The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-17
COMMODORE VANDERBILT.
"A MAN VINO DID NOT CURE MN BY
THE LAYING ON or HANDS.
A Medium who was EMPLOYED. Paid $500.
and Discharged-rb. Patients Condition
Yesterday-Nether Worse nor Better.


A Medium who was EMPLOYED. Paid $500.
and Dischs reed-Th- Patients Condition
Yesterday-Nether Worse nor Better.
Col. William w. Bennett, u spiritualist,
who cl Inns to heal by the laying on OF spirit
guided hands, and who lives In Fifth street,
Jersey City, tells remarkable story OF the good
he effected In the Commodore's case. lie SAYS
that MIR. Vanderbilt employed him in Nav, when
the illness assumed its most serious form, and
tn 1t he found tho patient "in mortal dread OF
the return OF his pains. and with a tongue tn at
looked like thick blotting paper, so extensively
cooked was It," The Commodore at that time
suffered from hemorrhoids, hernia, and inf ,m-
nation OF the prostate gland. The physicians,
Drs. Linsley and Elliott and Prof. Flint, had ex-
bausted their skill and remedies.
~ sat down by the Comm modore's beside with
out word" says Col. Bennett, land my hands
commenced to pass over his head, and body.
In Il few moments the Commodore murmured,
Tremendous. tremendous powerl Ir an hour
he was relieved. left him sleeping quietly. adj
vising the cessation OF administration OF all
drugs"
The Colonel SAYS that he called again and
az In. Once under hi4 manipplations the Com
necessary TO bring him to consciousness.
DIR. Linslev remarked, "I miracle! ana the
the power to relieve m, distress" rhose man
ipulations exhausted Col. bennett so pc SAYS
| 10 SuNn an extent tnat ue was pbnkeu 10 ut-
mand that NJ 4. Dunforth, a medium, Of sixth
avenue, be Above to assist him.
A WARMING DREAM.
During the period tnat the Colonel was em-
| plOycd the Commodore. according 10 TINS ac-
| count, gave evidence Of being under spirit con-
troll. lie dreamed that he walked on a peculiar
rod; over tue edge OF which ms friends krpt
the edge he wavered nut moment and then
continued on hts journey. Thiswas interpreted
as an indication tnat he will recover.
The Commodore sent the Colonel away once,
| according to the Colonel's story, but recalled
| him In two davs; and In two weeks, under his
hands, the Commodore imtruved piec'ably.
| The Colonel professes to believe that tue spirits
4 made him the agent b which the patients life
h 3 been sayed. Inc Commodore's o in left
him ana went to the Colonel, who suffers from
II, ne saw TO tnis cav ntnousn @ ny ssr'iUes ne
| "thev re suddenly dispensed WITH" when
| be censed to manipulate, he pro. hesied that
| the Iatient would be attacked NJ IN IN july,
and would die In September. lie Acknowledges
the rccep OF 800 IN payment for nis services.
! ruhbers," said Dr. Lnsley, when he had heard
| wniti prn ed above, " ana THIS Col. Bennett
was one of the seven. His story is full OF falsi-
ncitOns."
THE TRUTH
The physlcins did not cease to administer
mcuICiuo~," the doctor continued, although
the siily fellow did request US 10 abandon drugs.
dad not stand bv ~hen u 'nnctt rubbed, and
say, a., M sc ~ s ~, 'o.
the y ,tient lt'll ease any man IN pain 10 fool
around nun aud distract his attention. But lie
did no more than the uarOeT does. lie put tho
Commodore to RI epl Well, the Commodore
goes to sleep every time the o .rber snaves him.
As for tue physiclins work against BIN. Com
modore Vanderbilt once asked me u Col. Ben
nett could hurt MIN. No, said |, ne wont
hurt YOU, but doubt " ne'tl do you much gOo0 .
A little later, the Colonel went ABOUT his Uusi.
meas, and | Understood the Commodore told
| him not to come any more.
introduced Bennett to the house" said
hir DE Forest, the CommOdOre's nephew. "tDl.
Bennett Is the son OF Il frisnd Of mine. lie
wrote me tn he thought he could cure, and
sid he might Try. cautioned hin not to talk
spirltuaIisin Tor neither tue Commodore nor his
family are spiritualists. We believed the Col.
onei All n i'm uense deal Of amin Al m tgnetism
but nothing supernatural. lie was very impru-
dent. lie talked spiritualism and the Commo-
dOre had him dismissed"
THE coMMoDoREs CONDITION.
| After sleeping more thrn usual on Tuesday
| night, Commodore Vanderbilt awoke yesterday
| morning feeling even better than on the " be
fore. His daughters and some OF his Irand.
children called but aside from his family, ne
saw few visitors Among these few was Mi
Augustus Schel. Ihe consultation Of the
pnysicians at noon developed nothing new. The
Commodore ate very little. AT nalf past fouI
o'clock tue pain, ron which he has been at
most entirely free for several DAYS, returned
and for and ho.r and half he suffered consid
erably. Then the pain ceased and he passed
yer, CON Portable evening, ea lug more hearth,
OF ueefsteak, mush, ana cream than ne hdu fo
two dAys. AT ten he was quiet and comiortaole