A Striking Incident by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 19, 1858

A Striking Incident.

By John Norton Loughborough

DEAR BRO. SMITH: Mr. Wm. Humphrey, a citizen of Townsend, (where our tent is now pitched,) has just related to me an incident of his life which so interested me that I have concluded to write out the facts as stated by him, thinking it may be of interest to others.

When 18 years of age he was at work in the town of Goshen, Litchfield Co., Connecticut, turning a drum wheel for a shingle machine. He had nearly finished his job, when a young lady came in and asked him what he was doing. He replied, "I will tell you in a minute." He went and hoisted the gate to proceed with his turning, and perceived that he had too much motion on his lathe. He thought, "I will go and shut the gate." At that instant the drum burst into four pieces, and a piece weighing about sixty pounds struck him on the breast, shoulder and head, dislocating his shoulder, breaking his collar bone twice, and crushing his right temple so that his skull was badly depressed upon the brain. Physicians said it would be useless to trepan him. His skull was fractured in so bad a place they could not do it. Most of his friends gave him up to die.

On the 18th day from the time he was hurt, consciousness was restored to him, which he had been deprived of during this whole period. The instant consciousness returned, he spoke out and said, "SHUT THAT GATE!" He said those 18 days were an utter blank in his life. He knew nothing during the whole period. He further states that since that time when he has heard it preached that men have a soul that is immortal and always thinks, this incident at the age of 18 would always come up, and he could not harmonize the two; but since we have been proclaiming the doctrine of no immortality out of Christ all is plain.

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH. Townsend, Ohio, Aug. 5th, 1858.