A STRANGE STORY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1771, 20 February 1888, Page 2

A STRANGE STORY.

The " Press" saya that a peculiar affair his occurred within the laat few days at New Brighton, and the excitement caused among the population of the little seaside resort will long be remembered, The circamatanoasas detailed are aa follow* : — A. Mrs Burt who keepa an artificial flower and fancy gooda shop m Viotoria atreot, went down on Monday Ipst to New Brighton for a change as ahe was not very well, and ahe there rented a email house. She askod a neighbor, Mrs Parker to go down and stay with her. Mrs Parker consented and accompanied Mrs Bart, also taking with her two children, an infant, and a little boy named Willie, aged two and a half years, with her. Mr Parker who is m the employ of Mr Watt, provision merchant, Viatoria street, remained at home, On Thursday night Mra Burt had a dream She dreamt that the little boy, WilUe Parker, waa lost on the Sandhills, and that ha was covered up m the sand with a lot of white paper about him The dream was of great length. She woke up and fell asleep again, when the dream recurred. She then alao dreamt that a butcher rode up to the door with the nhlld on the Baddlo m front oi him. She told Mra Parker In the night about the dream. Next morning after getting up, Mrs Burt had occasion to HO ootaide, and she called to Mrs Parker and said, *' There ia the man passing now; there ia the butcher," and pointing to a man who was ridlug by, added, "that ia the man who brought the child back to the house," They spoke several times during the d*y abou* the dream, and Mrs Burt told Mrß Parker to w&roh the oh -Id, as aho was suspicious that something was going to happen to him. On Saturday morning Mrs Burt returned by the eUjht o'olook tram to Ohriatohuroh, intending to let Mr Parker go down to New Brighton •nd atay with his wife till M- nday, at the house was too email to bold all of them Before leaving Mrs Burt again warned Mrs Parker to be careful about the child. Nothing eventful happened till about two o'clook In the afternoon, when the boy, who had been playing on the sandhills, suddenly dinappeared. He was last seen playing near a plaoe called the Look-out, not far from the hou«e where hla mother wae staying. An alarm was at once given and ■earoh parties were organised to hunt for the missing child. Ia a chivalrous and sommandable manner the whole male population of New Brighton toge<her with a considerable part of the female portion turned out to lend assistance m the search The aandhllla and surrounding country were explored but m vain A. telephone message was then sent to the Police Station, Ohristohnroh, and men were despatched by the hat tram to New ■Brighton, and they assisted m the search. But still no trace could be got of the little wanderer. There was not the slightest clue. Then it was suggested that be mfcht have got Into the river. Men were aooordiDgly sent down from Ohristohurch yesterday (Sunday) with drags, and assisted by a number of people, the river was dragged but with fruitless results. laspeotor Pender also proceeded to New Brighton by tram and search parties were again organised and despatched m various directions but, as before, without suooeas. At>d now comes the most remarkable part of the affair. About half-past one m the afternoon a man named Pattrlok, who keepe a bntoher's shop m Vlotorla street, and wbp Is staying at New Brighton with his family, found the child on the sandhills, about three miles northward from the house from which It was lost. He was on horseback, and rode up to the door of the house. Mrs Burt, who had gone baok to New Brighton, after hearing- of the loss of the child, at onqe recognieed Mr Pattrick as the man she had seen m her dream. The only difference she noticed was that the man she flaw had on a pair of breeches, while Mr Pattrick wae wearing a pair of trousers There are some curious circumstances connected with the finding of the child. The Impression on some people's mind is that the child had been taken away by some one. After its recovery a number of persona went to see the spot where it was picked up by Mr Pattrick. A peouliar coincidence is that the child had not suffered m any way, nor did it even appear to bs hungry, thougn it wub missing for twenty four hours. Mrs Burt, who, by the way, belongs to the Salvation Army, claimß to b£ m communioatipn with the '• spirits," She frequently expressed the opinion that the child was " over there/' 1 pointing m the diraction m which it was afterwards found. It mpy also be mentioned that subsequent to the child's disappearance and before its recovery, ! Mrs Burfc frequently repeated her dream to different peruona, among- whom were tha police The whole matter is at present a nfystery, and one can only conjecture at ■! the probable rotation. ; I