The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-23
TuECASE OF MISS FANCIIER.


,,rnycd In the S"rb "i Efc'eh"e" Hciencr'
a., rms Enron or THE SuN-Sr: In
entitled The scientific lessons ~ the
u"Ta, r,nchcr g $780," by Geo. VI. Beard VI. a..
y.rk ho writer says: Unsought- for
has been brought to me from various
'..,,r.-from physicians and from clrrgymcn
U'saoor,nlc and able "a any who's names have
I'D i'm connection with this casc-that
.rr, Fam cher tnt 'ntiNnally dcccivrs that sho
f...,o ,he mi Of the land that the fancy ar
t.. .he prnf'ssos to make arc made for her;
b.rread.ng without eyes is done by trick
Int AN this. Ike the evidence on tho oppo-
.,,siie. /. OF non-rXpcrt character. aud can,
...,i,n.r. 70. 1--WE no considerati, n
s,twDnll require an expert. would II. 90 de-
I,uh.N.rN. Tdn'hor lives on the fat Of
w., nnd: an expert like DR.. Beard7 No
,.,.her cook md,ir, Fhoi,l or lovers Of good
.,,,n, would be competent TO decide tho lucs-
Rnl
tbi,c no acquaintance whatever with Miss
poslarnr any ol the persons who have tcsti-
rl.n her case. 80 / viii leave it to her friends
answer ii, they have not already d0ne sol
,I.t.,.rl- o. iur d very gross and uncnllcd- for
.tl. GA lady FRUSTRATED by disease. 1t is
,.f,nucl u.s. j, one were to publish paragraph
D,ths. Cusought-ior evidence has been
l,.ueht me- from various quarters. by most
hu...,' AMI trustworthy persons, that Dr.
I.uA.-u '1r1cr. "a thief. and n murderer; but
a. testimony is ~ an entirely non-expcrt
t.lri.' .r 30 can. in science receive no consid-
Grafton
r.iI Mrs Candor herself have done it better
nan d. Beard in thi- nttcmpt 20 slay a rcputa-
TOM Sucr.dau'- lady limited her scandalous
fsIrhs % iaC drawing room; the Doctor sends
hslrYdd,ast over the land in a published tract
EIsuot surprising that Dr. Beard should be
,cry much disturbed by the strong and respect
ab.ctcsumouy recently published in The sun
In regard 90 certain remarkable phenomena
similar 'l those which hc has been dcnouncing
ustly ior several years rs impostures or delu-
.ons IT, is committed to theory which
would dismiss all supersensual facts as impos-
abilities. Having claimed that only an eN-
pen IT. qualified to observe a fact in cairVoy-
aa,e 90 comprehend whether Miss Fanchcr. or
aay one else. really ever did read through the
folds Of sealed letter. or utter certain words
Indicating provision. or execute "A piece OF
An.y work in the dark and having further
claimed that In the whole world at this time
there are only srycn or eight experts Of tho
kaintcled. hc gives us very clearly to infer
ra. Dr. Beard il one Of those seven or eight
D. .Aly Eft d persons. nay. the very Corypheus
dhe band
Bat when We come 10 inquire into his claims
lob. recognized rs an expert. we find that they
ere mainly Of negative kind based. not on
BIS acquaintance with inductive facts. but on
tscst.mutc oi lis own remarkable clrVcrness
90 d'dUrtivr reasoning Great rs u physi-
ean rsecms hc is greater rs mc,aphysicun :
lli n is in this latter capacity that he appears
assuming iq decide what things are subjects
vle'hcr or uo Miss Fanchor II an impostor
Why is clsiryovance untrue. according To- Dr.
BaWf And Zee gives us To understand that IL
+ untrue. hrcNuSe absolutely disuroved 10y
deiuri,vo i"a-oning, and because the " spc-
f4l ~'lour, e.. t. which It's claims must bee re-
ieuFl know them " TO be false, without any
Sotappcar- that his EXPERIENCES - is derived
mainly from not knowing certain facts which
ertain weak minded persons. like Sir VIM.
Hamilton. DR.. Vim. Gregory. Professor OF
Ihninsiry ia the University o.! Edinburgh. The
nlco momhor~ ~ the llyc-year Special Commits
son on M,sm'rism otthe French Eoyal A.ad-
envy Of Medicine, together with Archbishop
NhirIy DR.. Elliotson. DIR. Ashburner. Dr.
