Story Of David Lang... anybody know of it?

Hi, i was just browsing the internet and i came across this story on a site about deja vu, clairvoyance, Telepathy and other strange things.... the story is as follows:

A man named David Lang lived with his family near Gallatin, Tennessee in 1880. He was a respected and known man. On a bright sunny afternoon of September 23, 1880, he was walking across his front yard, in clear view of his wife and two young children. In addition, a carriage was arriving, of a friend, noted Judge August Peck. David turned around to return to the house to greet his guest, and after a few steps, just vanished! Five people witnessed this event, the Judge, his driver, Mrs. Lang and the two children. His wife screamed.

All five immediately ran to the place where Mr. Lang had just disappeared, in the middle of a normal lawn, with no trees nearby and no holes to have fallen into. The adults searched and searched and found no clue. Mrs. Lang becme hysterical. Neighbors soon joined the search and dozens of people were soon looking for David Lang.

Afterwards, Mrs. Lang never really recovered, and all but one of the household servants soon left. The county Surveyor carefully examined the field. Interestingly, the following Spring, a circle of yellowed grass around 15 feet in diameter had formed where Mr. Lang had disappeared, and on a quiet evening in April 1881, the two children were playing nearby when they heard what they said was their father's voice, faintly calling for help, over and over, until it faded away.

No one has the slightest clue about what happened regarding David Lang! Even good guesses are hard to come by! He was apparently never seen again by anyone. Since he had seemed to have been a happy and successful person, and with a wife and children, it hard to imagine that he would have just "run away" and even if he did, how could he have done it? It represents to me another example of a type of event that is currently still beyond our understanding. But which appears to have a number of eyewitnesses and some rather specific facts.

Anyone hear of this story? Or read anything of that time in that area?

Sounds really OUT THERE but what if it is true?

Can you imagine this happening to you or someone you knew?

Could there have been a Portal that he slipped into? (if the story is true)

I'll star and flag this. Thanks for new info on anything paranormal. Plus, hopefully others older and wiser than I might be able to help bring in more info.
Thanks again.

I read about that story in grade school I believe. It was in a Ripley's Believe it or not Book.

It's a fascinating story for sure.

If it is indeed true, and not a VERY tall tale I would have to say that man somehow slipped through perhaps a floating rift in the fabric of our dimension.

In other words, REALLY bad luck.

reply to post by muggl3z


Just like that one Twilight zone with the girl who fell through the wall, with the portal closing.

reply to post by pavil


OH YEAH!

That episode scared me so bad I had to move my bed away from the wall.

To this day my bed sticks out into the room, this guy is not going to fall into any wall-dimensions!

Sounds like a really shi­tty coverup for a murder. But honestly, it sounds like a fiction story. Infact theres a poster above me that said he may have read it in side of a Ripleys Belive it or NOT. Theres a reason its called that.

[edit on 24-9-2009 by Spinsta]

It's from Frank Edwards book, Stranger Than Science, published in the 50's I believe. Part of the oft repeated, never verified school of weirdness. Google the book, then draw your own conclusions.

[edit on 24-9-2009 by OldDragger]

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


I remember reading that when I was little. I always wondered if it was true, and if so, what in the world happened. Would be cool if he suddenly reappeared in the same spot today!

This is what I found....I do remember seeing this in the last year on a tv show and it was deemed a hoax on there as well. It wasn Ripleys either.

The story of David Lang was published in Fate magazine by journalist Stuart Palmer[5], who claimed that he had been told the story by Lang's daughter. However, no trace of David Lang nor his family (including his apparent daughter) was ever found in any records of that period, and the entire article was later determined to be a hoax likely inspired by the short story "The Difficulties of Crossing a Field" by Ambrose Bierce (1909), collected in his book Can Such Things Be?.[2] In 1999, the modern composer David Lang based an opera on Bierce's story.[6] (The story has also become a popular urban legend).

en.wikipedia.org...

Here is another site talking about the hoax. They evidentially never found anyone from David Lang's family let alone a David Lang. It seems that someone made the story up based on an earlier story from 1854 where a man disappears and its witnessed.

In July, 1854, planter Orion Williamson, who lived near Selma, Alabama, was sitting with his family on the veranda. He went to talk to his overseer about horses he’d bought and walked into the pasture. Williamson saw neighbor Armour Wren and stopped to greet him. As Wren’s coach turned homeward, one of the horses stumbled. The steed had recovered when James asked his father what happened to Williamson. The man disappeared!

paranormal.suite101.com...

Here is a website devoted to the story with in depth research. Just about everything you want to know about the story. It appears to be just that... a story.

anomalyinfo.com...

I also thought it was kind of weird you posted the story here on the same date as he dissapeared, a few years off but still the 23rd of September

reply to post by Spinsta


Wow! didn't realise about date thing.... i'll have to check out ripleys if i can or just check more on the net.... there has been a few links provided so i will check them out!!

reply to post by gemineye


Would be very weird considering i posted this on the date he went missing which i didnt know about until spinster mentioned it....

Spooky!!