The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-08-02
ITALIAN GIRLS POWER
HER REMARKABLE MANIFESTO
TIONS INVESTIGATED IN FRANCE.
A of Scientists Obtain
Startling Results in Which Fraud
Is Out of the Question.
Paris Letter in New York Tribune.

solely by means of some unknown and in
visible vital force. emanating from the or
ganism of a person placed at a distance?
If so, then science has to face a fact far
more disconcerting TO its calculations than
any X-rays. If not, then a satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION has to be found for phenomena
which have been observed by scientific
men OF undoubted competence, under cir
cumstances that seem TO exclude all posi-
bility of fraud or error. Col. Albert de
Rochas. formerly of the Ecole Polytech-
nique, of Paris, and now attached to the
French Ministry of Public instruction. has
just published the notes taken of such OBJ
servations, day by day. as they were made.
from Sept. 20 to 20 Of last year.
The person who uses this supposed force
is the famous Eusapia Paladino. who has
already been repeatedly under the close
and systematic observation Of professional
men of science. Italian. French. German.
Russian and English. She is a peasant
woman of Naples. and is now about forty
years of age. Her father was killed by
brigands when she was a child, which may
partly account for a nervous terror with
which she is afflicted. When only eight
years old she was subject to hallucina-
tons. seeing eyes looking at her from be-
hind walls and bushes. She is of a hyster-
ical disposition. and is a fit subject for
hypnotiSm, although she enters into her
present trance states of her own accord.
When thirteen she began taking part In
spiritualist seances with much success, but
they tired her, and she left off all expert
ments with her strange powers until she
was twenty-five. Then q spiritualist in
duced her to undergo a systematic course
OF observations, and for several years she
formed the establishment Of skeptics and
the delight of believers as a medium quite
out of the usual line. The wonderful
things related of this time of her life nave
nothing to do with the present phenomena,
which do not need the Intervention OF spir-
Its for their explanation. Still, whatever
cleverness at sleight of hand she may be
auiired at this time She b b aIw Wave a re-
manned quite ignorant. so far as ordinary
education goes. though naturally of good
understanding.
The first to examine Eusapia Paladino In
the name of positive science was her coun-
tryman. the well-known DIR. Lombroso.
with other medical authorities on mental
deranSemen and hallucination. In 1891
at Naples. in 1892 at Milan. in 1898 at Ma
pies and Rome. in 1894 at Warsaw. and af-
terward in France, she occasioned mys-
ferrous movements that baffied every eff
fort of scientific men to explain. In Au-
gust of 1885 she was taken, TO Cambridge.
England, where the phenomena were
judged by rules laid down by Mr.. Maske-
lyme, the authority On legerdenain. The
NlIOic dlltllllOH VI ttnt observers WAS CEN
one of her hands at any time from the con-
troll supposed to be constantly exercised
over both. Every facility was offered
her for doing so If she wished, and it was
discovered that she actually profted by
the opportunity.
CHANCE OF FRAUD EXCLUDED.
The raising of the question of fraud con-
sequent upon this made it necessary that
there should be new observations under cir
orr,c+,,ooe -rl;oI --o.,a 49, -. -
possible. at least on the part of Eusapia
herself. This has been done with such
success that the fraud, if there be any.
must be attributed to the men of science.
The test experiments made in France
Immediately after We're carried on with a
special view to the criticisms made at
Cambridge, in order to get rid of every
suspicious condition.
Eusapia was quite unaware of the tenn
pest she had raised She was brought to a
country house Of Colonel de Rochas. who
mad organized a new commission of seven
independent men of science. some of whom.
like himself, were accustomed to hypnotic
experiments, but none OF whom had ever
had any dealings, with Eusapia Paladino.
II was $50 o'clock in the evening of Sept.
q. Four sets OF observations had been
made on previous. days. beginning always
after $50 in the evening. No notice mad
mittee that experiments might be made at
this hour of the day. She was in her nor
NAL waking condition. and there was no
sign of the apparent trance which usually
accompanies the phenomena. In the draw
Ing room there was a heavy I able, a. little
over three feet long. On one end of it was
placed q large petroleum lamp having a
white muslin shade. The whole surface of
the table was brilliantly Illuminated. NJ.
de Gramont brought from a valise in his
room a letter-weigher, which comprised an
ordinary metal stand, with a small pan
above the letter and a balancing
weight below at the end Of an elbowed
lever. the movement of which set an index
hand in motion over a graduated scale.
The lowest depression on the scale answer
ounces.) The weight of the entire machine
was almost exactly one-quarter of a pound.
Any downward movement OF the pan with
the corresponding motion of the index hand
on the scale. and still more any movement
or the body of the machine. would require
suspicion of the machine itself would fail
back on Nj. de Gramont, whose property it
WAS, and in no possible way on Eusapia.
The le~tter-weigher was placed on the
behind II M. dc Gramont stationed him
self, and at his side VI. de VAUDEVILLE, who
Is a doctor both in physical sciences and
in law. At the side of the table. on a line
With the etter-weigher was Eusapia. with
Colonel de Rochas beside her. Opposite.
line Of vision between them and Eusapia
stood Nj. Sabatier. professor of compare
tive snatomy and zoology in the university
the pan of the letter-weigher, with the
scale. and the hands of Eusapia were from
beginning TO end in the full light of the
lamp not two feet away. The distance be-
tween her hands and part CT the letter
Weigher was also plainly TO be seen from
every side.
THE LETTER SCALES MOVE.
Eusapia at first endeavored to produce
a movement Of the pan by holding a sim
gle hand some inches above it. This was
without result. She then used both hands.
one on the right and the other on the left
side of the pan. The fingers of each hand
were brought to a point and their extrem-
tiles held at a distance of one inch and a
half from the pan. The whole attention of
that at no time was there any contact of
the fingers with the pan. Eusapia moved
her hands lightly up and down. At first
this, too, was without result. but soon the
pan osciliated repeatedly up and down.
keeping time with the movements of her
hands. AT last Eusapia quite lowered her
hands and the pan descended TO the eX-
IRENE point indicated on the scale. and
then remounted. During all this time Eu-
sapia made no other than with
her hands. and there was absolutely no
vibration of the table or jerking OF the ma
chine.
Or. Dariex. director of the French An
nails OF Psychical Sciences, now entered the
room and the experiment was begun again.
He placed himself beside Professor Sa-
batter, that IS, where the Ietter-weigher
stood in the full light between him and
toward him. Like Eusapia herself. none
of the observers Was rpora than foot