Knowing when your time’s up: Curious cases of presentiments of death

This an abridged version of an article on my website at weirdaustralia.com 

In 1912, timber worker William Toogood had a vivid prophetic dream of his impending death and the gruesome manner in which it would happen. The following day William told his workmates of the disturbing dream. Later that day, William died, precisely in the manner in which his dream had foretold. This is just one of the many curious cases of presentiments of death. 

Dreaming and sleepwalking proves lethal

A prophetic dream of death awoke poor Eileen Polkinghorne one night in the winter of 1910 at her home in outback New South Wales. Eighteen year-old Eileen told her girlfriend of the dream that had awoken her in a dreadful fright. 

She said that in her dream she had found herself in a tank, according to the Argus. She also mentioned that lately, she had been walking in her sleep.

Three weeks later, Eileen was found, fully robed in night attire, drowned in an underground tank on her father’s property.

Dream reveals gruesome death

According to the Morwell Advertiser of 16 October 1912, William Toogood, shared a prophetic dream of his impending death and the gruesome way in which it would occur. 

“A sensational accident happened in the Goodwood sawmills in the Mullundung Forest yesterday. A load of logs was being taken to the mill. Seated on the huge logs in one of the trucks was William Toogood. Two of the trucks left the rails, throwing Toogood to the ground, the logs rolling on top of him.

“Death was instantaneous, his head, arms, legs, and back being crushed. This occurred in full view of his mates, who were overcome when lifting the logs to recover his body.

“The previous night, Toogood dreamt that he would be killed next day, and he described how the accident happened, and the lifting of the logs to free his body. He leaves a widow and two young children.”

Timber worker takes heed of his hunch

Eighteen years earlier, another timber worker, Francis Dubedah, had a feeling that he would be struck by a tree and killed … and therefore, unlike William Toogood,  took what he thought were the necessary precautions.

The South Australian Register on 1 May 1894, however, reported on the untimely death of Francis Dubedah, despite his attempts to stay safe.

“At Gundare Station, near Coolah, today Francis Dubedah met his death in a singular manner. The deceased was engaged in felling a tree with another station hand, and having had for some time a presentiment that he would meet his death by a tree falling on him he sought shelter behind the trunk of another prior to the one which was being cut down falling.

“Strange to say, however, as the tree was toppling, it struck a large branch of the one behind which Dubedah was standing, and breaking it off, the limb slid along the trunk and struck the man on the head. Death was instantaneous.” 

Perhaps there is no escape from fate. 

Nurse’s grim feelings of typhoid attack

On 1 March 1910, the Singleton Argus reported on the death of a 25 year old nurse from typhoid fever, who had for some time, somehow knew that not only would her time soon be up, but the way in which she would be taken.

“The death has occurred in the Tamworth hospital of Nurse Grimm from typhoid fever. The deceased, who was 25 years of age, was in her fourth and last year of training, and was very highly thought of.

“It is stated that on several occasions she had told her friends that she had a presentiment that she would have an attack of typhoid fever at the end of her third year, and that she would succumb to its effects.”

Something is telling me I know where I am going

The Argus, on 12 November 1900, included the following sad tale of the sudden and unexpected death of a young girl.

“The peculiarly sudden death of a girl named Jane Fraser occurred on Saturday night at the Servants’ Training Institution, Berry Street, East Melbourne.

“The girl, who was 15 years of age, had been an inmate of the institution since February, 1897. Her mother was dead, and her father, who was a butcher in St Georges Road, North Fitzroy, had not been heard of since 1893, when he left the place.

“On Saturday afternoon the girl was apparently in the best of health, and was laughing and playing with her companions, though she had a presentiment that she had not long to live.

“A girl named Hannah Friend, who lives in the institution, was talking with the girl during the afternoon, and the latter, while taking off her skirt, said, ‘I feel that I shall never live to put it on again’. On being asked why, she replied, ‘Oh, something is telling me I know where I am going.’ At about 4 o’clock she became suddenly ill, and complained to Miss Watson, the matron, of feeling bilious.

“She was put to bed, and during the night another girl named Annie Foster was sent to look after her. She slept beside her, and on awakening at 5 o’clock yesterday morning found the girl Fraser lying dead in the bed.

“Dr W H Bovd was called in, but declined to give a certificate and an inquest will be necessary. A sister of the deceased, aged 19, who is also an inmate of the institution was with her most of the day, but noticed nothing strange about the deceased.”

Read more curious cases of presentiments of death at weirdaustralia.com 

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