The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-01 00:00:00

. 4-4 api

EXTRAORDINARY NARRATIVE.
(From the Ipswich Express)
Many of the allegations connected with the follow-
ing extraordinary narration have for some time been
known to us, but up to the present period we have for
many reasons preferred remaining silent regarding
them. It is our painfu) duty to allude to a very re-
markable case, many of the features 'of which are so
abhorrent, from their apparently profane connexion
with religious subjects, that we could wish we had
been spared the duty of detailing them.
Shottisham is a quiet village in Suffolk, distant
from Ipswich thirteen miles, from Woodbridge five
miles. Asaph Squirrell (a small tea dealer) and his
wife have long resided there, and were believed to be
honest, industrious, and worthy people. Amongst
their family was an interesting girl named Elizabeth,
who, in fact, it the heroine of our tale. Whilst a
mere child this girl gave evidenve that she possessed
a very superior mind. At ten she was placed under
the care of Mr. Osborne, the village schoolmaster,
who soon perceived that his
pupil was a girl of great
natural ability. She Was --e attentive to her studies,
and whilst others were at play
she would be closely
engaged in
,poring over the books that composed
Mr. Osborne s library.
Having a religious turn
of mind, she read upon all theological points. She
also made herself acquainted with the English
,
pwoiethts,phwointolagrahpishtyo.ry,
Iwnit
June,
parts of botany, and
une
1850, at the age of
is said, by too close attention to her /tad lea,
occasioned, it
twelve,ill-
ness
assumedshe
e ftthteh
se
hsacpheo
oo
fl
afrioi:::aeffs
ti for which
shelled the best me heal cd iece, aute IN as subsequently
sent to the East Suffolk Hospital, in Ipswich, where
she remained about six weeks. She then returned
home, became worse, and lock-jaw set in, depriving
Power of swallowing.
being poured down her
thshehrreo,
aats,
liveditb uwt was
nt
the
alleged, egq eu suction,da,n quantities
were so small that her
milk
death was daily expected. She, however, to the
astonishment of her friends and the villagers, con-
tinued to live on, although it was said she did not
take a morsel of solid food. At Midsummer, 1851,
she recovered from her lock-jaw, but it was alleged
that she had previously been seized with blindness and
deafness—faculties which she did not regain. The
way in which she had lived begun to be talked of,
and some excitement was occasioned amongst the
gossips of the neighbouring villages. But at about
this time the writings and speeches of the child oc-
casioned considerable interest, which was heightened
by the assertion that she still ate no food. Persons
living in the locality came to visit her, and found the
patient in a humble apartment, supported on her bed
by pillows, with a countenance which most of them
called " angelic," but which certainly was re-
markable for its singularly devotional cast,
and for the great intelligence which beamed
from it. Although it was alleged she could not
see, her eyes remained open, and but little defect
could be observed in them. To her visitors who
y, when lamenting
oat " what she had
she had to make
lilhueyesaemrr
earned
det hdadifusunrereidisnnsgg withhahen
erdail herlt
illness."
sheeiwnssed.
r,nw,ee
sot9hEu,
el :I
ett
orhs y
hour that passed
away added to the excitement, and spread her fame
wider and wider from her native village. At all
hours of the day parties wended their way to her
cottage, and no sooner had they gazed on the child
than they were interested in her—an interest that had
a strange dash of mystery in it when they were as-
sured that for nearly two years not a particle of solid
food had passed her lips. But the moment she begun
to speak she fairly enchained the sympathies of her
hearers. For the most part her remarks applied
to religious subjects, on which she would descant
with a beauty of language, power of thought, and de-
votion of mind to which old divines could make little
pretension, and she became to be regarded as a being
who had some direct mission to accomplish on behalf
of Deity. Her intellectual and devotional powers
were developed to their utmost whenever sceptics or
infidels were within range of her voice. On secular
subjects, also, her remarks were clearly and power-
fully given, and also manifested an inti-
mate acquaintance with the topics on which
she dwelt. Her parents were equally as-
tonished with others, and ever solemnly pro-
tested that her assertions regarding abstinence
from food were religiously correct. Her statement
regarding herself and her alleged peculiar condition
was, that she had seen a vision of angels, one of which
number had consented to become her constant atten-
dant and guardian. Lest she should not be believed,
she frequently prayed earnestly that God would grant
to her and her visitors sonic immediate manifestation,
which should convince all that she was really the
object of God's especial favour. After a time her
prayer was answered in this wise—whilst her visitors
were deeply engaged in devotional exercises, a ringing
noise was heard as if proceeding from a small tumbler
glass that stood some distance from her. The sound
excited the attention of those who were present, who
listened in wonder to her statement that
sounded it was swept by the invisible wings of the
angel that attended her, and was a direct manifesta-
tion from heaven of the presence of God. Often and
often did this mysterious ringing occur—and always
when they were most devout; but the visitors were
unable to account for it.whenever it
She often, although deaf,
expressed much anxiety that it should ring,
its peculiar sounds bad been heard she seemed bathed
which her
in a sort of ethereal inspiration during
thoughts flowed from her
--ps, burdened with devotion
f
and religious zeal. During a considerable part
her peculiar state she gave evidence of great sensibi-
lityread any person's letters by running her
of touch, being, as it
was asserted, and after
enabled to
finger over
the lines, and deciphering by the same alleged means
the phonographic characters that were printed on
letter wafers.

