American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-11-28
Mind.Reading.

Many curious experiments have been
made in regard to the influence of the
mind over the body, and the question
whether the mind of one person can in
terpret the thoughts of another under
certain circumstances, has been much
discussed recently by physicians in this
city. J. r. Brown, who calls himself a
mindreader, and who claims to be able
to determine the train of thought in an
other, when brought especially in con-
tact, performed some experiments in this
city, and his methods were Investigated
by many distinguished physicians and
scientists. Mr. Brown afterward went
to New Haven and exhibited his powers
there, before a large audience. The
committee who there Investigated Mr..
Browns methods reported that they
"were not ready to assert that the claim
of mind-reading had been clearly main
tanned.
Dr. William A. Hammond and several
other scientists attended several of Mr..
Browns seances, as he called them,
while he was in the city. MIR. Brown
SAID that he could not operate through
Dr. Hammond, but could not give any
reason for such statement. With other
gentlemen Mr.. Brown performed various
experiments. One of the gentlemen hid
his doorkey under mat in the hall.
Mr.. Brown, blindfolded, took one of the
gentleman's hands in his, and touched
the other, which was held against his
forehead. Mr.. Brown then charged the
gentleman to think of nothing but the
place where the object was hidden. Dir.
Brown then led the gentleman about the
room and out into the hall. When they
reached the mat MIR. Brown stopped and
said: "Here it is" Mr.. Brown had
also string of large letters of the alpha
bet hung across the room, and upon this
he spelled out word thought of by
some gentleman This was often done
correctly, though Mr.. Brown was secure
ly blindfolded all the time.
DIR. Hammond explains the process by
the theory that the person operated upon,
| thinking intensely upon the subject,
gives some sign, invOluntarily, perhaps,
when the place is reached, or the sub
ject attained that is being sought. Mr..
Brown, by long practice, probably per-
ceivcs an indication that another might
not notice. DR.. Hammond said that af-
ter a little practice he had been able to
perform some of Mr.. Browns expert
ments with complete success. In the
experiment DIR. Hammond wrote down a
list of names, and told person to think
of one of them He then placed his
fingers upon the persons wrist and said
"Now l will tell you the name of the
person you are thinking of. Read over
the list and when you reach the right
name | shall know by your pulse which
it is" The person then began and read
down the list, and each time, when the
name thought of was reached, by some
means it would be plainly indicated, to
the great astonIshment of the person eX-
perimented upon. THE whole is ex-
planned to me-" added DIR. Hammond,
by the influence of the mind over the
body. The majority of persons thinking
steadily upon one subject do not fail to
give evidence when that subject is
reached which that person has been ex-
pecting. The reason why Mr.. Brown
could not operate upon me was, | would
not allow myself to give the slightest in
dication that would enable him to de-
tect my thoughts. / found this IA very
difficult thing to do, and, after / had
tried it, l did not wonder that many were
unable to exercise this control. | think
that when this theory of external indica-
ton of thought suddenly touched upon
is followed up further, it will explain the
whole of Mr. Browns mind eading. y
". y. Tribune.
Fox hunters must take the modern
world into consideration. Recently the
dogs lost fox near to the station of
Forte Saint Aubin, in France, and though
they beat up the neighborhood for two
hours could get no trace. 1t was thought
very strange that an old dog was missing
also. Next day it was ascertained that
the fox had leaped into the baggage car
of "a train just going out and the dog had
followed and killed him.
IT rs beautiful to behold at "A wedding,
says cheerful old bachelor, the sorrow
stricken air of the parent as he gives
the bride away" when you know that
for the past ten years he has been trying
his best to get her off his hands.