound asleep.

How long I slept I could not tell, but I was awakened by Hughie, who was sleeping with me, sitting up and crying, "Oh, pa! pa!" "What is it, Hughie?" "Oh, pa, there is a little baby in bed with mamma." Now the child had no idea there was one expected - could have had none, for our children are absurdly innocent, even the older ones - awkwardly innocent at times. It was so strange, and I was so thoroughly awake that I did not go to sleep for some time, and was on the point of getting up and driving home, but felt that if there was nothing I should look so very foolish.

In the morning I hurried through my business, telling the last man my reason for cutting him short. Before I was five miles away from the ranche a cowboy met me with the news that a baby had been born in the night. We were without servants at the time, and though my old Scotch foreman had done his best in sending off for the nearest women and the doctor (twenty miles off), my wife had a very trying time, and it is quite possible that her intense wish for me may have had something to do with Hughie's communication.

Hughie is a very sensitive and clever boy - too clever. He wants no encouragement, but rather holding back; not delicate in any way - none of our children are, I am thankful to say - but a sort of child who understands an explanation before you have said a dozen words; very excitable; will wake up, scream, and shiver if he has been too long in the schoolroom. The cowboys, of course, got up all sorts of ideas, which I paid no attention to - such as that they had long known that Hughie knew instinctively if it was going to rain, especially thunder rain.

The farmer's name to whom I told the incident, before leaving the West Ranche, is James Whitehead; his address is Redfern, etc.

Edw. Crewdson, Jun.

In answer to inquiries, Mr. Crewdson says: -

Hughie was 4½ years old. His exclamation occurred just at the time or shortly after the birth of our baby. He simply stated it as a fact, and did not say if he dreamt it or not, but, as he jumped up suddenly awakened, it seems likely that he dreamt it. No explanation was ever asked, nor could he, I think, have given one.

We wrote to Mr. Whitehead, who now resides at Broken Bow, Nebraska, and he replied: -

January 27th, 1891.

The circumstances you call upon me to corroborate are substantially as follows: -

Mr. Crewdson, with three of his boys, was at his "West Ranche," looking after his interests there. His wife remained at Tuckerville, some eighteen miles distant. Some time during the night he was awakened by his youngest boy, Hughie, about 3½ years old - nicknamed " Bah " - who said, " Pa, pa, ma has a little baby in bed with her." "Nonsense, 'Bah.' What makes you think that ? " asked the father. " Because I saw it laying beside her in the bed," the child replied.

The next morning, having some business with Mr. C, I visited his ranche, about one mile distant from my farm. With considerable relish and amusement he related his dream to me. Coming from a child so young, who could not possibly be aware of the condition of its mother, the time of whose confinement was drawing near, yet not sufficiently near at hand (as was supposed) to excite anxiety on the part of Mr. Crewdson owing to his enforced absence, the dream impressed me at the time as being remarkable. Later on, the same day, Mr. C. remained at my place and took dinner, repeating the dream to myself and family.

Starting for home, while still in sight, he met the young man (Mr. Morgan) he had left in charge at Tuckerville, who informed him that Mrs. Crewdson had given birth to a child during the night, about the hour he had been awakened by the child to hear his dream. Mr. C. hurried on home. Mr. Morgan, who was on horseback, rode up to my door, and remarked, " Hughie's dream is true." James Whitehead.

424 B. The next case is from Mrs. Richardson, of Coombe Down, Bath. It is quoted from Phantasms of the Living, vol. i. p. 443.

August 26th, 1882. On September 9th, 1848, at the siege of Mooltan, my husband, Major-General Richardson, C.B., then adjutant of his regiment, was most severely and dangerously wounded, and supposing himself dying, asked one of the officers with him to take the ring off his finger and send it to his wife, who, at that time, was fully 150 miles distant, at Ferozepore. On the night of September 9th, 1848, I was lying on my bed, between sleeping and waking, when I distinctly saw my husband being carried off the field, seriously wounded, and heard his voice saying, "Take this ring off my finger, and send it to my wife." All the next day I could not get the sight or the voice out of my mind. In due time I heard of General Richardson having been severely wounded in the assault on Mooltan. He survived, however, and is still living. It was not for some time after the siege that I heard from Colonel L., the officer who helped to carry General Richardson off the field, that the request as to the ring was actually made to him, just as I had heard it at Ferozepore at that very time.

M. A. Richardson.

The following questions were addressed by us to General Richardson, whose answers are appended: -

(1) Does General R. remember saying, when he was wounded at Mooltan, "Take this ring off my finger, and send it to my wife," or words to this effect ?

"Most distinctly; I made the request to my commanding officer, Major E. S. Lloyd, who was supporting me while my man had gone for assistance. Major Lloyd, I am sorry to say, is dead".

(2) Can he remember the time of this incident? Was it morning, noon, or night ?

"As far as memory serves, I was wounded about 9 p.m. on Sunday, the 9th September 1848".

(3) Had General R., before he left home, promised or said anything to Mrs. R. as to sending his ring to her, in case he should be wounded ?

"To the best of my recollection, never. Nor had I any kind of presentiment on the subject. I naturally felt that with such a fire as we were exposed to I might get hurt".

The details as to the ring seem fairly to raise this case out of the category of mere visions of absent persons who are known to be in danger, and with whom the percipient's thoughts have been anxiously engaged.