Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-11-14
WAS 1T A SPIRIT, OR WHAT?

Eusapia Palladino, the we'll knowr
Neapolltan medium, who was rather
a failure when she appeared before
the Psychical Research Society IL
London few years ago, has just
subjected herself to series of ex.
periments, held under the auspices OF
the University of Naples and partici-
pated in by Professors Bottazzi and
Galeotti and other well known scien-
lists. Eusapia is an ignorant woman,
and Is known to have received no ed
ucation whatever. Nevertheless while
in a trance she is able to converse in
several modern languages, and writes
in each of them in script that Is like
copperplate.
At the University Of Naples the
professors deliberately set traps for
her, placing objects with which she
could bring about effects within reach
of her hand and fixing electric lights
close by, so as to throw instant il
Illumination upon them If she at
tempted to make use of them. A dish
containing clay to receive possible
holdings or marks was placed at a
considerable distance from the
medium, and her hands were care
fully controlled by two persons. when
she suddenly stretched out the three
middle fingers of one hand, and, rub.
bing the under part of her fingers on
the table in front of her, said:
How hard it is. What is it,"
AS there was nothing on the table
she was asked to what she referred,
md she replied:
1T is the hard clay. I wish 1t
taken away. do not need it,"
When the professors came to ex'
anime the distant dish of clay it was
found to have the marks of three
fingers upon it, of which the move
ments corresponded exactly to those
which had been made by the medium
on the table, and it appeared az
though she were able in some way
to transmit the sensations Of her own
hands to distance.
In one of the experiments the
wrists of Eusapia were tied to two
iron rings fixed in the floor; the cords
that held her were knotted ano
sealed, and yet under these conditions
a bottle of water was carried about
and a seat and large human hands
were seen to appear Professor Gale
hot u,hiln hn hold,
ing Eusapia by the hands. he distinct
ly saw double figure in her place
with Identical arms, which. however,
were held in different positions.
Professor Bottazzi. the leader OF
the experiments, once touched the
fixgers of Eusapia, and an electric
light, the tap of which had been fixed
inside her cabinet, but out Of her
reach, was lighted four or Ave times,
and as many times eXtinguiShed
Professor Bottazzi also had Il large
and apparently natural human hand
laid upon his neck, his head and his
arm. Each time he was able to touch
1t, and, when on his arm, TO see it by
suddenly turning on the electric
lights, when it was not dragged away,
but faded out Of sight and touch as he
held it.
In these aud other similar expert
ments the scientific men present are
agreed that fraud was practically inn
possible. They all, however, exclude
any supernatural or spiritual eXplana'
ton, and can only suggest that Eu-
sapia Palladino's manifestations are
biological phenomena. dependent on
the organism of the medium, who at
will can double or increase the range
of her psychic personality, and even
her physiological personality.-Phila-
.elphia Ledger.