The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-26 00:00:00

A CASE OF CLAIRVOYANCE.

We dare say that most of our readears are almost
tired of Mesmerism, and will be rather disposed. to
pass by than to read any further statements respect-
ing it. Still we cannot retain from placing before
them some particulars of an apparent case of clair-
voyance, recently exhibited in this town by Mr. Hewes
(we believe a son of T. C. Hawes, Esq., formerly of
this town), which are calculated to create great asto-
nishment in the minds of those who, like ourselves, are
sceptical as to the reality of the phenomena. The
following statement has been furnished to us by a
medical gentleman who witnessed the experiments :
" This singularly interesting case was exhibited at
the Mechanics' Institution, on Thursday evening, to
a numerous audience. Mr. Hewes first gave a brief,
but not very clear, sketch of his views on the sub-
ject. his attention having been drawn to mesme-
rism by various operators, he was induced to make
experiments himself, and, • amongst others, he tried
upon a lad employed on board of his yacht, and
was astounded by discovering that 'Jack,'
as he always called him, possessed the above
faculty in an extraordinary degree. After assuring
himself of the accuracy
.of his observations, he
thought it desirable that others sh)uld Lave the oppor-
tunity of examining the case in public. When the
lad was introduced into the room, his eyelids were
closed, and the pupil of the eye thrown upwards, to-
wards the superior orbital plate, but quite alive to all
that was said to him, and readily answering such re-
marks as were made to him. Mr. Hewes called for
some medical man to come forward, and with some ad.
hesive plaster, which he had prepared; so to cover up
the lad's eyes as to preclude the possibility of his see-
ing in the ordinary way. After some delay, Mr. W. C.
Williamson undertook to do this. The upper eyelid
was first bound down to the lower one by two crucial
strips of plaster extending over the cheek. A number
of strips were then laid across the eye, from the nose
to the temple, and so arranged as to overlap each
other, and thus form several layers; over these was
placed a double layer of black opaque leather, fitting
. over each eye, and the whole bound firmly down by
two broad strips of adhesive plaster, carried from
temple to temple, encroaching upon the eye-brow
above, and touching the cheek bone below, thus leav-
ing no possible point through which a ray of light
could reach the eye in the ordinary way.
" A succession of objects were then 'held up before
him, all of which he named as fast as they were ex-
hibited ; scissors, knives, coins, snuff-boxes, pins pin-
cushions, watches, and a variety of other small objects,
were recognised as quickly as they were shown to
him. The time was told upon each watch with
the most minute accuracy, the hands being pur-
posely put to different parts of the dial, the
only delay arising from the lad's want of edu-
cation, as he always had to count the number
of minutes before giving his answer. Objects
Were then held up in different parts of the theatre,
and even when small snuff-boxes, &c., were held up in
the gallery of the lecture-room, he mentioned both
what they were and what they were made of. Mr.
llewes then introduced a pack of cards, which were
taken by another gentleman, Mr. H. retiring to a
distance. Each of these was recognised as soon as
held up before him, and after decyphering some print
by spelling the words, being unable to read, he sat down
to play agame at " All Fours," which he won, and in
answ sr to questions put to him, he announced ie cards
that had gained him the game. He then performed
some tricks with the cards, exhibiting great inge-
nuity, and showing that his mental powers were in
full active exercise. In all these experimentS, the
lad directed, not hii eye, but the upper part of his
forehead to the object before him. Mr. Williamson
endeavoured to cover the lower part of the forehead
with another broad strip of plaister, but this the lad
tore 'off with great energy, as it evidently interfered
with him, either intercepting his vision, or giving
Yfn pain. Several questions were put to Mr.
Hewes, as to the process that had been em-
ployed in producing this state, but Mr. Hewes I
declined answering them at that time, further
than that he had been the operator, and that his ope-
rating was necessary to induce the condition in which
Jack' then was. At the request of some of the
audience, Mr. Hewes consented to exhibit the case
another evening, so as to afford others an opportunity
of seeing it. It is certainly worthy of a close and
critical examination, as it seems to be decidedly the
best and most unequivocal specimen of the marvellous
phenomena of clairvoyance that has yet been exhibited
in Manchester."—Manchester Paper.