The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-23
MYSTERY N PUMcu HAND.
strange Psychic Gift Possessed hS
nm InIettrrcd Man.


a strange story has just been made pub
lie by Barry Pain. the wel-known Ems
lish author. Il refers TO mysterious
parsonage who died many years aso, hut
Il was only recently that a London ply
-ictan. ono OF the few who knew the
weird story told II TO Mr.. Pain. The se-
cret had been kept faithfully by al the
witnesses for various reasons chief among
which was the fear that the tale would
be- received in manner that might In
juro the professional standing Of those
concerned.
1T e. possible" says Mr. Pain. 'that
some may remember the case Of Richard
Gen. who was the subject OF a few news
paper paragraphs in May and june, 1915
he was an uuedu.ated man, tho son %
a North Country miner lie came 10 Lon
don 40 exhibit what was supposed 90 he
a trick ana to make what money De
could out OF 81. Richard GEL was accus-
toned 10 drink herd. and he was certain
D. not honest. His trick was never quite
satisfactorily explained. but the man had
discredited himself and respectable stu
dents OF psychology did not think ~ worth
while as a rule to have anything to do
with him.
His trick was this: lie took O seat in
a room and high screen wos placed all
around him, 80 that he could not be seen.
Ia che same room but az distance from
the screen. table was placed with a
sheet OF paper on u. on the paper was "a
model OF hand. rather less than life
size. made apparently OF some kind OF
pumice stone This hand held "a pencil
Questions we're asked By people Ia the
room. and the hand. moving with no ap-
parent cause. wrote replies. Tine trick
was done Ia any room, and any screen AMI
table could b. used The model Of shs
hand could be examined by anybody ard
az any time. Tor instance. 70 might BE-
raised from the paper while % was In the
act Of writing. 10 was shown that the
hand could not be Influenced hy a pow
erful magnet ana this disposed OF enc
nrst explanation suggested But before
ne had been IA London a fortnight CELL
was fined Ia "a police court FOR being
drunk and dlsorderly And people who
had been inclined 10 take him seriously
lef, him alone.
They could not think n possible that
man OF that type should be- possessed
Of any abnormal psychic power They
took view which By many people would
still be held to be quite natural Al the
same time an unpreiudiccd inquirer might
be disposed 20 ask why abnormal rower-
OF this description should be confined 20
the respectable and ascetic. IL 70 not. 90
fact, a little absurd % lay down rules
for world OF which We practically know
nothiug7 That was the opinion OF few
doctors who had interested themselves in
Gelrs case; they paid his tine at the
Fouce Court and looked after him. the>
also investigated his trick, n g could be
called a trick.
Toward che end OF June, 1873 Cell died
suddenly in a house IN Harley street The
cause Of death was some form Of heart
failure and tho jury found "a verdict ac-
cordingly The actual circumstance o.
the death were not disclosed a. the tn
quest.
But one 81 the doctors who was pres
eut has az last told me what happened.
Cell had taken no stlmulants that day;
he was shaky and complained that he
felt bad But he was quite willing, and
even anxious. that the test OF his pow
ers should proceed lie was very proud
II them. and quite realized that report
favorable 10 their genuine character cosn-
ing from scientific men would be Of great
value TO him. Ills one object was 20 make
money out OF the trick: he said thas he
mother knew nor cared how he did 90.
The answers 20 Questions that had been
written by the model hand - far had
contained nothing extraordinary. They
were answers that might have been writ.
ten by GEL himself directly. and they
even reproduced the misspellinga which
were habitual with him.
'''rhe test took place az O'Clock in the
evening in the draWing-room OF the
house. on the first floor. overlooking the
street Besides Cell there were four doe
tors present. one OF whom was tho ten
ant OF the house. Cell took hls place as
uausl In the middle Of the room. and
heavy Eilt leather screen which had been
brought from the consulting room was
placed round him The table on which the
hand and sheet q paper were placed was
10 or y feet distant from she screen.
To the drst quest!osi the hand wrote a
childish answer Mt once. Then one OF the
doctors asked what e. my agcT
..-rhe hand trembled. but did not move
rs.11 sroke from behind the screen and
asked FOR something 20 drink a glass %
vater was handed 10 him bchiad she
screen. Tho question was repeated. and
the hand began 20 write. and suddenly
stopped other questions were suegesten
hut the hand remained absolutely motions
less. The host turned round toward tho
acreen and called out. What's the matter
wien YOU. Geli7 Immediately che hand
began TO write.
character which was not that Of any Ian
glage with which any Of the doctors
present was acquainted. The writing was
done with great smoothnoss and regular
tv Suddenly the hand shot over the
side OF the table. fell on the floor and
brole IN fragments. The host called out
aqain. What's the matter with you, Geil?'
rhere was no answer and for a moment
or ,wo there was absolute silence 90 the
room. Theu one OF the men said. we
had better look into this. and went up 10
the screen.
On attempting 70 pull II back the
| whole thing fell oYex vita crash. Be-