Legend
< Remarkable Spiritual Manifestations in the House of the Rev. E. Phelps, D.D. (continued from page 7-234) >
the evening of the same day another was broken during family prayers, some of the pieces falling inside and some outside. There were no indications of anything being thrown against it. From this time forward for several weeks glass was broken almost daily, until the whole number of panes broken amounted to seventy-one in the house and out-buildings. Most of them were broken by something being thrown against them; among the articles were a brush, a shoe, a poker, a fire-shovel, a candlestick, a pair of snuffers, books, and numerous other things; occasionally a stone or piece of brick, thrown from the outside.
Dr. Phelps thinks it would have been possible, but not probable, that, in some of these cases, they might have been broken by human agency, but he was an eye-witness in some twenty or thirty cases, and knows that they could not have been so done. He saw a brush, which he knew to have been on a certain shelf but a moment before, and no person near the shelf, fly to the window, break out a glass, and fall down between the shutter and sash, where he knew, from the position, that no one could have thrown it. He saw a tumbler, which was standing on a bureau, rise from its place, fly to the window, and dash out the only pane remaining whole in the window, when no person was within twenty feet of it, and the only persons in the room were himself and Harry, the latter standing by the doctor’s side in the doorway of the room—a position in which it was utterly impossible for him to have done it without detection.
About this time, Dr. Phelps’s attention was called to the fact that the demonstrations were much more violent in the presence of some persons than of others. While some were present they would cease entirely, and commence as soon as they left with great vehemence.
On the 17th the communications were renewed, and from that time they had frequent communications, mainly respecting the property affair. At one time they asked how they should know that this was really from the spirit it purported to be, and requested his signature; when in less than four minutes a small piece of paper having on it an exact facsimile of his handwriting was seen sticking to the wall—the writing apparently done with a pencil. Dr. Phelps still preserves the original paper with the name inked over. It was stuck to the wall by being made damp.
It was now discovered that, in order to get the rapping, the presence of Henry was necessary. At one time a request was made by the rapping to send him to New York, and a threat that all the windows in the house would be broken, if they did not, was made; but in a few minutes after, a small piece of paper was seen to fall, apparently from the ceiling, and on it written, u Send him not to N.Y.—evil will befall him.” It was evident that there were two or more contending agencies engaged in the manifestations. It was not easy to define or imagine what their objects were. At times, when one was making a communication the other would rap, seemingly to make confusion. At other times, when a communication was being made by alphabet, a paper would be dropped down, and on it written, “It is all a lie; don’t believe what he says.” Sometimes language the most profane, and occasionally, but rarely, obscene, would be written out in this way. Inquiry was made as to how these contradictory communications were to be accounted for, and the answer was that an opposing spirit was attempting to defeat the object of the first; that this spirit was now one of his tormentors; that both were in a state of misery, and his suffering would be mitigated if the object of the first could be accomplished, although he would never go to a state of happiness.
Among the spirits who communicated were two who professed to be in a state of happiness, and three in a state of misery. One of the good spirits claimed to be a sister of him who made the first communication; she communicated frequently, and constantly manifested herself in the morning and evening devotions of the family, and always gave two distinct knocks at the utterance of “Amen.” Upon inquiry as to the meaning of these two knocks, the answer was given that it was a response, after the manner of the Episcopal service, signifying that she joined in the devotions.
Much that was communicated after the first few days was of a trifling and childish character; some, more like what would be received from street rowdies than anything else. To the question why they destroyed property, they replied, “For fun.” It was asked of the opposing spirit what could be done to afford him relief; he answered that “The best thing they could do would be to give him a piece of pie.” Sometimes letters would come, purporting to be from ministers of Philadelphia, giving accounts of conversions in their congregations and additions to their churches. These were addressed to the doctor, and indicated a knowledge of things in Philadelphia to an astonishing degree. Some of the letters were addressed to Mrs. Phelps, signed, or rather purporting to be signed, by departed spirits of persons who had lived in Philadelphia, and all, or nearly all, who had lived in a single square, and were the acquaintances of Mrs. Phelps, during a residence in that city, in the time of her former marriage. Sentimental notes were also addressed to the daughter. These letters and billets were frequent, amounting in all to nearly one hundred, and were all written in one hand, though purporting to come from different persons. The fact was at one time referred to, and an explanation desired, to which the following was given: “We do not write with the hand—do not touch the pencil; we write with the will.” At one time a paper was thrown down to Mrs. Phelps, while in the parlour with a number of ladies, having written on it, with a pencil, as follows:—
Sir,— Sir Sambo’s compliments, and begs the laddyes to accept as a token of esteem.
A lady in the family of Dr. Phelps had, in a humorous way, requested the spirits to write her a letter that she might send to a friend in Philadelphia. The spirit complied with the request by sending down the following:—
Dear Mary,— I have just time to write and tell you I am well. Give my love to Miss K— and her uncle. Also to Mrs. and Mr. D—. Also to Sarah. Good-bye.
The initials of the lady’s name, who asked for the letter, were H. P.
Papers were also thrown down, signed “Beelzebub,” and “Sam Slick.” Sometimes names of persons, whom the family had known in Philadelphia, but who had been dead several years, were signed to these papers.
The following was in pencil, and seems to be written in the same hand as the other. It was superscribed “E. Phelps—
If you promise not to write that I told you, I will not throw anything all this week.
On the 28th of July, 1850, two singular letters were thrown down, addressed to Dr. Phelps. They were both in one handwriting, but were signed by two different orthodox clergymen of Philadelphia. Their interest in religious movements, and their acquaintance with the phraseology of “revival” correspondence, are seen at a glance. “St. Peter’s,” in the second letter, is a Puseyite church.
Dear Brother,—The Lord is dealing bountifully with His chosen people. Brother Barnes admitted to the church forty-nine last Sunday, and Brother Parker thirty-four to-day. Brother Converse has had the cholera, and Brother Fairchild has grown so fleshy as scarcely to be recognised. Our friend Mr. Tarr has buried his wife. She died of consumption. E. Tarr is married. Brother Mahu, being suddenly inspired last Sunday, spoke so eloquently and so loud, and used such majestic action, as to be quite done up for a while. He broke a blood vessel. Old Tiers has gone crazy, and is shut up in a madhouse, or, rather, a hospital. The H —’s have gone into the country to spend some time. That’s all the news.—Your faithful brother in Christ,
Dear Brother,—The millennium truly is coming. The day of the Lord is at hand. We are adding countless numbers to the altar of the Lord. Brother A— became inspired last Sunday, to such a degree, that his soul took its flight to the regions above, and has not yet returned. The Catholic churches, St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s, were burned down; St. Peter’s, also—I believe that is a Catholic church. Brother Mahu was preaching from the text, “Resist the devil,” &c., when he was suddenly overturned by an invisible power, which frightened him so that his hair turned white in five minutes.
Brother Barnes, to render his church more attractive, is going to have opera singing and dancing, every Sunday p.m. Mrs. Alexander Tower, old Mr. Tiers, Brother Fairchild, and Mrs. Somerville are going to dance. I think they will find it a very lucrative employment. Jane and Martha still progress in Hebrew.—Your affectionate brother,
Spirit-writing, without visible human agency, has never been a common mode of communicating, although it was <... continues on page 7-236 >