Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-07-03


vicinity, of $500, if they should, in the pres.
ence of scientific gentlemen, perform any one
Of the many feats they pretended 10 accomplish
through preternatural influence. The expert
ments thus invited took place last week in the
presence of several able Professors Of Howard
College, on the ono hand, and tie most distin.
glisshei mediums in the county, on the other
and proved, Of course, an entire failure. The
MEDIUMS, however, are out with card, attetHPt-
ing to foresta public opinion, but admit, a; the
same time, thst they utterly iaiiesl-they eaTg-
+ ing it upon the conditions imposed upon them.
The mediums say
From The outset. two Of the conIaittee and
one other representative Of the party have man
ifested sn unhappy temper regarding the affair
treating il contemporary, aud in some res
poets spitefully-which has entirely destroyed
/ the power by which the mediums work IN or
i binary cases When in a room apart from the
committee. our reporter says the phenomena
were Of the most satisfactory character, but the
4 presence of the committee completely shut oil
+ the influence We learn that, barring the ut
tie exhibitions Of warmth spoken Of all the affair
I has passed of as cody as could be expected.
The Boston Courier disposes of the matter
after the following fashion, andwe doubt not
I takes :he correct view:
Ii is natural enough for cheats 70 impose
Econditions = necessary to their purposes, and
experience unhappily shows that they find dupeS
enough ready TO accede TO them. The only ap-
parent reason why no manifestations occurred
in the present instance, was, that the operators
we're overlooked by men of intelligence, ednca-
tion, observation, expei ience and integrity
The result has coTTesponded precisely with our
anticipations, although great efforts were made
to have some of the strongest mediums IN the
country present They were present, and
manifestly and confesSedly without power. The
conditions under which spirit" cannot or
win not act, are, that men IN tue possession Of
their faculties shall be present With their tacul-
ties awake and active Any other pretended
conditions are just suited to impose on the
credulity of those whom imposition always mus
its only too ready victims.
Inreality nothing resembling manifestations
was produced during the whole silungs, except
certain Taps BY the Foxes, on the hrst day
These were not made, as the Gazette states, on
the floor, the table, the ceiling aud other pla-
ces.''-nor were they produced with much dis
tinction." They were not only faint, but they
were all evidently made, about the persons oil
the mediums 1.-THE Foxes or on places when
they touched This was admitted to the com
mittee by DR. Gardner. No other medium pro-
duced solitary rap Yet the committee was
present on the first day, as on all other DAYS
and il is to be presumed that the same "cordI-
TONS were necessary then as afterwards. The
Foxes became aware OF the incredulity OF the
committee and never appeared again In l9ct,
there were those present "of the sceptics, who,
without calling upon spirits, could do al the
rappiDg better than the Foxes, With the ald OF
all the spirits they could command. And beyond
all controversy, it was apparent, TO the end oil
the proceedings that the mediums and their
abettors, who had appeared before the commit
tee, under various false pretences OF suPerhn,
man power, were in reality only "wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and naked
Mon IN IowA.-The citizens of Clinton, Cedar,
and Linn Counties being very much troubled
with horse thieves, organized company OF
three or four hundred, aud proceeded to break
up the gang On Tuesday, of last week, as
they were approaching a house to arrest thief
they were fred upon. They returned the fire,
mortally wounding a man named Page. On
Thursday the Committee proceeded to arrest
an old man named Benz. Warren, who lives IN
the "Warren settlement of Cedar county. lie
had long been suspected Of horSe-thieving, but
ne had been sharp enough to cover up his thetts
as they were committed, so that he had escaped
Justice. The committee now, however, had the
direct evidence. When some distance from his
house, about forty horsemen of the main gang
left their companions and galioped up to the
house, to take him by surprise and prevent his
escape. He was secured and taken into the
woods, where the crowd were gathered. Here
a regular Jury was empaneled, and committee
took charge Of the investigation. He passed
through a formal trial in which a number OF wit
neSses we're examined. He was asked if he
had any witnesses TO examine ordeience to make
He said he had not
The question then arose, whether to lynch
or hang him, and was put to vote. About ~
were for lynching, md the balance, probably
nearly three hundred, were for hanging. The
decision was made known to him, aud he was
asked if he had any preparations to make lie
said he only wanted time TO make ont his VIII,
and he had about thirty requests to make to as
many heirs The committee decided that this
would take too much time, more than conld be
afforded him, and he must die without the VIII
being made. Not muscle moved in the old
mans face not a nerve quivered. He only re-
marked that he thought it was a pretty quick
way Of doing things. He placed his hands be-
hind him to be tied, rose to his feet and was
ready, apparently as unmoyed as though he were
a spectator a rope was fixed across n tall
limb, and fastened around his neck. The hrSt
Jerk he swung six feet from the ground. lie
was raised ten feet higher and hung corpse.
yellow FEVER AT MoSTEvIDEo.-rhe Boston
Traselior learns from private letter dated Nay
l, the following particulars Of the ravages Of
yellow fever at Montevideo:
"Thc intelligence which have to cOmmuni-
cate to-day, is by no means favorable respecting
the progress of the yeiloD ferer. The 'PamPe-
ro' wind and the cool weather, which have pre-
vailed since its appearance, have given to this
epidemic a more fatal character. Since Satnr-
day. 18th ult, the mortality has been unexam-
Piled So far from there having been diminn-
ton of new cases, there have not been less than
from 80 to SO rietiu.s daily Themedical pro-
fesSion are completely baffled. and their scien-
titic knowledge has, thus far, rendered unavail-
ing NIL attempts to discover the true causes of
this malignant scOurge; which is decimating the
community.