The herald., 1897-04-25

unshod feet. Suddenly the table COM
menced to move and rose from the floor
Mons. Sabatier satisfied himself that Eu-
sapia's knees did not follow it, and held
her hand on a system Of his own, sur
rounding her wrist with a ring made ol
his thumb and first finger. Then he
changed places with the man who was
holding her feet. Almost instantly the
heavy armchair which stood behind her
was violently displaced. Music came
from a toy piano that stood upon It,
Then the curtain that hung over a win
dow recess near by swelled out until ii
wac all about the face of Mons. Maxwell
who was sitting at Eusapia's left.
Mons Maxwell states that there
seemed to him to be something hard be-
hind the curtain. The three men who
were holding Eusapia in the manner de-
scribed state positively that she did not
move. Then the armchair raped three
times on the floor. Notes were heard
from the toy piano, and a moment later
the instrument floated over Mons. Max
wells head and placed itself upon the
table. Mons d'Gramont saw the light
on this piano as it passed in the manner
described and said 1t seemed to him as
IL the curtain went with 1t, and the two
were held together by a hand. Mons
Maxwell felt vigorous touch upon his
back. Mons. Dariex felt an entire hand
resting on his head while he was hold
ing the feet of the young woman. I'm
mediately the piano rose from the table
and descended again with loud noise.
A cold draft, directed from Mile. Pala-
dino's head, made Mons. d'Gramont
Sneeze.
Next Mons. Maxwell was pinched un-
der the right arm, as he sat next to
Eusapia, holding her left hand The
piano then rose from the table again
and came down on Mons. d'Gramont's
head. Mons. Sabatier, who was holding
the woman's right hand, felt violent
pinch upon the left shoulder Eusapia
now seemed to be in trancelike state.
The curtaine came from the recess to the
table. The young woman's chair then
rose slowly from beneath her came up
over her left shoulder and lighted up
side down, on the hands of Mons.
dGramont. resting the top bar of its
back on the knees of Mons Sabatier.
The curtains then descended upon Mons.
d'Gramont and enveloped him all about.
In all this not the slightest sign OF arti-
flee or trick was discovered. Mile. Pala-
dino's legs, arms and body were securely
held every moment 1t was absolutely
impossible that there could be a con-
federate. The woman herself could not
move.
The conclusion Of its test was perhaps
its most dramatic feature The three
gentlemen mentioned were holding Eu-
sapia with firm grasp when, all at once
the woman and the chair. despite all eff
forts to detain, rose from the floor to the
top Of the table and rested thereon. The
instances quoted are fair samples Of the
demonstrations of power that Mile. Pa
ladino has given. To thoroughly appre-
ciate the real meaning of these tests it
must be constantly borne in mind that
the men who have sought to fathom the
mystery and absolutely failed, have
been those whose names stand among
the first in the scientific world. NJ
Prudhomme Sully says: 1T is phenom-
enon for which 1 can account by no ordl-
nary physical law"
The second Of these women of whom
Europe Is talking, is Nine. DEsperance.
Ever since she can remember she has in
a measure lived apart in feeling from
the majority of her kind. She saw, at a
very early age. she declares. figures and
faces that were invisible to others. but
to her seemed exceedingly companiona-
BILE. Her parents punished her for ne
glecting the duties they gave her to per-
form to watch these dream people of
whom she tells. The family doctor
when she told him of her visions" sadly
said to her that he had known of per-
sons who had seen such things, but that
they were mad This feeling of impend-
ing madness haunted her until after her
marriage. Then she learned that she
was the possessor of what the scientists
declares is mysterious, occult power,
not to be classed with any of the theories
and isms that find devotees in so many
places.
The most remarkable feature of Nine.
DEsperance's demonstrations is the
seemingly absolute proof Of what has
been considered the theory of demateri-
alization or the disappearance of por-
tion of a living human body. OF this
fact, she has convinced no less a scien-
tito authority than M. A. Aksakoff of
Russia. who vouches in the strongest
terms for the entire truthfulness of
what she says concerning her own pow
er. M. Aksakoff Is the sternest of the
students of the occult. To convince him
Of truth it is necessary to prove it over
and over again. This Is why his utter
ances have attracted attention.
Nine. D'Esperance says concerning
this feature of her remarkable power:
1.-THE peculiar thing about this dema-
terialization is the disappearance Of half
of my body, a fact which first learned
by accident. My head. or rather the
nape of my neck, was giving me good
deal of pain, and I crossed my hands
behind my head to support it. My arms
got tired in that position and, wishing
to rest them on my knees, I found that
my legs were gone and that my hands,
instead of resting on my knees, were
on the chair. That frightened me lit
tie, and wished to know whether 1t was
true or If I was dreaming. There was
light enough, so called the attention of
the person sitting next to me to the
strange situation.
"This person examined the chair
and so did four of the others present,
and they all declared that only the up
per part of my body was really there.
The chair had only my dress on it, My
arms, shoulders and chest remained
in their proper place. 1 could speak,
move my arms and head and drink
water. and even feel my legs, though
they were not there. During all this
time ~-shadowy forms came and went.
I think this TRANCE state of affairs must
have continued for about half an hour