HI iir and others. uit'r long and patient in
esilgation. have claimed 10 know.
II tl!S p" not a r lmeWhut arbitrary extension
INTO the domain of positive science. 90 "a" ety.
mOingI 'Hl process los which i"cns wa- sMld 60 Doe
derived "a non hirsHfi1, what II IT. Truly, IL
saves deal of trouble. but how IS It made
available ia the education of an expert There
] confess myself unuplu-sed.
DrduNive reasoning may err rs well rs IN
mlt,ve judgment. IL was dcduHiyc reasoning
that led Bacon. M"lanthon. Luther, and other
learned men to reject the Cop"rui'un system.
Dcductlve reasoning opposed the Introduction
oi gas. the system of cheap postage. and ocean
steamship navigation. IL refused 90 look
through Galileo- telescope. j. was very in
trrduOus also rs 10 tho possibility OF Edison :
talking machine; and u has stood in tho way of
many great inventions and wise reforms.
Dr. Beard divides the universe into the
IfA a. ID fa
and D." tells rs that " in the realm Of the super
natural all Things are possible ana all things
ar uudemouStrlhlr.
Now. would il not h.. n little loss uuscicntiflo
o. ,ay that We really do not know whether ther"
D. ANYTHING Supernatural: that what seems 90
vs. such may b. merely the natural unrccoS-
h- % man. claiming TO be a man Of science. for
SAYING that 90 in the realm OF the supernatural
40 " "a the existence Of the supernatural
.H.ing cut the supernatural Hs merely the
Imaginary. what right. then, has DR.. Beard 20
say That certain well-attcstel facts are leriti-
afe not How, except under his arbitrary
nfiaphysieu assumptions, Is he going to make
ryNu show Of a defence; He would subject
We proui Of fact to the same pitoi limita-
tons a- the proof Of a Hypothetical proposition
The ro'undity of the earth would not have been
proved 20 this day II men of science had been
expert. Of tho type Of DR.. Beard. and main
tanned that facts cannot be demonstrated rs
WI rs PROPOSITIONS, or that they IAN be ami
lHai'i ny his " doductivc reasoning
ILs tUubl" with him Is that he confouuds
d'l'tyr evidence with intuiiivc, and rice
i",d. Now. il Is demOnstratNe evidence only
hAi l' lu The true sense scientific; ana how, out
OF hli purely negative notions. Is he going t.
s'e W. any dcmpnstrabIn proof OF his mega
Iu-f ln his claim 90 Judge 81 scientific uOs-l 70
tlii"s hy his dcductiSe rcasoning.' lie is
swp.y an idoalist or an intultionaiist; aEl in
~. sumutiou that he can truly test the deli
"' isl"ia'Hl phcuomenn IN Miss FHn"hDr =
N-N TBS Dis rude material. dictutOrlul Processes,
irrespective OF the subtle influences wAlch his
nN ID -rnre, in his aggressive, positive, uu-
hMh'A''l' state Of mind. would Introduce. h."
Arr iu discover the real Facts Ot such a
~sse ldh "a hiu"ksulth OF pAViOr.
i"H4"W Low far DR.. Beard Is merely des-
kNt ldrtllrt IN attempting 10 iny0lilate by his
n"liliN" reasoning crrtHin perfectly well
,'".iisH"i lacts, let me call the readers atten-
Al. iAc following:
10 'he year so the Royal Academy OF Medi-
aHr ih Paris appointed a commission of eleven
1Ml'i-. VINO inquired into the whole subject
L''hrr-m for five years and. in 1881. re-
l'llrd ~ iuA, and in favor OF the reality Of al
Io's all the alleged phenomena, including
aTN9yauc'. or the eleven members nine
N"Nl" tho meetings and experiments aud
.Iatmuu-. They say: We have seen two
InhaWbdH-te distinguish. with their eyes
rui 9ptcis placed LrforU them: name cards.
,eW BOOKS writing. dc. This phenomenon
~ ll"'' oven when the opening OF the cyclids
III accurately closed lay means Of the fingers"
10y musicians. uuduuhtcd experts Enough.
.t.'l7 nu, alter DR. Boards dchnitlon). who
vNN''N'h'd ilr subject cNperiniCnttlly for five
efN.' anu Then unanimously reported that
NIT 'ful'r j. fact. Docs DR.. Beard iatter
3, hi" .u,dt he can annlhilatc such testimony