ROCHESTER (_Continued_).
VENTRILOQUISM--"PROCLAIM THESE TRUTHS TO THE WORLD"--THE CALL
FOR THE ALPHABET--VOICES IN RAPS--GOD'S TELEGRAPH BETWEEN
THE TWO WORLDS--AN EVICTION--COMMITTEE OF FIVE--NO MONEY
ACCEPTED--IMPROPER QUESTIONS TO SPIRITS--"DONE"--STRUGGLE AGAINST
THE "UNCANNY THING"--BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Mother and Maggie returned in about two weeks to Rochester, expecting to
remain with us until the new house was finished. But "a change came over
the spirit of our dream." Things in spiritual matters grew from bad to
worse. Our kind friend, Mrs. Vick, had died suddenly during mother's
absence, and the family soon gave up the house. It was rented by a
new tenant, a diminutive, sickly-looking man who could not stand the
"racket." His wife complained to him, and declared that she was afraid
to remain at home with the children while he was absent. One day, while
they were eating dinner, they heard knocks on their table. He was
furious in his irritation at this, and coming up to me said: "You are
ventriloquists, and I will put a stop to your doings. I will have you
arrested if I ever hear any noises in my house again." I doubt if
he had finished eating his dinner. He was very pale and trembled with
excitement. My neighbor, Mrs. Bush, a very intelligent and talented
lady, had called on me, and took up the argument in my behalf herself.
She said to him: "Inasmuch as the sounds have been in your house, which
have disturbed Leah all the morning, I think, if any one is arrested,
you should be the one."
The Spirits took "a new cue" from this visit of our neighbor. They
seemed determined to take measures to satisfy him that his attempt to
interfere with, or stop their manifestations, did not accomplish that
object. They were, apparently, determined to settle the question of
ventriloquism beyond any future doubt. They sounded their trumpets upon
the house-top. In other words they carried on the manifestations on the
very peak of the roof. It sounded like the frequent discharge of heavy
artillery. It was stated to us, the next day, that the sounds were heard
a mile away. We feared that the roof would fall in upon us. We all fell
upon our knees and prayed for protection. We were in this position when
Calvin returned. That night the sounds continued until daylight. The
furniture on the second floor moved in every direction. Books were
thrown about the room. The bureau in the bed-room was moved so that it
blocked up the door. The music, from the parlor, flew at us while at
breakfast in the dining-room. We knew not what to do. We had been in the
habit of conversing by putting direct questions, which could be answered
affirmatively or negatively; but we did not think of getting the
alphabet, until our dear friend _Isaac Post_ came in. He said to me,
"Leah, why, don't thee remember that thy brother David conversed with
the Hydesville Spirits by using the alphabet? Perhaps they will explain
what is wanted, if thee will call the alphabet now." This seemed to be
exactly what they _did_ want; and I asked the question, "Do you want to
say something to us?" There was a tremendous rapping in answer. I then
commenced calling the alphabet, letter by letter in its order; and the
first message we ever obtained in Rochester, through the Spirits, was
this: "Dear friends, you must proclaim these truths to the world. This
is the dawning of a new era; and you must not try to conceal it any
longer. When you do your duty, God will protect you; and good Spirits
will watch over you."
I asked if the Spirits would give me a _signal_ by which I might know
when they wanted us to use the alphabet. They then spelled, "We will rap
five times, in quick succession; and you will know whenever it is called
for." When this was concluded there was a tremendous rapping all over
the room; and then each one gave his own distinctive signal. They have
been continued from that day to this.
By this I mean that they gave their several rappings with such
differences in sound as to be quite distinct from each other, and almost
as clearly recognizable as would be their intonations of voice as
speakers, or signatures as writers. On the occasion here mentioned I
think there must have been a score of spirits who rapped one after the
other, some on the table, some on the door, ceiling, windows, floor,
etc. Some were loud, some low, some rapid and some slower, and no two of
them seemed quite the same. Many persons who are familiar with these
signals frequently identify them by the sounds.
I soon received letters from various places saying that it had been made
known through clairvoyants, speaking mediums and seers, that the same
signal had been given to all mediums.
Thus we see that God's Telegraph[5] ante-dated that of Samuel F. B.
