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to finish up our discussion of that subject and I got up to
go, and he said, "Angus, have you ever seen a letter from
God?" Well now, I knew that I was in direct communication with
God, but God had never sent me a letter. I didn't know
that Dr. Murphree was in communication with God and that
statement puzzled me. Well, when I answered no, I'd never
seen a letter, he said, "Would you like to see one?" He
held up a page. I said, "Yes sir." I was bewildered by
his actions, and saw it, and I can see that letter today.
I don't have the exact date in my mind, but it was certainly
in May of 1927, right near commencement. He showed me this
letter, and I could tell you more in detail about that letter,
-ifyou like; it ought to be found in his memoirs if somebody
hasn't taken it out.
It was on scratch paper--the letter-size scratch paper that
we use in grammar school, and other places too. You could get
it everywhere, you can't buy it now. It had lines on it, an
the letter was written in pencil. The envelopeshowed that it
was mailed at a little town southwest of Gainesville. It wasn't Cross
City but it came from Williston or Archer, down in that area. It was
addressed to "President A. A. Murhpree, University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida. Dear Sir: This is to inform you that
you will die before the end of this year. Signed, God." Well,
I was bewildered and I didn't say anything. I just walked out
of the office. By that time I had taken the veil, as they used
to say when you go into a monastery or anything like that, and
I wasn't interested in any worldly affairs. I was interested
in the library. The student body had been purified in my judgement
and I wanted to go ahead with the work that I had agreed to do.
So I thought about it a few days, but then got busy in other
affairs and I did not recall seeing that letter for fifteen or
twenty years. But Dr. Murphree died the latter part of 1927.
He died suddenly during the Christmas holidays. I was at home,
and a carload of us from Panama City came up here to his funeral.
P: He's buried here.
L: Here in Tallahassee. But, I just didn't think of that letter.
About fifteen or twenty years ago I thought of the letter.
Dr. Murphree did die before the end of the year. I didn't
know much about the circumstances of his death until about
ten years ago when I was in Gainesville and saw John A. Murphree
who later became a very good friend of mine and a good friend