Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-04-16

| at any time, suffer th&same penalty, if a single
professor chose toye6Mgehim with crime. But,
from such injustice asfsactioH>xould inevitably
come. Annexed hereto, we print an affidavit
from Mr.. Higginson, his own experiences in
/ connection with Mr.. Willis.
For-the Spy.
Statement Of Facts,
| TO Whom 1t may Coace1, The public atten-
ton has recently been attracted by the alleged
powers, as a s'medum,'' 81 Mr. F. L. H. Willis of
Cambridge, and by the singular proceedings con
nected with his +" suspension from the Divinity
School CT Harvard University. In justice to Mr.
Willis, and to an extraordinary class Of yet unex-
planned scientific facts, / wish fosstate some phe-
nomena. observed by me, during two evenings
spent with him. at private residence in this city.
There were from nine to twelve persons pres
ent, all, except Mr.. Willis, being respectable citi-
| zens of this place, including oneof our most ex-
! perlenced physicians. We sat around long din
ing table. The room was Brilliantly, but suf-
! 6ciently lighted so that every movement of every
| person could be distinctly watched-and l, at
| least, watched them very closely.
| shall omit the details of the phenomena, and
| give only the general heads,
l. The musical Instruments which had been
previously placed, by the company, beneath the
table-a guitar, small drum, accordion, and
two bells-were moved about from place to place.
lifted and knocked against the under side of the
table, and repeatedly and loudly played upon
Two were several times playeds in unison, at OPP
posite ends of the table, and entirely beyond the
reach of the medium. During this proceeding
the whole table was several times raised and one
slab of it (being extenson-table, wasAifed al
together from its support, andsyibratein the air,
without contact of hands, .s(
2. The ACCORDION was iafsed,ineo Mr.. WiIlis's
lap, and being held by BIN, soitk lone hand, be-
tween his knees, was played very skilfully, and
executed avariety Of tunes, selected by us--and
even in answe4 to4he alleged mental requeses of
some of the company, though not mine. Excel
tent limitations Of the oboe, violineelo, and dou.
Bile bass we're also given. 1t is well known that
the accordion requires, in playing, the use of two
h ands.
g. Upon our extipguishing the lamps for the
sake of experiment. faint lights appeared upon
the table, near Mr. Willis, two or three at time,
moving about like glow2sForms, which they re.
sembled. Otherlights fickered in the air, with
more rapid motion, like ffe,fies. Upon my OBJ
tanning and opening phial of phosphorus, the
lights increased in intensity, gradually diminish
ing, when | re-eorked it, to their original amount
Everybody in the room perceived them distinctly
4. The room being still dark. the accordion
was held on the table, by Mr. Willis, and as it
played, in the manner before described faint
| lights hickered around the keys of the nstru.
| ment. During the darkness, all the phenomena
were more intense, but it seemed very disagreed
BILE to the nerves of Mr. Willis, and he begged to
| nave the lamps reStQfed.
8. The room being again lighted. proceeded
to try some closer experiments. Taking the ac
| cordeon in mYa6wn hand, between my knees and
guarding with my feet, against the possibility of
| contact, f6und to my surprise, that the other
end was seized by invisible force, and the diff.
feTent keys audibly handled, producing at last
musical sounds, but quite mperfectly Before
long, however, 1t was pulled away from me with
very greatsarce, and dropped on the floor 9th
ers atterwara took the instrument, but it was
| played in no osber hands. | may add that sim.
| ply held it by the and, with one hand and that 7
have no knowledge of the instrument also, that
the hands of all the company we're upon the ta-
bic, and thot was beyond Fh6 reach Of Mr.. Will
| Isis person. al
| g. Looking under the~tabla. while the guitar
was playing, SGae aoltt peyfag RiStiectaess, the
instrument, lying on its back, Nntoatched bv ana
hand, but sctth faint 1aicker,nqsof tqht DiaDi,,g
oeer the strings. could also SIC the feet of the
persons nearest II, and that thef were not in con-
tact with lt-while Mr. Willis vas entirely out of
| its reach. No other person looked under the ta-
Bile, believe, nor did mention these observa-
tions till phenomena had ceased, for did not
WISH at the time, to.share my Investigations with
| H. The guitar was maged SLOWLY along, by some
force, to ms4 scrutatHe, and lifted between my
| knees s-thesBeck resting on nv left thigh Atthe
| suggestion OF some Of company, began to
sing, nrst ptacinBsnyseatf n such position as to
| guard the instrument An possibility Of contact.
| E0ery song 4 sung "a accompanied accurately
ana gTacefatty on " 48far; with a constantly
increasing facility ~ adaptation The best ac-
compartment OF et was finally Aplayed, to pc.
ehliar and rathef diffiouIt Portuguese song nrob-
| ably not known TO dazen persons in America
besides myself eanHQt myself play the guitar,
put nave heard II plEed good deal, and l
( Hlao'o that the accompaniment was extraordi-
nary thing, aparntrom BE mystery of its origin.
| l kaos0 that Iwas keyoa the< reach Of any part
| 81 Mr.. Willis persoAs sRd That it was physically
Impossible ios any onesA9 &ouah the instrument,
| without my detecting II
| 8. During all thesRfts Nous phenomena + felt
/ repeatedly delicategraap Apon my feet precise
y resembling thatof hAhd With distinct fingers.
| Upon my slipping off my shoe il was still more
| distinct, and was in all eases Acconpanied nv
very peculiar electrical Sensation. as when two
| persons complete the circuit of an electro-mag-
netic battery. Keeping by own COUNSEL heard
precisely the same PhdaOmensf simultaneously
described by persons 3 ID othef end of the table.
Afterwards, placing M MndI6eneath the table
| felt the same contact tiE More distinctly upon
that. All the rest of ~ company held their
hands upon the table, "a | was beyond the
| reach of Mr.. Willis. III
| l might make thesestatanients still more won
derful, by going more int depil, but have prob
ably gone so far alfeady 6kyo1id the credulity Of
my readers, that Yhad BEL r. Stop. If sSv refuse
| TO believe these. facts, ou3my testimony, can
| only say, that should han found 1t hard to be-
1 lieve them ontheirs. Liktthem. u prefer TO var
ify novel faef by my oAn Jbsery1 Ton. I can only
| sa FOR mysh6 fartherhfhn ebaye befn All nv
life student bf- the naAtt Sciences, and have
earned hy,Ahis time, some pnidence in the care
| fitness Of my own observe lsns and the accuracy
| Of my own senses TN .nr-.,
| The question Of tho s'sJiriAual" origin is not
now raised II is 4 hmIae 4pestion Of frand
or genuineness. II l haze not satisfactory eyi.
| dence Of the genuinepessfof these phenomena,
| which have just desdtbe& thlh there is no such.
thing as evidence, and Al The fabric of natural
science may be a mass on Posture And, when
| find, ON examination O. facts simihr to these
have been observed bYfhi hdreds of intelligent
| persons, in yarious ffIaNA for several wears
back, am dispossfF huAbA to remember the
maxim, attributed ~ AEag NE is a rash man,
the word impossible" Nlb ~
@ THos. WBNTNsArH H1GGINsoN.
Worcester, IS. april N POI Subscribed and
HnNEY cnAEtS JS1tiAe Of the Peace.
/ LEysB-Therew win be a @cia leygs, this eve.
ming, at o'clock. Music GODDARD < elldrich's
Band,) dancing, &c. Admiltancc Eve dmes.--
Ladies free. dfN