The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-30 00:00:00

The Brothers Davenport.

(From a Correspondent of the Times.)

Of the vat ions phenomena that are loosely classed under
the head of "spiritual manifestations," none have been
more remarkable than those now exhibited by two gentle-
men named Davenport. In the United States they 11,1ve
been celebrated for some years, but they have not been for
more than a fortnight in London, and are as yet wholly
unknown to the British public, with the exception of those
professed connoisseurs of spiritualism who are on the watch
for any new illustrations of their favourite creed. HMCO
their seances hitherto have been strictly private.
By whatever means they perform their marvels, they
have this to recommend them, that their feats are altogether
dissimilar in kind from those performed by their spiritual
predecessors. Rapping tables are not among the articles of
their furniture, nor do they undertake to spell the names of
deceased friends--an operation, by the way, which is seldom
performed without difficulty even by spirits of the most
decidedly orthographical turn, Nor do they, as lam aware,
make any attempt to anticipate coming events. Headless
of the past, and regardless of the future, the Brothers
Davenport are content to enliven present hours with excite-
ment of no ordinary power.

I was present at a seance which took place in the course of
the present week at the house of a private gentleman, whose
party comprised several persons known in the literary and
artistic work. Having arrived rather late, I missed acme
of the earlier "experiments," which seem to have been ex-
tremely curious. I shall not state what I heard about them,
as / do not choose to disseminate a knowledge of "spiritual"
facts that do not fall within the sphere of my own personal
observation. The recorder of events connected with .‘ spi-
ritual" manifestations has this disadvantage, that the most
extreme acridity in h,s narrative will scarcely preserve him
from the suspicion of being a believer.
When I entered the room devoted to the "manifestations,"
I found it occupied by a number of persons who attentively
listened to a strange diecorlant concert held within a ward-
robe placed at the end furthest from the door. When the
sounds had ceased the wardrobe was opened, and three
compartments were discovered, two of which were occupied
by the Brothers Davenport, bound hand and foot with
strong cords, like the most dangerous malefactors. Tho
centre compartment held the musical instruments, and on
each side of this sat the corded brothers. The ostcnsiblo
theory is, that the Davenports, bound as they were, produced
a combination of noises, compared to which the performanca
of the most obtru-ive German band that ever awakened tim
wrath of a Babbage is the harmony of the spheres. The
cords are examined, the wardrobe is closed, the instruments
are replaced, and presently, through an aperture in the
centre door, a trumpet is hurled with violence. The ward-
robe is re-opened, and there are the Brothers Davenport
corded as before.

A change takes place in the manner of the performance.
Hitherto the brothers have remained inearceratenn this
box, while the audience are at liberty. They now leave the
wardrobe and take their place in the middle of the room,
where they are firmly bound to their chairs. The gentleman
who officiates as their lecturer or spokesman even offers to
drop sealing wax on the knots, and requests any one of the
company to impress it with their own seal. On the evening
of my visit this offer was not accepted, but the fault, if and,
lay with the investigators. When the lights had been ex-
tinguished, and as we were all seated round the room with
hands joined at the request of the lecturer, a most extraordi-
nary "manifestation" took place. The air was filed with
the sound of instruments which we had seen laid upon a
table, but which now seemed to be flying about the room,
playing as they went, without the smallest respect to the
heads of the visitors. Now a bell jingled close to your ear,
now a guitar was struck immediately over your head, while
every now and then a cold wind passed across the faces of
the whole party. Sometimes a smart blow was ad ministered,
sometimes the knee was patted by a mysterious hand,divers
shrieks from the members of the company indicating the
side on which the more tangibly " manifestations" had
taken place. A candle having been lighted, the brothers
were seen still bound to their chairs, while some of the in-
struments had dropped into the laps of the visitors. I my.
self had received a blow on the face from a floating guitar,
which drew enough blood to necessitate the employment of
towel and sponge.
A new experiment was now made, Darkness having re-
gained its supremacy, one of the brothers expressed a desire
to be relieved of his coat. Returning light showed him in
his shirt—sleeves, though his hands were still firmly bound
behind his chair. It was now stated that he was prepared to
put on the coat of any one of the company willing to
"loan" that article of attire, and an assenting gentleman
having been found, the coat, after a short interval of dai k-
ncess, was worn in proper fashion by a person for whom it
had not been designed by the to lor. Finally the brothers
desired a release, and one of the company, certainly not au
accomplice, requested that the rope might fall into his lap.
During the interval of darkness a rushing sound as of
swiftly drawn cords was audible, and the roles reached tha
required knees, after striking the face of the person in the
next chair.

Such are tha chief phenomena, which are, of course, re-
ferred by the opera'ors to spiritual agency. To sum up
essential characteristics of the exhibition, it is suilicieut to
state that the brothers, wh en not shut up in the wardrobe,
are 'sound when the candles are alight, perform the it
miracles in the dark, and on the return of light are found
to be bound as before. The investigators into the means of
operation have to ascertain whether the brothers are able to
release themselves and resume their straitened condition
during the intervals of darkness, and whether. even if this
is practicable, they can, without assistance produce the
eflats dem ibed.