endeavoured to detect whether or not any
Amongst those who visited her were not a few who
imposition
pas practised. Some of these attended day after day,
but all were fairly beaten, and came away convinced
that it was physically, intellectually, and religiously
a genuine case. Rather more than three months
since, she and her parents stated that the milk ceased
to afford her any
nourishment, and that, in fact,
from that time she left off
taking any sustenance
all, neither food nor drink passing her lips ! Visiat
-
tors closely watched her, and were convinced that
she was really living on from week to week without
partaking of any kind of nourishment. The excite-
ment out of doors, and throughout many parts of the
country, was now at fever heat. Medical men,
aristocracy,
cler-
gymen, dissenting ministers, carriage
gig, cart, and foot folk, alike shared in the intense de-
sire to gaze on this extraordinary child, and to listen
to the words which fell from her with as much
weight as if she really had indisputable credentials
that she was an oracle from heaven. Oa being asked
when and how this mystie scene would end, she re-
plied," Oh ! in my triumphant entrance into glory !"
e Some gentlemen in Ipswich, who had become
ueeply interested in the case, at length felt that it was
quite time that some systematic effort should be made
to test it to its fullest extent. These gentlemen judged
that an eight days' trial would settle the matter as to
whether or not she partook of any kind of nourish-
ment. Accordingly, two females of good character
were
the girl, whowere instructed to keep watch over her
for selected at the earnest entreaty of the father of
eight days and tight nights, it being an instruc-
tion that the room should never be left without one of
them being present. Three weeks since they com-
menced their task, receiving their instructions from a
medical man, and at the end of eight days returned to
Ipswich, declaring that the child had not had any-
thing to its lips during the whole term, and that they
were thoroughly convinced it was a genuine case.
This, however, did not fully satisfy the gentlemen
alluded to. The thin was now universally talked of
in these localities, and it was determined to spare no
Pains to test it to the utmost. They formed themselvs
g
into a committee of eight persons, and drew up regu-
lations for their guidance; one was that for eight
days and nights she should never be left
unwatched; and another WAS that each gen-
tleman
committee will
t e
oex-
cepting
on guard should make a written entry of the
events that occurred every hour, and that he should
(This co
sign his name to it. not
make their report until the evening of this day. The
week,
without
21,slig slightest
st
facts we subjtheir number, but we think we may
subjoin therefore, are not received direct
from any of
guarantee their strict correctness.) On Saturday
w
a little restlessness, until the evening of the
following Thursday, when Messrs. Pitcairn and
watchthing
t n commenced,e excite
Burton (booksellers), were relieved by the Revs.
Webb and Whitby. The former gentleman had long
been a sceptic in the matter, and on entering the room
thought he discovered an unpleasant smell. He left
for an hour's walk, leaving Mr. Whitby in charge.
The father then entered, and complained of the want
of faith which the watchers in charge manifested, and
then suggested that they should seek the blessing of
God. He immediately knelt down and prayed with
apparent earnestness and solemnity and at consider-
able length. Mr. Whitby was close to the bed, and
(luring
, the prayer noticed some agitation of the
clothes, and fancied something was offending his
olfactory senses. When Mr. Webb returned Mr.
Whitby mentioned his suspicions, and as the nose
of the former gentleman again convinced him that
seme7hing was wrong, he insisted that the bed
341111 be searched, Thu nurses, who were also present,