Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1853-06-16
splrIiuaI Rapping.

~
OF the n. Y Observer. an aged farmer in the
western part Of this State related to me an oc.
Icurrenoe that took place in one Of the villages
on the Hudson river, when he was a young
man. II appeared at the time as wonderful as
any OF the rappngs anl mysterious noises Of
our day. The village had chapel with bell,
and burying ground adjoining The people
who had the control Of the chapel had for some
time refused TO toll the bell a: deaths and fu-
nerals without pay, and the poor were eonsign-
ed to the grave unknelled. This oeclsioned
excitement among the villagers, who consider
ed such conduct reproach to humanity. At
length, at the dead hour Of midnight, the vii
lage bell was heard to toll a solemn knell.
The villagers awoke in great CONSERVATION,
and hurried TO the spot The bell was still tol-
ling its solemn peals, and those who stool in
in the burying ground thoughtihey felt the earth
quake under their feet. But on approaching
The church door, they found il securely fastened
as usual, with no signs of any one having en-
tered. The church was entered however and
with trembling steps two men assembled to the
belfry but just before they reached it, the
tolling ceased. They entered the belfry with
light, but could discern no traces Of any liv-
ing creature, nor any appearance of any one
having been there.
All was conservation "What does this
mean - was in every ones mouth.
Mean % replied an uncle of the narrator ;
."why they wont toll the bell for the poor, and
the angels have come and tolle1 their death
knell." And such, for aught l know, may be
the legend to this day.
Now, l have not heard anything in the an
mails Of spirit rapping more wonderful than this
And yet to the mind Of my informant, it was
perfectly clear; though, he thought, to that
day it had never been explained at the place
where it had occurred. Himself and his cous-
in, son of the uncle alluded to, had made a
strong waxen cord, about half mile in length
and with ladder aScended to the belfry and
tied one end Of the cord to the tongue of the
bell AM conveyed the other to the winlnr; Of
the house of the aforesaid uncle, half mile dis.
tant; and then taking the precaution to remove
the ladder, they began sne solemn work of toll
ing the bell fcI the poor. But just at the mo-
ment Tnen the men were entering the belfry,
the cord broke,
i After the people had retired and all was
/ still, the young men took the precaution to re-
move the remains Of The broken string from the
/ tongue of the bell, and the trick was never dis
} covered, So much fox the spiritual 'rappngs"
Of former day,
This imposlure does not appear to succeed
quite SO well in England as in The U, States
and Mrs, Hayden, the medium there, appears
to have herself been pretty considerably befool-
! ed. by q Mr., &. II. Lewis, who writes an ac-
r count of his experience in consulting he lady,
+ to the editor OF the London Leader. His by
: pothesis, however is not new, though he has
been emncnty successful in carrying it into
practice. The same theory has been advanced
: here often enoughin ordinary conversation, and
J has been assigned as the explanation of the oo-
casional correctness of the answers of both rap
pers aud clairvoyNnts. 1t is one we'll known to
} the medical profession, as we have said hereto,
| fore.
The exposure has been made a score Of times
: by the American press, but those who are
, greedy of folly are still dupes nevertheless, as
they will be in England in spite Of Mr.. Levi.
! or any one else, Nevertheless he has put The
7 ease well before the public, and recommend th'
repititon Of his experiments here, as an adm
: lable mode of exposing the imposture to tn,
t contempt and ridicule it most richly deserves
3 Mr.. Lewis propounded, among others, tbt
$ following questions =
. Had the ghost of Hamlet's father seventeen
noses ?"
: "Yes."
i Had Semiramis ?"
eyes"
, "Was Pontus PLATE an American ?"
+ "No !"
: WAS he leading tragedan ?"
g eyes p
r One would suppose that this was exposure
enough but perhaps the richest is what fol
!, lows, though the response was true enough
IS without doubt The last test Mr. Lewis appli
r ed was put mentally, but the question was aiS;;
{: written on paper, and handed 10 friend befCr
g Iit was asked. II was "b Hrs. Hgydcn cn in
e postor ?" An urequiyocating yes, was the an
+ 3wer. The question vas repeated, but tht
i same answer was retained.
u Hereafter, when people talk Of the spiritual
d ity Of the rappjng mediums, ask them if III
IT ghost OF Hamle Is father had seventeen noses
" ------------------
"a The GREAT CoNFIAdRArIoN IN CANADA
y The Bytown Gazette gives some Interesting par
a. tieu!ars In regard to the fire which laid vast
+, a con iderable portion Of the Upper 0ttaw
- country, in Canada The fire commenced O
the 18th of May How long the fire ragged W
are not informed, but it burnt over Il tract c
le country 10 miles in length by forty miles i
as BREATH, nearly one.half OF which has been lai
lr waste. The scene was Of the most terrific an
ye appalling nature.
ry Hundreds OF families, embracing persons {
III all ages and sexes, literally pursued by th
s' flames, had to flee in all directions, with notf
ne inv saved excentinU the clothes in actual u.s.
he which in many instances were scorched an
oy partially consumed on the backs of the fug'
no tives. The scene of the calamity being in ii
AZ vicinity and on both sides of the Ottawa, nj
OF ny individuals took refuge in the river TO pr
US tect themselves from the intense heat. A sma
gn steamer assisted some of the inhabitants in m
oW king their escape. Even they were nearly cor
S. PEELED to abandon her, owing to the excessi,