The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-08-15
Animal Magnetism.


The dividing line between nature and
the supernatural is in some places very
obscure. A young gentleman of the
name of j. h. Brown. resident of Red
Oak, Iowa, aged 81 years, called at
the Tribune Office, yesterday, in COM
pany with ex-senator Woodland, of this
city, and gentleman from Whiteside
county. Mr.. Brown was introduced as
one possessing remarkable psychological
powers, of which the assembled editors
were invited to make test. We were
informed that, if any person would
go to another part of the building and
deposit any article whatsoever in n
secret place, Mr.. Brown, being blind
folded, would take the person by the
hand and lead him directly to the place.
the only condition being that the person
depositing the article should keep his
mind intently fixed upon it. One of the
gentlemen of the Tribune thereupon
went into an adjoining room, closed the
door, and placed u coin inside a volume
of the Poland Credit Mobilier report,
and covered this volume with several
other books. Returning, Mr.. Brown.
having handkerchief tightly bound
over his eyes, took this gentleman by
the left hand, held the hand for mo-
ment against his own (Mr BIS head,
and then walked against the door of the
adjoining room. The door being opened,
he marched against one of the glass
doors of a bookcase having a dozen or
more similar openings. This door being
opened, he placed the hand of the gen.
tleman, who had secreted the coin, on
the Poland Credit Mobilier report, and
said, "There it is" He did not claim
to know Ohat the thing was, but he
knew where the place was.
Several experiments similar to the
foregoing were tried, with the invariable
result that Mr.. Brown, by placing the
hand of the experimenter on his own
forehead, was enabled to walk directly
. to the place where the object had been
placed. 1t was also ascertained that if
person should merely fix his thoughts
on any object in the bui ding, Mr..
Brown would go directly to it, having
first placed the persons hand on his
own head. The only explanation Mr..
b. can give of his own power is that,
when the hand is placed on his head, he
sees a light leading to the object of
which that person is thinking. He
does not pretend to read anybody S
thoughts in any other way than this.
1t is fortunate that Mr.. Brown was
born III the nineteenth century instead
of the seventeenth, else he would have
been burned for witch. As it is prob
able that he will give some public ex-
hibitions of his powers, we turn him
over TO the scientists" That there is
no humbug in his case, we are fully
persuaded. The experiments to which
he submitted in the Office of the Iri6-
une, in the presence of half dozen
extremely skeptical experimenters, seem
to prove the existence of a physico-
psychologist force, to which the name of
"animal magnetism is most commonly
applied. The existence of such force
has long been suspected, but the condi-
tions of its operation are so rare, and
the means of verifying the testimony
concerning it are so unsystematized,
that it has no scientific basis or recog-
milton whatever. AS starting point
for some well authenticated information
upon the subject, we suggest that the
medical profession of Chicago appoint
a committee, whose testimony would be
universally accepted, to hold a ''seance"
with Mr.. Brown, and report the facts
chicago Tribune, 7M.