The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-10-20
DROWN, THE MIND.READER.

OF the Sheffield Scientific School
tFfOm the Nov York TimCS)
On Monday afternoon, says o New
Haven paper, Mr.. ]. r. Brown, the
"mindreader," met, by appointment, a
number OF gentlemen in the philosophical
lecture room OF North Sheffield Hall, for
the purpose OF exhibiting the peculiar fac,
ulty possessed by him of receiving i'm
pressiOnS from the minds Of others under
certain conditions. There were present
during part or all Of the experiments,
Profs. Thatcher, Wright, Wheeler, Fish
or, Brewer, Lyman, Marsh, Walker,
Whitney, johnson, Norton and Clark, ex.
President Woo!soy, Tutors Phelps and
Thacher, Mr.. Tacher "a relative Of Prof.
ThacherO and three or four ladies. Nine
experiments were tried, seven OF which
were entirely successful, and the other
TWO nearly so, in one OF them entire sue
cess being impossible. Notes were taken
by Prof. Brewer Of each experiment at
the time. The details arc as follows:
Experiment 1.-Prof Brewer passed
from the leCturerOOm. through the hall,
tout OF which open five doors and two
s.airways,l into another room, and from
this into another, where he, placed on a
theOdollLe in corner 0 small article
taken from his pocket He then went
into the hall by, another door, then up
stairs, then back through the two rooms,
then down STAYS, and then returned to
the lecture room, where Mr.. Brown,
blindiOlded, first took hold Of Mr.. Brew
er's lett hand IN his own right, and then,
after briefly placing his other hand on
Mr., Brewers forehead, and bringing Mr..
Brewers hand to his own forehead, ap-
parently to establish mental connection,
suddenly started OF, leading him at a
rapid pace, through the hall and the two
rooms mentioned, direCtly TO the article
on the theodolite, designating It as the oh.
ieCt sought, There was not the slightest
hesitation as TO which room 10 enter OF
the many opening into the hall, nor Ss. to
the part OF the room where the object
was placed, and no ono but Mr.. Brewer
knew what the article was. 1t was q
pocket tape.measurc in brass case, which,
as it lay on tho object end OF the tele-
scope Of the theodOlito, appeared to be a
part Of that instrument.
Experiment 2.-Mr. Brown went with
Prot. Lyman into another room, and
while he was absent President Woolsey
concealed q coin beneath q book in q pile
Of books at the end OF lecture table.
Then going to the room where Mr.. Brown
was, Mr.. Brown, blindlolded, led him ra-
pidly to the lecture room, and, alter try
ing one or two other places, went 10 the
vicinity Of the books, bending over them,
passing repeatedly from one side OF the Ia.
bic 10 the other, then going elsewhere, but
quickly returning 10 the same spot, as II
particularly attracted there, yet without
actually finding the coin while with Presi-
dent WO0lsey. He then asked 10 Try some
one else who knew where tho article was.
Putting himself en- rapport with Prof.
Whitney, he led him directly TO the spot,
and found the coin under the looks. Ii
should DO observed that in these expert
ments the person led is required to keep
his mind intcntly on the article, and on
the place where he has concealed 1t.
Experiment 3.-Mr. Brown again went
out. (He lett each time in company with
Prof Lyman) Then Prot. Fisher took
penCilCase and gave II to Prof. johnson
and likewise lett. Prof, johnson gave II
to Prof. Thatcher, and left the room also,
Then Prof, Thatcher concealed 1t on the
edge Of 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 (blindlolded as beiore) led in Prof.
Fisher from another room and took him
to Prof Walker, then took ProI. Walker to
Prof. johnson, and him in turn TO Prof.
Thatcher. In two Of these cases he first
led the person to tho gentleman next to
the right one, and when told that he was
wrong, Immediately designated the right
person, 1n ono OF these cases the person
led said the mistake was his own, as he
had inadvertently fixed his mind on the
wrong individual. 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 attracted towards Il, and
osClllating first 10 one side and then the
other, like needle In the magnet. Re-
questing, then, 10 try with some other
person who knew what and where the
the article was, he led Mr.. Thacher d.
recIly 10 the right spot, and found the
pencilcase. -".
Experiment Am alphabet was writ.
ten with chalk on a blackboard. When
Mr. Brown was out Of the room, Prof..
Marsh wrote the word "Bone" on a slip
OF paper, and handed It to another person.
Mr., Brown returning, was blindfolded,
and taking Prof. MSrsh's hand, immedi-
stely pointed to the four letters in sue
cession. sl
Experiment 5-Mr. Thscher was 10
think Of a pain" in some definite part Of
his body. MT Brown seemed at first to
find much difficulty in locating the sup
posed pain, but At length designated a
spot just under the right nostfiL The
right nostril itself was tho locality in-
tended by Mr.. Thacher. '-
Experiment Gone end Of q copper
wire twenty and one.halt feet long was
held by Prof. Lyman, the other by MIR,
Brown, the wire being slack. Mr. Brown
(blindiolded as in all cases after turning
Tor moment 10 a person seated near by
went sIraightioa spot beneath the OBJ
ject on which Mr.. Lyman had fixed his
thought which was the clock, in . high
and 10 Mr.. Brown inaccessible position.
What he did find was an article on a
shelf within reach, and a few feet directly
beneath the clock.
Experiment Mr.. Brown left the
room. An inkstand was placed in q cor,
tain position on the lecture table. Prof
Fisher, Prof. Wright, and Tutor Phelps
took hold Of one end Of the wire before
mentioned, and Mr.. Brown, blindiolded