American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-11-08
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
WASHINGTON,
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 8.


Spiritual Manifeststions.
The Rochester rappings,p and the crap
pings" elsewhere in the North, have created
much amazement. We always supposed they
were but base impositions that would SOON be
exposed. We were mistaken in this, however.
Many expositions have been made, but the ex-
positors are the humbugs. A lady won a
months Immortality by publishing the discovery
that the effects were produced by the toes OF
the young-lady mediums" after being soaked
In hot waterl Then medical gentleman, who
had investigated the subject, alleged that the
rappings were produced by swapping certain
bones in the kneejoints And now certain
Mr.. Vose, Of Boston, asserts that these mystic
rious sounds are produced by electricity. It 10
his practice to place his hands nat upon the to
BILE, and then he strongly Vills that the sounds
shall be produced, on which the raps are dis
tinctly heard in the order and the number he
desires. He says that, during tho operation,
the electricity can BIO plainly felt escaping from
the ends Of the fingers Is this not too ridiou-
lous
The faculty Of producing these sounds, Mr..
Vose says, is confined to few persons, not one
out Of twenty possessing it. He moreover
states that in cases Of persons Of strong will no
table is needed to produce the sounds. Such,
by little practice, can throw electricity from
the body in any direction they please, and
whenever the expelled electricity meets q hard
substance, the noise follows! BY the exercise
Of the Same power, according to Mr.. Vose,
tables, chairs, and other articles Of furniture
may be made to move
The certainty that no explanation given is
tho right one, has done much to excite faith in
the rappings. l,
We are less amazed at the phenomenon Of the
rappings than at the information given by the
rappers. We will state case related to us by
one Of the parties to the occurrence, and Qittle
faith as We have in necromancy) whose words
we believe. .afsHs
He buried his child in the morning, and that
day, under pressing necessity, travelled some
twenty miles, having his wife with him. AT the
hotel where he stopped, two young ladies were
that evening to give an exhibition of their won
derful powers. In compliance with the wishes
Of his afflicted wife, he entered their room. On
being asked If he wished for any communica-
ton, he replied tina the did not, unless all pres
snt would first place their hands upon the Bible,
which he saw upon the table, and solemnly de-
clare that they would practise no deception All
assented; and the feeble rappings OF child
soon responded to his questions my wife
and were for q moment owerpowered," he re
marked, "but soon rallied with m sffmr 10
prosecute our inquiries; but whist was uur
amaIement when the light raFe siai Ne were
eonversing with our boy-told Us Al the parsic-
ulars Of his burial-told us the position Of his
grave, beside whom he was buried, the precise
age Of that person, and number Of facts that
even We could not establish, until we had reflect
ed and consulted together in relation to them |"
OF the impossibility Of any persons being pres
snt, or In the town, who could possess such in
formation, he said he was convinced. yet"
said he, eve left the place endeavoring not to
believe IN the spirituality Of the exhibition, and
yet with m irresistible feeling resting upon us
that we had been IN free converse with the spirit
Of our little loved oneg'
Narratives like this are given daily by honest
and respectable men and women In the North;
and in explanation Of their wonderful character,
We are told that all the effects are produced by
the cracking Of young lady's toe-joints or
knee, joints or that men and women can, by
rillin9 it, cause the electricity to fy from any
part Of the body, and produce any number Of
successive raps by coming in contact with re-
sisting bodies! i.