Planchette, or, The despair of science : being a full account of modern spiritualism, its phenomena, and the various theories regarding it : with a survey of French spiritism
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V ^r-KSfrc^^raa CP" ■ ,~ V?''' <C^Cj<- <^<~ ^s;.'- '^. r <sc<:' <<:: "^Xj J _CK^. <:<' ^scs.^ ^C"<r' .<^ <<5^-C 1. ^<<2<::<:'^ <^<- ^^.'^ f c<::<3; ^<: <i ^<:<z<z <^ •<£■: 1 '^ ' ccr^'Cc-.: c^": '«sct^ i« <:<:<3z oc; og|c ^ c^_<3:<: <:<: <<s^ 1 ■-c_'<c.c<-: „ c:<::- -«^Mi:' ; il c<^<<i--c^ ^:SMl: C<3<"C <r<^ ^^»C ♦ fc:c33-^ '^m^- <^<^ <c:-cc' <-<r «sg3rc:<l' f-S^sm' •^®a:; J i aK^^-^^^:i^^^^m^^ A Handy-Volume Series. No. III. PLANCHETTE; THE DESPAIR OF SCIENCE. PLANCHETTE; / THE DESPAIR OF SCIENCE. FULL ACCOUNT OF MODERN SPIRITUALISM, ITS PHENOMENA, AND THE VARIOUS THEORIES REGARDING IT. SURVEY OF FRENCH SPIRITISM. 3u Ep€S ^^♦'^evvV *' Search where thou wilt, and let thy reason go To ransom Truth, even to the abyss below." BOSTON: ROBERTS BROTHERS. 1869. <<<^.f^ Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by ROBERTS BROTHERS, the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. CAMBRIDGE J PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON. A PREFACE IN A LETTER. To THE Rev. W. M, : — l^/TY DEAR Friend, — More than twenty years ago, we ventured to cross the border of what Ennemoser calls "the great ill-famed land of the marvellous." Certain manifestations arrested our notice. Repelled and, for a long time, baffled by what seemed merely grotesque or trivial, we did not abandon inquiry. Our interest in the proscribed phenomena has not yet abated. We have lived to see the smile of derision with which the spiritual hypothesis that accompanied them was at first saluted, grow fainter and fainter, until it now rarely appears on the lips of well-informed persons ; and the question is put seriously, even by doctors of divinity and veterans of science, "What do these things mean ? " I cannot presume to answer dogmatically ; but having kept trace of the so-called spiritual move- ment that began at Hydesville in 1847, and having, long before that period, investigated the kindred phemomena of somnambulism, independent and mesmeric, I have hoped to offer such a survey of IV PREFACE. the facts and theories as would be acceptable to earnest and uncommitted seekers after truth, always excepting those who, like Mr. Herbert Spencer, decline, " on d priori grounds," to look into the sub- ject. Recently, attention has been directed to it anew by the wooden trifle known as the Planchette ; and I have chosen the name of this mysterious toy as the title of my book, rather as a convenient sign- post, pointing to one little phase of the complex whole, than as indicating fully the character of the facts here collected ; for these are, I am persuaded, of supreme importance, embracing, as they do, in their relations, most of the authentic marvels in the pneumatology of ancient and modern times. Without undervaluing the tributary services of Planchette in certain rare cases, I cannot doubt that its eccentricities are often explicable by unconscious nervous movement or by wanton deception. But, after making allowance for all that is unprofitable, trifling, and tedious in the experiments, — for all that ought to be deducted as giving no conclusive evi- dence of supersensual knowledge or power, — there is a remainder of well-attested results, which cannot be explained by any theory of imposture, halluci- nation, or unexplored nervous action ; and these re- sults belong to the class here considered. I regret that the circumstances under which the present work was written did not permit me to shape PREFACE. V it in nearer accordance with my own notions of com- pleteness and of the far-reaching significance of the developments ; but this earth-life is so brief and un- certain, that to have deferred my task, in order to accomplish more, might have been to accomplish nothing ; and when one has something to say, he may leave it for ever unspoken if he is over-nice in his choice of modes of presentation. May I not tell the public that to your pen, my friend, they may look for something more in keeping with the ampli- tude of the theme ; something of which I may ven- ture to announce, — *' 'Tis not the hasty product of a day, But the well-ripened fruit of sage delay?" In treating of the anti-supernaturalism of the age, you remark, — *' Every now and then comes forth some one who says aloud, after this manner : ' I know it, and also every man living knows, by his own eyes and ears, that there has nothing ever been known of the spiritual world, not a word from it even, not a miracle. . . . That anybody knows, or ever has known, more about it than anybody else, is nonsense. I am myself the stand- ard by which you may measure Abraham, the patriarch ; and as to his visions, they were merely dreams, such as I have myself. I am the measure of the man Paul. And, you may believe me, 'as to voice or light from heaven ever having come to him at the time of his conversion, that it was not so. Simply, at that time, he had an attack of vertigo, such as we all know something about. Oh, this glorious clearing of the mind, by which now, in my view, there is nothing higher anywhere than the level of VI PREFACE. shrink into common earthly things, and to know that nobody has ever seen them, any