August 13, 2000

Strange Coincidences

Six-year-old school boys, U.S. Cleveland and Louis Jordan, waited patiently at the Taylor Street intersection in Punta Gorda for an approaching car to pass - as they had been taught to do. Disaster was about to strike on Dec. 15, 1925.

The boys were standing at the head of a line of parked cars. Schoolmate Foster McLane could not see the oncoming car as he rushed up to cross the street. Impatient, like a typical young boy anxious to get home and play, Foster said, "Come on. Let's go!" and gave U.S. and Louis a shove.

This knocked the boys into the path of the oncoming car. U.S. was badly injured with two skull fractures, a broken leg and scalp lacerations that bled profusely. Louis' injuries were minor.

Both injured boys were carried to the offices of their family doctors - U.S. to Dr. Bloxham Blount, Louis to Dr. David McQueen.

Dr. Bloxham said U.S. needed x-rays and hospital care so his patient was rushed to the Arcadia Hospital. U.S.' leg did not heal properly and gave him trouble for many years, including a hitch in the Army Signal Corps during World War II.

Young Foster was so distraught at the consequences of his part in the tragedy, his parents that night asked Dr. McQueen to come and  calm the boy.

Dr. McQueen did not feel well himself. Nevertheless he went to the McLane home and assured Foster it was an accident. On the way home, McQueen suffered a fatal heart attack.

* * *

"Now for the rest of the story," as radio commentator Paul Harvey likes to say.

 The Jordan family moved away shortly after the accident, and Louis died of a heart attack while at high school football practice. U.S. and Foster grew up together and were lifelong friends.

Punta Gorda American Legion Post 103 was organized after the First World War. It was named after Dr. McQueen who had served with distinction in the Second Infantry Medical Detachment and recently died. U.S. Cleveland joined the Post after WW II.

American Legion Post 110 was organized at Port Charlotte in 1960. Foster McLane joined there. When he died in 1987, McQueen Post 103 was asked to fill out a Post 110 honor guard for McLane's funeral.

A friend mentioned to U.S. Cleveland that it was a coincidence McQueen Post 103 was participating so many years later in the funeral Dr. McQueen's last patient.

Even more unusual was that Cleveland, the only remaining participant in the 1925 tragedies, was present as part of the honor guard because the Port Charlotte Post had two funerals at the same time and had to ask assistance by McQueen Post 103.

And Dr. McQueen is buried in Lot 103 at Indian Springs Cemetery.

A Dream Come True

A crowd at the Jersey City Depot in 1863 were pushing forward to board a train when the railroad car lurched forward without warning. A young man fell between the station platform and the train wheels.

Quickly, a bystander hooked his leg over a guard rail, leaned under the moving train and snatched the young man to safety.

The rescuer accepted the heartfelt thanks of the young man but hurried away before identifying himself. Nonetheless, others recognized him. Gen. Adam Budeau, chief secretary to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, wrote the Good Samaritan a letter commending him for his brave act.

The young man saved from death was Robert Todd Lincoln, only surviving son of President Abraham Lincoln.

The rescuer was Edwin Thomas Booth, a famous Shakespearean actor. His brother, John Wilkes Booth, two years later fired a bullet into the head of Robert's father.

An even greater coincidence - or was it precognition ? -- is President Lincoln's dream which he related to a group of friends three days before he was assassinated.

They had gathered at the White House to celebrate the end of the Civil War. The president was strangely subdued. When pressed he explained why.

"I was very weary the other night and went to bed early. I fell into a deep sleep and began to dream.

"There seemed to be a deathlike stillness about me. Then I heard subdued sobs, as if a number of people were weeping. I thought I left my bed and wandered downstairs. There he silence was broken by some pitiful sobbing, but the mourners  were invisible.

" I went from room to room. No living person was in sight, but the same mournful sounds of distress met me as I passed along. It was light in all the rooms; every object was familiar to me; but where were all the people grieving as if their hearts would break?  

"I was puzzled and alarmed. What could be the meaning of all this?  

"Determined to find the cause of a state of things so mysterious and shocking, I kept on until I arrived at the East Room, which I entered.

"There I met with a sickening surprise. Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments.  Around it were stationed soldiers who were acting as guards. There was a throng of people, some gazing mournfully upon the corpse, whose face was covered, others weeping pitifully.

"Who is dead in the White House? I demanded of one of the soldiers. 'The President,' was his answer. 'He was killed by an assassin.'  

"Then came a loud burst of grief from the crowd, which awoke me from my dream. I slept no more that night; and although it was only a dream, I have been strangely annoyed by it ever since."

"That is horrid!," exclaimed Mrs. Lincoln, "I wish you had not told it.  I'm glad I do not believe in dreams, or I should be in terror from this time forth."

The president replied, "Well, it is only a dream, Mary - let us say no more about it, and try to forget it."

Later that night, Col. Lamon wrote down the strange conversation. Three days later, President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

Love At First Sight

Your columnist was beneficiary of a happier set of coincidences many years ago when I was working my way through college as a rookie sportswriter for the Flint (Mich.) Daily Journal.

I had no time for social activities in those days. I was carrying a full-credit college course, writing regularly for the campus newspaper and working 20 hours (or more) a week for the Journal.

Thus I was not disappointed one evening when a basketball game I was assigned to cover was canceled. One of the teams failed to show up. I had several, unexpected hours to do some neglected homework.

Upon returning to the newspaper office I heard an orchestra playing at the Young Women's Christian Association building across the street.

 The YW sponsored a Co-ed Club dance every Wednesday evening for young people who were out of high school and working. I had attended the dances in the year I worked full time for Kressge Dime Store to earn the first semester tuition at Flint Community College.

The dreamy music drove thoughts of homework from my thoughts. I still had time for a couple of dances.

It was the custom for young women to carry dance cards - little note cards with numbered spaces for dance partners. I spied a gorgeous young woman - prettier than a new soda fountain -- during an intermission.

I was sure her dance card would be filled, but I introduced my self and learned she had indeed promised all the dances to others. The music started, but still we talked. "It looks like my next partner has forgotten me. I would be pleased to dance with you."

We danced and I persuaded her to give me her phone number for my little black book of coaches phone numbers and other sports contacts. Later we learned that her promised dance partner had suffered an appendicitis attack and rushed to the hospital.

The rest of this story is that the gorgeous lady and I fell in love at first sight. I taught her to keep score charts so I could type my first story installment in press boxes while she kept score for the next game. Our courtship was an endless attendance at sports events.

We have been happily married for 58 years. And grateful for the strange coincidences of a forfeited basketball game and a sudden appendicitis attack.

Author: Lindsey Williams

cutline - 3 col. Lincoln assassination

Illustration from old lithograph print .

[ President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth (right) at Fords Theater. Major Henry Rathbone (left) was unable to intervene. ]

 oooo END ooooo