The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-04-15

said Let me try, for have always been tod 4boe
Ipossess a great deal OF electric pow. r" Plan
| ehette' was produced The lady and placed ouT
hands on it, and begged her husband to put some
question ue the answer TO which was known to him
ne asked, " To whom, did write tbs pornng?''
| sc ~. IN, netle instantly commenced writing.
has yvoS r.s 20 ohel who WAS watching it, 1T
removed the board; but SEEING that after the
name II had continued if going 10 wrjIe more re-
t so ~ o WI PIf o. NE pencil exactly
quested it to be so good as to proceed II Vent on
an then gave its usual sign OF having Gnshad H.
deseeibing sort OF Circular flourish round lis
writing.
On examining its work We found Thomson Will
liam.''
Thomson was not the name; but adopt II ie-
cause Ike the real name, il admits of two modes of
speing, and in this 1t spelt the name correctly
in the least common form.
swell" said Colonel c. "that's idl The sir
name Is right; but DON'T knog or have forgotten
If ever did know, the Christian name"
on looking in the - Army List he found It was
William.
Mrs G neither knew that her husband had vri.
ten TO he per on named, nor did She know him even
by Nance, nor did l. Il RI.
The next ease occurred among the same people
and was even more curious.
Colonel G. asked: "FIom whom did l hear tins
-Pt9ache te.-" James,"
e is2 G.-'.N9, wrong there; try again.
ftanchette.-" James"
. Are you sure" salt we s'you have not heard
IRON any one named James?"
"f Pass bsare he REPLIED, deep in the Times.
lived, and repl ell, +" ondon.'
what was his surname?"
Panchette wrote it-"G-"
AVE you quite sure" we again asked - that vour
Drothef James dill not write to yOu?''
by Jove" exclaimed the Colonel; he did-to tell
me not 10 go up to dinner to- day, because nv father
hidjust discharged the butler. i rite forgof.
said that my friend b. told me that "Pianchette,
would sonnet mes answer mental questions correctly
In every experiment have made but ONE 1t was a
failure One was correct.
There was q dinner party at Colonel G.'s. pro-
cuced anchette," and Mrs g., one of the ladies
for whoa said Planchette'' would write alone of
course was present. 1 begged ner husband to ar
range with any OF the guests question which thcv
should address men ally 10 the lady. He selected a
clergyman, aud after concerning together in a wills
per at the side of the room opposite "Plnehette
Colonel G. announced that lie had put the question
!. Planchette'' wrote, :. Town."
The question was then committed TO the party
IL was, Nv mere is - tmyselpg ing Tomorrow
Now there could be no collision here The lady
who had her handson ''Panchette' did not hear he
qieson, ana there was the eOrroboratve testimony
Ut the clergyman as to what thai question was
DO not profess to und lstand this. and can only
power over his wife, tor in the three cases cited
Pianchette" replied correctly, when Mrs. G.'s
hanas were on IT to questions, the answers to which
Can the utterances of "Planetette' be explained
by natural electricity and animal magnetifm? /
commend the matter 10 the attention of DIR. Radcliffe
am too ignorant to know whether it is possible
tnat the nerves having their In tine brain could
mus act, as It were in concert with the br in and
without any conscious effort of the mimi or will pro-
dnce the formation Of letters and words such as ae
formed when the hands laid as have described,
on 50 Planchet,e." ~
This do know,-tbat the hands will under GER
tam circumstances, write without any conscious eff
iOrt on the part of their owners tor have more than
Of"e, when oppressed with fatigue, heat and over
WORK, lalen I'M doZe with my pen in my hand and
when nave recovere consciousness, have fund
toat IN the TEMPORARY Inconsistencies of sleeI 1
nave sun been writing although am bound to say
that my writing under these circums ances was new
er as coherent as the pc flor of 'sPanchette"
II Inc cause OF the motion and OF the formation OF
ietters words and sentences be explained the words
themselves need not, think, be deemed mysterious
None Dut savages consider dreams pl etern atural
ye tnere is no conscious effort of the will. No one
considers eep' walking sleep-talkng spiritual"
Yet IL Is involuntary Once establish the motion and
the connections il it exist in the sens have referred
to the nerves and the BRAIN -once, in Short
explain the act of "Planchette's" writing and the
matter of 1t need excl e no surprise What is more
unexpected or more sudden than change in the cur.
rent oil our Thoughts? What more wonderful than
the human mind? /
but But am getting out of my depth. l have given
pam and thoroughly truthful account OF nv own
experience OF "Planchette." There are, doubtless
many Others equally worthy who could cite ex-
perlences even more int esting. NY object i'm re-
corning mn is to draw tie attention of scientific
men 10 very curious subj ct.-t0 what NAV be a
new natural power, or rather new development of
natural power. 1t is worthy OF a careful examine
aiion by unprejudieed men OF science, and i hone
my slight sketch may induce some of them to give
flanchette'' "a fair field and no favor"
MANUFACTURED AND FOR SALE BY