Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-10-20
For the Spy.


A short time since, with few acquaintance,
we visited friend of ours who processes to be a
medium" for the purpose of witnessing a phe
nomenon, which we have, many times, vainly,
endeayored to see, but never expected to witness,
VIZ the moving of inAnimate matter, without
apparent physical agency or contact.
The company present consisted Of five or six
gentlemen, and as many ladies. In the middle
OF the room, which was about twelve or fourteen
feet square, stood medium table, covered with
cloth, in the centre Of which stood vase of
flowers. The company were seated around the
table, aud as far from it as the room would allow
so that each one had good view of the table
and its surroundings as a skeptic might desire.
Audible but faint thumps soon manifest,
apparently near the middle of the table. stem
ped forward and placed my hand beneath the
cloth upon the table, to see if could detect any
vibration, and the sensation, to me, was precise
ly that of thump from the knuckle of
some unseen hand. In a short time there
were loud raps, and of the gentlemen
proposed whistling Yankee Doodle, provided this
mysterious rapping would beat time. We there.
upon commenced whistling, and the time was
beat out distinctly upon the table.
The medium" now requested that the table
be moved, but as there no sign of a response
to this request, he asked the company to Join
hands, and, immediately upon their doing So the
table rose from two legs, tipping towards the
medium, and then fell back to It's original posi-.
tion. The feet were raised some two inches from
the floor, and the shaking Of the flowers, and the
striking of the feet Of the table upon the floor,
were the same would be produced by lifting
the table, thus much by the hand, and then let.
ting it fall back. Soon after this the table tipped
three times in succession, sufficient to rebound
from its opposite legs
The medium next ex pressed wish to have the
table lifted from all fours," which he said had
frequently been done, but he did not succeed in
gratifying us with this sight, nor were there any
more responses during the evening.
Now, the question arises, what is the modus
operandi by which bodies are thus moved and
sounds thus produced? Is it by means Of vacu.
um, or by pressure, by attraction, or by repul.
sion, in some mysterious medium Is it the
same power that reDds the tree or skaters our
dwelling, or that conveys to us instant intelli.
gence Of events a thousand miles away Wheth.
er Il is, or is not, this agency, are equally in
the mist, and we shall not, at present. attempt to
cogitate name nor cause for these phenome.
ma; we shall not attribute them to good spirits
nor bad spirits, nor spirits Of the departed neth-
er shall we say that they are not attributable to
such spirits. But we shall continue satisfied with
seeing and reasoning according to the extent Of
our ability until time shall develop the mystery,
believing that this is one Of those phenome-
ma, which are constantly occurring along the
stream Of time, which contribute to mans disci-
pline, elevation, and progress - phenomena
which give'to life its zest and to nature its sig
nihcance =. o. W.