more than I have ! ' This would seem to be odd comfort; but there are persons whose needs it would seem to meet." You anticipate that the child born this year will see in his generation our men of science become reverent believers in the supernatural of the Scrip- tures. In the facts I here present, you will find some reasons for this opinion ; but you will also learn that there are persons who admit the phe- nomena, but denounce Spiritualism as a " nervous epidemic, based on a gigantic assumption, and propping an ancient superstition," namely, that of individual spirits ! So, you see, there will be work still for the Spiritualists, even when the facts are generally accepted, as they are likely to be within the next quarter of a century. For portions of this volume, I can claim no other merit than that of a compilation. Some of it, however, is compiled from past publications of my ov/n. For what I have adopted from others I have endeavored to give credit, except where the purel}^ narrative form of the matter seemed not to require it, or its source could not be traced. Of late years, our public journalists have gener- ally been not only tolerant, but liberal, toward in- vestigators into the modern phenomena. In some instances, however, holders of the spiritual hypo- thesis have been met in a w^ay which would be in- PREFACE. Vll suiting, if it were possible for a pedantic arrogance to insult. To some of their speculations a learned critic, whose audience is rather select than large, replies with impertinent personal detraction, — his ready relief when confronted by a non-ego that will not fit into his pigeon-holes. Then, in all dissen- tients, he sees at once a base congenital defect ; by the easy and polite imputation of which, without the foreign aid of argument, he would explain the au- dacious phenomenon of a way of thinking, different from his own. Less amusing, but equally supercilious, is the re- gard which a somewhat higher authority bestows on the spiritual theory. At this time, when the extreme materialism that denies a soul and a future life lifts its head with so assured an air, and assumes the tone of scientific certainty, claiming the latest discoveries of physiol- ogy and biology in its support, it is not for one who accepts substantially the leading facts of this volume, to be deterred by the ignorant misconceptions and the de-hatU-en-has affectations of any would-be dictators in the world of letters and philosophy, from handing on to the next willing hand the torch which may help to illumine the occult places of truth. These enterprising critics aspire to put a stop to the great phenomena of Spiritualism by means of powerful leading articles and ingenious PREFACE. feats of irony. A sneer at gravitation would have about as much effect as their clever v^riting has had in arresting progress. Thanks to that Providence who ever proportions our natural supply to our needs, physical and spirit- ual, the means of opposing to the hypothesis of the extreme materialist an array of positive facts are now widely familiar ; so much so indeed, that the time for sarcasms and condescensions towards them is past, except among the loiterers in the present quick march of mind. An accumulation of facts, supported by the most respectable contemporaneous testimony, is presented in this book, such as no free, sincere intelligence can dismiss with contumely or flippant unconcern. To neutralize their force, or to induce any person, who does his own thinking, to be blind to their importance, it will require some- thing more than a sprightly critique or even a crush- ing "editorial," — disgraceful as such insensibility may seem to the able editor himself. What are we to do with these facts? Criticism has done its worst, and they are still irrepressible. May we not hope that what is now the despair of Science may one day be its key to much that is obscure in the duplex nature of man; its clew to a complete rational assurance of his immortal destiny ? r. Boston, January, 1869. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. What Science Says of It . . 1-28 Planchette, or the little plank — Its caprices — Its genealogy — Related to the tipping tables — Science puzzled — Physical disturbances — The phe- nomena irrepressible ^Resistance to the facts — Cambridge and the me- diums — The Professors nonplussed — Their solemn admonition — Herbert Spencer — Faraday's test — Science on the high horse — TjTidall and Home — Sir David Brewster — Professor Hare — Scientific re-action — Dr. Elliotson — Mr. Wilkinson — Professor De Morgan — Testimony of electricians — A supercilious philosopher — Humility of true science — History repeating itself. CHAPTER II. The Phenomena of 1847 29-54 Rappings at Hydesville — The Fox family — Glanvil and Wesley — Melanc- thon — Luther — Meeting at Rochester — Letter of WilHam Mountford — Multiplication of mediums — Koon's rooms — Davenport Brothers — Dr. Gray's letter — Dark circles — Loomis's testimony— Professor Mapes — Captain Burton — The Davenports in Europe — French jugglers — Messrs. Coleman and Cooper — The Stratford phenomena — H. Greeley on Spiritualism — Senator Simmons — Dr. Campbell — Cui bono? CHAPTER III. Manifestations through Miss Fox 55-79 Dr. Gray on the phenomena — Mr. Livermore's remarkable experiences — Kate Fox — Apparitions of Estelle and