New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-24

se,se being psy choloeicaly impressed to say any
thn.g he desired her TO say, OF believed was true.
II is an unfortunate circumstance, however, that
Mr. Grimes could not say that he sar that "peg'
that vas come oted with the board under the floor,
or any other part of the machinery and this would
seem to oounteusnce suspicion that his iavestiga
tion in that instance was not any more thorough
than It was at Barnpm's Hotel. Be this as II may,
however. Mr.. Grimes must excuse us for saying,
respectfully that those who have bestowed on the
affair any thing which deserves the name Of an In.
yestgation, kh0tc TO posture certainty that the
rappipss and other manifestations which accomps-
Nv the Fox family now In this City, do occur With
out the aid of machinery OF any kidd. Ii such ma
chnery exsts it may be either touched, or tasted,
or smelt, OF seen; and how long, may We suppose,
would it take any person IN possession OF the i've
senses, to discover the coDtuvance, especially as
permission is always given to candid and respecIa
persons to thoroughly search the furniture, &c from
which the sounds proceed And yet the ladies'
have been repeatedly disrobed by committees Of
females, aud the furniture OF the room has been
overturned and ransacked, and not veshge could
be found Of any contriv aDce by which the phenom-
era could in the least degree be accounted Tor.
Ard If Mr.. Bsrnum hes consented to have his hOors
torn up or his walls perforated for the purpose OF
having wires, strings, ribbons, hammers, &c. con-
eealed in them. why is II that some OF his numer-
Gus servants or visitors, or the lynxeyed skeptics
who frequent the place, and who are constantly on
the alert, and watching every motion OF the family,
have so long failed to surprise them 10 their secret
operations
But what settles the question of machinery is
the well known fact that the sounds are heard Just
as feely ,cheye II is kaorcR that the young ladies'
kope aerer been as they are heard IN their 0ioH
ytoms A few hours after the Rochester family
arrived in New-York, and certainly before they
could have bad en- opportunity OF prying up and
REPLACING floor board, unobserved the writer, &C
hxre called
requested some de monstrstions. The sounds were
heard in different places the table, on the h)or
&c and after sitting awhile my friend, who had
previously been skeptical as TO the alleged mode OF
their production, observed that the rappings were
being made directly under one Of his feet placed
my band on the floor by his foot and Distinctly iet
the Jar. Both the sense of touch and hearing con-
CURED In indicating the precise spot wnere the
conclusion occurred, and this was not wlhin the
charmed circle covered by the ladies' dresses' as
Mr. Grimes would suppose, on some jour 0J'0S
f,t frs1 achey Aey sat aud on the opposite Sade Of
fbe tobIe On subsequent day the writer accom-
pspied portion of the mysterious family o
trinity Church steeple and on two OF the higher
platforms OF that edltce the sounds were freely
nado when, Unexpectedly to the ladies' they were
called for Ihave heard the sounds in great
variety Of positions in which the ladies were uaer-
peetedly placed, such as upon the hard marble
Boor, on the steps over their heads on the doors,
window castings, or on the walls, &c and know that
wherever they are they generally occur when
called for. The theory Of machinery, therefore,
may be dismissed unworthy of further consid-
GRAFTON.
eome have supposed that the sounds are pro-
euced by stamping Of the foot swapping OF the
toes or q cracking of the bones l beg pardon Of
these who have ever really examined the subject,
for noticing this hypothesis If this were true,
then the sounds would always occur where the
foot is stamped, the toe is snapped, or the bones
are cracked, and there only; but we have already
seen that they sometimes occur above the ladies'
heads, OF on the floor table some four or i've
feet from where they stand or sit. Moreover, the
feet OF the ladies' have frequently been held firmly
TO the floor without producing any interruption In
the sounds.
Nor do these sounds merely appear TO occur In
positions beyond the physical reach Of the ladies,
In consequence Of an apprehension previously ere
ated, by trick similar to that often practiced by
ventrioqusts that the sounds will proceed from
b certain spot for often the sounds occur where
"a they are least expected and it Ia seldom difficult
for critical persons to trace them with acertdsnty to
within two three inches Of their true locality,
, "a especially when the peculiar jar which accompa'
mics them is observed
n- The theory Of ventriloguism is frequently pro.
posed to explain these sounds Butt has never
yet been explained how ventrioquism can be the
medium Of imparting percephble jar to the hoo'
and furniture Of room, TO say nothing tthe move
Iuent Of tables and other articles when no honsar
hand 10 near them--n phenomena which has beer
the number. Besides, the test OF the stethescopt
has decided that the "rappngs' may occur while
there is not the slightest motion in the lungs OF the
ladies supposed 10 produce them.
IL has been recently suggested that when the
Sounds are heard, for instance on the table, the
esncus sion may first be produced upon the loor and
then conducted to the table. But every school. boy
knows that il il impossible for sound, especially
without the aid Of any visible acoustic apparatus
10 be conveyed to focus In such an object as ia
bio at distance from the place OF its origin while
this place is at the same time entirely concealed
This theory will do TO be placed by the side OF that
yabliciy propounded by q grave and learned Pro
lessor, and copied extensively by the newspaper
press, maintaining that the sounds were caused
b. the conclusions Of a neighbo'iHg paterfaAl
Thus, l have noticed all the more prominen,
hypothesis which have been proposed to account
Tor the phenomena in question. 1t perceived that
not one OF them meets the facts in the case and
We hazard little In saying that not one of then
would ever have been proposed by any candid
Persop, due pains had been previously taken Il
investigate the plain stubborn facts they actually
do occur. IL 10 the easiest thing In the world io
soribblers In the retirement OF their studies, tC
~demolish'' the pretensions Of this whole affai
with single dssh Of the pen bat TO meet the
thing lace to face and to bring its undenable facts
within the formulas Of any known physical science
n altogether different matter. And, until some
allowable hypothesis is at least conceived which
will account for all the phenomena in the case, o.
until some one who has grasped that whole uni
verse Of invisible essences, causes and principle
which lies above and beyond the comprehension Q
ordinary minds, shallhave demonstrated the nstars
and spiritual impossibiity OF its own claims bein
true, ask what right has any one to set 1t do y
a. a humbug, or to virtually denounce those wh
are connected with it, as pack Of cheats an
swindlenf
A most superficial view Of the history Of the de
veopment, and of the present state OF this strang
phenomenon, shows that il is no longer to be treat
cd lightly, even granting that future investigation
may succeed in tracing it to ordinary causes
After il was first introduced into Rochester, SOM
two years and half ago. as accompanying thu
daughters OF Mr. John D. Fox il gradually spreat
from house 10 house until a. l am cred.hIy In