Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-12-06

silver tube inserted in the neck. Food
sickened her, however, and, eventually,
all efforts to induce her to take nourish.
ment were abandoned. At long inter-
walls she expressed a wish for the Juice
of some fruit or for bit of candy, but
she rejected solid matter, and for weeks
and months, according to her own asser-
tion and that of her attendants, she
swallowed nothing. Her physical con-
dltion was constantly changing. One day
she was without sense axoopt touch; tho
next ehe could hear mud taste aud talk.
But her eyes did notepen until at the
end of the nine years.
At intervals during these nine years
the body frequently became as cold as
though in death, no warmth being de-
tected except in the region of the leart.
That organ kept up slow, measured
pulsation, except when she went into
frances; then its beating was often
imperceptible. Her head and shoulders
retained their normal condition, but
soon after these attacks her legs would
be drawn up and contorted, her feet
contracted. At the same time, to quote
the language of her physicians, "her
intestines shriveled and wasted away,
leaving little more than q coating of
skin over the backbone in the cavity
they had occupied. They became al.
most entirely imperative, and for years
were completely So" She was 80 SEN
sitive to heat in the nine years period
of rigidity that fire was not lighted in
her room, nor was the temperature
raised in any manner. In midwinter
her only covering was single sheet,
and the window was kept partly open.
In all these years her right arm remained
bent behind her head, and when relaxa-
ton returned at the end of that period,
the member was not released from its
tension, as was the rest of the body.
The arm remains still in the same
cramped position.
For the last three years her physical
changes have been frequent and painful.
She has been afflicted with many dis
orders and diseases, and has successive
ly lost and regained several of the
senses. That of sight, which returned
with relaxation, continued until the
eatly part OF last July, and then her
eyelids closed again. While she did
see, however, her eyeballs were fixed
and staring. From the first she has not
slept, except while in trance. Several
times i'll the earlier years it was thought
she was dead, so cold had her body be.
come, SO rigid her limbs and flesh, 30
motionless her lungs and heart. But
vigorous rubbing with stimulating Ii.
quors, and persistent attention, brought
her again to consciousness. While in
the nine years Of rigidi;,y she suffered
intensely from neuraIgicf fpalns. These
the physicians became convinced were
increased by the bad condition of her
teeth, that suddenly had begun to de.
cay. A dentist WAS summoned to ex-
tract them, but the jaws were SO locked
that it was not until chloroform was
administered that her mouth could be
opened. Then every tooth was re-
moved, On recovering from the infu-
ence of the chloroform she went into
the most violent of all the spasms she
has had.
No sooner had Miss Fancher emerg-
ed from her first trance, soon after the
accident, than she astonished her rela-
tives by an extraordinary description Of
what she had seen while in that condi.
tion, Il was Enthusiastically second sight.
AS the frances continued, the nantes
tatio1s increased. She watched and re-
lated in detail the movements of the
family's friends in different parts of the
city, and ultimately narrated what was
happening to those who were many
miles away. She read letters that were
inclosed in envelopes and kept in the
pockets of those about her. She recog-
nized persons who rang the door bell,
while they were still outside the house,
and of course not visible to her. She
read books whose covers were closed,
and newspapers that were unfolded
Every day brought some new and as
tonishing development of this power.
Yet with all this was the most sensitive
repugnance toward letting her condition
become known to the general public
through the newspapers, or toward be-
ing subject of talk Or gossip by stran-
gers. Her friends were ways welcome
to her bedside, but it was long before n
stranger was admitted, and yet longer
before she could be persuaded to show
her powers to any but the most intimate
friends. This sensitiveness continues
even to the closing of the thirteenth
! year of her illDess. She will not con-
sent that her friends shall givs any in
formation concerning her that is intend
ed for publicity. And they have so far
acceded to ner desires that, although
repeatedly sought for, it is not until
very recently that any details of her
curious existence have been obtained.
She numbers among her frequent visi-
tors, clergymen, physicians, scholars,
and men of science, many of whose
names are mentioned in this article, aud
all of whom are intensely attracted by
her marvellous condition. She lies in o
modest, yet comfortable home, sur.
rounded by the fashionable avenues oI
that part OF Brooklyn known as the
Hill. Her intelligent and ladylike
bearing, the unquestionable position o
those with whom she is surrounded
her unmistakable truthfulness, the alb
horrence with which she regards pnb
licity, and the absence of any motive
for enriching herself or her friends by
the use of her gifts, seem to preclud,
the possibility of intentional deception
or imposition.
1t is in the condition of trance tina
Miss Fancher makes her most astonish
ing revelations. At these times sh
suddenly starts as though charged from
an electric battery, and instantly be
comes rigid in every joint and muscle
} Her face takes on sometimes mos
painful expression, at others one OF pos
tive pleasure, yet oftener it is as til
! face of one who is dead. To those un
accustomed to seeing her, the convictio
! that she is indeed dead is irresistible
A deathlike pallor creeps over tn
already pale face. Not the slightes
rnnvament ia narcentihla In any OF he