New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-05

were distinctly maze on tue uOOI, as nc uelu MS
little grand. child against it. The child was an in.
FAINT. Who taught that infant to practice decep.
ton by swapping it's kneesW
The shocking Exposure of the RappIngs In
BUnRIo.
To the Editors Of The Tribune:
Through the kindness of some psisy unknown
to me- have received a copy of the Commercial
Adre tiser, published in Buffalo, containing an &C.
count of the shocking exposure of the Rochester
Rappers by Drs. Flint, Lee aud Coventry, Pro-
fessors in the University of that city have also
read the letter of DR.. Cherries A. Lee in The ITtj
une, and appreciate most sincerely the motives
which induced these gentlemen to step aside
from their usual sphere Of duty, and show to the
public, by their anatomical and physiological
knowledge, how easy thing it is to be deceived
without its aid.
Although educated to respect the opinions OF
the learned and wise-and although they demon
strate the practcability of their theory by familiar
experiments with lady who, although respecta
be is stated to be loose in the knee joints and is
thus enabled to shock not only her guests but art'
cles of furniture-yet it does seem to me that
these gentlemen have presumed good deal as to
what the alleged Spirits do.
Now / have had the opportunity, at various
times and in sundry places, of observing the &C
tions of the Spirits by ways and means entirely
independent Of raps. l have lifted hard upon
table that would not weigh Is pounds, yet could
not raise it, and observed others do the same. L
have known q heavy stove to tremble 30 that Its
furniture would rattle with perfect din, yet l
bad not the strength to do 1t, although tried the
experiment. and a great variety OF other exam
pies equally exphcabe by any means Tor pro-
ducing raps, could bring forward II necessary
Il .l.rI .E ,kl,u
Jar of marble thing many feet frem the mediums.
and often heard the raps upon stove.pipes several
feet from the reach of any one, with the peculiar
metallic sound. have heard sounds upon door
that were stunning TO the senses, as loud az could
be made with an ordinary hammer, and yet ire
mediums were held by disinterested parties be-
yond its reach.
Now may be wrong, from the want Of sufficient
anatomical and physiological knowledge to com
prehend the matter, yes 1t strikes me as very
mysterious how all these varied phenomena can
be produced by swapping the knee joints. Ot the
two fear that these Professors lay claims 10 that
which is most incredible, and will therefore likely
enough turn out, upon their own testimony, the
greatest humbugs.
Another fact connected with these demonstra-
tions not explained by DR.. Lees theory OF the
transmission Of sounds is, viz The raps Always
appear to parties situated on each size OF the door
to be upon the opposite surface and such is always
the case These are facts which have been stated
time and time again, yet how scrupulously they
are avoided by those who attempt to explain the
matter as deception for the BENEFIT OF me pholte
Desirable as it is that some one should md iof
this subject a rational explanation, 1t does seem
10 me that the gentlemen who have volunteered
their services and reported upon the matter In
this instance have fallen far short OF their under
taking. and in their exclusive method OF proceed
ing have excluded many important facts which
were well worth their consideration, and there
fore are found lame, both in logic and conclusions
Had these gentlemen prepared themselves pre-
yjous 10 the examination by consulting Dick and
the diffusion of knowledge have no douot
but that they would have carried their investiga-
tons still farther, and found III that author Is re-
LIABLE that there are other sources oil strange ana
mysterious sounds than the knee joints, and Wnlcn
would have been far more acceptable to the puo-
lie az an explanation of these phenomena than the
one thew have brought forward, for they have the
merit at least Of being mysterious. When man
takes il upon himself to do that In the attempt at
which al others have failed, he assumes at least
difficult undertaking and although ne may satlsi,
himself vet il is not wise to be too confident taat
he is right, lest perchance he may be proved IN
S.oo q.
P.s. VIII Drs Flint, Lee and Coventryplease
inform the public what position it il necessary TO
take in order to snap the knee joints a. they des-
cribe Must the subject be standing or sitting
With the knee bent for certainly it could not be
effected in both az the actions of the muscles are
quite different in their effects in the two Postures
The observation-disclosures, Toes, and fncu'
To ths Editors Of The Tribune:
You have published SO much on this SUBJECT
that feel reluctant TO ask yod for space 70 state
few facts. Theories and speculations are worth
but little at the present time, and l have been
waiting TO see some one make statement OF
f.cts. who has more time and ability to prepare
,hsrn than upyselE The erudite Professors OF B uf
falo put forth a mere coDjecture in the first In
stance. and Dr. Lee mere negatire testimony IN
the second instance The answer from Bun9io
| has been quite as deficient in facts. Nov MAKE
no pretensions 70 University professorship' or 20
literary abilities nor 60 / have, like Shadracn'
| the leisure Of a Custom House employment 70
| prepsre my facts carefully; but from cnance 70
| investigate daily for two years claim 70 nave
facts that entirely silence all Zoology ana H'see
| ologv theories however highly inflated they may
be and though they come 70 the world over the
names Of all the professors it contains l com
mepced the investigation q skeptic, and tast
| shall ever remain enough 50 70 keep my eyes open
to deception. -.
Now 10 throw aside all theories, and stand on
the proof Of what it is not without any auslon %
their intelligence, will first call the attention VI
your readers 20 the developments az the hrs' IN
yestigation at Rochester. in November ls4s. II
will be well 10 remember that eUeTy ma" aPPOi NJ.
| ed on those committees was appointed iof nis
known skepticism. The first committee among
other things, said in their report
sOne Of The committee placed one OF hs nsnas % -,
feet of re iaai,s ara The other on ne noof ana