The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-10-16


MEssRs. EDIToRs:-The world -renoWne
magiciaus, the Davenport Brothers made .
deIbo, strfl.io1 81 Whittleasy Hall last even
ing.
Il was claimed by theiF spJkesman, in 8
/ preliminary address that the things about to
be shown were manifestations of a peculiar
nature, sGch as were not made by any magi-
clans, con jaEsrs, or masters Of the black-aFt
whatever. believe it was not distinctly
said that they we're caused by spirits or spir-
itual agency, but he left it to be inferred by
what he did say, that such was the fact.
He stated moreover, that they had travel
ed extensIYeIy.ih Europe, and had every
where been we'll received with one or two
excep,ions-that their meetings had been
attended by scientific men, aRd-that Com
mittees had been repeatedly appointed to
examine and report; and such reports had
all been favorable to their claims, with the
above exceptions.
A 00n1mittee Of two was appointed last
evening, by he audience, of which the un-
| dersigned was one. We examined the cabi-
| net "a structure like large wardrobe) in
which the two brothers were to be placed.
| 1t had no machinery about it-there was no
apparatus for electricity or magnetism. Its
contents were violin, a guitar, fsnbour
inc, bell, tubes about foot long, trum-
pet shaped, and several cords q Of inch in
thickness. With these cOrds,l The brothers
Ewere tied, hands, feet and knees to their
seats at either end of the cabinet. Its three
doors we're closed and fastened, and in less
than miudte-began to Be heard aclatter IN
! side. The music was played, and at an
aperture near. the top of the middle door,
| appeared hand, shaking now the bell, and
now the trumpet letting the latter fall to
the floorss This noise and music continued
perhaps from three to minutes; then the
doors weie thrown open and the two broth
ers were sitting precisely in their places,
tied down exaetlyess they were when the
operation began.
The question to be decided is, what caus-
ed these ldemOnstrstiops,,,f Was it spiritual
agency, or was it the Davenports? I deny
the former and affirm the latter.
4, Because as was sitting by the ca6i-
net, 50 as to have fair view of one of the
brotheTs=at the instant the door-Ras opened,
s4E apair 6s HANDS thrust q euiekly y behind
him, and down to the seat The motion was
exceedingly qpiebT-n -nstaRtaneous--but /.
could not be mislakeE.7 The hands we're not
spiritual hands, but flesh and blood--fOr
they had arms, and The arms had a body,
and that body 5FassD avehp0ft,sg OF this fact
1 am ss-wellassREed as of,the fact that DaYs
export was on his seat. -, -Es.-.
3. Qne Of the operations was 10 let one
Of the Committee go into the cabinet, be
seated between the two .brothers and be
bound BY each arm to them, who themselves
were bound as before; and when the doors
we're closed the cords from each would be
united and all would be free. l was offered
this testsbut 4declinedst have both hands
tied, as Iswahled one TO use fOr the purpose
of finding out what was going on but this
was refused by the operator, who said the
only condition was that both hands must be
bound So he rejected this test 1 appealed
to the audience aba they SUSTAINED me.
By this time it was evident that the man
ager began 10 feel a little uncomfortable,
aud talked much about the necessity of com
plying with the established rules and con.
ditions Of the manifestations. But determ-
ined to Prote the matter TO the bottom,
g. That / should not be satisfied unless I
could have command of the doors myself
opening and hitting them when l pleased
1 was Satisfied that by this method l could
make disco yerissf which would expose the
whole tick but this was refused. The
door must be shut and locked, and not opep-
ed but at the bidding of the manager; /
again appealed to the audience, and they
sustained me, Cries of e.hgmbugI hum
bugr' were shouted from every part Of the
hOlse, and the meeting broke1p in disorder.
Tthiuk very few left the room without the
conviction that the bubble of spiritual nan
ifestatiOhs had been pricked.aaszsSs q mat the
Dsyepport Rs1ecs..l.isTs, however deeply they
may, be Eetssd in the magieian's art, are, as
to spiritualism, downright humbI gs,
~---.-,y---.-. A. NEWTON.