Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-20
HUME THE MEDIUMS FIRST ExPERI.
MENTS IN NAMERICA.
His Boyhood and Appreutice.bip

Correspondence OF the Spring feld Republican. I
NORWICH, CIR Nov. 10, 1858.
Your interesting article on Hume, the great
Yankee spiritual medium of European celeb
rity, induces me to supply some particulars of
ms Introduction to the new science, religion, or
art, ss different people may choose to call it.
de was An apprentice to Mr.. Edward Worth
ington merchant tailor, Of this city, during the
years Of ~ and 50. He was about eighteen
years OF age, . rather tall, unsophisticated
Scottish boy, with bat little learning, kind
disposition, auburn hair and blue eyes, whose
peculiar appearance-which will be recollected
by those who knew him well-reyealed his
wonderful power as a medium.
1t was during the years above referred to that
quite an excitement prevailed In our city in
regard to the newly discovered science of psy.
chology. Franklin Hall was nightly crowed for
long time with audiences com posed MOSTLY of
those who follow mostly in the wake of all the
new tsDlS Of the day and il was at one of these
meetings the professor of the mysterious sci
enee, while looking up' subjects among hi,
auditory, first came across Hume. His effem-
mate manner and the popularity Of his eve at
tracted the attention OF the lecturer and he
was requested to step forward and be psychol-
ogizsd. Hume at first hesitated, but finally
consented, and from the success which fol-
io"ea, MS future course, as one Of the most
wonderful mediums Of the age, commenced.
The HIodnS OpeTandr of putting a person
into the psychological state was novel, and. as
IL appeared to the spectator, extremely ridicu-
Ions The subject was made TO hold in his
right hand silver coin, set in composition #
pewter aand zinc, upon which he was to keen
his eyes fastened f'r about twenty minutes
Inc operator then steps up, grasps the thumb
OF one hand, and looks him sharply in the eyes
he :queezes the wrist, elbow and shoulder
alternately-suddenly passes his hand over on
the small OF the back; tickles upward: prins
the neck very hard; places his thumb firmly
over the nose; looks fercely in the cyes again:
rubs the temples; squeezes the forehead; press
ing the thumbs between the ewes at intervals.
makes swift motions with his bands before the
face; closes the eye-!ids, and rubs them softly
with his thumbs, and in a few moments the
subject IS IN psychological or mesmeric state,
and at the will Of the operator.
Through this ordeal Hume passed, and proved
to be what was then called f'natural subject !"
and an uncommon one. After this he attended
the meetings regularly, "a long as they were
continued, and entertained and aston;sbed
those present with his unaccountabIe feats
while in the mesmeric state
The professor above alluded to was W. ID.
franklin, the present leader and the PRINCIPAL
singer OF the Continental Vocalists, and TO him
may De ascribed the honsr, if honor jt is, of
nrs' discovering the supernatural gifts Of this
young man, which has made him the bosom
friend of kings and princes
During the winter Of 1850 the writer was
present at an evening party ut a private house
In this city, to which Hume was invited TO be
present, that several Of the company might
crafty wish which they had expressed of
Witnessing some OF his performances while in
the Psychological state. After he had become
insensible, as il appeared, to all worldly mat.
esrs, thick, heavy handkerchief was tied over
bis eyes, So that it was impossible for him to
nave discovered light, even had he been wide
awake. Several kinds Of wine were brought
forward, and as the operator tasted each. Hume
at the same time, by the motion of his lips,
appeared to be drinking, and gave the name
of each wine with accuracy. A moutbful Of
vinegar, in the mouth Of the operator. nearly
strangled Hume. Several varieties of satables
were then tasted with the same results Among
the other experiments tried, the operator wrote
on piece OF paper that he would send Hume
to California. Immediately be fell upon bis
Knees ana commenced digging with both
hands as If life and death were at Issue. One
pocket after another was filed with the pre-
e,ous dust, and his handkerchief was filled.
tied carefully and slowed away in biz bosom
a. secretly IS possible. At the will of the one
rator, he was sent hunting in the same room
shot birds on the wing, and rabbits on the run.
and slowed them away in the imaginary game
bag under bis arm. He also went 6shin1 in a
manner which would have caused that old ladv
no uneasIness who sent her son fishing and
made MIN promise be would not 90 near the
water, for fear that he might be drowned.
But II will be useless here to describe all III,
performances witnessed that evening; .ufi
clent Is II to say, that Signor BItz or Professor
Anderson, the wizard, never entertained an
audience with feats OF magic and necromancy
more 70 their wonder and astonishment We
little thought then that il would be but few
years before Hume would be making tie
crowned heads Of the old world tremble, by
bringing visions of the past before them, even
as Banquo's ghost made his murderer shake in
his boots. UR