The Missing Link In Modern Spiritualism Part 29

"Mrs. Brown and her sister, Miss C. Fox, were present as mediums. A conversation was started which was carried on mostly, but not entirely, by Mr. Lunt, the representative of _The Courier_, and Major Rains, of Newburg, N. Y., a graduate of West Point, once a.s.sistant professor there, and who, in connection with Judge Edmonds and others, made a long-continued investigation of Spiritual powers scientifically. This conversation related to the instrumentality and processes by which Spirits work, and Major Rains expressed some of his views as to the proper processes for a scientific investigation of this particular subject.

"Also, there was conversation, mostly between Professor Aga.s.siz and Mrs. Brown, as to when and how the Fox family first learned that they possessed this mediumistic susceptibility. The substance of this harmonized with what has often been published.

"After a time, the mediums and a few others being at the table, raps were heard, mostly on the floor (or rather upon a three or four inch platform covering the stuffed or deadened floor), while a few gentle ones were felt and heard as if made on the table. Afterward, when Mrs.

Brown stood by a large wooden box, and put first her finger and then a common pencil against the box, the raps were heard there as on the box and near her hand. Again, when she stood upon a covered stool, the sounds seemed to be made beneath her on the platform. Again, when the two mediums were both standing on the stuffed seat of a sofa, the persons near them remarked that they heard sounds as from the wood of the sofa, and also from the wall against which the sofa stood. My position was distant from the sofa, and I only state what others who were near remarked. Many of the raps upon the platform and one or two upon the box were quite distinctly heard in most parts of the room.

"Near the close of their sitting, Prof. Aga.s.siz stated that the production of such sounds could be referred to known laws, and said, 'Before the investigation is over we will explain to you how they may be produced.'

"When about to separate, Major Rains expressed a wish that all would stop and compare notes, and come to an agreement as to what had actually occurred or been exhibited. A few sentences as to the propriety or importance of this course were exchanged between him and Prof. Pierce, when the Professor said, with a very ironical and discourteous tone and look, 'We thank you, sir, for your _advice_,' and bowing, hastily left the room. This occurred while a portion of the company were about leaving the room--while nearly all were standing and ready to go--while promiscuous conversation was going on--and it is not probable that many heard or saw what is here described. I was standing by the side of Major Rains, and saw and heard the whole most distinctly. Mortified and ashamed at the tones and looks of this representative of _Alma Mater_ and of Science, when addressed to a gentleman stranger, and a man of science, I turned silently away, and was not surprised when, shortly after, Major Rains said to me, 'There seems no occasion for me to remain here because of any knowledge or skill which my experience in such investigations may have given me; there is no attempt, no purpose, to have an investigation of the general subject. I had better return home.'

And soon he did go, as then proposed.

"Now the 'change came o'er the spirit of my dream.' At the next gathering I asked, privately, and learned from both Prof. Pierce and Mr. Gould, that they considered the money question as still before them, and that they were but judges and not investigators. From that time my relations to them and to that particular trial became relatively unpleasant. I had little to do or say, and nothing to hope for, because of the necessary antagonism in the room.

"At their next sitting Mr. Redman was the medium. Raps and tipping of the table did not come as they usually do with him; yet he asked those at the table to write the names of deceased friends and roll up the slips. Prof. Pierce commenced writing in a book. Prof. Aga.s.siz, in the meanwhile, was standing near his back, frequently changing his own att.i.tude and position, and looking very intently upon Redman, although he said to Prof. Pierce, 'Throw that one out,' meaning the slip just written upon. There was the appearance of much mental disturbance in Prof. Aga.s.siz, as shown by his att.i.tudes, his changes of position, his wild gaze, and his tones when he spoke. No raps came, _nothing_ claiming to be Spiritual was done by or through Mr. Redman in the public room. At some time during this sitting Dr. Gardner drew attention to the points of disturbance, through strong mental action and intent use of the eyes.

Mr. Lunt was understood to say that he had been using both mind and eyes intently, and with much effect; but I was on the opposite side of the room from him when he spoke, and may not have taken in the exact import of his words.

"Similar want of success attended the other mediums, at all the subsequent sittings up to the meeting of the Davenports, on the last evening. These boys, or young men, were intrusted almost entirely to the management of the Committee, and those of us who were but spectators are not so informed as to make it proper to state in advance of the Committee what was attempted nor what the success. We do know that at the close Prof. Aga.s.siz held up a small, short piece of thread, which he said had been '_broken_,' and that that was the _test_. Having uttered these words in a very rough tone and emphatic manner, he, in a similar tone, said, 'Good night, gentlemen,' and hastily left us.

"Prof. Pierce then said to Dr. Gardner, 'I suppose you are through with us.' The Doctor replied, 'No, you have promised to show us how the raps were made.' 'Not as a Committee,' said Prof. Pierce; 'Mr. Aga.s.siz made that promise as an individual.' And thus the affair closed--we as much disappointed at the failure of Aga.s.siz to keep his word and unveil the mystery of rapping, as at any one failure during the sittings.

"The _Investigation_, in fact, was a trial of the correctness of the statements made at the preliminary meeting, viz., 'that it was in the power of the gentlemen there present to make the trial a failure, by ejecting certain forces from their own minds and eyes.' In this they were successful.

"Two of the gentlemen, Prof. Aga.s.siz and Mr. Lunt, omitted throughout all the sessions to comply with invitations to sit in the circle around the table, and there was not, in any instance or at any point, any opportunity for Dr. Gardner to exercise 'the determination of all the accessory circ.u.mstances.' The former gentleman, it seems, was permitted to exercise his own choice as to being in the circle, but not so the latter. Dr. Gardner's friends have been disappointed, and the chief disappointment was at the manners and actions and mental and emotional states of two of the Committee and a representative of _The Courier_.

