The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-03-01
A TRANCE QUEEN.
From The Sunday Chronicle.

since she had any sight of the out.
side world, the rumblings of which she |
has heard day and night for almost a |
lifetime.
Nine years of the thirty were spent
in trance. While she was in that |
trance she was practically dead. |
Strange tales are told of queer visions |
she had while in the strange condition.
1t is sufficient to say that IL she had |
wished to adopt spiritualism as pro-
fessiOn, the mediumistic powers which |
are unquestiOnably hers would have |
made her q great fortune and would |
have intrenched spiritualism in much |
firmer position in the public belief
than it occupies today
The woman is Mollie Fancher, the |
most famous invalid in the world.
Twenty-Five years ago, when she was
lying in the awful trance that made
her famous, she was written and talk
ed about the world over. The people
of Brooklyn spoke in whispers about
the weird girl aud told how, when
flowers were brought in the room
where the sleeper lay, they would
almost Immediately wither and die
and that when q canary bird was left
in the room it was found dead at the
bottom OF the cage an hour later. 1t
Is said that the trance-girl consumed
all the pure air of an apartment, leav-
Ing only the poison for other things
and people.
Strange stories were told, also of the
visions OF Miss Fancher. There is not
a particle OF doubt about her medium
istic powers, That she had the facul-
ty OF second sight there is not the
shadow of doubt. None of her friends
are spiritualists. Miss Fancher abhors
anything leaning toward spiritualisn,
and she has tried in every way to loose
the strange power which has been
vested In her. She is a good. old
fashioned Baptist. and she has prayed
night and day that the uncanny pow
er be taken away from her. She al
ways knew what her friends were go
ing to say before they said it; She
could forsee misfortune that would
happen to them in the death or sickness
OF relatives, and in countless number
OF ways she would discover things
that 1t was intended she should never
know about.
Mollie f'ancher is forty-six years
old, and she was but sixteen when she
met with the accident that caused her
troubles. She has dropped so COM
pletely out of sight in the past decade
and a half that the younger genera
tlon know nothing about her. Her
withdrawal from the public gaze is
largely due to her own efforts. She
detests notoriety, and particularly the
visits OF curiosity seekers. 1t is at the
solicitation OF her friends that her
street address in Brooklyn is not
Puollshed. IL" has always been
besieged by theatrical people who were
anxious to exhibit her and her strange
powers to the public.
Years ago, when she was so much
discussed In the newspapers and among
the medical franternity, z. II. Barnum
sent an agent to see her, with this
message:
You have the powers to make two
great fortunes-one for me and one for
you" ' o'o
Miss Fancher sent word to the agent
that she was not for sale" She also
narrowly escaped giving an order to
nave him put out of the house. Her
Indignation was real, Notwithstanding
she was thrusting aside a chance to
make $40, 900 or $50, 900 a wear.
Miss Fancher is now a plump woman.
Notwithstanding her long confinement.
her original trouble was brought about
py a morse car accident. AS she was
gettlng out OF a car her dress caught
In nook on the platform and she was
dragged over the cobble stones q block
before the conductor noticed her. The
accident occurred in June, 1864, and
the 3rd OF the following February she
was seized with frightful spasms and
became paralyzed.
Then she fell into the trance from
whlch there was no conscious awaken
ing 1or nine years. Her brother
aes, , 10 "hom she was greatly at
tached, was small boy when she en-
tered the trance, and was a grown man
with a mustache when she came ont
of it. ''
her mother died when she was but
SIX years old and an aunt nursed her
Whlle she was in the trance. Miss
Fancher had wonderful visions of
heaven which she unconsciously de-
scrlbed at the time. She imagined
that her mother was at her side all
the time. When she regained con-
sclousness she had lost the power of
sight, speech, hearing, the sense of
smell and the use of her arms, hands,
BODY and limbs. She has partially
recovered the use of all Of these with
the exception of the lower part of her
body. She suffers from pain all the
time, particularly at hight.
MISS Fancher occupies a room open-
Ing into small parlor. The parlor
ls kept darkened. Its furniture is old
fashioned and solid. White, folding
doors separate it from the room used
by Miss Fancher. When her few
intimate friends call, asrthey often do
at night, the folding doors are thrown
open and the invalid from her snowy
bed joins in the conversation or listens
to singing or playing on the old-fash-
Toned square piano in the room.
Miss Fancher does not look the in
valid she is, notwithstanding her years
OF living in bed. Her face, though
colorless, is not at all ghastly. There
are deep lines-the imprint OF constant
suffering-about the nose and mouth.
The face itself, though not pretty, is
pleasant and intelligent.
Miss Fancher has her little vanity.
ana in that she shows her womanii-
ness. She il proud OF her arms and
wrists. She ornaments them with
jewelry OF the fashion OF generation
ago. She wears pretty, lose sacques,
with short, loose sleeves. allowing a
generous exposure Of the wrist and
arm. Her eyes are only partially
open, her sight being very delicate.
She wears her hair short, as it would
be a difficult matter TO attend to it
were it allowed to grow long. 1t is