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

OF THE EXISTENCE OF SI'IUITS. 3401711. ^'MJrollicr lianics, to render his cliiircli ninrc attractive, is goingto have opera-singing and dancing every Sunday arternoon. Mrs. AlexanderTower, old Mr. Tiers, Brother Fairchild, and Mrs. Somcrvillo arcgoing to dance. I think they will find it a very lucrative employment.Jane and Martha stillprogress in Hebrew.'''Your afFoctiouate brother,M. II.'1712. ''On Sunday, April 27th, 1851, on returning from church, thefamily found strange characters written on the last leafof a writing-book,lying on the hall floor, although it was known to bo in the nursery previousto their going away. None of the family had any knowledge of howthe book got into the hall.*1713. "II. C. Gordon, a clairvoyant, interpreted the characters as follows: The first line, 95th Psalm, 2d verse ; second line, 3d and 6th verseand the third line, the 10th verse.1714. " Certain characters were found on the wall in the east chamber,on Sunday morning, May 4th, 1851. They were made with a candle onthe wall near the south window.1715. " These were translated to be, ' Spirits of a higher order desire tocommunicate with you soon.'1710. "Spirit-writing, without visible human agency, has never been acommon mode of communicating, although it was among the early occurrencesat Hydesville, Rochester, and Auburn.1717. " Sometimes these missives were enclosed in a book, and throwndown stairs or into the room ; sometimes wrapped about a key or nail, orany thing that would give a momentum, and thrown into the room.Oftenthey were seen to fall from above; this occurring frequently when thedoors were closed, and it was not possible for any visible agent to have beenthe cause. Writing would appear on the wall at times, made, as it appeared,with a pencil. On one occasion. Dr. Phelps was writing at hisdesk, and, turning his back for a few moments, without leaving his chair,turned again to his paper, where he found written in large letters, Very'nice paper and very nice ink for the devil.' The ink was not yet dry, thedesk was not two feet from him as he sat,room.and he was entirely alone in the1718. " About the first of May, Dr. Phelps, of Boston, brother of the Rev.Doctor, and Prof. Phelps, of Andover, a son of theRev. Doctor, went toStratford to ' expose the humbug,' and with a full belief that it was a trickof evil-minded persons, and that they shouldbe able to detect and exposeit without trouble ; and they were disappointed, as hundreds have been* Wood-cuts of tho characters alluded to in this and the succeeding paragraphs, maybe seen in Mr. Capron's book.f-''Mr. Sunderland, in his 'Book of Human Nature,* p. 280, says this was the first ofthe spirit writing, but Mr. Capron alleges that he was acquainted with cases of this kindlong before the disturbances at Stratford."