Psychic Twins Puzzle.
Potatoes made to dance.
Furniture moves.
Scientists baffled by strange powers.
New York, Tuesday.
When the “psychic twins” are together a motor stops, and in a room the furniture starts dancing about, while in a stable harness jingles on its pegs.
These are among the remarkable phenomena which scientists studying spiritualism and psychic influences have been called in to study in regard to two Norfolk (Virginia) men between whom there appears to flow a mysterious influence affecting objects in their presence. The mystic duo comprises E.W. Burroughs, a United States naval electrician, who lives at 235, Stanhope-avenue, Norfolk, and Henry Thomas Stone, a blind fisherman of Princess Anne County. The couple have been friends from early boyhood and from the beginning of their acquaintanceship there have been strange manifestations whenever they have been together.
“Put them in a dimly lighted room,” says the “New York World’s” special representative who was sent to make investigations, “and strange things happen.” “The furniture may take a jaunt across the floor and rearrange itself. A picture is quite likely to tumble from its hangings. A bed coverlet or carpet may rise as by magic and sail about the room. Sceptics who have heard of the odd doings have seen them and lost their scepticism.”
Until recently the “mystery twins” as the scientists call them, accepted the situation as something which could neither be explained nor helped. But it has begun to bother them and they want it to be investigated. The public learned of the peculiar psychic partnership recently through friends of the pair who called on them to take them motoring. Burroughs and Stone entered the car, which thereafter refused to respond to its self-starter. Without showing surprise Burroughs got out and immediately the motor started. He walked a few yards down the road, waited for the car to catch up, and jumped abroad. The motor refused to go on. The friends of the pair were so excited that the two men themselves began to show an interest in what they had always taken for granted. They began to explain things that happened in their childhood.
Burroughs noticed the queer power first when he was seven years old, he says. He met Stone, and they began playing in a field. Without warning a large clod of dirt rose up and spattered in their faces. Frightened, they ran into a barn nearby, when the potatoes began hopping from a bin and harness on the pegs began a jingling dance. When they related the experience to their parents they say they were laughed at.
Burroughs is a man of average education, and an able electrician. He has expressed the opinion that the proximity of his body to Stone’s sets up a fresh current, which reacts on objects in harmony with it, or diametrically out of harmony. The phenomenon attracted the attention of Richard Taylor, a real estate man. He investigated manifestations during a seance, and was completely convinced of the authenticity of the occurence. At the men’s request he communicated with Dr Malcolm Byrd, a member of the New York committee appointed to investigate psychic claims. Dr Byrd and other scientists are now closely studying the two men, who, they say, are the most mysterious beings ever brought to their notice. – Central News.
Evening Despatch, 4th August 1925.
Worried by possession of strange power.
Two men ask scientists to investigate.
On the ground that it has become a nuisance to them, two men have asked scientists to investigate a strange power to influence inanimate objects which they possess. When the two men, who live at Norfolk, Virginia, are together in a darkened room queer things are likely to happen. The furniture may move across the floor and rearrange itself. A picture is quite likely to tumble from its hangings. A bed coverlet or carpet may rise as by magic and sail about the room.
The two men are E.W. Burroughs, electrician in the United States Navy, living at No. 235 Stanhope Avenue, and Henry T. Stone, a blind fisherman, of Princess Anne County. They have been friends from early boyhood. Even in their childhood days strange happenings occurred whenever they were together. Until recently they accepted the situation as something which could neither be explained nor helped. But of late it has begun to bother them, and they want it to be investigated.
Recently friends of the pair called on them to take them motoring . Burroughs and Stone entered the car, which thereafter refused to respond to its self-starter. Without showing surprise, Burroughs got out. Immediately the motor started. He walked a few yards down the road, waited for the car to catch up, and jumped abroad. The motor stopped.
The friends of the pair were so excited that the two men themselves began to show an interest in what they had always taken for granted. They began to explain things that happened in their childhood. Burroughs noticed the queer power first when he was seven years old, he says. He met Stone, and they began playing in a field. Without warning a large clod of dirt rose up and spattered in their faces. Frightened, they ran into a nearby barn, when potatoes began hpping from a bin and harness on the pegs began to dance. When they related the experience to their parents, they say they were laughed at.
Burroughs is a man of education and an able electrician. He has expressed the opinion that the proximity of his body to Stone’s sets up a freak current, which reacts on objects in harmony with it, or diametrically out of harmony.
The phenomenon attracted the attention of Mr Richard Taylor, of Bute Street, Norfolk. He investigated, witnessed manifestations during a seance, and was completely convinced of the authenticity of the occurrence. He communicated with Dr Malcolm Byrd, of the Scientific American and member of a New York Committee, asking him to investigate psychic claims. Dr Byrd, according to Mr Taylor, has promised to come to Norfolk. Other scientists, he said, would join in the investigation.
Thomson’s Weekly News, 8th August 1925.