Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

298 ADDITIONAL CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCETHE ROOM WHERE THE SPIRITSMANIFEST THEIR POWER.1508. The spirit room is built of lo^s, as well as the house in wliicliMr. Koons resides; it is situated at the end of his dwelling-house, andsix feet from it. It is twelve by sixteen feet square, and seven feet highinside; there is a tight floor, and the ceiling above is of rough boards,laid close edge to edge ; in the garret above, there is less than three feetclear room to the peak of the roof, and up here are stowed old shoes andother old trumpery. There is a door in the front, near the centre of thebuildinjr, and a small window on each side of it, and one window in theback side; the windows have each close shutters outside to exclude thelisht. Across the back end of the room are three rough board shelves.Two feet in front of these, stands the spirit table, three feet wide and sixfeet long. In front of this, and setting against it, is a common fall-leaftable, about three and a half feet square, which extends to within one footof the stove ;and across the back end of the room are two rough benchesfor spectators to sit upon, and the front one comes within one foot of thestove. Then, on each end of the table is room for three or four chairs, allof which fills the room so full that there is no room to get around. Mr.Koons's scat is at the left of the table, where he sits and plays the fiddle.Nahum, his son, sits on the left of the table ; he is a lad eighteen 3'earsold, and the principal medium ;and his mother sits next to him.THE FURNITURE AND OCCUPANTS.1509. The spirit table has a frame or rack standing on it, and extendedfrom one end to the other ;this rack sustains a tenor drum at one end anda brass drum at the other, attached to it by means of wires; there arewires also 2)assing in various directions about the rack, and sustaining somesmall bells, some images of birds cut out of copper plate, &c. ; there aretwo fiddles, a guitar, banjo, accordeon, French harp, tin horn, tea bell,triangle, and tamborine, either hanging up or on the tables. The roomwill hold eighteen or twenty persons besides the mediums, and when filled,as it usually is, there is no room to pass around or between the people andthe table or stove.1510. Some phosphorus is always placed on the table between wetsheets of paper, for the exhibition of the hand.THE MANIFESTATIONS COMMENCE. THE SPIRITS PLAY ON DRUMS, HARPS,FRENCH HORNS, ACCORDEONS, AND TAMBORINES.Koons's Eoom, Juuc 19, 1855.1511. Between eight and nine o'clock, Mr. Koons and his son Nahumwent into the room and closed the doors and shutters, for the purpose, theysaid, of inquiring of King, the presiding spirit,whether he would attendthat evening, and what time he would commence; this they always do.