Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-04

HEARD.
1t is probably known to but few out
side OF our own immediate vicinity that
the Eddy family, the well known spiritu-
alists, who, fifteen years ago, astonished
the spiritualistic world with their exhi-
billions, live in Rutland county. Their
home is in Chittenden, about five miles
northeast of the village of Rutland.
They own farm, on which they live,
working it during the day and entertain
ing their friends with spiritual (?) mani
festations during the evening. They are
visited daily by numbers from this vicin-
ity, and parties come also from New
York, Philadelphia, and other localities
They also take boarders, and several
persons board with them during the sum-
mer months of each year. At present
there is one from Philadelphia and two
from Springfield, Mass, residing with
them. .s.-.. ....-~,.
Several times we have been entertain
ed with stories of their wonderful per-
formances" by parties wno have visited
them. On Saturday last a party of Phil
adelphians returned from the house and
related some wonderful stories of the
doors being all sealed and a large stone
being thrown into the room, and a young
lady of the party, as she herself said,
being lifted up bodily and foated around
the room. and other equally astonishing
and absurd stories. Consequently, the
HERALD decided to send a reporter to
the house and place the result of the
visit before its readers. A party was or
ganized, a team chartered, and start
made at six o'clock on Saturday even
ing. After drive Of about half an
hour, the party hauled up at an UMPIRE
tending farm house which, they were
assured by their driver, was the home of
the Eddys. Walking up to the front
door, they were met by a young man
and woman, who received them politely
and showed them into a room on the
left. Here were seated number of in
,dividuals. old and young, male and te-
male. One buxom old lady, a Mrs. Col
vim. we believe, attracted particular at
tention by assuming the direction OF
everything that was done. The Eddy
family are plain, unassuming set; the
young men cannot be distinguished from
ordinary farmers they look as if they
were tolerably intelligent, but no one
would Judge from their looks that they
would be any more cunning or inventive
than their neighbors. +.F. -.
The female portion is also very ordin-
airy looking. but our reporter was told
very seriously. by young man present,
that "they were all mediums. The
party accompanying our reporter now
went outside to examine the stone which
created such CONSERVATION on the previ-
GUS night, and found it to be a good
sized quartz rock. which would weigh in
the vicinity of sixty pounds.
The announcement was made at this
point that the sitting would soon begin
and the party were again shown into the
room in which the manifestations were
to take place 1t is an ordinary looking
farm house room, remarkable only, as
far as we could see, for the number OF
doors opening from it into closets, pas
sagcS, Railways, etc. which were seven
i'm number One of the brothers now
took the direction of affairs and proceed
ed to arrange the company which num-
bered, this evening, about twenty-five,
into a double circle-an unusual thing as
was gathered from their conversation
reaching across the room north and
south, the inside circle reaching around
on the south and north sides nearly to
the west wall of the room against which
the table was placed. Whether by acct
dent or design, the latter very probably,
our reporter was placed in the outside
circle which reached directly across the
room north and south. In arranging
the inside circle, it was noticed that par
ticular pains were taken to get the Eddy
family and their friends as near each
end as possible. A doubt was now ex-
pressed about the spirits helping the
medium and Mr.. Eddy replied that he
must be very smart if he had no help to
perform his tricks. eyes" says the
old lady, ''they1l own up that yon be
smarter than they are if the spirits don't
help YOU" In the northwest corner of
the room are the doors opening into a
closet, passageway and kitchen. Be-
fore the seance began, one of the fe-
males made pretension of sealing the
doors by sticking piece of wet paper
across the opening, from the frame to
the door itself, table stood against
the west wall, between these
doors and door opening into
the back yard. A chair was placed be-
tween the table and the three doors and
in close proximity to each, upon which
the medium was to sit. Under and on
top of the table was now placed a guitar,
a violin, several bells, tambourine, a
harmonicOn, two fencing swords, several
iron pokers and tongs and various other
traps. 1t was now announced that a
gentleman present expressed a desire
during the day, to have the privilege of
tying the medium. He took from his
pocket a ball of candlewick and using a
IonI tod
medium, as he said securely to the
chair. The light was now put out and
the medium called on the audience to
sing Just in front of us sat a strong
lunged individual who quickly struck up
''When / 60" and several others joining
in assisted him. When a long list of
verses of this tune were exhausted more
was called for and tune after tune was
struck up and exhausted in turn, all of
them, however, more remarkable for
noise than melody, and evidently in
tended more to drown the noise than to
charm the spirits, for if such music will
charm them there must be very poor adj
vantages for cultivating the art where
theyIare now sojourning. During the
singing the guitar, and harmonicon were
played, the bells rung and the tam
BOURNE pounded vigorously. The light
was now called for and on examination
the medium proved to be tied as he was
before the ight was extinguished. The
light was again put out and the singing
and playing resumed and continued sew
eral minutes. The light was again called
for and the medium was now sitting,
still tied, in the chair and it on the table.
The singing and playing being resumed
he was next placed on the floor in his
original position, not united The light
was again put out and the fencing swords
being brought into operation a fierce
battle ensued between two quarrelsome
spirits. in which could be distinctly seen
the fire fly as the swords came together.
The victor feeling considerably elated
when the conflict ceased, exclaimed
81 could run this sword through you as
easy as not" No very difficult opera
ton, we should think, if it was spirit.
One of the spirits now announced him.
self as Geo. Dix. Another soon an
nounced himself as the Italian spirit,
ord ooi6 che paDoo across