MYSTERIOUS NOISES. 9 never been impeached-without any apparent mo. tive-with great annoyance to themselves-without compensation in a pecuniary sense, would be far more mysterious and unaccountable, than to admit it to be just what it purports. It will also be borne in mind, that in this case, those who first heard these sounds, were not only subject to all the annoyance of visitors of all kinds and classes, but they were made the subjects of ridicule, and slanders were rife against their honesty in this matter, and the grosest insinuations against their moral character. As it spread from one house to another and from one neighborhood to another, the abuse of the first became somewhat modified, and it was divided on all who would not shut their eyes and ears to the facts transpiring around them. Since the public investigations that have taken place upon the subject, many have become convinced of the fact that the persons in whose presence the manifestations are made, have no agency in producing them, at least to their own knowledge, and we trust that the effect of this work may be to clear all those who have been falsely accused of fraud and deception. It is with this view that many of our friends and the friends of those where it it first appeared, have urged us to go forward with this work. If we should accomplish this, it would not be among the least of the objects for which we labor. If there are any, who, after carefully weighing the testimony here set forth, still discredit it, let them come forward, investigate and prove to the world that it is a deception, and how it is done, and all candid men will acknowledge themselves greatly indebted thereby. If they fail in proving it to be a deception, let them give a better and more philosophical solution of the phenomena, and place the world under lasting obligations to them. HISTORY OF THE FIRST APPEARANCES OF THE MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS" IN THE TOWN OF ARCADIA, WAYNE COUNTY, NEW-YORK. "The times have been That when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end;-but now, they rise again With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our seats. This is more strange THE first well authenticated history that we have of the sounds so unaccountable to those who have heard them, was in a house occupied by Mr. MICHAEL WEEKMAN in a little village known by the name of Hydesville in the town of Arcadia, Wayne county. He resided in the house for about eighteen months, and left sometime in the year 1847. Mr. Weekman makes the statement in substance as follows: That one evening, about the time of retiring, he heard a rapping on the outside door, and what was rather unusual for him, instead of familiarly bidding them "come in," stepped to the door and opened it. He had no doubt of finding some one who wished to come in, but, to his surprise, found no one there. He went back and proceeded to undress, when, just before getting into bed, he heard another rap at the door, loud and distinct. He stepped to the door quickly and opened it, but, as before, found no one there. He stepped out and looked around, supposing that some one was imposing upon him. He could discover no one and went back into the house. After a short time he heard the rapping again, and he stepped (it being often repeated) and MYSTERIOUS NOISES. 11 held on to the latch, so that he might ascertain if any one had taken that means to annoy him. The rapping was repeated, the door opened instantly, but no one was to be seen! He states that he could feel the jar of the door very plainly when the rapping was heard. As he opened the the door he sprung out and went around the house, but no one was in sight. His family were fearful to have him go out lest some one intended to harm him. It always remained a mystery to him, and finally as the rapping did not at that time continue, passed from his mind, except when something of the same nature occurred to revive it. They were at one time disturbed by a manifestation of a different nature, which might be thought more incredible than the former, had not facts proved that such occurrences were common in the familes where the first class of manifestations are heard. One night their little girl, then about eight years of age, was heard to scream from fright, so that the family all were alarmed by her cries and went to her assistance. This was about midnight. She told them that something like a hand had passed over her face and head; that she had felt it on the bed and all over her, but did not become so much alarmed until it touched her face. It seemed cold, and so badly had she been frightened, that it was a long time before she could tell the cause of her alarm. It was several days before she could be inducd to go into the same room to sleep. All this might have occured, and been only "the idle fabric of a dream;" and we should be inclined to the belief that such was the case, had we not had the most conclusive evidence that such manifestations were quite common, not only in that house, but various others where any of these strange occurrences have happened. We hear nothing more of Mr. Weekman being disturbed by the rapping or other manifestations, or there being anything of the kind with that exception, until after the house was occupied by the family of Mr. JOHN ine vast and entire separation made by the oia pnrlosophy (?) and theology between spirit and matter, has led thousands of philosophical minds to reject all idea of any existence of persons beyond the tangible form which men now occupy. They have failed entirely of obtaining from old traditions, proof which looked rational to them, of any such existence. such existence. We are prepared to sympathize with those who are thus skeptical about any existence beyond the present, for we long stood in precisely the same condition. The great difficulty in the way of such minds as before intimated, is the great break in the chain between tangible and (to us) intangible substance. The fact that men could not, in a normal state, see the more refined substance to which we give the name spirit, has led theologians to declare that there was an existence, not only intangible, but absolutely something beyond, and entirely separate from matter. in Men of philosophical minds, not having positive proof of spiritual existence, have discovered this glaring inconsistency, and rejected every theory offered in favor of any existence beyond the decay of the visible body. But the developments of the last few years Clairvoyance and Psychological science, have convinced many of the skeptics in regard to future existence, that there is a positive identity of spirits of persons who have passed on beyond this state of existence. In regard to the facts presented in the following pages, they will be accompanied with proof too positive and conclusive to need a word in this connection in vindication of their truth. The idea of a fraud so extensively entered into by persons whose integrity has kmus an classes, any Wait maut vue sui ts of ridicule, and slanders were rife against their hony in this matter, and the grosest insinuations against eir moral character. As it spread from one house to other and from one neighborhood to another, the use of the first became somewhat modified, and it s divided on all who would not shut their eyes and rs to the facts transpiring around them. Since the blic investigations that have taken place upon the bject, many have become convinced of the fact that e persons in whose presence the manifestations are ade, have no agency in producing them, at least to eir own knowledge, and we trust that the effect of is work may be to clear all those who have been Isely accused of fraud and deception. It is with this ew that many of our friends and the friends of those here it it first appeared, have urged us to go forward ith this work. If we should accomplish this, it would ot be among the least of the objects for which we la or. If there are any, who, after carefully weighing the stimony here set forth, still discredit it, let them come -rward, investigate and prove to the world that it is deception, and how it is done, and all candid men will knowledge themselves greatly indebted thereby. If hey fail in proving it to be a deception, let them give better and more philosophical solution of the pheomena, and place the world under lasting obligations O them. |
