The London Welshman

WELSHMAN'S STRANGE VISIONS. A Manchester Guardian correspondent relates a strange story which is exciting the villagers of Eglwysbach, in the Vale of Conway. The village is off the beaten track, and in the main street is an ancient village pump. Just opposite the pump is the home of Mr. William Davies, a well-to-do coal merchant and carrier, who is married and has three grown-up daughters. Four weeks ago last Wednesday, when he should have been ready to leave for Talycafn, he was missed, and search being made he was discovered lying quite unconscious on the floor of the hayhouse or barn. He was carried into the house, and a cyclist went posthaste to summon a doctor. Dr. William Morgan, of Conway, went to the patient, whom he found lying in a stupor or trance, and it was very difficult, if not impos- sible, to administer restoratives. The trance continued till the Friday evening, when Mr. Davies recovered sufficiently to take a little nourishment, but he could not speak. He, however, wrote on a slip of paper which was brought to him that he thought he would be able to speak in fourteen days. Something seemed to affect his throat for the full fort- night, so that he could not articulate a word. All his requirements he made known by writing them down. Strangely enough, the power of speech re- turned to him on the night of the fourteenth day, just as he had said would be the case. The night before this he wrote, To-morrow will be a big day for me. Keep everybody away." Some days passed before he was well enough to get about, but now he is better, and told his friends that he felt his weakness pass- ing away. He is reticent about his recollec- tion of what occurred to him during the trance, but there is no doubt that he sincerely believes he had marvellous visions. He is a deacon of the little Welsh Baptist Chapel at Eglwysbach, and related his dreams to his brother occupants of the big pew" quite modestly, and with every indication of sincerity. On Sunday last he went to the chapel for the first time since the visitation, but he took no part in the service, remaining quietly in his place till it was over. A similar strange illness befell him nine years ago, and as he was recovering he declared in writing that he could see heaven, and sent for the preacher from Forddlas. The pastor actu- ally professed to see the vision which Mr; Davies described to him, and when he did so Mr. Davies was able to speak for the first time after the seizure. For some months past, before his recent trance, Mr. Davies believed that he saw the figure of a man in the stable yard when he went out to give provender to his horses at night. He spoke frequently for some time before h.s illness to his wife and daughters, and also to at least one independent neighbour, whom our corres- pondent spoke to yesterday, about the mysterious personality whom he saw in the yard. It would precede him across the yard into the hayhouse, and there it would vanish from his sight in a sudden blaze of flame. It is a curious fact that he fell into the trance in this very building. Since his recovery of speech he has said that in his dream he asked God to explain to him the reason for his being haunted by the figure of a man when he went into the yard at night, and he was told that his desire would be com- plied with. He remembered that as he lay in bed a Being came to him with the letters of a sacred name across his breast, and the Being spoke to him soothingly and laid a hand gently upon his right arm. He declares that he can still feel the impression of that touch upon his arm Inquiry of a member of his family elicited the fact that Mr. Davies had no symptoms of brain trouble or other illness before his visitation. He enjoyed, in fact, good health, and was and is a good man of business, and also of a quiet, retiring disposition, and not at all pleased to have become the object of so much interest and concern in the village and the country side. He spent the last week-end at Llandudno, where he went for recuperative purposes, afterwards going with his wife to Llanrwst, where his aged mother resides.

BALA COLLEGE AND THE ARMY. The following communication from the Vice- Principal of the above institution will interest some of our readers Many newspapers lately contained the re- port that Mr. J. O. Jones, a student of Bala College, had spoken disrespectfully of the army from the pulpit of a Rhos chapel. Time has been taken for inquiry, and Mr. Jones (who has not en- tered college), desires to say that he is compelled to infer, from the testimonies of some who heard him, that he must have said in the warmth of the moment what is not in accord with his deliberate judgment. Nothing is further from his settled opinion than disesteem of the British army. He entertains for the service a feeling of deep respect, and wishes to express his profound regret and sorrow that any words which implied the contrary respecting the majority of soldiers were uttered by him.—- Yours, &c., ELLIS EDWARDS, Vice Principal."

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