The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-02
THO world of SpirilS.

To tie Edit0r Of tie .Sun-Sm: Under
the above heading an article appeared in
the Weekly Sun of Sept. 0, written by
Henry S. Olcott, astonishing the many
readers of the Sun with his thrilling nara
tive in relation to the strange phenomena
witnessed by him and others ut the resi-
dence of the Eddy family. A. reader of
the Sun and resident of Chittenden begs
the privilege of giving to your many read
ers the opinion of the people and the press
in the immediate vicinity of the Eddys.
The spiritual manifestation" at the home
of Tie Eddys commenced about dozen
years since, when one Of the family, re-
turning from long absence Git is surmised)
impaired to those at home the knowledge
he had gained during his absence of sort
of jugglcry which they were soon able TO
practice in II bungling manner, and in pro-
cess Of time the neighbors began TO be at
tracted to the Eddy homestead to see them
perform. Previous to this there was little
or nothing known by the public Of spirits
or witches among the family or their an
cestors.
The performances at first consisted of
rappings, ringing bells, playing musical in
strumcnts, slipping off handouts, and I'M
tying ropes, the tricks being done in the
dark, and, as the Eddys claimed, by the
aid of spirits; but many of these tricks
the adroit youths of this and adjoining
towns could perform very creditably with
out the aid of spirits Soon came the show
ing and shaking of hands through hole in
plank partition which separated the So
called medium from the circle. A shrcwd
detective, during one 'OI tdesg irind-shaK-
ings, drew the arm of materialized spirit
through the partition nearly to its full
length, when the slap of heavy boot was
heard on the medium side of the partition,
and by sudden jerk the spirit broke the
grip. The cheat was plainly understood by
the entire company.
The Eddys Travelled, but. being unsuccess-
full, returned, and were subjected to a
most humiliating exposure before a large
audience in Rutland, and finally exposed
the whole thing themselves at the gloomy
farm house described by Mr.. Olcott.
A few years passed with but little men,
ton Of the Eddys; but about year ago
the heading, IAN old humbug revived"
since which the Eddys and some of their
neighbors have made a paving business of
boarding their dupes at what Mr.. Olcott
calls the low rate of SO per week, when
SO or SO. so per week is the usual price paid
for board among us.
Within the past year one of the county
papers gave an account of sitter in one of
the dark circles lighting a match while the
music was being played, and discovered,
not a spirit, but one of the Eddy family
playing the instrument.
Except few of the neighbors who are
linked with the Eddys, and tell marvellous
stories to the visitors, the people in the vi
entity pronounce the thing humbug
throughout. many of them knowing 1t to
be such, for their tricks have been exposed
repeatedly. And the supplemented peo-
pie" as Mr.. Olcott calls us, laugh at the
| dupes and ounces who come from all parts
| of the country; many of them are of mas
terly intelects and high literary culture,
who ought to be discerning enough to de-
| tect the cheat. but are fooled into the belief
by these country tlicksters, that they are
taking a peep into the spirit world.
The local papers, the Rutland Herald
in particular. have warned the public
again and again. Let the readers of the
SIN observe in the diagram given by Mr..
| Olcott. that the room is nearly dark. the