The weekly standard., 1869-10-20
A Very Singular Story from the State of
Maine.

4 Malnes
A man named Downs, who was in the
army, and for all we know a respectable
man, has lived for years in Auburn. A
shoemaker by trade, he has been known to
his friends to possess curious power of
putting other people into unconscious
states, in which he could make them do any
thing he pleased. On Thursday he came in
to the inner sole factory Of Mr.. Charles
Woodward, in Auburn, and being an old
friend, threw his arm casually around Wood
wards neck, think nothing of the act, and
soon after left the shop. Woodward says
that he remembers nothing that occurred af-
ter that till Saturday afternoon. After
Downs left the shop it was noticed that
Woodward behaved strangely-danced,
sang, &c. On Thursday night he did not
come home; but about $50 Friday morning
| put in an appearance and went to bed. He
| boarded with Mr.. Edwin Blake, on Spring
street, Auburn, Mr.. Blake thought Wood
ward acted strangely. Friday night he
made inquiries for him, and found he had
been over to a dance-had been down to
shanty and had got something to eat, and
had acted very badly in other respects
Blake naturally thought he was on spree,
and finding Woodward at last, got him
home, though he made stout resistance.
Friday night and Saturday forenoon Wood
| ward continued in this hysteric state; he
would tell any one who came in all their
family secrets-matters he never could have
known-but yet he faithfully revealved eve
| rything. Mr.. Blake saw clearly that it was
not case of intoxication, for it appeared
Woodward went into the state suddenly at
his place of business, and continued in it
many hours after he could have had access
to liquor. More than that, he seems to have
beea man of temperate and excellent
habits.
At last physician was summoned, who
thought it was a hysteric fit. 1t was recon-
mended that he be rubbed in strong mus
tard water While Mr.. Blake was doing
this, suddenly Mr.. Woodward came to his
senses, while Blake was instantly attacked
witha nervous tremor, his muscles contract
ed, his body writhed, and soon it became
| evident that he himself was unconscious.
| The ''demoniac possession" !" ''the witchery,"
| the tit, or whatsoever you please to call it,
had left Woodward and Blake was now the
| victim.
Blake was soon found to be entirely un-
manageable. He showed thrice his ordina-
| ry strength, and attacked with damaging
| effect plLthoric physician who was sum-
moned. He would dance and sing and cut
up all sorts of antics. Nobody could do
anything with him. He seemed to see be-
| forehand what the intention of those around
him was. Finding that it was impossible
to cure the case, it was asked, "Where is
| Downs3" 1t was then determined, as der
neir resort, to carry Blake thither. Accor-
| dinghy, Sunday forenoon he was secured in
carriage and taken to Gardiner. They
found Downs at hotel there, and brought
Blake to the room where he was. Downs
put his hands on him, and suddenly Blakes
| muscles relaxed; he was restored to con-
seriousness. Blake says the last he remem-
bered he was rubbing Woodward in his own
house. "Where am II" "How did come
| here!'' These and similar questions gave
expression OF the RIP Van Wrinkle wonder
ment that naturally possessed him on coming
to his senses. The story was soon told, but
Blake was forced to see that the explanation
only made it all still more blind; indeed,
that the explanation itself needed explain
ing
Downs said that ever since he had left
| Auburn he had not had notion that some
thing there was not right, but he could not
tell exactly what the trouble was; be had
| been unusually nervous and restless, and had
a.presentiment that he was needed there
| After he took on himself the affection of
| Blake he could for time hardly contain
| himself. A young man who accompanied
| Blake says when Downs restored himself to
consciousness he himself felt loss of ner-
| vous control, and feels that had it not been
! for Downs being there he should have been
| "possessedin theI5ame way'
| woodward states that he knew Downs in
the army, where Downs was quite notorious
for mesmerizing people. He says he has
seen him mesmerize many different persons
was himself mesmerized by him in those
days on several occasions. On one occasion
while in this state, Downs, sent him through
two picket lines and back, which he thinks
he could not have p ssed in his right mind.
Downs states that on Thursday he had NOT
the least idea of "mesmerizing" Woodward;
| only, after he left and went to Gardiner he
he was troubled about sumething-he knew
| not what
Such story as the above, if we should
hear 1t from almost any ordinary source, we
should discredit it to the whiskey bottle
But in the present instance there is every
reason to believe the facts are substantially
as above given. We have them from the
lips OF Woodward and Blake, and those who
took care of them. Mr.. Blake is well known
as one of the most reliable and Christian
young men in Auburn His father Is Rev.
Mr. Blake, ofNew York city, Mr.. Woodward,
so far as we know, has always borne himself
in this community well, and the fact is well
| sssa saasli-h.a thek his eonditian as above oiv-
| en-, was due alone to some indefinabie mes
meric influences.
Blake and Woodward are now confined to
their rooms, where we saw them to-day
They say they feel as though they had been
"pounded"-every muscle in their bodies be-
| ing, swollen and sore. They are thoroughly
prostrated.
"What is it 2" is the question. To an
swer it by saying mesmerism " is only to
jump out of the frying pan into the fire. 1t
is certainly wondrous proof of the effect
of one mind on another, of will on will, of
animal magnetism physical wonder-as
well established as any other in the nine
teenth century. In Cotton Mather's time
they hanged witches; lucky for Downs that
he lives in the MONDAY century, else he might
have been hanged long before from the bot
tommost limb of live oak