Numerous cases of stone throwing and the projection of missiles by invisible hands have been sent to the author. The most remarkable however, because the one best sustained by unquestionable evidence, is that of the disturbances which occurred in the house of M. Van Kesslinger of Java. M. Riko having kindly sent a good translation of the official reports printed at the time, we shall again take advantage of his graphic pen, only premising that the reader may compare the narrative here subjoined, with accounts of the same disturbances described in the London Spiritual Magazine of 1868 (February number), by Professor A.R. Wallace – mentioned also in Madame Pfeiffer’s “Second Voyage Round the World,” and several other contemporaneous publications. M. Riko says: –
“Amongst the spiritualistic phenomena the throwing of stones is one of the most remarkable. A very interesting example occurred on the Isle of Java. An official report was drawn up about the history, and deposited in the government archives of the Netherlands. The report was made by the Assistant Resident and addressed to the General Governor of the Dutch East Indian Colonies, J.C. Band. I begin with the document and translate it verbatim.”
1831. To his Excellency the General Governor ad interim of the Dutch Indies.
On February 4th, coming home from an inspection, I saw at a distance my house surrounded by a large number of people. Unable to understand what that meant, my wife told me after I had entered, that in the interior gallery and room, there fell a large number of stones, and that it was impossible to discover from whence they came. Hearing this, I got a little angry, saying, that a person with healthy eyes certainly could see through whom the stones were thrown. I went to the interior gallery where most of the stones had fallen, and was soon convinced that it could not be doneby human hands, because the stones fell sometimes perpendicularly just before my feet, without moving further, and while nobody was near.
I then inspected the boards and the ceiling and found them all fixed and joined together without any opening. After this, I assembled all persons living in or near the house on an open place before the house, and had them watched by some policemen. After I had shut all the doors and windows I went in again, accompanied by my wife. But then the disturbances began still more vehemently and the stones came flying from every direction, so that I soon was obliged to reopen the doors and windows. This continued during 16 days; sometimes there fell in one day about a thousand stones, amongst which there were some of 9 pounds weight.
I must not forget to state, that my house is constructed of boards of dry djatiewood, the windows were also shut by a lattice work in wood with spaces of about 2 inches. The throwing began commonly about 5 o’clock in the morning, and continued till about 11 in the evening. I pass silently the particularity that the stones fell mostly near an Indian girl about 11 years old, and seemed to follow that child; this is indifferent to the case, and would make this report too long to dwell upon.
“In confirmation of these facts, I give some names of credible persons who were witnesses of the affair, and who will give their statements under oath: – Michiels, lieutenant-colonel, aide-de-camp; Ermantiger, ex-inspector of the coffee culture; Dornseiff, owner of an inn at Sumadan; Born, surveyor; Adi Pathe Soeria Laga, ex-regent; Rommangong Soeria Laga, now Regent of Sumadan; Soeria Laga, chief djaksa; and several district chiefs.
(Signed) V Kesslinger. For literal copy, (Signed) J.Van Swieten. Batavia, 30th December 1831.
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So far the report. The Assistant-Resident Van Kesslinger lived at Sumadan, in the Preanger districts. The General-Major, A.V. Michiels, was invited also by the Governor-general to hold an inspection in loco, which he did with much care. He was a positive minded, and highly esteemed officer. He asserts amongst other points, that he shut himself up, only accompanied by the child named in the rport, in the room, while nobody else was admitted. He placed himself against the wall and took the child near him. In this position he observed the fall of the stones during several hours consecutively. They came mostly when his attention was fixed especially on the child. They fell perpendicularly very near her, but never hurt or touched her. The girl was not in the least afraid or astonished. In the Indian Archipelago the inhabitants generally believe the stone throwing by spirits to be a fact. The Javanese call it Gendarola.
Mr Van Kesslinger had no children. His wife was an Indian lady, and the girl’s father was the cook of the family. The house was a service-dwelling. On February the 3rd, 1831, the child played in the room near Mrs Van Kesslinger; the husband was then travelling. All at once the girl sprang towards Mrs Van Kesslinger, and showed her white kabaai (an Indian dress) on which a red siri spittle was seen. The chewing of siri is very common in the Indies; the lady thought at first it it might have been done by one of the servants. The girl was given a fresh kabaai, and the affair seemed ended. But a moment afterwards the child was again bespit, and at the same moment a shower of the yolk of an egg fell directly before Mrs Van Kesslinger’s feet. This was repeated several times, so that the lady sent for the Regent Radeen, Natto Koesomo.
This government officer was an intelligent and honest man. He came and witnessed the fall of the stones. He had the house surrounded by his people, and sent everybody outside. The siri spittle appeared just the same, and the stones fell also; no cause could be discovered. At length it was resolved to fetch an Indian priest to exorcise the spirit. He came in the twilight, set himself on the floor, with a lamp near him, and opened the Koran. Just as he began to read he got such a heavy blow from an invisible hand that the lamp flew to the left and the holy book to the right side of the room. Mrs Van Kesslinger feared to pass the night in the house, and went with the girl to the Regent’s wife. That night all remained quiet. The following morning, as soon as the lady re-entered her house with the girl, the stone throwing began again, till Mr Van Kesslinger’s return. Very seldom there fell stones in the night, and the bespitting with siri happened only in daytime.
