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Society for Psychical research Journal Vol. IV,

John Britton, a deaf mute, was taken dangerously ill with rheumatic fever, which caused his hands and fingers, which were his only means of conversation, to become so swollen that he could not use them, greatly to the distress of his relatives, to whom he could not make known his wants nor his sufferings.

The narrator, Mr. S. Allen, Steward of Haileybury College, and a- brother-in-law of John Britton, states that the doctor, thinking John could not recover, had sent for members of his family.  ….He narrates as follows :

“We found Jack lying on his back with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, and his face lighted up with the brightest of smiles. After a little white Jack awoke and used the words 'Heaven' and 'beautiful’, as well as he could by means of his lips and facial expression.  As he became more conscious he also told us in the same manner that his brother Tom and his sister Harriet were corning to see him. This we considered very unlikely as they lived some distance off, but shortly afterwards a cab drove up from which they alighted. They had sent no intimation of their coming, nor had anyone else. After Jack's partial recovery, when he was able to write or converse upon his fingers, he told us that he had been allowed to see into Heaven and to hear most beautiful music."