Dr. Franklin — Spirit flowers, cos- tume, &c. — What the seers say — Identity of spirits — Spirit-writing — Atmospheric effects — Dr. Gray's confirmatory evidence — The spirit- body. CHAPTER IV. Manifestations through Mr. Home 80-102 Mediumship of Home — Mrs. Lyon — Lawsuit — Home's affidavit — Per- sonal experiences — Thought-reading — Thackeray a Spiritualist — Robert X TABLE OF CONTENTS. Bell — Article in " Cornhill Magazine " — Stranger than fiction — Startling phenomena — Spirit-music — Testimony of Dr. Gully and Mr. Varley — The fire-test — Elongation of the person — Why are we not all mediums ? CHAPTER V. The Salem Phenomena, &c 104-122 Manifestations of 1692 and 1868 — Salem witchcraft — Analogous facts — Rev. C. W. Upham's book — Sir Wm. Blackstone — Mr. Lecky — Levi- tation — How Mr. Upham explains things — The " Edinbiu-gh Review " — Frightened by an hypothesis — The fanatics in good company — Medium- ship of Charles H. Foster — Personal experiences — Proof of clairvoy- ance — Dr. Ashburner's naiTative — Stigmata on the flesh — The Mu- chelney disturbances. CHAPTER VI. Various Mediums and Manifestations .... 123-140 Colchester — Mrs. Cushman — Miss Jennie Lord — Second letter of W. M. — Personal experiences — Levitation and spirit-hands — The bass-viol played on — Laura V. Ellis — Her imitators — Mr. Danskin's narrative — The iron ring — Manifestations through Charles H. Read — Mr. Richard- son's affidavit — Spirit- voices — Spirit-photographs — Mr. Mumler — Mr. Guay — Professor Gunning — Blind Tom. CHAPTER Vn. The Seeress of Prevorst — Kerner — Stilling . 141-152 Frederica Hauffe and her biographer — Rappings no novelty — Familiar phenomena — More facts in clairvoyance — Kindred facts of science — Kerner's " Leaves from Prevorst " — An accurate sketch of would-be critics — Applicable to our own day — Refusing to look at facts before deciding on them — " London Saturday Review " — Spirits of low degree — Stilling — Professor Denton's testimony — Clairvoyance an estabhshed scientific fact — Time and space. CHAPTER VIII. Somnambulism, Mesmerism, &c 153-200 Seers and clairvoyants — Personal mesmeric experience — Enlarged horizon of Spiritualism — Dr. Carpenter — Lucid somnambulism — Materialists worried — They deny clairvoyance — Their dogmatism — The belief in immortality — Moleschott — Vogt — Feuerbach — Biichner — A. R. Wal- lace— Vogt on the foetus — Conversion of Dr. ElHotson — Dr. Maudsley ignores the facts — Dr. Georget's will — Mesmer — French Academy — TABLE OF CONTENTS. XI Various mesmerists — Arago — Predictions fulfilled — The Stuttgard prophecy — Remarkable instances of clairvoyance — Brittan — Zschokke on the soul — Shelley — Dr. Bushnell — Captain Yount's dream — Ancient oracles — Townshend on the spirit-body — Bacon — Bowles — H. G. Atkinson — Not much of a shower — Dr. Elliotson again — The modem phenomena known to Billot and Deleuze — Clairvoyance and Spiritualism — Nature's guarantee of immortal life — Dr. Franck — Tyndall — J. Martineau — Shorter. CHAPTER IX. Miscellaneous Phenomena 201-217 Apparitions — Lord Lyttleton — Dr. Donne — Captain Wheatcroft— Wynyard — John Palmer, the actor — Hauntings — The Cock- Lane ghost — Beau- mont — Surprising occurrences — Hahn's narrative — Stone - throwing phenomena — Strange doings — Narrative of Dr. Aschauer — Babinet and Brovrason — Shorter — T. Starr King on Spiritualism — Carlyle. CHAPTER X. Theories 218-278 Early theories — Dr. E. C. Rogers — Mahan, Bray, President Samson — A new force — Gasparin — Theory of hallucination — J. W. Jackson — Mr. A. Leighton — Remarks of "London Spiritual Magazine" — Spiritual hypothesis — Value of scientific opinions — The iron collar — Double-goers — Mr. Owen's narrative — B. Coleman — Apparitions of living persons — Low character of communications — Fallible spirits — Daumer's theory — Reichenbach on Spiritualism — Theory of Honestas — Of Dr. Ash- burner — Mr. Guppy's " Mary Jane " theory — Odic theories reviewed by Hewitt — Rev. C. Beecher on the no-spirit theory — Rehn on the Cor- relation of Forces — Wake's psychology — Darwin's hypothesis — Re- marks of " London Star" — Character of vouchers — Various solutions — The first question. CHAPTER XI. Common Objections — Teachings 279-325 The change wrought by death — Jobard on the vulgar notion — Tendency of facts — Causes of opposition — Natural repugnance — Higher manifesta- tions— Spiritualism defined — Absence of dogmatic teaching — Wollaston — Jamieson — Judge Carter — Report of Cleveland Committee — Dark circles — Dr. Wilkinson — Mr. Shorter — Frivolous objections — Answer to " New York Nation " — Pythonism — Antiquity of Spiritualism — Con- tradictions— Dr. W. B. Potter — Mr. A. E. Newton's reply — Lord Lytton — What is matter — Honestas — Plutarch — Julian the Apostate — General agreement — Punishment remedial — Statement from " Pall Mall Gazette " Xll TABLE OF CONTENTS. — Spiritualism leaderless — Rochester resolutions — Discipline of evil — Discourse of a medium — S. J. Finney — Shorter — What is religion — Kardec — A. J. Davis — Bianca Mojon — The Catholic Church — Hecker — " Dublin Review " — Diabolical agency — Swedenborgians and Spiritualists — Wm. White — Claims to infallibility — Delachambre — Lessing — Object of earthly discipline. CHAPTER XII. Spiritism, Pre-existence, &c 326-373 No recognition of leaders — Latour