Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-02-07
From The Boston Mte!ligencer.
EXTRAo2DISARY SUSCEPTIBILITY OF
TOUCH REECTED.

TOUCH REFUTED.
We have lately seen published the
most minute testimony from eye wit
nesses of tie remarkable powers evineed
by Miss Margaret M'Avoy, in Liverpool,
by which, without The benefit Of sight,
she could determine accurately the color
Of cloth, ribbands, glass, and other sub.
stances, and also peruse writing and
printed books.
The Reverend Mr.. FgertOn Smith,
vino was amazed al her FIST exhibition,
has written subsequent account, by
which he intlmates his doubts OF her
fidelity Of touch, and his suspicious OF
her being an ilnpOstcr. She wears BAN
dagc over her eyes, which when applI-
ed to another produces total darkness,
Before proceed briefly to record the
suspicious symptoms 10 which ] have be-
fore alluded, it may be proper TO notice,
what strikes me as most palpable in
consistency, between the theory OF the
Young lady herself at one tine, and her
practice at another.
/: is well known to those who have
been in the habit Of visiting her, that the
interpOsition Of any object between her
face and the object Of her research, en-
tireIy dePrives her Of the faculty to which
she lays claim. 1t was necessary to cx-
plain circumstance so likely to excite
a suspicion that he derived her know.
ledge from the sight, rather than the
touch aud It was accordingly given out
By herself, that free ard uninterrupted
communication between her hands, and
her breath WAS absolutely indispensable.
Sooh after this convenient arrange
ment, she began, however, to assume
powers completely at variance with this
condition and either effected or affec,
ted wonders, which, in my former let
Ter, took the liberty to characterize as
truly prspOsterous II will be sufiici.
ent to MY present purpose, to select the
following specimens from your own mar
rative, page C. aud 7S.
With her hands placed behind her IN.
Oh the window opposite to the commubi'
on end If the church, she told the fsur es
of different people passing and some
times named the color Of the clothes
&C. Page 6s.
She so.n alter told a purple flower be-
hind her: light yellow, marygold
and small pin-cushion OF red cloth
under white handkerchief laying upon
her knee. Page IS.
in these marvellous iea's, unparalleled
in the history OF the world, there could
be no communication between her hand:
and her breath which before. according
to her own reiterated assertion, was :
locality indispensable to her successful
performance . SINE qua non, in default
of which the faculty uniformly left her..
1T there be not most palpabIe incOnsls'
tency in this circumstance, must have
mistaken the meaning OF inconsistency.
DIR. Taylor borrow ed from one OF thu
gentlemen present, walking cane, npor
the silver top OF which vas large letter
Tor cypber) deeply eng aved. lie pre-,
sented> this cane 70 Miss M'Avoy, in al
horizontal position, with the terruie 70
wards her, and Of course the top iron
her, in such a way, that had she posses
sed sight, she could not have seen the a
aforementioned letter. Upon being re-
CURED to descrite this cane, she imme
diateiy decided uron its cOlor-and
with as little hesitation, discovered tina
the metal which isurrnuadcd the uppeI
eDd was silver she could make nothing
nov ever, of The name piece but sOo'
after tue sane CAFE was presented TO he
in an upright posi- ion, when she in
stantly declared that there was laig'
Bengrayed upon tue top; which Was a