Nexus - 0207 - New Times Magazine-pages

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involving doorknobs. As a result, they are considering the event a prank or an artistic statement unless, as one police officer speculated, “it's an ambitious squirrel." Since the ees are owned by the city, the event is being investigated as a case of mischief, Feldmann said. He said city workers will remove the doorknobs “and plug the trees so all the sap doesn't run out". saturated their bodies with flammable spirits and accidentally set themselves on fire. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (DEC. 31) UPI. - Fifteen trees in a city park have been fitted out mysteriously with doorknobs, and police are coming unhinged trying to figure out why. The used doorknobs were carefully attached, along with their locking mechanisms, apparently sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning, says Sgt. Steve Feldmann. “People walk their dogs in this park and someone called this morning and told us about it," Feldmann said. He said a white ribbon was tied to each of the trees about seven feet off the ground. And, on each, about three feet off the ground, doorknobs were installed on opposie sides, as if to suggest a stroller could open a door on one side, walk through, and exit through a door on the other. Police checked with experts on the occult and satanism, but were told there is no known mystic symbolism Other ancient beliefs regarding the phenomenon attributed it to the victims merely being sinners who were being punished by divine powers. An anomaly associated with death by lightning is that the bodies of people killed by lightning have been observed to decompose at a very rapid rate. In the case of SHC, the decomposition process is much more rapid. the COMBUSTION One of the greatest mysteries known to man is when a living human body suddenly bursts into flames and rapidly burns to ashes. This phenomenon has been known throughout history, yet to date no one has discovered how and why it takes place. Not only does the process occur in a matter of minutes, but the fire ONLY CONSUMES LIVING FLESH, leaving almost untouched the clothing and —— ae eer surroundings of the victim. One of the most thoroughly documented cases was that of Mrs. Mary Reeser, who was suddenly consumed on the night of July 1, 1951. The following morning, Mrs. Reeser’s landlady took a telegram to The victims of the SHC phenomenon have little in common though many have a history of alcohol abuse. Indeed, a 19th century theory concluded that people afflicted by SHC NEXUS*55 APRIL-MAY 1992 were drunkards who had somehow STRANGE DOORKNOBS FOUND ON PARK TREES SPONTANEOUS HUMAN