New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-08

add be die in Boston In Philadel )hia In Al
bany7 In Yorth, ampton In Bennington ?" Knocks
"Did he die OF cor. sumption Offeyer Ofchol
eral OF old agel' Knocks.
The person in Mr. Tuckerman's mind was the
late Rev Dr. Chsnning OF Boston, who died in
Bennington, VT. while on a journey. The degree
Of correctness in the answers may be judged BY
the reader It may be stated, however, that Tor
the last years OF his lie DR.. c. dsclamsd the
Of all sectsrisn names, preferrng to be called only
Christian, and that though under seventy, his
physical powers had long suffered from premature
exhaustion.
Rev Dr. Hawks was then urgently solicited by
several Of the party to propose inquiries t. which,
sher some hesitation, he reluctantly consented.
He did not meet with any great success. The
sounds uttered were faint, almost naudible at sew
eral tines and in The great maj lrity Of cases in
dicsted an incorrect reply. DR.. Hawks pursued
bis inquiries with exemplary patience, bat after
several more Intellectual attempts, he resigned the
! for 20 Dr.. John W. Francis who was welcomed
with general roll Of kuocsings from the mystic
rious agents, seeming to claim the privilege Of
old and intimate acquaintance. With his proverbal
urbanity seating himself as if at the bed side Of
patient, Dr. +. asked, in terms of the most insin-
uating badness, whether the spirits present
would converse with any member Of the company
| Would they vouchsafe to speak to his ilusTious
| friend the worldrenowned author, Mr.. Cooper
Would they converse with the great American
poet Mr. Bryant To these fattering invitations
no reply was given. Would they speak to so
humble an individual as himsef7 Loud knocks
Dr. F. then asked, fixing person Was he an
American Was he an Engshmanl Was he
Scotchman2 The knocks were loud and unan-
imous. Was he merchant Was he a lawyerl
Was he an authorl Loud knocks. Was he
poet Yes in distinct knocks. Will you tell his |
name Here the spirits called for the alphabet, |
by sounds ineligible to the ghostseers. The |
answers by this method given in knocks at the |
letter desired when the alphabet is repeated by |
one Of the ladies. 1t then spelled out B-u-r-when
the company indiscreety, but spontaneously, in
terrupted, by crying out Robert Burns. This was
the true answer, and after the interview with the
favorite Scotch poet, DR.. f. declined any further
communication.
Mr.. j. Fenimore Cooper was then requested to
enter into the supra mundane sphere, and proceed
ed to interrogate the spirits with the most impertur
babe sefposs ssion and deliberation After seve-
raj desultory questions from which no satisfactory
answers were obtained Mr. c. commenced new
series of inquiries. Is the person l inquire about
a relative Yes, was at once indicated by the
knocks near relativel Yes man. No
answer. A womanl Yes. A daughter A
mother A wife No answer. sister Yes.
Mr.. c. then asked the number Of years since her
death. To this the answer was given in rapid and
indstinct raps some counting As, others 49, 81, &c.
After considerable parleying as 10 the manner in
which the question should be answered the con-
sent of the invisible interloeutor given to knock
the years so slowly that they might be distinctly
counted. This was done. Northumberland
for what seemed over a minute, till the number
amounted to fifty, and was unanimously announced
by the company. Mr.. c. now asked, Did she
die Of consumpton-naming several diseases, to
which answer was given Did she die by acct
dentl Yes. Was she killed by lightning Was
she shot Was she lost at sea- Did she fall from
carriagel Was she thrown from hOrsel Yes.
Mr.. Cooper did not pursue bis inquiries any fur
Their, and stated to the company that the answers
were correct, the person alluded to by him being
sister, who, just fifty years ago the present month
was killed by being thrown from horse.
The evening was now far advanced, and it was
further At the suggestion Of several gentlemen,
the ladies removed from the sofa, where
they had sat during the evening, and remained
.,.,d;n. IN another part Of the room. The knock
mo. ,vere no,v lard on the doors at both ends of
the room. producing ,riibration on the pannels
which felt by every one who 'oacned them. Di'
ferent gentlemen stood on the outsioC ana inc IN
aid of ha door az tha lOuQ !
kuockiDgs were heard on the side opposite to that
where they stood The ladies' were at such dis.
lance from the door in both cases as tolend no coun.
tenance to the idea that the sounds were produced
by any direct communication with them They Il
now went into parlor, under the room in which '
the party was held, accompanied by several gen.
tlemen and the sounds were then produced with
great distnctness, causing sensible vibrations in
the sofa and apparently coming from thick hearth !,
rug before the fireplace as well as from other quar-
ters of the room. "
Such are the moot important facts which we can
recall Of the manifestations Of the evening We
believe we have stated them without any coloring
whatever, as they appeared to every present; -
but with regard to their origin their natare we &c
ire much in the dark any Of our readers. The
manners and bearing Of the ladies' ara such as to \.
reate preposession in their favor. They have no
heores TO offer in explanation Of the acts of their
ny sterious attendants and apparently have no con-
rol of their mornings or outgongs. But if the re
ounds are not made by their agency are they made W
~ the spirits of the departed If so, why do they
One such unusual Journey on an Improbable -
rrand AT the utmost, they only exhibit their Il
redentials bot bring message. After the first IN
Dtroducton, their silence is unmitgated as that
4 the awkward stranger who having exhausted pt
he weather, has not another word 10 say We ar
ait for further disclosures without wishing to pc
asten the course Of delay time and recommend er
pg our resders to for themselves take shelter P
D q discreet and some what apathetic non.con