The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1908-12-31
HUMAN SALAMANOER
Young Machinist Who Bathed In
Flames Was Unhurt.
NO SIGNS OF SCORCHING EVEN

Fred e. Foskett Said He Did Not Feel
Slightest Sensation of Burning.
Professor James and Other Psychol-
ogists Conducted Remarkable Tests
In Boston.
The marvellous psychic power Of
Fred E. Foskett, young machinist
of Orange, Mass, has attracted the
attention of Professor James of Har-
ward and other leading members of
the Boston branch Of the American
Society of Psychical Research, who
recently gave him tests on two days.
The first of the tests was held at the
home of Prescott r. Hall on Sat
urday afternoon. Professor William
James and several well known physi-
clans were there, and test conditions
as nearly perfect as possible were
made. Foskett was seated in the Gen.
ter of a room before a small table.
There he performed every feat of the
Hindoo faker and the Buddhist adept
On the table was an ordinary kero-
sene lamp with chimney and fiat
wick, pan and several quarts of al
cohol. According to the reports of
those present, Foskett succeeded In
every test. The first test was made
with ordinary sulphur matches. Fos-
kett lighted half a Dozen one after
the other, holding them with one hand
so close to the fingers of the other
that the flames curled around them.
He then lighted the lamp and held his
hands above the wick, while the
flames curled over them and the SCOT
completely blackened them.
From one of these tests to another
Foskett went, while the scientists
held their breath and watched every
( motion, until he came to the climax.
In this he poured quart of alcohol
| into the basin, lighted 1t and then
| washed his hands, bathing them for
nearly ten minutes In the burning
fluid, washing 1t up over his arms and
| to bis face-literally bathing himself
| In blazing alcohol. That completed
/
they were finished the physicians
present examined Foskett, and they
| could find not the slightest trace of a
burn or blister. Foskett told them
that the flames did not give him the
slightest sensation of burning; that he
felt comfortably warm and pleasant
and nothing more.
The second tests were made on the
| nett afternoon at the home Of Pro-
fessor James in Cambridge, Mass,
and under the same conditions as the
day before. Considerable mystery Is
thrown about them Mr.. Hall said
they were so startling that he did not
care to discuss them until they had
been tried again. Another scientist
who was there said that Foskett per-
formed all of his experiments Of the
day before and then absolutely and
positively dematerialized.
| HE seemed to dissolve into thin air
as we watched him; was gone forty
one seconds and then materialized. 1t
was so startling that we, am afraid,
lost sight Of the test conditions, and
we have asked him to appear before
us again. 1t seems unbelievable, but
1t certainly seemed so. We hardly
know what to think Of It."
1 Professor James refuses to talk
about the tests.
According to those who were pres
ent, Fosket' seems In a passive state
during the tests, and he says he
thinks Of nothing in particular. Those
who examined him discredit the hyp-
motto theory They believe he has
some latent phychic force that never
has been studied.