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

\OP THE EXISTENCE OP SPIRITS. 341"written on a rod pockct-handkerchier; others on liis pantaloons and coat,and on the ijit^ufc, of his sack-coat. Copies of these characters weretaken with great care, and Averc preserved till September following, whenthey were mysteriously destroyed. From this time it became evident thatsome of the phenomena had some kind of connection with this boy.1G79. "An umbrella which he was carrying was, in a mysterious manner,torn in several pieces. His pantaloons were torn from the bottomupward, as high as the knee, and sometimes higher, and were literally tornto ribbons, an inch or more wide. This occurred several times under theimmediate inspection of Rev. Mr. M., which seems to fix the fact that,in those instances at least, no power visible did it. Thus it continued forseveral weeks, clothing to the amount of twenty dollars being destroyed.At one time, while he was riding in a carriage with Dr. P., his cap on hishead was torn in a mysterious manner, and his pants torn from the waistbandto the bottom, in a way that no human power could have done.P. heard them torn, but could see nothing doing it, and knows the boycould not have done it himself. It was on this day, March 15th, thatimages, dressed in articles of clothing, were again seen ;Dr.only two or threeappeared on that day. The most extraordinary occurrences of this kindtook place on Saturday, the IGtli. Soon after breakfast two or threeimages appeared in the middle chamber; soon again another, followed byothers still, numbering in- all eleven or twelve. They were formed ofarticles of clothing, found about the house, stuffed to resemble the humanfigure. A lady's dress would be stuffed in some cases with a muff; againwith a pillow, and sometimes with other dresses ;a bonnet and shoes wereaptly placed to complete the figure. These, on this occasion, all but one,represented females in the attitude of devotion, some having Bibles orprayer-books placed before them. One, formed of Mrs. P.'s dress, somuch resembled the real, that the little boy, scarce three years old, cominginto the room with his sister, older, whispered, ^ Be still, ma is sayingprayers.'1680. ^'A portable writing-desk, usually standing on the secretary inthe room, was taken and placed upon the floor, a towel spread over it, andthe image of a child kneeling beside it. A Yankee clock was taken fromthe mantel in the nursery and placed upon the floor in the middle room,a distance of twenty feet, and so carefully done that the clock was stillgoing when discovered in its new place, though it stopped some time after.It does not appear that any of these images were seen in the process ofconstruction, or that the clothing, which was gathered from different localities,was seen in the act of moving. When persons entered the room everything was still, the clothing about the floor, which, upon going in againwithin a few minutes, were found wrought into forms. The marked rapidityof their construction, and the lifelike appearance ofhave been truly wonderful.them, seems toDuring this day several others than members