New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-27
THE .sPTR1TUAL PHENOMENA.

Having heard, sometime since, that certain
very remarkable occurrences in connection
with the alleged Spiritual Manifestations" OF
our day, had been witnessed by Hon. JAMES f.
SIMMONS, late u. s. Senator from Rhode Island,
and widely known as peculiarly fitted for keen
and clear-sighted observation, We lately applied
TO q Literary friend in Providence, Who as we
knew, had taken deep interest from the out
set in these Manifestations, for a true account
OF Mr.. Simmons's experience ia the premises
Her answer-which we think viii repay care
ful reading-is as follows:
Providence, Tuesday, Dec. 7, l5oS
HoRtcE GREELEY Esq.-Decr Sir: have had no
conversation with Mr. Simmons on the subject OF your
note until today took an early opportunity oi ec
ouapting lin with its contents, and tns morning ne
called on me to cay that he was perfectly willing 70
part 10 you the particulars of his experience In re-
lation TO the mysterious writing performed under Ais
r1y eyes in broad day ght BY an invisible agent In
the fall of 1880 several messages were elegsphsd to
Mrs simrnons through the electric POUNDS purPorting
10 come from her step-son, James D. Simmons, who
died some weeks before in California The messages
were calculated 10 stimulate curiosity and lead to m
attentive observation Of the phenomena Mrs. S nav
ing heard that messages in the handwriting OF dc
ceased persons were sometimes written through tho
same medium, asked II her son would give her TINS
evidence Of his identity. Size was informed (througn
the sounds that the attempt should be made and Was
directed to place clip Of paper in certain drawer a.
the house Of the medium and to lay beside II her own
pencil which had been given her by the deceased.
Weeks passed, and although frequent inquiries were
made no writing was found on the paper. Mrs. Sim
mons happening call at the house one day, accom-
panied by her husband madc the usual inquiry and re-
ceived the usual The drawer had been opened
not two hours before and nothing seen in it but
tie pencil lying on the blank paper. AT the susges-
ton Of Mrs. s., however, another investigation was
made and on the paper was now found few penciled
lines resembling the hand writing of the deceased but
not go closely as to satisfy the mothers doubts Mrs.
Simmons handed the paper to her husband He thought
there wee q slight resemblance, but should probably
cot have remarked il had the writing been casually
presented to him. Had the signature been given, nc
could at once have decided the resemblance. He
proposed if the spirt Of his indeed present.
az alphabetical communications received through the
sounds affirmed him be- that he should en and there
afix his signature to the suspicious document.
In order to facilitate the operation Mr. g. placed the
closed points of pair Of scissors in the hand of the
medium and dropped his pencil through one OF the
rings or bows, the paper being placed beneath. Her
hand presently began to tremble and 1t was with diff
Guilty she could retain her hold Of the ecissors Mr.
Simmons then took them into his own hand, and again
dropped his pencil through the ring. 1t could not
readily be sustained in this position After few
ments, however, it stood If firmly poised and per-
fectly still. IL then began slorly TO Mr.. S.
saso the letters traced 5sneath his eyes. The aOords
JAMES d. SIMMONS pere distinctly and deliberately
rriaen, and the handwriting facsimile cfhts sons
signature. But what Mr. $. regards the most aston
ishing part Of this seeming miraces yet to be told
Bending down to scrutinize the writing more closely
he observed just the last word finished that ths
top of the pencil leaned to the right He thought it
was about to slip through the ring but, to his infinite
astcnshment he the poin, slide sloply back along
The rord Simmons ill ii rested the letter phere
IL deliberately imprinted dot. This punctilio ut
terly unthought Of by him he had not noticed the
omission, and therefore entirely unprepared for
the amendment lie suggested the experiment, aud
hitherto it had kept pace only with his will desire
but how will those who deny the agency Of dsemboded
spirits in these marvc sscribng all to the unassised
powers Of the human will, to the blind action of
electIcityhow will they dispose of this lat significant
and curious fact The only popularity observablein
the writing was that the lines seemed sometimes
slightly broken if the pencil had been lifted and then
set down again.
Another circumstance am permitted to relate which
is not readily to be accounted for on any other theory
than that Of spiritual agency Mr. s. who had received
particulars of his sons death until several months
after his deceasc purposing to send for his remains
questoned the spirit as to the manner in which the
body had been disposed off, and received very minute
and circumstenta account ofthe means which had been
resorted to for its preservation it being the time
buried.
Improbable as some of these statements seemed they
WERE after an interval Of four months, confirmed as
literally true by a gentleman, then recently returned
from California, who was with young Simmons at the
period Of his death. Intending to return to San
Francisco, he called Mr. Simmons to learn his wishes
relative to the final disposition Of bis sons remains.
took down these particulars in writing by permission
of Mr. s., during his relation of the facts have many
other narratives Of like character from persons Of
intelligence and veracity, but they could add nothing
to the weight of that which have just reported you
An eminent clergyman of the Episcopal Church said,
not many days ago, to one Of his communicates who
had unwittinely become q medium, When talked
with you year since in relation this matter was
disposed to think that the whole thing might be
rolyed into combination Of mesmcrc influence, i'm.
position, collision and creduty now au constrained
TO adopt very dsagrecable alternative and to believe
that il Is device OF the arch-enemy.
As sign OF the times, received yesterday from
friend BTonfon Alco:t the eloquent plaonist of Con-
cord the prospectus of a course OF lectures, the
Demon--usisg the word. trust, in the good old So
cratic sense s. term for spiritual or mmsterid IA.
lures. Il il not Emcrson that says:
Close, Close above our heads
The potent plain Of DsInops spreads;
Stands to each human soul MS own,
For watch and ward, and farthersncs.
Sometimes the airy synod bends,
Aud The mighty choir descends,
And the brains IN thenceforth