The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-29
Mfud.ROadtug.
A STRANGE FACULTY DEVELOPED IN CHILD
OF ELEVEN YEARS.

STRANGE FACULTY DEVELOPED IN A CHILD
OF ELEVEN YEARS.
A few evenings since, at little family
gathering IN this city, says the indianapolis
Journal editorialy, the question OF mind
reading came up, and Browns name was
mentioned. This man Brown, now dead,
once gave an exhibition OF his powers in
Boston.) A young lady who was present
said she had exercised the gift with par
tiaI success a few years ago. and being
urged TO give an exhibition OF her pow
ers she consented. A thimble was hid
den, and the young lady, being blind
folded. requested two persons who knew
where il was to place their hands on
her shoulders, one OF each side, and to
think intently about the object and its
hiding.place. She started In the right d.
rection, and came near the place Of conceal
meut, but failed to find the object. This
she repeated two or three times, and her
exhibition was pronounced failure. Some
children who were present then took 1t up.
First, a little girl, nine years old, OF light
hair and complexion, was blindfolded, ana
essayed the task OF mndreading. She de-
yeloped no gifts whatever, and only sue
ceeded in raising laugh. Then a little girl
about eleven years old volunteered. She
had dark hair and eyes, and decidedly ner-
yous temperament. She was blindfolded,
and the thimbe was placed on the top OF an
upright piano on the opposite side OF the
room from where she stood. The gentle
man OF the house and one OF the children
then placed their hands on her shoulders,
and, fixing their minds on the thimble, she
was told to proceed. Turning squarely
around, she walked directly to the piano,
felt her way till the corner was reached,
then lifting her band nearly as high as she
could reach she placed her hand on the
ihimble. THIS performance caused surprise
and elected round OF applause. The
child W. then taken to the other side OF The
room hlindfolded again, the work being
secu e, zone. This time the tbmbe was
placed on the piano-stool, much lower
than before. The same persons placed
their hands on the child's shoulders, and
again she turned squarely around and
walked straight to where the stool
was Standing. AS she approached it
she put out her hands, reaching not
up, as before, but down, and felt her
way cautiously. In this attitude she walked
up to the stool, and while in the act OF pass.
ing her hand over its top Jared the stool
and knocked the thimble on the floor. The
third time the thimbe was placed in diff
ferent part OF the room on the hinge OF a
folding door, about five feet from the floor.
1t was in place not easily discovered by
person with his eyes open. The blIndroded
child, with the hands Of the other persons on
her shoulders, walked straight TO the spot,
and after feeling on both sides Of the door
for few moments passed her hand along
up the edge until she struck the thimble,
which fell to the floor. She declined to per-
form any more. saying she was tired. When
asked how she knew where the thimble was,
she said she could not tell. 1t was impossi-
BILE for her TO see, and no one suspected for
q moment that she was playing trick. 1t
seemed TO be clear case OF "mind-read-
ing" the exhibition being The same in kind,
II not In degree, as those given by Brown a
few years ago.