on the phenomena — Allan Kardec — Spiritism — Its doctrines — Re - incarnation — Rev. Edward Beecher's "Conflict of Ages" — Origin of evil — J. S. Mill on the Calvinist doc- trine — Whittier — A prevalent idea — Kardec on the spirit-body — Henry More on pre-existence — Advocates of it — Apparition of Ficinus — Quo- tations from Herder, Lessing, &c. — Transmigration — Herodotus — Plato's conception — Origen's — Hume — Rothery — Cudworth — Scho- penhauer— Irenseus — J. W. Jackson — Swedenborg — A. J. Davis — Cahagnet — E. Beecher. — Reynaud's " Terre et Ciel " — The Theological hell — Pierre Leroux on memory — Chaseray — Advocates of transmigra- tion — Instinctive aspirations — Charles Bonnet — Matter and spirit — Hostile camps of science — Christian Garve — An American Platonist — The poets. CHAPTER XIII. PSYCHOMETRY 374-389 Modem science in harmony with Spiritualism — Schroeder van der Kolk — Memory imperishable — Marvels of memory — Coleridge — Sir William Hamilton — Dupotet — Sensitives — Experiences of Zschokke — Of Des- champs — Of Goethe and Lavater — Of Forceythe Willson — Reichen- bach's experiments — Professor Denton's " Soul of Things " — Dr. Ber- trand on the soul — A knowledge of psychometry an incentive to a high morality. CHAPTER XIV. Cognate Facts akd Phenomena 390-400 Spiritualism of the Bible — Augustine on miracles — Testimony of Evodius, a bishop of the early church — The scholastic ages — Catholic miracles — Testimony of St. Theresa — Reply to Renan by Mountford — Guardian angels — Speaking in unknown tongues — Oriental phenomena — Plan- chette in China — Phenomena among the Druses — The North- American Indians — Why must there be mediums — Davis on mediumship — S. J. Finney on spirit and matter — Seneca — Death and its sequel — Sudden disappearance of the belief in witchcraft — Concluding remark*. PLANCHETTE. CHAPTER I. • ' WHAT SCIENCE SAYS OF IT. " Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees behaved on Him?" — St. yohn. 'T^HE future historian of the marvellous cannot well avoid -■- some mention of the planchette or " little plank." For his benefit, we will remark that the year 1868 witnessed the appear- ance of the planchette, in great numbers, in the booksellers' shops of the United States. Why so sudden a demand for it should have sprung up, no- body could explain. Planchette was nothing new. For twelve or fifteen years it had been common in France, where it received its name. It was simply an improvement on some ruder instru- ment that had been in use among the original American inves- tigators, of the j'ear 1848, into the rapping and table-tipping phenomena. The planchette is a little heart-shaped table with three legs, one of which is a pointed lead-pencil, that can be slipped in and out of a socket, and by means of which marks can be made on paper. The other two legs have casters attached, which can be easily moved in any direction. The size j)f this table is usually about seven inches long and five wide. At the apex of the heart is the socket, lined with rubber, through which the pencil iti thrust. Not improbably, some future antiquarian will discover that this mystic toy was in use long before the days of Pythagoras. 2 PLANCHETTE. The phenomenon of the tipping tables was known twenty cen- turies ago. The form of the planchette is of little consequence, and may be regulated by the caprice of the manufacturer. The instru- ment is made light, so that the slightest application of force will move it. As for the insulated casters and other ''patent" con- trivances, they are of no account, except to give novelty to an advertisement. When the modern rapping phenomena began to be investi- gated, communications were received by the tedious process of calling over the alphabet, and noting down the letters at which the rap was given. Then, when the movements of tables took place, it was suggested that by arranging a pencil at the foot of a light table, and placing a sheet of paper under it, the intelli- gent force that was operating might produce written sentences. The device was tried, and found successful. The table, once set in motion by the passive influence of a medium, began to trace characters, then words and sentences. This method was finally simplified by substituting little tables, the size of a hand ; then small baskets, pasteboard boxes, and finally the flat piece of wood, running on little wheels, and called Planchette. Here we have the genealogy of the planchette. It is, you see, the direct off"spring of the tipping table. The phenomena in which it is made instrumental are, for the most part, the same. And now, what will Planchette do ? Place it on the smooth wood of a table, and let one person, or two or more, of a particular organization, rest the fingers on it lightly, and it will soon begin to move ; and this without any conscious intent or action on the part of any individual present, as there is reason to believe. Then, by placing a sheet of white paper under the pencil, it will be found that intelligible sentences will be written out by these movements. There would be nothing curious in all this, were it not for the character of these sentences in many instances. Expressions ITS CAPRICES. 