The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-01-15

putting, VIZ: Inc SOUNDS, tue lntelllgenco
and the absence Of any colusion or decep
ton in the matter.
Some two weeks since, we were in com
pany with somo persons who were getting
communications from the invisible commu
nicator, when message was spelled out Il
US to the import that the matter should bt
made more pubic-that the time had ar
rived for the people to investigate the whole
aflair--that it was thing which will ulfi
mately become known to all men, and thai
we should Immediately take measures to have
it investigated. The directions werc then
minutely given by these spirits, as they pur-
port to be, and which we are willing to be-
lieve are, until VIC have as much proofto the
contrary as it requires to bring us to thi'
conclusion. These directions will appear in
the following history, as they were fully and
strictly followed. The great object was to
start investigation, and clear those who had
been hearing it for the last two years from
the imputation of fraud and deception.
Accordingly, on the evening of November
| IA, lecture was delivered in Corinthian
Hall, in the city of Rochester, and full his
tory of the rise and progress Of these strange
manifestations given. During the relation
of these facts, the sounds were distinctly
hcord by the persons in the hall.
| After the lecture, committee was cho
sen by the audience, composed of the follow
ing persons-A. J. Combs Daniel Marsh
Nathaniel Clark, Esq, A. Judson, and Ed
win Jones.
On the following evening, tie committee
reported, in substance, as follows THAT
! without the knowledge Of the persons in
whose presence the manifestations are made
the committee selected the hall of the Sons
Of Temperance for the investi yation-that
the sound on the floor near where the two
ladies stood was heard as distinctly as at 9TH
er places, and that part Of the committee
heard the rapping on the wall behind them
that number of questions were asked
which were answered not altogether right
nor altogether wrong-,hat in the afternoon
they went TO the house Of a private citizen
and while there, the sounds we're heard on
the outside (apparently) of the front door
after they had entered, and on the door OF a
closet. BY placing the hand on the door
there was a sensible jar felt when the rappine
was heard, One of the committee placed
one Of his hands upon the feet of the ladies'
and the other on the floor, and though The
| feet we're not moved, there was distinct
! Jar on the floor. On the pavement and on
| the ground the same sound was heard-a
| kind OF double rap, as if stroke and re-
bound were disinguishahle. When the la
dies were separated at distance, no sound
was beard but when third person was in
terposed between them. the sounds were
heard. The ladies seemed ready to give ev-
cry opportunity to the Committee to invcsti
gate the cause fully, and would submit 10 a
thorough investigation by committee oi la
dies, il desired. They all agreed that the
sounds were heard, but they entirely fdilcd Il
discorer any means by rhich il coutd be done.
After this report and some discussion on
the subject, the audience selected another
committee, composed Of the following persons
DR.. ii. II. Langworthy, Hon. Frederick
Whi!tlesey, d. C. McCullum, William Fish
er, of Rochester and Hon. A. p. Hascal, o
Lerov. Al the next lecture, this Committee
reported that they went into the investiga,
ton at the Office of Chancellor Whttlesoy
and they head the sound on the floor, or
the wall and door-.hat the ladies were
placed in different positions, and, like the
other committee, they were wholly unable tc
tell from what the sounds proceeded, or how
they were made-thst DR.. Langworthy made
observations with stethescope, TO ascertain
lungs, and found not the least diiferenc,
when the sounds were made and that Their
was no kind of probability or possibility o
their being made by ventriloquism, as SOM
have supposed-and they could not hav
Leen made by machinery.
Again, after this report, another commit
tee was formed, from persons who had op
posed in the meeting all pretensions TO Their
being ary thing but trick.
This committee was composed OF DIR.
p. Langworthy, DIR. j. Gates, VIM. Fitzhue
Esq. w. l.. Burtis. and l.. Kenyon. Thi
committee met at the rooms of DIR. Gates a
the Rochester House, and appointed CON
mittee Of ladies, who took the young VIC
men into a room. disrobed them, and exam
ined their persons and clothing, TO be sur
, that there were no fixtures about them tina
=. could produce the sounds. When satisfie
I on this point, the committee of ladies trie
E some other experiments, and gave the youn
| ladies the following certificate =
E When thev were standing on pillow
E with a handkerchief tied round the bottoI
!, of their dress, tight to the ankles, We a
G heard the rapping on tho wall and floor d
r tinctly."
3 (Signed,) MRs. STONE,
t Mas. j. GATES,
0 Miss NJ. p. LAwREHcl
In the evening the committee, throug
y their chairman, DR.. Langworthy, made v,
: ry full report of their examinations duIin
= the day. They reported that they had c,
cluded all friends OF the two ladies from III
- committee room, and had the examinatio
' only in presence of the committee Of ger
tlemen, and ladies chosen by them. Nowitl
= standing all this precauiion, these sount
wer,, heard when the ladies stood on laro
feather pillow, without shoes, and in variol
other positions, both "a the floor and on tn
wall, THAT a number of questions were asl
cd which, when answered, were general
correct. Each member Of the committe
reported separately, agreeing With and col
, roborating the first statements
I Thus, by three days of the strictest scrl
S tiny, by means of intelligence, candor an
1 science, were the persons in whose presenc
1 these sounds are heard acquitted of all frau'
! On Friday evening, after the lectur
i three Of the committee, viz: Hor. A.
e liaseall, ID. c. McCullum, and William Fisl
l. er, repaired to the house of a citizen, an
= pursued their investigations still farthe
e There were nearly score Of persons pre-
Is ent. he members Of the committee wro
l, many questions on paper, which no persol
:, present knew the purport of, ard they wei
+" answered correctly. AT times they wou
@ ask mentally, and would receive the answe
n with equal correctness, and they were ful
: satisfied that there was something preser
!. manifesting an intelligence beyond the pc
II sons visible. One Of the committee iris
Al - Ia la.l.o .