The Weekly register. (Ponola [sic] Panola, Miss.) 1843-1844, 1844-11-30


do as Charles Mathews did in his art,
twist his face into shapes sufficient 70
dISIodge any bandage to the exten, nee
esSary for his purpose. And this led US
to infer that those distortions and CON
vulsions might be effected, and there
lore cIairvoyanee demanded from us
further experiments TO do the perform.
ance full justice if he was right, or the
public II we were wrong. was plac-
ed IN chair, and leaning back, extend
ed my feet, and pressing against the
arms of the chair, with the inside Of
Emy upper arms, SO that my hands APP
peared quite free, | sustained (although
no gymnasO three people in succe ssion
on my legs, and felt no difficulty in DO
ing so; although held them there for
as long time as Alexis, and the weight
Judging from remembrance being not
less than was applied to that performer
An experiment made at Dr Elliofson's
with 4 watch was decided failure
4 small Geneva doubled cased watch
being placed in the performers hands,
he was directed the case remaining shut
to indicate tho hour by placing two Of
his fingers over the spots where the
hour and minute hands then were. (his
eyes at this time being unbandaged, y
He took the watch, and twisting his
face, put it first TO his lips and then TO
his stomach, and then turned it round
and round, beginning at and returning
to the swivel for holding the chain, at
the same time evidently calculating how
long since the commencement Of the ex-
perlments he had been at work After
some minutes calculation, he placed his
two thumbs opposite each other, their
position indicating the diameter Of the
dial, which IN watches ordinarily num-
bered would pass through the figures 8
| and g. He has thus decided, and on
the witch being opened, and the decis-
ion declared to be fright" was utterly
astonished, for plainly saw that it was
| particularly acrong. The watch tested
was peculiar in the numbering Of its
| dial; for whore in ordinary watches.
the figure twelve is to be found under
the swivel, in this, that figure was where
the figure ten generally is, so that a
quarter TO four, which was the true
time, should have placed one Of the ac-
tors thumbs where the figure seven is
/ generally 10 be found, and the other
thumb where the figure two is general
/ ~ TO be found The decision that the
actor was right promptly challenged
and although the Doctor insisted that it
was correct, was corroborated IN my
assertion to the contrary by gentle
man who stood near me and who par
tcuIarly watched the operation. indie
pendently Of this can the reader mag
inc any thing more absurd than to call
that proof of the truth of clairUOyGRce,
which is to be made out by placing the
two thumbs on the narrow disc of a
watch d little more than an inch In d.
ameter, each thumb being sufficien:'
when placed upon it, to cover fully one
| quarter of It's circumference, when the
claIroyant should, if there be any
truth in the supposed gift, have been a
/ bic to point out with a pencil the exact
spots indicated by the hands of the
watch? | watched the whole expert
ment closely, aud the fact was, as | here
state it, being then, as | am now, con
WINGED that the whole affair was but an
aboruve attempt al guessing.
Why, ifthe experiment was a, fail
one, did the operators not test the truth
as a gentleman present desired it, whs
wrote word on d piece of paper, anc
declared - would believe, if Alexis
topau read it behind his back? To me
the refusal to accede TO so simple ant
natural request was a granting OF thf
whole question. If Alexis could declPh
er volume placed in the same position
he could surely read single word
written purposely in large and intelli
gibIe hand on piece Of paper. Tn
plea Of fatigue which was here set u
, was rendered completely nugatory b,
: their subjecting him to other exper
{ mems after That plea was preferred