The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-07-01
Dishes and Knives Fly and Bible
Flops Over in Wisconsin
Norwegian Household
IS He A LITTLE BNOpRY MEDIUM
Strange Manifestations Are Repeated
When Lad is Removed to Another
Town--3cientlsts on Psychic soeie.
ties Interested in Phenomena,

had heard until recently, has attained
q distinct position on the map through
the uncanny attributes accredited Ia
an eeven-year-old boy. He Is James
Henry Brophy, the grandson of Mr.
and Mrs. Knut Lund of Mount Hore6.
pioneer Norwegian settlers in the
town of Springdsle. where they had
lived for fifty years.
The boy is known variously as "tLe
wonderful child medium" and the
Mount Horeb child os mystery" ac
cording as the narrator is n believer
IN or is skcptical OF the cult of Spirf
tualism. He is mixture of Irish and
Norwegian. his mother being Mrs
Patrick H. Trainor OF Madison by
former marriage. He is n pretty
child, with fine hazel eyes and curly
brown hair. His features are delicate,
almost grlish, and his pale, oval face
suggests sensitive mentality. He
would be noticed in a crowd because
of certain 1owerlike beauty and shy
ness
The first uncanny happening occur
red on March 8, when, as the boy en-.
tered the kitchen of his home, a snow
ball came flying out of space, struck
him in the middle of the back, and
knocked him fiat on the floor There
is wide open lot on that side OF the
house, and there was not soul in
sight outside. Precisely the same
thing happened the following day,
when the boy came from school, Tho
next evening a series OF events put
the household in panic. Cups flew
from the table and broke; a lamp
chimney was shattered, and the spool
OF thread on the sewing machine be.
gan to unreel rapidly of it's own wolf
ton. The boys grandfather became
distracted with terror, and news OF
the strange events spread rapidly.
The next day there was a funeral
in the village. which the boys moth.
er attended. afterward spending the
night at the home of her parents,
That night things were particularly
nimble, and some of the neighbors
were sent for to compose grandfathe.
Lund, who was on the verge of col.
Sam Thompson. another respected
citizen, responded to the call, but as
soon as Mr.. Mostrom entered the sit.
ting room Bible, which was on the
table, Topped over twice and fell to
the floor at his feet There" eX.
claimed the old couple, you see how
1t isl"
The clergyman tried to explain mat
te"s nationally, and finally sat down at
the organ to play hymn. Meanwhile
Mr.. Thompson was sitting about three
feet from the table with the boy on
his knee, when the boy suddenly ex.
claimed: Look OUT" Instantly
big carving knife, which had been on
the table, flew through the air and
stuck in the floor in front of them.
The boy could not have touched it.
Mr.. Thompson says. The same
phenomena occurred with a hatpin,
and Mr., Thompson and the minister
owned up afterwards that they could
not sleep for hours that night.
Some of the citizens finally declared
that the house, which was equipped
with electric lights and telephone. had
become electrified, causing the dis.
turbance. Accordingly. two well-known
citizens went TO the house one night
and, despite the protests of the fam
ily, who feared to be left in dark
ness, had the electric wires discon.
nected. This failed to effect any re-
form, however, and the boy finally
becoming suspected either of posses.
sing unusual powers or marvellous
sleight-of-hand abilities, was sent to
the home of his uncle, Andrew Lund,
in Springdale.
AS soon as he entered his uncle's
house pail of water in the kitchen
went spinning over the floor, upsetting
It's contents. A spoonky night fol'
lowed; all sorts of household utensils
apparently went on a spree, and this
proved that the boy, Willingly on un'
Willingly, was responsible for the
manifestations.
You had better take down that
looking glass" said the boy to his
uncle soon after he arrived. His un-
Gle laughed, but soon afterward the
mirror fell with a crash AS in Mount
Horeb, country people came in droves
to see the boy. A neighboring boy,
who came over to play marbles with
Henry, was so terrified by the queer
actions of the marbles that he ran
nome and told his mother about IL,
He said that when it became his turn
10 shoot he was utterly unable to
guide the direction of the marbles,
which would fly directly from his fin
gers into Henry's pocket. Also, he
said. when Henry shot. the marble
would stop short when going swiftly
and fly back to the shooter. Andrew
Lund declared, too. that the boy would
sit on chair with a cigar box CON
tanning marbles In his lap. and that
the marbles would jump out OF the
box without the boy touching them.
The case is attracting the attention
OF scientists and societies Of psychic
research from far and near, but the
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