3 wholly foreign to the mental habits of the operators will be found on the paper. Thus, the pious will he made to write profanely ; and the profane will be suddenly made instrumental in the pro- duction of messages which might do credit to Madame Guyon or to Vincent de Paul. But the results are as various as the idiosyncrasies of individuals. Frequently, answers to mental questions will be given with a directness that leaves no doubt as to the intelligence of the oper- ating force. For example : the other day an affectionate father put a men- tal-inquiry, to which the instantaneous reply, under the hands of a child, was "A husband." The question had been, "What does Miss Susan want.'"' The inquirer then asked what sum he had paid for repairing a certain garment, and the answer was correctly given, "Three dollars and seventy-five cents." What wonder that the planchette should be getting to be a puzzle and a study to thousands of intelligent inquirers, for whom the great problems of psychology and physiology have a not irrational interest.? It must not be supposed that the " little plank" will be equally communicative under the fingers of all. In the majority of cases it obstinately refuses to move. The failures are very numerous. Probably not more than ten out of a hundred persons in a mixed assemblage would be found, through whom the phenomena would take place ; and in these hundred there might possibly be one who would prove a good medium. Such a one will soon discard the planchette as of no use, in the production of phe- nomena far more extraordinary than any got by its aid. The editor of the "Boston Journal of Chemistry," Dr. James R. Nichols, with a candor somewhat rare among men of science, remarks (September, 1868), of the phenomena of Planchette and the tipping tables: "The position assum.ed by a majority of scientific men towards this class of phenomena is that of entire disbelief. They do not separate the physical disturbances, the outward show of force by unseen agencies, from the spiritual interpretation mixed up with, or inseparably connected, as they 4 PLANCHETTE. suppose, with the phenomena. The whole matter is regarded as a sham and a delusion, unworthy of thought, or investiga- tion. "A considerable number, however, have reached a diiferent conclusion. They only direct attention to a single point, and first clear away all the rubbish with which it is incumbered. The great question is, Whether these alleged physical disturbances actually occur or not^ indejpendent of direct and ^palpable human agency. Is it mischief, or is it not.^ Is it delusion, or is it not.^ These questions they have settled in their own minds ; and the conclusion is, that \hQ, phenomena are undeniably real. " Not a step further will they go; beyond this all is misty and dark. Many occupy this position who hesitate to admit it, as there is in scientific circles a -peculiar sensitiveness upon the subject; and odium and disgrace are liable to rest on any one, no matter how high his position may be, who cherishes a belief even in the reality of the physical disturbances. We incline to think the popularity of Planchette may serve to break a link in the chain of prejudice that binds fast honest convictions, and permit a little more freedom in thought and investigation." If the " little plank" shall accomplish as much as this, it will not have been wholly unproductive of good ; but science must put off its dictatorial attitude, and take facts as they present them- selves, before it can hope to make any progress in the path of interpretation and induction. The writer adds : — "We are asked to explain Planchette. To do this would be to explain a most remarkable and extensive class of physical phenomena, beginning with the antics of the little heart-shaped table, and running up through parlor table-tippings, rappings, writing, &c., to the more astounding physical disturbances, noises, and hub-bub, witnessed in so many dwellings in this country and in Europe. There are probably a dozen or more families disturbed in this mysterious manner in the United States at the present moment; but every effort is made at concealment, as but few people of respectability feel tl^at they can bear up under the public odium attached to such proceedings. SCIENCE PUZZLED. 5 *'We once, for several hours, listened to the recital of what occurred in the dwelling of Rev. Dr. Phelps, of Stratford, Conn., from the lips of the venerable man himself. We were reduced to the alternative, from listening to his statement, of regarding him, his family, and a wide circle of intelligent friends, as the most egregiouslj duped, deluded, cheated circle of men and women, the greatest liars and impostors, that ever lived, or of believing in the reality of phenomena, which human reason and human science were incompetent to explain. We felt compelled to adopt the latter alternative. -'Thousands, from the strange and unusual character of the phenomena, have been driven to a belief in their supernatural origin, and the tmfortunate delusion has spread throughout the civilized world. We incline to think exaggerated views are entertained respecting the competency of scientific men to shed light upon the subject. The key to the mystery must be found before any reliable solution is reached. We will not weary the reader with details of what the writer has seen. Suffice it to say, that enough has been observed to lead to the conclusion, that there is 07ie potver, impulse, or force, in ?iature, regarding the character of which, mankind are totally in the dark. "It has proved, so far as our experiments extend, a most difficult and baffling subject to investigate. The nature of this difficulty is illustrated in Planchette. Why cannot one person cause it to move as well as another.? Why does it sometimes utterly and ignominiously fail when those are present who have the strongest desire to witness its movements, and when those who are supposed to influence its movements share in this desire .