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

OF TIIK EXISTENCE OF SPIRITS. 337was no pcrceptibl(> iigcncy ]>y wliich the motion was producccl.A bucket,standiiu' at tlic head of the stairs, was thrown into tlic entry belowSmaller articles, such as nails, forks, knives, spoons, bits of tin, iron, andkeys, were thrown from different directions about the house. Jfe says,'There were times when they came from such directionsthat they m'ujhthave been thrown by some person in the house'—at least, that may be admitted;but in very many cases the motion and point of starting were suchas to preclude all possibility of deception on the part of persons in therooms.During the afternoon. Dr. and Mrs. Phelps had occasion to go toBridgeport, a distance of some three miles. During their absence theshovel and tongs, standing in the dining-room, were thrown violently downthe basement stairs ;the back door, and thea piece of mourning-crape fastened to the knocker ofmirrors in the front chambers covered with sheetsand tablecloths, as is the custom in some parts of the country while a personlies dead in the house. The crape on the door Dr. Phelps did notsee, but the covering on the mirrors he removed witli his own hands.position of the mirrors in one room was such that the coverings could not,without great dijfficulty, have been placed there by any person about thehouse.Various articles were said to have been thrown about the roomthe phenomena continuing in his absenceTheabout the same as when he waspresent in the fore part of the day. Soon after sundown all was againquiet, and so continued through the night.1670. ^'The next morning, (March 12th,) soon after the family wereup, the same phenomena began again ; knives, forks, spoons, blocks ofwood, nails, etc. etc. were thrown from different directions, and with increasedfrequency, attended by stillstill more mysterious character.stranger circumstances, and those of aMrs. Phelps expressed some alarm, anda wisli that some of the neighbours might be called in. Dr. Phelpscalled on a retired clergyman of Stratford, a man of extensive information,much, experience, and sound judgment, who was universally admitted tobe capable of rendering correct judgment and good advice in such a case.He requested him to call and spend an hour at the house, to which hesheerfully consented. Dr. P. told him that his family had been a littleexcited by some occurrences in the house, but did not state any of thedetails of the matter, but desired that he would sit with them for a shorttime and witness for himself. He remained all day, but was, at first,firmly of the opinion that the occurrences were produced, in some way,through the agency of the girl,or some other person about the house, andhis main attention was directed to the girl in the kitchen, or the children,in the expectation that he should detect them in doing it.1G71. ''The door leading from the parlours to the kitchen was, by hisrequest, locked, and all communication between it and the other parts ofthe house cut ofi"; still, the throwing of articles went on as before. Thechildren were sent out of the room, and the doors locked; but this made22