"No chickens were hatched on this occasion, where the hen was kept in perpetual agitation, and was often driven from her nest during the period of incubation; _but it does not follow that eggs never contain a vital principle_. Let the proper conditions be observed, let natural laws have legitimate play, and the latent vital principle will take form and embodiment and come forth from the sh.e.l.l a thing of life and power.

It is easy to prevent the hatching of an egg, for the Committee did that with very little trouble. But many hens 'steal to their nests,' and in secluded spots, where natural laws are conformed to, the hatching processes still go on in spite of human science.

"ALLEN PUTNAM.

"ROXBURY, July 10, 1857."

I must here bear testimony to the uniform politeness--I may say kindness--with which I was personally treated by Prof. Aga.s.siz, however rough may have been his occasional treatment of some of the other mediums. So far as _we_ were concerned, he exhibited nothing but that perfect gentlemanhood which lent another grace to his mental greatness and scientific attainment. There has always remained on my mind the impression of something mysterious as having clouded his general conduct in this "investigation." He was indeed in a false position, and ought never to have been a member of that committee of professors, inasmuch as it was of such serious importance to Prof. Felton (afterwards president), who was virtually the prosecuting officer against Spiritualism, and so vehement in his public antagonism to it, and who was also so closely connected by marriage with Aga.s.siz, his _father-in-law_ (I believe), that a failure to support Felton in this must have complicated family relations. I must also add that I found Prof. Horsford unexceptionable as a kind and courteous gentleman. I think that at the bottom of the committee's strange conduct in only making an "award" on a money question, which no longer existed before them, and then remaining in the ridiculous position of never making their promised "report," notwithstanding the challenges and the jeers of the Spiritualist papers and orators, lay, in some degree at least, the facts of this awkwardness of domestic difficulties, and the impossibility of getting the professors united upon any report.

But that n.o.ble man, who has long since gone to his reward, Dr. Gardner, did not let the matter drop at this point. No sooner was the "award"

promulgated than he engaged his mediums to postpone their departure from the city, and, under like circ.u.mstances, in the same room, furniture unchanged, to repeat their sittings before a different set of investigators, namely, the _representatives of the Press_. A large body of these gentlemen attended, besides their friends and other spectators, and it is sufficient for me to say that the results were entirely satisfactory. But Dr. Gardner had requested that their reports should be withheld from publication until after the committee's full report should have appeared.

In Mr. Allan Putnam's pamphlet above referred to ("Aga.s.siz and Spiritualism"), is given an account of this convening of the members of the Press, by Dr. Gardner, written by the temporary editor of _The New England Spiritualist_, and signed "One Present," and commencing:

"It is well known that the 'award' of the committee entirely failed to meet the rational demands of inquirers. It took the form of a decree rather than a decision. Such being the facts, Dr. Gardner thought it due, not only to himself but to the community, to make another effort to have the matter fairly and deliberately tested. Accordingly, immediately after the appearance of the committee's 'award,' he invited the editors of the princ.i.p.al newspapers in the city to attend the seances and witness manifestations through the same mediums he had employed before the professors.

"The gentlemen who responded to this invitation were: Messrs. Carter, Robinson, and Brown, of _The Boston Traveller_; Stockwell, of _The Journal_; Bulger, of _The Post_; Clapp and Shillaber, of _The Gazette_; Marsh, of _The Bee_; Tracy, of _The Herald_; Hill, of _The Ledger_; and the editors of _The Banner of Light_, and _New England Spiritualist_.

There were also present at a portion of the sittings, Hon. L. V. Bell, A. Putnam, Esq., Alvin Adams, Esq., and others."

I extract only the following, which relates to ourselves:

"SECOND SESSION.

"At the second session, on Thursday afternoon, July 2d, Mrs. Brown and Miss Kate Fox were present as mediums. The precaution was taken again to examine the furniture and appliances of the room, to guard against any mechanical trickery. The company then seating themselves, raps were in a few moments heard upon the floor and table. The sounds were various and complicated, from the lightest tap to quite heavy blows. The heavier sounds had a peculiar softness, as if they had been made by a padded drum-stick worked by a spring.

"The next step was to test the intelligence manifested through the sounds. The method of doing this will be understood from the following, which is but a small part of the proceedings--as a report of the whole would be but a repet.i.tion of questions similar in their character, and eliciting equivalent results.

"A Spirit-friend of Mr. Marsh announced himself as present.

"MR. MARSH.--'Will you tell me your name?'

"BY THE SOUNDS.--'Yes.'

"A list of names was written by Mr. M., and as he pointed to them separately the Spirit designated that of Le Grand Smith.

"MR. M.--'Will you tell me the manner of your death?'

"'Lost at sea.' (Correct.)

"MR. M.--'Will you tell me where I last saw you?'

"'New York.' (Correct.)

"'Have you any other acquaintance in this room?'

"'Mr. Clapp.'

"MR. C.--'Will Mr. Marsh ask him where I last saw him?'

"Answer obtained by Mr. Marsh--'Boston.' (Correct.)

"MR. C.--'I have seen him when he was sick; can he tell at what place?'

"MR. M.--'Will the Spirit tell where Mr. Clapp has seen him sick?'

"'New York.' (Correct.)

"'Where else?' (No answer.)

"'Whom were you intimate with in Boston? the Chickerings?'

"A weak affirmative was returned, which was supposed to indicate that he was acquainted with them--perhaps not intimately.

"'Did you know Col. N. A. Thompson?'

"'Yes.'

"'Any other persons in this circle?'

"'Dr. Gardner'--and others.

"Dr. G. seemed willing that all failures should pa.s.s as such, and promptly said, 'That is a mistake, gentlemen; I don't know any such person.'