-* The attempt, or design, to carefully and methodically investi- gate and study the phenomenon appears to arrest it. In some families, a lady, or a child even, stands in such relations to the instrument as to cause it to move by passing it at a consider- able distance. It seems full of impatience to work when such persons are in the house ; and it will write, leap, and run about as if impelled by an irresistible impulse. It has occurred, when such a family has invited one or more ladies or gentlemen to an 6 PLANCHETTE. investigation of its performances, and thej have come, that the results have been frivolous and unsatisfactory. A calm, philo- sophical, careful man is not likely to become convinced of the reality of this class of phenomena from such exhibitions. "Several years ago we invited a friend — a highly distin- guished professor in one of our largest Universities — to visit a house vs^here certain extraordinary physical disturbances were alleged to be taking place, apparently in connection with a girl about twelve years of age belonging to the family. In this in- stance, the power vras uncommonly demonstrative, the force being brought to bear upon several articles of furniture, but more particularly upon a parlor-table, which danced and tumbled about the room, entirely regardless of the professor's cool in- vestigations and ingenious tests to ' discover the trick.' This he entirely failed to accomplish. There were no conducting wires, springs, pulleys, or levers to be found ; and the little girl and family were manifestly as ignorant of what produced the phenomena as ourselves. A large number of theories were pro- pounded and discussed, not one of which was in the least satis- factory ; and the whole affair remains a mystery. "In explanation, we hear it often stated that it is due to animal magnetism. Of course, such declarations must come from the unlearned or unscientific, as science recognizes no such force or principle in nature as animal magnetism. Some kinds of fishes possess electrical power, and can impart shocks ; but then they carry about with them a little arrangement of cells or batteries, which is the source of the electrical force. Human beings are not supposed to possess any such endow- ment. It is very convenient to have a term to apply in explana- tion of the phenomena among the crowd, although it may be entirely unmeaning and empirical. Electricity offers no expla- nation ; neither does magnetism, as at present understood. Chemical laws and principles are appealed to in vain for a solution; and as regards ' odic force,', we have not the slightest knowledge of what that is. " In conclusion, we venture the opinion, that if the phenomena THE PHENOMENA IRREPRESSIBLE. *J are ever explained, thej will be found to be due to a blending of the psychological and physical endowments of the human organization, acting under certain laws entirely dissimilar to any now known or understood. Who will produce the key that will unlock the mystery?" Such are the conclusions of an educated chemist in regard to these phenomena which have been attracting so large a share of public attention for the last twenty years. Instead of being "put down" and "exploded," as we have been repeatedly told, they are now extorting from men of science a reluctant recogni- tion, after years of bitter hostility and denunciation on their part, to which, however, there have been conspicuous excep- tions. Perhaps Dr. Nichols is a little hasty in pronouncing the spiritual hypothesis " an unfortunate delusion." This, to say the least, is as yet an open question. But it is something gained to have the phenomena admitted. We may honestly differ as to their cause. Having agreed upon the facts, — whatever our theory as to the origin may be, whether we decide in favor of some unknown force not spiritual, or conclude, for want of a better term, that the force is spiritual, — let us not stigmatize those who differ from us on this point, as under " an unfortunate delusion." The " Scientific American," the principal scientific journal of the United States, has had its attention attracted by Planchette to these despised phenomena ; and, in one of its issues, of July, 1868, manfully makes the admission, that " a peculiar class of phenomena have manifested themselves within the last quarter of a century, which seem to indicate that the human body maj' become the medium for the transmission of force to inert and dead matter, either in obedience to the will of others, or by the action of the nervous power upon the muscular system, in such a way that those through whom or from whom it emanates are totally unconscious of any exercise of volition, or of any mus- cular movement, as acts of their own wills." The only expression here that we would modify, is in the 8 PLANCHETTE. remark that these phenomena have