The Portland daily press., 1876-03-30
lFrom the Boston Herald 9th inst.1
Mrs. Hardy's Success.
'""ihe Aho"id Oh Hand Produced In
side Locked Box-A Puzzle for skep-
tics TO Consider.

ties TO Consider.
Paine Memorial Hall was last evening filled
with respectable and intelligent audience.
drawn together to witness the production of
parafhne moulds under the most rigid condi.
lions that could be devised consistent with the
circumstance that the medium should be near
to where the work was performed. For this
purpose DR.. Gardner had box made. inside of
which the vessels containing paraffine and wa
ter could be placed and while being securely
locked therein be yet in sight from the outside.
For this purpose four corner pieces, somewhat
like square legs of table, were placed at such
distances as to form the corners of an oblong
box some three feet long, two feet wide and
about three feet high. A bottom of thin board
was securely nailed on to narrow bases secured
10 the four posts also by nails. Above this
piece of stout wire netting, with mesbes about
one half inch in diameter, was nailed, going
around the corner posts. and the ends secured
on one of the posts by cleats nailed on the out
side. Above the wire was a boarding to the top
OF the box, the two side boards being pierced
with auger holes about fve-eighths inch diane
ter and made quite close together. The top of
the box was formed of wood, the outside or
surrounding margin of which was secuIely
nailed to the posts and side pieces The mid
die of this cover was composed of two nova
ole hinged covers or lids, one of which when
closed was secured by bolts, and the other pro-
vlded with lock, the bolt of which went into
the OOlted cover adlDDing. The whole affair
when locked could not be penetrated from with
out by any substance larger than mans fin
ger
At about twenty minutes of o'clock DR.
Gardner stepped upon the platform and an
nopnced that Mrs Hardy, the medium, who
mad travelled in the rain on Saturday night 20
reach Boston to keep this engag. menI, was on
hand prepared to make he test REQUIRED of her
IL was no; certain, owing TO the fact that she
was IN physically weak condition, in conse-
que1ce OF recent illness, that anything could be
produced, but the trial would be made A
committee, consisting of Mr.. s. p Morse, .
sculptor; State Detective Knox. and the writer
OF this article (all avowed sGeptics in Spiritual
phenomena), was invited % examine the boy
and take charge of it during the performance
bucket of melted parafine and bucket of
cold water were placed inside the box, the for
mer within two inches of the wire side next
the audience, and the latter towards The rear
corner at the left. Two narrow pieces of board
| about six inches longer than the box, were
hinged on to each side the object CLAIMED for
TINS contrlyance being that it would keep the
cloth cover clear of the sdes-a necessary con-
dition. The cover was of dark cloth, and
while being male to fit on the top fell down to
| the noor all around. On one side, that next
the medium, there was vertical cut or slit in
1t, reaching nearly up to the top. All being
prepared, the menium came on to the STAGE
| took her seat behind the table and facing The
| audience. The light was then turned partially
| down. The influences did not seem to respond
while i i Was :" apparent @ Va' to attentive atsen
ears that something was going inside the box,
For the first half hour, however, little seemed
% be accomplished. 1t was then discovered
| that the condition as TO darkness was not what
it should be, and shawl was added to tho
spread over the box, and the light lowered, SO
that a dreamy twilight pervaded the hail.
| Then the work began in earnest, IL one were
to Judge by the noises and apparent move.
/ ments inside the box. In little over an hour
l from the time Mrs. Hardy took her position at
the box it was announced that the work was
| finished. The lights were then turned on. The
committee uncovered the box, and found on
the bottom of the box and leaning against the
cold water pail the paraffine mould of what
| seemed to be mans right hand, but in a col
| lapsed condition like soft glove that had been
tiattened out. In falling three of the fingers
| of the soft mould had become doubled up, and
| portion next TO the liItle finger was broken
l or abraded. The audience pressed forward
| eagerly to see this mould; when it was an
nounced that if the audience would go back to
their seats and wait Mrs. Hardy would allow
herself to be tied in a sack and produce another
| mould under cover in her usual way, This
was readily agreed to, and the committee en-
veloped the medium in a sack composed of net
l ting, which was secured around the neck.
| The melted paraffine and cold water pals were
| placed under cloth in front of her, and the
| lights turned down, but enough light remained
for every person in the hall to see that Mrs.
Hardy sat bolt upright in her chair. In about
fifteen or twenty minutes 1t was annour ced
that the ''ncuenees" had concluded their
labors and on the cloth being removed it was
found that a more perfect cast of what was
4 avid 10 fha rfohf hap IL Al
former mould had been produced. But it was
also lying on the floor alongside the cold water
pail. Before removing the cloth in the last
performance the writer noticed Mrs. Hardy's
| earrings had been placed thereon, having been
taken from her ears after she was secured in
l the sack.
The second mould produced, though some
| what collapsed, was much better than the first
the form OF the little finger especially being
/ quite perfect. In regard to the casts produced,
| while it was evident that in the last one
Mrs. Hardy did not get her hand through the
netting, in the case @here the box was used,
u was quite clear to the committee that she
could have no direct agency in producing the
| cast found therein. 1t is barely poss BILE that
the mould found idside may have beeu doubled
up and put in through one OF the holes; but
/ how could it afterwards be flattenod out as it
was found? If the cast was not produced out
side the box-and if it was, how c ,uld it be
got in?-it must have been produced within it.
There was no appearance of machinery or con-
l trivance to produce it. and no way 70 work
such machinery that could be conceived of. If
| tt was trick 1t was most wonderful and in
| geDious one. If it was not-and the writer
candidly confesses he could detect nothing of
1 the kind about it-what was it? In the perfor-
| nance of this test, under such strong coudi-
tions against fraud, Mrs. Hardy may be said
| 10 have fairly proved her pretensops to a
l strange and startling power of mediumship,
l aud TO be at least entitled to the credit Of good
faith and honesty in what she has done until
l i: Can be shown that others of themselves can
do it, and how they do it. If others do it and
can or will give no explanation of how they do
| it, then the thing remains as much mystery
| as it is at present. At the close of the perform
1 auce DR.. Gardiner said that there were several
'bousand dollars pledged to any sceptIc or
| scientist who would produce moulds OF paraf-
| fine under the same conditions