Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-10-29
Brown The Mind-Reader.


or THESHEFFIELD SCIENTIFIC SCHOOL.
On Monday afternoon. says New-Hav-
en- paper, Mr.. J. Il. Brown, the Mind
| reader" met, by appointment, a number
Of gentlemen in the philo ,ophical lecture
room Of North Sheffield Hail. for the pur-
pose of exhibiting the peculiar faculty pos
sessed by him of receiving impressions
from the minds OF others. under certain
conditions. There were present. during
part or all Of the experiments, profs.
Thacher, Wright, Wheeler, Fisher Brewer
Lyman, Marsh, Walker. Whitney, John
son, Norton and Clark, Ex-Presidcnt
Woolsey, Tutors Phelps AMI Thacher. Mr..
Thacher, ca relative of Prot. Thacher,)
aud three or tour ladies. Nine expert
ments were tried. seven Of which were en-
tirely successful. and the other two nearly
50. In one of them entire success being i'm
possible. Notes We're taken by Prof.
Brewer of each experiment ut the time.
The details are as follows:
Experiment l.-Prof. Brewer passed
from the lecture-room, through the hail,
(out of which open five doors aud two
stairways,) into another room, and from
this into another, where he placed on q
theodollte in a corner n small article TAX
Ell from his pocket He then went into
the hall by another door, then up stairs,
then back through the two rooms, then
down stairs, and then returned to the lee
ture-room, where Mr.. Brown. blIndfolded,
first took hold of Mr.. Brewers LETT hand
in his own right, and then, afler briefly
placing his other hand on Mr.. Brewers
forehead, and bringing Mr.. Brewers hand
to his own forehead, apparently to estab-
lish mental connection. suddenly started
of, leading him at rapid pace, through
the hall and the two rooms mentioned. di-
rectly to the article on the theodoiite. de-
signaling It as the object sought. There
was not the slightest hesitation a to
which room TO enter of the many opening
into the hall, nor As to the part of the
room where the object was placed, and no
one but Mr.. Brewer knew what the article
was. 1t was pocket tape-neasure in
brass case, which, as 1t lay on the object
end of the telescope OF the theodolite. ap-
peared to be part OF that instrument.
Experiment 2.-Mr. brown went with
Prof. Lyman into another room, and while
he was absent President Woolsey conceal
ed coin beneath book in pile OF books
at the end OF lecture-tabe. Then going
to the room where Mr.. Brown was, Mr.
Brown, blindfolded, led him rapidly to
the lecture-room, and alter trying one or
two other places, went to the vicinity of
the books, bending over them, passing re-
peatedly from one side of the table to the
other. then going elsewhere, but quickly
returning to the same spot, as if particu-
larly att acted there, yet without actually
finding the coin while with President
Woolsey. He then asked to try some one
else who knew where the article was. Put
ting himself en- rapport with Prof. Whitney,
he led him directly to the spot, and found
the coin under the books. 1t should be
observed that in these experiments the
person led is required to keep his mind in
tently on the article, and on the place
where he has concealed it.
Experiment 3.-Mr. Brown again went
out. (He left each time in company with
Prof. Lyman.) Then Prof. Fisher took a
pencil-case and gave it to Prot johnson
and likewise left. Prof. johnson gave it
to Prof. Thacher, and left the room also.
Then Prof. Thacher concealed it on the
edge of a blackboard and took his seat
among the persons in the room. The last
two who had gone out were recalled and
took seats In different places. Then Mr..
Brown (blindfolded as before) led in Prof.
Fisher from another room and took him to
Prof. Walker, then took Prof. Walker to
Prot. johnson and him in turn to Prot.
Thacher. In two or three cases he first
led the persons to the gentleman next to
the right one, and when told he was wrong
Immediately designated the right person.
In one of these cases the person led said
the mistake was his own, as he had inad-
vertently fixed his mind on the wrong in
dividual. With Prof. Thacher he failed to
find the pencil although, as in the second
experiment, he returned often to the spot
and closely searched the vicinity, seeming
ly attracted toward it, and oscillating first
to one side and then the other, like
needle near magnet. Requesting, then,
to try with some other person who knew
what and where the article was, he led Mr..
Thacher directly to the right spot and
FOUND the pencil case.
Experiment Am alphabet was writ