When Mr Michiels, on invitation of the Governor-general, made his investigation on the spot, he sent every one away; placed men on the roof and even in the trees in the neighbourhood. He ordered the inner room to be entirely covered with linen. He remained with the child alone in the house, but the phenomena went on just the same. The stones were such as found on the roads. When the sun shone they were warm, and when it rained they were wet. Commonly five or six fell directly one after the other, and this was repeated with short intervals. No opening was ever made in the linen with which the walls and ceiling were covered. The stones became visible at the distance of about six feet from the floor. Several trunks were filled with them. Once a papaya fruit was thrown, which after inspection was found to have been plucked from a high tree near the house; at other times chairs, glasses, plates, etc. were moved, without anybody touching them. At last the impression of a wet hand was seen on a looking-glass which hung on the wall. Mr Michiels remained several days at Sumadan, and he also sent in a report, likewise deposited in the archives of the government.
The history remains till this day a profound mystery, and no cause was ever detected, even after large sums had been offered several times to the person who could throw light on the affair.
General Michiels spoke very seldom about his experiences. In 1847 at a dinner the guests invited him to tell them the history. After some hesitation he did so. General Van Gagern, who was at the table, began to laugh about it, when a vehement scene occurred in which General Van Gagern was obliged to withdraw his remarks ‘and apologise’.
Nineteenth century miracles, or Spirits and their work in every country of the earth. Emma Britten (1884).
Correspondence.
Spiritualism in Java.
To the Editor of the “Spiritual Magazine.”
Sir, – In Madame Pfeiffer’s Second Journey round the World, Vol II, p. 36, occurs the following curious narrative, which I believe has not been yet noticed in your pages. To every Spiritualist familiar with the phenomena which have occurred at home, it bears internal evidence of truth; and it is particularly interesting as repeating in a distant land and among a people who certainly never heard of similar occurrences in Europe or America, the exact form and conditions of some of the best attested and most extraordinary manifestations.
I may add for the information of some of your readers, that “siri” is the pungent leaf chewed with the betel nut, and that to chew “siri” includes both substances. This chewing causes a great secretion of red saliva which is freely expectorated; and as all natives chew “siri” many times every day, and it is invariably offered to every visitor as a token of civility or friendship, nothing could more clearly manifest the presence of a human being in Java, than the spitting which accompanies chewing “siri.”
Madame Pfeiffer’s account is as follows: “Speaking of marvels I am reminded of rather a puzzling occurrence that took place in Java a few years ago, and caused such a sensation that it attracted the attention of Government. In the residency of Cheribon was a small house, which the natives declared to be quite full of ghosts. As soon as ever the evening set in, there began in the rooms a continual throwing of stones and spitting of siri, without the perpetrator in either case being visible to mortal eye. The stones and the expectoration fell quite close to the people, but without exactly touching any of them, though this undoubtedly formidable shower seemed to be somehow specially directed against a certain little child.
“So much was said of this inexplicable affair that at last the Government authorities commissioned a trustworthy officer to enquire into it and find it out. He had the house surrounded by soldiers, so that nobody could go in or out, and then entered and seated himself with the child on his lap. He had no sooner done so, however, – according to most authentic history, – than the shower of stones and siri set in as hard as ever, and fell close all round both officer and child, though still without touching them. Every hole and corner of the house was then searched, but of course without making any discovery.
“The officer could not get to the bottom of the mystery, but sagaciously bethought himself of having the stones marked, carried to a considerable distance, and buried – but in vain. The next night at the usual hour the customary projectiles began to fall about; and what was more, the very stones that had been so cunningly marked and hidden underground. At last, however, the Dutch Government proved more than a match for the ghost, and checkmated him by having the house pulled down; but the mystery who threw these stones, and who chewed the siri and ejected that preternatural saliva will remain profound and inexplicable to the end of time.”
I think it may be well to reprint this in your columns in case any of your readers should visit Java, and be able to obtain the authentication of names and dates. Alfred R. Wallace.
The Spiritual Magazine, February 1868.
Also from Indonesia in the 1830s (from the same book):
A gentleman holding a high official position in Java, writes to the author, describing several rural districts that have been completely abandoned in consequence of certain disturbances which the country people attribute to a Gendarola or Spirit of an evil human being. Our correspondent says: –
“In 1834, at Saehapoesa, ther was a much respected family by the name of Teisseire. Mr T was a government inspector of indigo. One day, while dining, stones fell upon his table, and for a fortnight fell in every chamber of his house.
Some years after the above took place, similar phenomena were again recorded at Bandong while M.V. Van Gaasbeck was there as ‘assistant resident’. The civilised Javanese regents and the native chiefs affirm that these things often occur in the ‘colonies’ but that the Indians seldom mention them, because they are ridiculed by the ‘skeptical Neerlandais.‘
At one time there came the bones and at another the whole head of a buffalo. The Regent of S., wishing himself to know about these strange occurrences, came to pass the night there, but when he put himself on the bed it was so shaken and finally lifted from the floor, that he quit at once. There was a light burning in the room, and the Regent’s son and servants were about him. What was especially wonderful was that the stones, which were marked with a cross or otherwise, and thrown into the torrent of Tjilandoog, which ran near the house and was one hundred and fifty feet deep, were in less than a minute thrown back again.