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

340 ADDITIONAL CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCEwas tbc first article that was damaged about the house. Several timesduring the day loud noises, like some one pounding with an axe or someheavy substance on the floor, were heard in different parts of the house,and several times the loud poundings terminated with a frightful scream;it was not a cry of distress, or any thing that could be easily imitated,seeming like something between the cry of a cat and the bleating of a calf,but louder than cither. These sounds occurred in all probably twentytimes while the manifestations were going on. Sometimes the screamsseemed to be in the third story, sometimes in the front-hall chamber,several times out in the yard, and occasionally in other places. There wasat no time any audible expression of words. The sounds consisted ofpoundings, knockings, and screamings. On this day the first images werefound, which will be spoken of more fully hereafter.1677. ^'In the evening of this day, just after some young ladies hadcalled, Dr. P.'s daughter returned to the parlour, it being between nineand ten o'clock.After seeing the young ladies to the door, an iron stand,in which stood the fire-shovel, tongs, and poker, leaped from the hearth,where it stood, into the middle of the floor, and rose up and beat the floorwith a force that made ajar that could be felt, and the sound heard, inany part of the house. This was seen only by the daughter, but Dr. P.and wife heard the noise. The daughter ran through the dining-room toget up stairs, and, as she passed, a large table was standing, with the otherfurniture, arranged for breakfast the next morning. The table was threefeet nine inches wide, and five feet three inches long, made of solid mahogany; and when she entered the room it rose up and beat five or sixtimes ao-aiust the floor with a force which made the house jar. The noisewas heard by many persons in the house. Mrs. P. was alarmed, andscreamed out, ^ Oh, take me from this place !' This happened betweennine and ten o'clock, p. M. Previous to this time all manifestations hadceased by sundown, or a little after.1678. '^ Soon after daylight on Friday, March 15th, movements similarto those on previous days commenced. Henry, a lad then eleven and ahalf years of age, attended the academy, and nothing had, thus far, everoccurred to connect these strange phenomena with his presence. Dr. P.had never heard or thought of particular persons being ' mediums.' Buton this day the remarkable occurrences seemed to be connected more orless with this boy. His cap was torn on his head, so as to be entirelydestroyed. Another one which he put on was taken in the same way.First a small hole opened in the crown ; this gradually extended, and in ashort time it was torn into many pieces. On another cap characters weremade, apparently with chalk. They resembled those sometimes made bypersons in the higher mesmeric state, describing them as characters of aspiritual language. Five or six of these characters were, at one time,made on the boy's cap. Others, supposed to constitute a sentence, were