Raps of Spirits.
We give the following account of doings in the United States, in a slight degree resembling those of our Cock-lane ghost, from F. Douglass’s North Star: –
Some time since, I do not know how long, a man suddenly disappeared from a village called Hydesville. It was suspected that he was murdered; and to confirm this suspicion, certain mysterious rappings were heard at his house. These rappings, as it is quite probable, are said to have been accounted for on natural causes. Notwithstanding that, they have since been heard at several houses in this city.
The ‘manifestation’, or ‘spirit’, as it is called, gave instructions to dig at the roots of a certain tree, and the bones of the murdered man would be found. The digging was done on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of August, in the presence of hundreds, and of course the bones were not found, for they were not there. The spirit now says, that they did not dig deep enough!
Since then the bones have been forgotten, and not only the spirit of that man, but those of many others have made themselves manifest. Every one, indeed, may have a confab with just what spirit he likes. Clarkson raps to Abolitionists; Gall, Spurzheim, &c., to Phrenologists; and those who are so minded hold long conversations with their most intimate friends deceased. The mode of operation is this, and to the unbelieving it appears a very round about and clumsy contrivance, – The person wishing to converse asks the question – “Who are you?” There will be no answer to that question – because the spirit cannot speak!!
The questioner then says, “Are you my grandmother?” Perhaps there will be no answer to that; and he says again, “Are you Spurzheim?” and there will be quite a commotion among the boards. He will then ask some question of Mr Spurzheim, of course relating to Phrenology; and as asking a question in such a way, and on such a subject, always presupposes a knowledge of the answer, “there needs no ghost to tell us that.”
It is altogether a very singular affair, but no less strange than true. This spirit-rapping has also clairvoyance associated with it, and by means of the two together, the most wonderful revelations, if they are revelations, are made. These are the facts. Every one can reason for himself on the likelihood of a spirit going to work in that way; and whether he would not have the common – not to say spiritual sense, to know that knocking, even if continued to all eternity, has no meaning except what those who hear choose to attach to it.
That there is a rapping there can be no doubt, but how it is caused is altogether involved in mystery.
Douglas Jerrold’s Weekly Newspaper, 28th October 1848.