The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-12-05
MRS, rANcHER's STRANGE CASE.

MRS, FANcHER's STRANGE CASE.
HER REMARKABLE TRANCE-CONDITJON
AND POWERS OF cLAIRvoYANcE.
.[From the Baltimore Americana
In yesterdays american we gave brief
account of the extraordinary fasting and
clairvoyant powers of Brooklyn lady, ia
ken from the New York Sun. The follow
ing is a more. detailed account, condensed
from the same paper:
In Downing street, Brooklyn, has lain
for thirteen years Miss Mary J. Fancher,
much OF the time in trance-like condition,
with heart pulsations, sluggish and almost
imperceptible respiration, and the chill OF
death upon her flesh. At the age Of four
teen Miss Fancher was seriously injured in
the spine and about the head while alight-
ing from street car, being thrown to the
ground and dragged along over the stones
by the tangling of her dress in the rear OF
the car. She was removed to the house Of
her aunt, Mrs. Crosby, If Downing street,
and put in bed, whence she has never been
removed, save for a few minutes at a time.
This was early in 1865. Very soon after
the accident she underwent most as.onish-
ing physical changes. Her nervous system
was uncomfortable whenever she was in any
manner excited, while she was absolutely
paralyzed at other times. In succession
she was bereft of vision, speech and hear
ing. From violent spasms she drifted into
trance-like state, from which 1t re-
quired the unremitting efforts OF physicians
and friends to arouse her. At the expira-
ton of twenty days her faculties were all
restored.t For half an hour she saw. articu-
lated and listened. Then these senses de-
serted her again. and within ten more days
her fingers became clenched, her jaws lock.
ed, her limbs twisted. Spasms were there
after more frequent and violent. The days
slipped away into weeks before she was able
to keep any food on her stomach, and it was
just short of two months that she was with
out ncurishment. Then very light food
wasone day given her with seemingly very
beneficial results. She has eaten altogether
since that dav-nearly thirteen years ago
not so much food in the aggregate as an or
dinarily healthful girl Of her age world cat
in forty-eight hours.
YEARS OF TRANCE.
Three months and half after the acci-
dent she went into trance for twenty-one
hours, and then passed into a relaxed trance
that lasted for three days. Her throat be-
came paralyzed, and she could neither
swallow nor utter sound. Her right arm
doubled up back of her head and became
fixed there with the rigidity of death. A
year later this condition was followed by
absolute rigidity of body, with the excep-
ton of the left arm and hand, which she
was able to use. The latter condition last
ed fol- nine years, in all of which time she
was continually drifting into and out Of
frances. Sic continued to be blind, the
pupils of the eyes being rolled upwar d, and
the whites only visible when the lids were
parted for examination. Very tightly in
deed were the lids sealed, and with difficult
ty were they opened. She had the power
OF speech, however, almost all of the time,
although it left her at intervals.
Three years ago the rigidity OF her body
relaxed and sight and hearing were restored.
Her present condition is blindness, the eye
lids closed, the pupils sightless and staring
laxity of body, save in her rlgat arm, that
remains rigid and doubled as above describ-
Ell; inability to take NJ urishment, with no
desire for it except at long intervals, when
she puts bit VI fruit or candy in her mouth
for short time, and then rejects it; tor
pidity of the system, with sluggish pulsa-
tions and not vigorous respiration; cheer
fitness, with increasing sensitiveness to
being made the theme Of public gossip, and
to receiving strangers. enlargement OF the
heart and soreness in the ribs that were
broken by fall from horse; rheumatic
and neuralgia pains frequent changes in
bodily state, with tendency towards pulmo-
nary troubles; power Of speech and of hear
ing.
TESTIMONY THAT CANNOT BE IMPUGNED.
During all these thirteen years, though
blind, she has read with perfect ease. She
has from the first heen able to see and des-
cribe acts and persons far removed from
her bedside. At times she has been trans
formed into cheerful, vivacious, intelli-
gent, entertaining young woman, and then
she has relapsed into speechlessness, blind
ness, deafness and entire paralysis OF the
senses. She has developed most astonish-
ing powers, resembling second sight or
clairvoyance, reading with ease the contents
of sealed letters, describing articles in hid
den packages perusing books while abso-
lutely Blind. Sometimes her powers are
voluntary, at other times they are uncon-
sciousy exercised. So little nourishmeni
has she taken that it may be said she lives
| without food. She is surrounded by per.
sons of social standing and refinement, an6
has always been exceedingly sensitive tt
any public mention or knowledge of hel
| condition. She has ever repealed any effort
to couple her manifestations with those O.
clairvoyants. has begged 70 be allowed t
live and die in the retirement of her home
unmolested by strangers and accessible on.
Iy to her friends. Clergymen, physicians
men of letters and of intelligence have Wis
| tied her.
POWERS OF CLAIRyOYANCE.
The illustration of Miss Fancher's power
of sight seeing that her friends tell OF will
the greatest interest are of the return OF he
uncle Isaac from California, and the wei
come home, some time afterward, OF he
lost pet dog. Her uncle, Mr.. Isaac Crosby
went to California before the accident t
Miss Fancher, and while she was compare
lively little girl. He was strong, health
and robust, with full face and big chest
While in California he contracted consump
ton. and, nine wears after his arrival there