manifested themselves with- in "the last quarter of a century." The annals of the race are full of them, back to the first dawn of authentic history. They have been interrogated and examined in a different spirit dur- ing the last quarter of a century; and that is the only respect in which they can be said to differ essentially from many of the phenomena of witchcraft, necromancy, somnambulism, mes- merism, &c., so long known and disputed. The same journal remarks, "The spirit with which scientific men have looked upon these phenomena has been unfortu- nately such as has retarded their solution. Skepticism as to their reality, although they were corroborated by evidence that would be convincing upon any other subject; refusal to inves- tigate, except tipon their own conditions ; and ridicule not only of the phenomena themselves, but of those who believe in them, — have marked the course of scientific men ever since these mani- festations have laid claim to public credence. Such a spirit savors of bigotry. The phenomena of table-tipping, spirit- rapping so called, and the various manifestations which many have claimed to be the effect of other wills acting upon and through the medium of their persons, are exerting an immense influence, good or bad, throughout the civilized world. They should, therefore, be candidly examined ; and if they are purely physical phenomena, as has been claimed, they should be re- ferred to their true cause." Dr. J. Ray, well known in the United States for his works on Medical Jurisprudence, contributes to the " American Journal of Insanity," of October, 1867, a paper, in v/hich he admits that many of the facts of Spiritualism " are susceptible of proof, and are attested by evidence that places them beyond a reasonable doubt." "They indicate," he says, "the existence of agencies, certainly, that have not yet been admitted into the philosophy of the schools. It is to be regretted, that the present tendency is to ignore them entirely, rather than to make them a subject of scientific investigation. It is surprising that physicians, especially, with such well-recognized, affections before them as RESISTANCE TO THE FACTS. 9 catalepsy, somnambulism, ecstasies, and double consciousness, should jump to the conclusion that all the facts of Spiritualism and animal magnetism are utterly anomalous and impossible." The first elaborate attempt to give a bad name to these phe- nomena was the "knee-joint theory" of Drs. Lee and Flint, in 1849. It "^^^ declared that the raps were made by a slipping of the knee-joint, and a pamphlet was published to prove it. In- numerable were the denunciations from scientific quarters, that then followed the contemned phenomena. The testimony of thousands of competent witnesses was set aside as worthless. They did not know " how to observe." They had not had the advantage of a "thorough scientific training;" and they could not use their eyes and ears and other senses in a manner to afford any guaranty whatever that they were not under an hallu- cination. Such was the language of the late Professor Felton, of Har- vard College; and in England, of the celebrated J'araday and of Sir David Brewster. Every now and then paragraphs would appear in the news- papers, headed " The humbug exploded at last," " Spiritualism exposed," &c. And then we would be told that some "medium" had turned State's evidence, and had revealed how the "tricks" were accomplished. There have been many such mediums, who, having failed to attract attention by genuine phenomena, have hoped to reach the public ear and the public purse by undertaking to disclose how the manifestations were brought about. But, like Balaam, they could not curse whom God would not curse. All such attempts on the part of deserters have resulted in lit- tle that was satisfactory; although they have had a good effect in making investigators more wary, by showing that some of the phenomena of the dark circles, especially the rope-tying expei-i- ments, may be adroitlj' simulated. In the year 1857, ^ reward having been offered by the publish- ers of the "Boston Courier" for the production of certain phe- nomena, a well-knoAvn investigator, Dr. H. F. Gardner, of lO PLANCHETTE. Boston, undertook to exhibit them before a committee of pro- fessors of Harvard University, composed of Benjamin Peirce, Louis Agassiz, B. A. Gould, and E. N. Horsford, all of them gentlemen of the highest scientific distinction. The result of the rash experiment may be read in the follow- ing report, made bj this committee, and dated Cambridge, Mass., June 29, 1857: — "The Committee award that Dr. Gardner having failed to produce before them an agent or medium who ' communicated a word imparted to the spirits in an adjoining room,' ' who read a word in English written inside a book or folded sheet of paper,' * who answered any question ' which the superior intel- ligence must be able to answer,' who ' tilted a piano without touching it, or caused a chair to move a foot,' and having failed to exhibit to the committee any phenomenon which, under the widest latitude of interpretation, could be regarded as equivalent to either of these proposed tests, or any phenomenon which required for its production, or in any manner indicated a force which could technically be denominated spiritual, or which was hitherto unknown to science, or a