The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-06
Mr.. Cumberland's Peculiar Gift.
Private Exhibition Before
Well Known Gentlemen.

A number of well known proles, iona
gent emen met last evening in the Eve
rett House To witness a private eShlbl-
tion Of the powers OF thought reading OF
Mr. Stuart Cumberland, an Englishman,
Who has had the distinction of eIperI-
menting before audiences III the halls OF
Christ Church, Baliol and w Worcester
colleges, and lately in Exeter fall under
the auspices of the Duke of Connaught
and the Earl of Shaitesbury Among
thos. present were Rev Henry Ward
Beechcr and wife, Rev. George IL. Hep
worth, Rev DR. Buckley, Dir. George NJ.
Beard, Dr. McI.eane Hamilton, DIR. Mer-
edith Clymer, DR. A. b. Ball, DIR. G. l..
Dana, DR. George ID Smith, DIR. j. Z.
Newman, DIR. Swain, DR.. Brindsley, Pro
fes>or y. Sizer. Mr. Steele Mackaye, Mrs
J b Pond and Mr.. Maze Edwards. Mr.
Cumberland is well formed and rathel
rood looking young man, with blonde
hair and clear cut features. He Inform
ed the audience that some of his eXperi-
ments were intended to prove that he could
by contact with a person tell what that
person was thinking of If the object wa-
material and that others OF his experi
ments would prove that there was moth
lug in SO called spiritualistic phenomena
which could not be explained on mum
dane basis.
| The experimenter then blindfolded
! himself, and taking Mr. Beccher by the
hand, asked him to think OF some object
| IN the room. When tho clergyman said
he had done SO, Mr. Cumberland placed
Mr. Raachers band to his own frrehead
and then, seemingly in a state of high
nervous excitement, ran across the room
and took the eye glasses from DR.. ely,
mer's nose At the same time MIR
Beecher shouted, Right" Then the
! thought reader was taken out of the
room by, DR. Beard aud Mr. Hepworth
while Mr.. beecher handed small silver
tfiuket to DIR. Bail, who concealed it il
his shoe Mr.. Beecher also marked tive
ttny spots on different parts of the wal
With lead pencil Mr.. Cumberland wa
then brought in. aud, seI1iGg the hand ol
he Plymouth pastor. Ao wandered abou
the room, stopped In front OF Dr. Bal
and finally knvlt down and took the trim
ket from his shoe lie also while stli
bind folded put his finger upon the two
spots cn the wall. Nine playing cards
representirg the nine numerals, were
i spread upon a table, and taking the hanC
Of HERALD reporter Mr. Cumberland
indicated by cards a long number takeI
from bank note by the reporter.
date number was taken from a coin b.
Mr.. Beecher, aud the experimental
wrote the date out on piece of pape
innad TO the wall while holding sh,
clergyman hand.
The condition which was insisted upol
IN all the experiments was that the per
son acting a. the subject should think In
teuily Of the object to be indicated. Mr.
!, Cumberland did number Of cleve
tricks which were practlced, he said, b.
splritualists, aud completely mystihec
Steele Mavhaye by trick which the ree
i the audience were allowed to know
lie blinfolded two ply siclans and showed
by the cllpklng OF COINS IN different dl
rectious that, without the aid Of night
lit was impossible to determine accuratel
the point trom which sound comes |
was by deceiving the senses that spirit
ualsts succeeded. Mr. Cumberland re
moved his shoe and showed that by dis
placing a tendon of his big toe he coulc
produce aoapd like rapplng on the floor
. and she saMe result WAS accompls he'd b.
placing his elbow against a door and DIS
placing the tendons Of bis fingers DR.
, Beard made few remarks saying tn.
, Mr.. Cumberland powers were ceralnl
| wonderful, aud be would like 10 make a
iextremely delicate test. lie stuck abou
, forty pins iu the table and asked th
. blindfolded operator to indicate certai
! piu which Mr. Beecher was to think O.
| After lit hesitation tho test was gou
through Satisfactorily. Apparently th
i. most wonderful thing done last evenin
! xas the final test pr. Beard said he ha
, the OBJ ect i, his mind aud asked NJ
: cumberland to hnd the object. The la
ter took the IL, sican by the hand. eli
J., ced around the table twice, went in,
i the next room aud again went around Il
: table Then he stopped, aud DIR. Bear
: bursting into gratifed laugh, explaiDe
that the course taken by Mr. CumberlaI
was precisely as he had previously a
ranged in his mind N. j. Horh