HPB-SB-7-231

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vol. 7, p. 231

H. P. Blavatsky Scrapbooks

from Adyar archives of the International Theosophical Society

vol. 7 (March-September 1878)

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Remarkable Spiritual Manifestations in the House of the Rev. E. Phelps, D.D.

Two years after the earliest manifestations in connection with modern Spiritualism began at Hydesville, U.S., strange disturbances occurred in the house of the Rev. Eliakim Phelps, D.D., of Stratford, Connecticut. As the manifestations were of considerable interest, and can be paralleled by many of more recent date, we quote nearly the whole of the authorised record of them which was published in E. W. Capron’s Modern Spiritualism, its Facts and Fanaticisms, published in 1855, by Mr. Bela Marsh, of Boston, Mass., one of the most interesting volumes connected with the early history of the movement. Mr. Capron says:—

THE OUTBREAK OF THE DISTURBANCES.

I have been allowed to examine all the records kept of the occurrences by Dr. Phelps, and shall be able, therefore, to present the history with more minuteness and accuracy than has ever before appeared. The first disturbances took place at the house of the Rev. Eliakim Phelps, D.D., on the 10th day of March, 1850. The house had been occupied by him from the 22nd of February, 1848. It is a large and genteel country mansion, separated from the street by a fence forty-five feet from the front of the house; the house is thirty-two feet in front, and, including the piazza, seventy feet deep, with a hall thirteen feet wide, running through the whole depth of the building. Adjoining, and opening from this hall, are two parlours and a dining-room. On the second floor are five sleeping-rooms, and on the third floor two. The kitchen is in the basement. The house was built about the year 1829 or 1830 by a Captain Dondall, who for several years commanded a vessel in the China trade, and who died in the bay of Canton within two or three years after his family had taken up their residence in the house. The property then passed into the hands of another sea captain, by the name of Purcell, who, with his family, occupied it for several years. Captain Purcell dying suddenly in New York, the family removed, and the house was occupied and used by an Episcopal clergyman for a school for a year or more, and afterwards by a Mr.—, also as a school for boys.

None of the families who had thus far occupied the house had ever been disturbed, or witnessed anything aside from ordinary events. At the death of Captain Purcell it became the property of the two daughters, of whom Dr. Phelps purchased it during the month of November, 1847. For two years previous to this it had been unoccupied. Dr. Phelps and family commenced their residence therein on the 22nd of February, 1848. Nothing occurred to excite the attention of the family out of the ordinary course of events until the 10th of March, 1850; and, as before stated, nothing can be learned of any strange or unusual events occurring there previous to that time. It will be observed by the dates given that Dr. Phelps had occupied the house more than two years, had found it an agreeable and quiet place of residence—having never been disturbed or alarmed by unusual occurrences. On the 10th of March, as above stated, it being the Sabbath, Dr. Phelps and family—consisting of Mrs. Phelps, two daughters and two sons, the eldest a daughter aged sixteen, a son of twelve years, and a second daughter of six years, children of Mrs. Phelps by a former marriage, and another son of Dr. Phelps by the present marriage, not then three years old—all attended church; and an Irish servant girl, who had been employed in the family some six months, and had shown herself to be honest and trustworthy, had gone on that day to Bridgeport, to attend the Catholic Church. On leaving the house in the morning it appears that the doctor had secured the chamber doors, and put the keys in his pocket; those which could be were locked inside and the keys left in them. The only door by which the chambers could be entered was locked, and the key taken by Dr. Phelps. He also locked the front door inside, left the key in the lock, and, passing out at the back door, locked that and placed the key in his pocket. On returning from church at noon the front door was found standing open; the chamber doors, which were left fastened, were now open; and in the nursery the furniture was thrown about in disorder; chairs on the bed, and thrown down upon the floor; the shovel, tongs, and poker, with other things, were in unusual positions and places, everything showing unmistakable signs of the work of some rude hand making mischief in their absence. Upon discovering the disorder here Dr. Phelps passed into other rooms on the same floor, but could see no further evidence of intrusion. The first supposition was, very naturally, that some person or persons had entered and robbed the house. Search was immediately made in the closets where silver plate, spoons, forks, &c., were kept. All were found safe and undisturbed. A gold watch, left in an exposed place, remained there as left. The impression still remained that burglars had been in; and on examination of the windows one was found that could be raised from the outside, and though there was no evidence of entrance having been made there, no doubt existed that this was the place of access. Thinking they might return during the afternoon, Dr. Phelps remained at home, the other members of the family going again to church. Being left alone the doctor armed himself, and, selecting a secluded position, awaited the return of the burglars. There was no disturbance during the afternoon; no sound of footfall; all remained quiet. On the return of the family, after the service, usually closing at three o’clock, several other articles were found out of place, but not in a way to make it certain that they were not moved in the morning. Articles of kitchen furniture were out of their places. A tea-kettle, which had been used at dinner-time, was found hidden behind some boxes in the cellar. The bread, sugar-bowl, eggs, and numerous other things kept in the kitchen, were found where they did not belong, and where they had evidently been placed in some way which the family could not account for. Upon entering the middle chamber, occupied as a sleeping-room, a sheet was found spread over the bed outside the counterpane, and beneath which was a nightgown and chemise laid out with the arms folded across the breast, with stockings placed in a position to represent, as it seemed, a corpse disposed as is usual before placing it in the coffin. On the wall were written characters resembling those said by certain clairvoyants to belong to a spiritual language, but which none of the family were able to decipher. Whether they had any significance, or how they came there, was alike an unanswerable question by the family; they had not observed them before. Occurrences ceased for that day and night, yet, no one thinking of any mystery in the matter, they imputed it to roguish boys, or others, who had effected entrance with false keys, for mischief, rather than for robbery, and that the culprits would soon be detected.

THE PASSAGE OF MATTER THROUGH MATTER.

The next morning, March 11th, when the family went upstairs, after breakfast, the middle chamber had again been visited, exhibiting much the same scene of disorder presented the previous day. A sheet was spread out upon the floor, the wash-stand laid upon its back upon the sheet, a candlestick set upon the stand, the wash-bowl placed upon one side, and the pitcher on the other. The nightgown and chemise, used on the previous occasion to represent a dead body, were found one in the bowl, the other in the pitcher, It appears that these articles of clothing were not then in use; they had been placed in a trunk which stood in a closet <... continues on page 7-232 >

Editor's notes

Sources

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  London Spiritualist, No. 312, August 16, 1878, pp. 73-8