Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-17
How Mr.. Rand Was Let Out Of the Osw.,a
Jail by the Angels -E.7

~hA " thc <hhkce.
Some days since we eopied from the Sn;r;t, .l
Telegraph the announcement that one Mr.
Rand lad been released from the Oswego iaiI
by the spirits. The same paper of this week
contains the statement of Mr. Rand and j. L.
Pool, another spiritualist; also Of j. w. PEI
kiRs, jsilor. -
Prom these statements, 1t appears that Rand
was travelling with the Davenport bows, giving
spiritual lectures and exhibitions In the town
OF Mexico, OsWego county, they held circle in
a school-house on Sunday night, and the nert
day were prosecuted for trespass in going 10
the house without consent of the trustees and
treadlng down the grass Of the common on
them about so, and they got off by appealing
to higher court
few weeks later they were prosecuted for
holding circles in the town of Phoenix. Osveoo
county, and fined $40 and costs The spirfts
cormanded them not to pay cent, but to 20
10 jail, IT the authorities chose to send them
there. The authorities did choose 10 send thern
for thirty days After they had nearly served
their time, the spirits intim ated that thew
would be delivered, and these intimation were
told to some friends, and finally reached the
JaIler: The Jailer was quite willing to have tho
experiment. tried. The miracle was 10 be per-
formed on certain night, and on that day the
lailer took the precaution to change the old
lock Tor complicated one from a felon's cell
This the spirits did not open, and the IaiIer
found his prisoners all safe in the morning
The reason assigned By Mr. Rand for the failure
OF the miracle was that the Davenport boys had
told beforehand that the thing was to be done,
and Tor that reason the ruling spirit declined
to open the door. 4 --I'r--G :
The Jailer then took off the complicated lock,
but put on another strong one mot the o-iui
nal, and at Mi ght locked il with his own hst1i
Ihe next morning he went to the cell and found
the Davenport boys there, with the door locked,
r and .
serted that he had been let out by the shirts
MT. Rand himself declares that it was not
tnlrty minutes after the door was locked he
lore the angels unlocked it. and commanded
hlm to escape through the attic window.
such Is the miracle as related by Mr. Rand.
But the Jailer's statement puts the matter in a
very different light. He says: -
"A little past 10 o'clock d. m Thursday
night went up to lock their door. / had
not been In the habit of keeping their door
locked IN the day time, they occupying a
debtors room in the third story pulled
open their door, and there was large blanket
hung up against 1T on the inside. As this was
the common Practice when they held their
circles. thought nothing of il, and William
Davenport said from inside, Mr. Perkins, il is
all right, we are having a little conversation
with the spirits SuppOsing it was all right,
dld not move the blanket TO look in, but shut
the door and locked it, and went to bed. In
the morning, the first thirs after rising. |
went to the head Of the stairs to look at the
lock, and found it just as 1 had left it; but
when the turnkey went up to hand in their
breakfast, the boys told him that Mr. Rand
was gone; that the spirits unlocked the door.
and let him out. / then went up and unlocked
the door, and found both the boys in the room.
but Mr. Rand was gone. How he escaped
SATISFIED myself IN avery few minutes In the
ball adjoining their room is a door leading to
the garret. Previous to my going to lock their
door, Mr.. Rand had slipped out and passed up
INTO the garrett, while the boys had put up the
blanket, blown out the light and formed acir-
Gle to cover his retreat. Knowing that had
never intruded into their circles, they were
certain this plan would work. On going into
the garret, We found the window open, with q
rope hanging out, reaching to the she'd below,
which u some eight feet above the ground, and
the back gate, which fastens on the inside, left
open. And this is the way Mr.. Rand was let
out OF Jail by the spirits" s-..t.
These Davenport boys are the same who. two
or three years ago, made great sensation by
exhibiting spirit-hands, and having instru-
meRts played without visible agency. 1t was
discovered however that the spirit-hand was
stuffed glove, and that the boys played the
instruments themselves. Their exhibitions
were given in the dark, and on one occasion
man suddenly let on full blaze Of gas light,
which exposed their imposture. -