The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-27
The Very Latest and Most Interesting
Illustrations Of Psychic Force.
A TABLE WITH UNRULY LEGS.
Truthful Account Of the PhenOm-
ena from an Eye Witness.
sPIRITUALIsTIC HAND-sHAKING
Another Example Of Nineteenth
Century Enlightenment.

OOAAON4y AlAAS34VOAAA4AOAVs
We publish below an 'snterviewn which brings
prominently before the public one OF the most IN.
terestng manifestations OF "psychic force" which
has over appealed to the creaulty OF intelligent men
aud women. II u as well. however. to say at.rhe
outset that this conversation has been reported BY
nrm believer in the possibility Of spiritual action
upon tables and chairs. But while we 90 not
therefore, commit ourselves any way to vouching
for the absence OF conscious or unconscious collu
sion on the part OF the persons who are honored
with seats at tho middlo reporters table" Father
Beeclser's church, we do claim for this narrative
that need Of careful attention which Justly belongs
to the faithful, and seriousstatement Of eye-wit
ness who lnBen0s to simply speak the truth.
The fucts OF the are very plain. Sunday after
Sunday last summer o table standing Immediately
under clio little desk from which Is weekly an.
nounced The Gospel according to Beecher, showed
unequivoca symptoms OF being thrilled by the fer
vld oratory OF the "Young Mems Apostle" As
every one knows who has attended Plymouth
church, the preacher and the audience usually
settle down to serious business at about the middle
Of the "prc-sermon" prayer. 1t Is MIR. Beecher's
custom ut his point OF the service to let himself
QUIZ with that grand earnestness which is
the chief secret OF his success as an orator,
aud after o few sentences or passionate
rhetoric the congregation willingly abandon them
selves 10 the magic spell OF that wonderful message
~ divine love and universal brotherhood and the
nobieuess OF duty and grandeur Of unselfshness, q
due heed to which MI Beecher rightly declares 10
form our only hope Of converting this hard, practical
world into millennial paradise. AT times, indeed,
the audience seem enchanted; they Sit moioness
Is the men In that Eastern tale who had been
turned into stone by the wand OF q wicked mag-
spirits who viewless TO the gross vision Of mortas,
delight to haunt the precincts OF the temple, were
wont 10 betray symptoms Of agitation. AMI they
"manifested" their excitement after the customary
fashion OF modern ghosts by an attack upon q
table-that "mlddle reDOrLer's tablen which Is one
OF the most conspicuous objects In the church.
The table began TO move to and lr0, slowly
at first, ana then faster, vita Q weird,
tremulous, sliding motion that stirred the souls OF
those VINO looked on with solemn awe. As 'amen"
closed the invocation to the Deity for wisdom to
know the right and strength to hold fast to It the
dumb furniture, which thus betrayed the sympa-
therc energy OF the dead with these grand aspira-
tions Of the living. tipped up ana down-so violently
indeed as to throw the pencils Of the scribes upon
the moor. Through the sermon the manifestations
were even more marked. These things, wonderful
as they arc, occurred not once or twice. but many
times. They were only stayed BY the dispersal Of
this set OF reporters TO other tables.
Yielding to o mistaken fear Of Mrs Grumpy q
vigorous effort has been made to hush up these In
terestlng aud instructive illustrations OF unex.
plored force Of nature We are assured by eye
witnesses that there was no possible concert among
the reporters to move the table, and that Its gam
bols continued IN o more dem0nstrative form than
before after every human being near by had drawn
back their chairs several feet FROM it. These move
ments, also, which at times assumed almost o
salta.ory carncstncss curiously corresponded with
the outflow OF the currents Of Beecher theology.
Whenever the preacher made an effective perora-
tion he thrilled the table as we'll as his
hearers, while In seasons OF merely ordinary
interest the table had scarcely . perceptible mo-
ton. Let but the tiiings Of these marvellous phe-
nomena be widely circulated and we shall have In
the future certain test OF the comparative force
and earnestness OF the clergy pine table win be
universally accepted as the gauge their oratori-
cal merits. To move liece OF furniture an inch
twelve times to and ro In one minute may be rated
at the value Of SO many degrees on the thermome-
ter or Gospel usefulness. We SHALL indeed, be able
to the s i've ans strength o.
with which we can now determine their height ana
weight. Verify, the world, ike John Browns soul,
still goes marching on.
THE INTERVIEW.
II came to the knowledge recently OF the HERALD
tricks ii before q crowded congregation At Fly
mouth Church, and animated BY no other
iacss OF the phenomena. HERALD re reporisr
was requested 10 interview one OF the privileged
members OF the gh0sty circle on the unrecorded
aud remarkable behavior oil tablc in Plymouth
Church, that until II lately surrounded by male
anu female members OF thu press, has behaved itself
win propriety That was In character with Ats
location.
.Do you believe in Spirituasm p asked the un.
believing. matter, ofIact HERALD reporter or the
impressionabc and susceptible splritualistic spec
tatOr.
'Spiritualismi Do believe in splritualism
Well, I've seen some evidence that's pretty hard to
st Tns 4 70 I've s yomS
Ism, spiritual communications or whatever you
GONE, now. what have you seenw
..Wnats the use OF wasting my breath on this SUBJ
IN IN. the p!ainess Engiish ai my command you
Saiiacination. No; I'D rather be excused
Of mysteries to persons VINO think they have meas.
ured and weighed the universe, have sounded all
depths and pierced all heights and WHO have at
that what they do not know does not therefore,
"Nonsensc man cannot help unbcllef"
"No, man cannot help unbelief buthe can have
or ought to have, o vague idea that there Ia some
thing In earth and heaven wider IMAM MS little pni-
o "but to the point what have you seenw
sseen2 have seen enough to make spirituasts
OF every man ana woman In tho city OF New York
II l could make them believe that my story was
"And do you believe that spirits communicate
with persons on the earthf"
IL believe It most emphatically. why notY we
are oil spirits.' Just now We happen TO DO tenants
OF physical body. Those whom we cali spirits
have moved out OF The body; but does that necessi
tate any great removal or Grange, we know S aoso
come down with our nat impossible 81 everything
that is beyond The limit OF our narrow s.sion.
A man OF any philosophy, or even with q decent
n sense,