The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-24

her disposition tho purity and simplicity OF hel
llfo. and hor steadfast hope"
The severe.t OF Tests.
DEcTPHER1NG LETTERS THAT HAD BEEN TORN IN
PIECES AND SEALED IN AN ENVELOPE
PROOF THAT 1T Is NOT MIND READING
Mr.. Henry NJ. Parkhurst OF 1873 Gates avenue
Brooklyn. who is favorably known among sci.
entnc men IA an astronomer and student
became Interested In Miss Fancher's case early
in its development Ho has closely watched
tifc chasSes in hor condition. and has kept a
complete record Of them. He has spent hours
at her bedside. and wishing to satisfy himself
from scientific basis. has made many tests OF
hor powers. and has reached many interesting
conclusions. Mr.. Parkhurst was at first in
clined to suspect that Miss Fanchers power OF
second sight was derived from an ability to
read minds. 1t was noticed that she rarely ex-
tended her vision beyond hor friends. or some
o9seh osh who % IN some ,2s way was Interested IN her.
hurst TO himself. To prove or disprove this
theory he made two tests. II l take TO her
a a0,,ESI sealed Letter the contents OF which
has any knowledge and sho is m unable to ODE de-
Spsed5 mpaed be b Fy Fyo 1he9hry ,h vii Ge strenghened
York gentleman acquaintance lie flshed an un.
important business letter without reading IT,
tore II into ribbons, and tore the ribbons into
put them into an envelope and scaled It. This
he subsequently, handed 10 Miss Fanchor. The
Riind PIN A giEl took tho envelope In her hand passed
and pencil, and wrote the letter verbatim. The
seal q the epyelope had not boen broken. Mr..
Parkhurst himself opened II. pasted the CON
tents together aud compared the two. Miss
Fencher,s was a literal copy OF the original
Nevertheless, Mr.. Parkhurst wished TO mako
a scyercr test. lie called two friends to ns.
sist him. In his house was hunted up an
anelcnt report Of mining company that was
at random TO page. the other gentlemen stand
Ing too far away TO be able TO read tho text. Mr..
tanning tabulated figures and bencath the
tables explanations OF them. He avertcd his
iace as much as was possible. that he might not
know even to what the text or tho figures re-
ierred. Then he folded tho fragment in his
fingers. and with tho scissors cut II into a score
OF pieces. Some Of the bits fell upon tho floor
and wore allowed TO remain there untouched.
Inc others were put IN an envelope BY Mr..
Mr.. Parkhurst hnnded tho envelope TO one OF
the gentlemcn. who put II within n second en-
yelope and sealed It., am king a waxen wafer.
and he enclosed II in n third envelope In
The same manner. Then the gentleman went To
ihs Miss tanchers : room and asked her TO give
them tho contents OF the envelope. She took II
from them. passed her thumb rapidly over II
several times. aud then began to write. - 1t is
are blank places words that are incomplete;
sentences IN which words are missing" But
the Rirl wrote on. some OF her sentences skip
last five letters OF word that had ten letters
Ihe tables OF iigures that she made contained
blank places, but she wrote II out and taking II
WIN them tho gentlemen went back to Mr..
farkhursts's. Tho original fragment IRON the
pamphlet was pasted together. the parts that
had lallen to the iioor and had not been put into
the envelope being designated with an ink
marx. The comparison revealed thnt Miss
thncher had made afaithfu COPY OF the contents
OF the envelope. even TO writing the parts Of in
complete words that had been cut In two by the
scissors. the other letters OF tho word having
fallen to the hoor Sentences too, had been
rendered inteigible by the same process; but
they wer0 written lust as they appeared after
FIX 1t as he might. Miss Fancher was always
able 70 decpher Sir. Parkhurst's tests. and the
result OF those In this particular direction
necessarily the secret Of her second sight see
ing, That she does read minds has been os-
Abiishei. hoMever. by different line OF ex-
perimenis. Whatever her aunt. Mrs Crosby
knows, Miss Fancher very soon has in her pos
session, and II seems to matter very little what
Ia thc natnn' Of the information.
sMr. Iarkhnfat WIS asked 10 reveal tho result
" many other tests that 1t Is known he has
made. HIS reply "a substance. was; My re-
4tions i1ynS WIN Miss tancher and with her rela-
She has insisted that no information shall be
given Tor publication. and cannot violate her
wish, The time will come when II will all be
publshod-aiter her death. possibly Iou know
why sock details -
Your tests haye convinced you that there is
not imposition p
am more than satisfied that Mollie Fancher
never attempted deception. What she docs is
IN the greatest simplicity and never with desire
that others than her few intimate friends may
know ot IT, She Is exceedingly sensitive to
publicity, | should be most happy 10 inform
the world Of what have known and the com
olusions | have reached concerning her. but
Without her consent cannot do 30. But do
say that she has pot a thought Of imposing upon
or dccciying anybody"