The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-04-26
"A HUMAN MAGNET.
Little Child to Whose Finger Tins
Articles of Metal Adhere.


Late in August last, while taking va
cation IN country town, says DIR. F.. Ell.
Root IL the Medical Reporter, heard
OF case that WAS causing considerable dis.
cusslon and wnnderment among the peo.
pie. The child is termed q "hnman
! magnet" by the believers in and practicerS
OF magnetic ruObings, while the Spirit
uallst3 declare the chlld Il chosen medium.
MY curiosity became aroused, and /
asked permission to SEQ this wonderful
prodigy. Permission was granted. and
the child at two different times, MAKING nv
visit some days apart. [ found q pretty,
dolicate child, Dolly c., aged 81 Years,
an only child; blonde, with a pale and
rather WaXy complexion. Her manner
of speech and conduct were characterized
by womanly grace much in advance of
her tender years. Last February the
phenomena L described WAS first noticed
While playing with some spoons the
mother was surprised TO see her arra1ino.
them on finger tips, where they hung
with perfect ease. She will place tie
palmer surface Of the finger tips in the
concaVlty Of the spoon bowl near the end
and left from the holder, one by one,
without otherwise touching them, until q
spoon IS suspended from each finger tin.
Ii the spoons do not strike too violently
against each other she will carry them
about the room without dropping them.
L eXhmlned the case III various Ways.
First tried four teaspoons with a
magnet-one puro eilyer, one pewter.
one trlpleplatcd and one singleplated or
washed. The pure silver or pewter
spoons were not influenced by the mag
net the heavier plated was only partly
raised, while the washed spoon was raised
entirely off the table. / carried these
tour spoons with me for the child to
exercise her anomalous power of pre-
Monsoon upon. Each one was ST. pended
with equal ease except tho ono of pure
silver. This one was lightest in weight
ana the bowl was considerably fatter
than any OF the other three. But after
arranging it upon her finger O few times
she succeeded in making it "sticlS, !"
-, Asking her to put two fingers under
the spoonbowls, [ found very appre-
cable resistance in taking it off. The
spoons would hang from tho tip of the
nose and chin with as much securitv
as from the fingers. Thinking the nd
herence might be due to an excessive
clamminess of the skin, / tested its sur
lace with my own finger tips. Not dis
discovering any, and to make sure was
not deceived by my own sense of touch,
had the hands, nose and chin carefully
washed with soap and water and dried
with warm towel. l found no percpiy
able difference in the adhesivenoss, The
child could not pick up steel needle,
that Is so sensitive to magnet, nor
would penny "stick" to tho fingers.
chin or nose. L could discover nothing
unusual in the shape of the finger tips.
me SKIN was soft and velvcty to tho
touch and [ could be sure of clamminess
nowhere except on the pima. The
hands and feet were warm to the touch
when saw her and her mother states
that she ls not often troubled with cold
feet or hands.
The little PATIENTS mother also told me
that her sisters daughtera young lady 10
years OF age and "always sick, =" as she ex-
pressed it, manifests the same singular
power.