The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-01-16
WORDS OF THE DEAD

supposed 10 DE tEEh anu ~ ttiAA~
what money he could Of II.
His trick was this: lie took seat In
n room, and high screen was placed
all round him. 80 that he could not be
seen. In the same room, but at dis
tance from the screen. table was
placed. with sheet OF paper on IL. On
the paper was a model Of a hand.
rather less than life size. made appar-
emily OF some kind OF pumice stone.
This hand held a pencil. Questions
We're asked by people In the room, and
the hand, moving. with no apparent
cause, wrote replies. The trick was
done In any room, and any screen and
table could be used.
But before he had been In London
fortnight Cell was fined at a police
court for being drunk and disorderly.
And people who had been inclined 20
take him seriously left him alone.
They could not think n possible that n
man OF that type should be possessed
OF any abnormal psychic power. At
the same time an unprejudlced in
quirer might be disposed 10 ask why
abnormal powers OF this description
should be confined 10 the respectable
and the ascetics. That was the opin-
ion OF few doctors who had interest
ed themselves In Cells case. They
paid his fine at the police court and
looked after him. They also investi-
gated his trick. IL II could be called n
trick.
Toward the end OF June, 1873. Cell
died suddenly In a house I'm Harley
street. The cause OF death was some
form OF heart failure. and the jury
found a verdict accordingly. The ac-
tual circumstances OF the death were
not disclosed al the inquest am en-
/ abled 10 give them by one OF the doc
tors present at the time.
Cell had taken no sumulants that
I day. He was shalyy and complained
that he 'felt bad But ne was quite
willing and even anxious that the test
I OF his powers should proceed The an
/ swcrs TO questions that had been writ
ten by the model hand so far had con
tanned nothing very extraordinary.
/ They were answers that might have
been written by Cell himself directly
and even reproduced the misspellings
which were habitual with him.
! The test took place at s o'clock In
\ the evening IN the drawing room OF
| the house on the first floor overlooking
the street Besides Cell, there were
four doctofs present, one OF whom was
the tenant OF the house. Cell took his
place, as usual, In the middle Of the
room, and n heavy gilt leather screen
which had been fetched from the con
sultlng room was placed around him.
The table on which the hand and sheet
OF paper were placed was ten or
\ twelve feet distant from the screen.
/ To the first question the hand wrote a
! childish answer at once Then one of
the doctors asked. "What Is my ageT'
The hand trembled. but did not move.
Cell spoke from behind The screen and
asked FOR something 10 drink. a glass
of water was handed to him behind
the screen. The question was then re-
peated, and The hand began 10 write
and suddenly stopped. Other questions
were sugge ted. but The hand remain
cd absolutely motlonless The host
turned around toward the screen aud
called out. whats the matter with
you GEM Immediately che hand be.
gan 10 write
1t wrote from right TO LEFT and in a
character Wsleh was not That of any
language with which any of the d0g-
tors present was acquointed The witt
ing was done with great sm0oihness
and regularity Suddenly the hand
shot over the side Of Tire table, fel on
the floor ana broke in fragments. The
host called out again, whats the
matter with you. Gellw There was no
answer. and for moment or two
there was absolute silence In the room
Then one ~ Tho men said. eve had
better look into this" and went up 20
the screen la attempting 10 pull Il
back the whole thing fell over with a
crash Behind Il on his chair With bis
hcad back and his jaw dropped. SAT
Cell. stone dead re was Ia DTS life.
time an ugly man, ana now with the
pas naring above him. he looked very
CHASTITY uc was wearing, I am told. q
dirty lIeht suit and a tio of striking
colors. with nm impossible diamond IN
a.
The body was quite cold, and rigot
mortis had already set In. One would
have said that Il had been dead az
least three hours There was little ~
nothing to be done but the doctors
discussed Il and never mentioned what
they were All thinking. That was onlJ
said when they came downstairs after
ward. All were agreed on the point
Richard Cell must have been dead
while the hand WINS stlil writing IL
can never be proved" said one Of
them. "hut believe he died just be
fore the hand reversed and wrote II
tho strange characters from right 70
left"
The writing was subsequently shown
to well known orleniallst ~ M
picked up the paper he said. WHY