phenomenon of which the cause was not palpable to the committee, is, therefore, not enti- tled to claim from the ' Boston Courier ' the proposed premium of five hundred dollars. " It is the opinion of the committee, derived from observa- tion, that any connection with spiritualistic circles, so called, corrupts the morals and degrades the intellect. They therefore deem it their solemn duty to warn the community against this contaminating influence, which surely tends to lessen the truth of man and the purity of woman. * That there has been some progress since the Cambridge professors set down this phenomenon of seeing through opaque substances as one of their impossibiUties, may be seen from the "Edinburgh Review " (July, 1868), where that highly conservative authority admits the fact, as follows : " Sleep-walkers have been known, who could not only walk, and perform all ordinary acts in the dark as well as in the light, but who went on writing or reading without interruption, though an opaque substance — a book or a slate — was interposed, and would dot the fs and cross the t's with unconscious correctness, without any use of their eyes," CAMBRIDGE UTTERS HER PROTEST. II "The committee will publish a report of their proceedings, together with the results of additional investigations and other evidence, independent of the special case submitted to them, but bearing upon the subject of this stupendous delusion." The promised report has not yet (1868) seen the light. The solemn admonitions of the Cambridge professors against the " stupendous delusion" seem to have been of little effect in repressing inquiry or checking belief in the manifestations ; inas- much as Spiritualists who could then be reckoned by thousands must now be estimated at millions. Dr. Gardner, on his side, reported that the four learned gen- tlemen insisted upon prescribing conditions that were fatal to the production of the subtle and evasive phenomena, obtained, inde- pendently of the will, from various mediums. On this occasion, the mediums were Miss Kate Fox, Mrs. Brown (of the Fox family), Mr. J. V. Mansfield, Mr. Kendrick, the Davenport Brothers, and Dr. G. A. Redman, since deceased. Raps were produced, but the committee were not satisfied that this now common manifestation, which no intelligent person questions, was not some mechanical trick. At the first sitting, Mr. Agassiz and others refused to sit at the table. The committee had agreed to make the conditions har- monious, as far as they could. Here, at the outset, was a devia- tion which discomposed the mediums. Mr. Redman, in his "Mystic Hours," states, that, on being importuned to join the circle, Mr. Agassiz averred that he had sworn never to sit in a circle, and meant to adhere to his oath. Redman significantly asks, " For what was he present.'' Re- ceiving no manifestations of any consequence. Dr. Gardner and myself retired to an ante-room to inquire of the operating intelligence what next should be done.** Scarcely were we seated at the table, when it moved violently ; and a communica- tion was written, from right to left, to the purport, that unless all present were willing to receive, and shaped their actions accordingly, nothing could be done. We announced the sub- stance of the message to the party. Mr. Agassiz desired to see 12 PLANCHETTE. the manuscript : it was shown to him ; when, without hesita- tion, he declared / had written it, and ' that it was sheer humbug.' . .. "I now politely invited Mr. Agassiz to join me in the ante- room, and we would try alone ; that no doubt he would be more successful. ' Sit yvith you /" said Mr. A., 'No ! ' I have resolved to sit with no one. I made up my mind before coming here, that nothing would come of it; and I am only the more con- vinced it is all deception.' I could say no more." The experiments with the Brothers Davenport were reserved for the last. The following is the account given by Dr. T. L. Nichols, their English biographer (1865) : — "At the beginning, they were submitted to a cross-examina- tion. The professors exercised their ingenuity in proposing tests. ' Would they submit to be handcuffed ?' — ' Yes.' — ' Would they allow men to hold them.?' — 'Yes.' A dozen propositions were made, accepted, and then rejected by those who made them. If any test was accepted by the brothers, that was reason enough for not trying it. They were supposed to be prepared for that, so some other must be found. It was of no use to put them to any test th which they were ready and apparently eager to submit. "At last the ingenious professors fell back upon rope, — their own rope and plenty of it. They brought five hundred feet of new rope, selected for the purpose. They bored the cabinet, set up in one of their own rooms, and to which they had free access, full of holes. They tied the two boys in the most thorough and the most brutal manner. They have, as any one may see, or feel, small wrists, and hands large in proportion, — good, solid hands, which cannot be slipped through a ligature which fits even loosely on the wrists. When they were tied hand and foot, arms, legs, and in every way, and with every kind of complicated knotting, the ropes were drawn through the holes bored in the cabinet, and finnly knotted outside so as to make a network over the boys. After all, the knots were tied with linen thread. 