Morse.
[5] It opened up communication between the two worlds of matter
and spirit, as that of Morse had done between distant places in
the material plane of our life.--ED.
This work progressed too slowly to suit the Spirits. We could not
consent to let it be publicly known that we were having such marvellous
disturbances. So they sought out a new way to coerce us.
One night there was a great uproar in the other house. Loud rappings
were heard, the little man's pillow was jerked from under his head, his
wife nearly fainted, his children screamed, and he was badly frightened.
He could stand it no longer. He arose in the middle of the night, and
called up a party of his church brethren, who went to his house and
witnessed the demonstrations. They then went to the office of my
landlord and got his concurrence, and obtained a warrant for our removal
from our house. It will be recollected that this was Mr. J. B. Bennett,
to whom, when I engaged the house of him, I said I wanted a new house
where no crime had been committed, as I believed the house I lived in
was haunted; and that he replied, "I think you will have no difficulty
on that account." Yet he at once consented to our expulsion because my
little neighbor had heard the sounds in his own house. The warrant was
served in the morning. I immediately communicated with my friends, who
rallied in large numbers, and before the week was out, we were all
settled in a pleasant little cottage on Troup Street. It was about
September 1, 1849, when we moved into the house. I cannot let this
opportunity pass without paying a tribute to those dear friends.
They too were ridiculed and persecuted at home and abroad; but they
stood firm, and defended the right, as they were fully convinced that
it only required time to prove it to the world. Many of those precious
souls have passed to the world beyond, and I know they rejoice in Heaven
to-day over the happy discoveries they made, and which they tell us have
greatly widened their capacity for usefulness and enjoyment in a higher
sphere.
There was a marked difference in the manifestations during our meals.
The rappings seemed more concentrated, and very near us. The Spirits
appeared interested in much that we were saying, and often pressed us
approvingly with their hands. On one occasion a Spirit child laid its
little hands on mine (not in mine), and so long as I remained quiet and
permitted the little angel to do as it wished to, without disturbing the
conditions requisite to enable it to come so near me, there was no
shrinking or withdrawal on the part of the Spirit, who had thus far
re-entered this mundane sphere to prove to us, beyond a doubt, that she
still lived, and loved us. We could not doubt it. There was no one to
deceive us. The Spirit was my darling little sister. She pressed us with
both her hands, and kissed them over and over again. We would close our
eyes in daylight and they would kiss us naturally as in life. We were
truly converted, and as the dear old Methodists used to say, "born
again."
We could then realize that we had something to live for, something to
hope for, in that sacred hour when each one in our humble group "lay at
the feet of Jesus," willing to be guided and directed in the paths of
truth and duty. The alphabet was called for, and the following message
was given and signed by our ever revered grandfather, known to his
family and friends as a man of encyclopædic knowledge, as well as of
noble character. "You need not wait as I did for that great 'change of
heart;' but adopt the course at once and live up to your highest light.
Go where that leads you."
"MY DEAR CHILDREN:--The time will come when you will understand and
appreciate this great dispensation. You must permit your good friends to
meet with you and hold communion with their friends in heaven.
"I am your grandfather,
"JACOB SMITH."
This communication affected us all deeply (particularly my mother), and
brought our souls together sympathetically. We read it to our visitors.
They at once adopted the plan of sitting around the table with us. This
method immediately, as a consequence, placed the subject before the
community. It was discussed everywhere, both publicly and privately. Mr.
Isaac Post's store was beset, from morning until night, with inquirers
who were anxious to visit us. As we were situated, our friends felt a
delicacy in bringing strangers to our house, except by previous
arrangement.
In a short time the interest increased to such a degree that it was
thought advisable to form a committee of five in a convenient part of
the city, through whom the rushing crowd of curiosity seekers could be
accommodated. The names of this committee were Isaac Post, R. D. Jones,
Edward Jones, John Kedzie, and Andrew Clackner. They were faithful
friends, who never permitted any one to visit us unattended by
themselves, or some reliable person. All through this, and, indeed,
for the first two years, we scorned the idea of receiving money from
visitors. We felt that it would be degrading to accept money for
the exhibition of spiritualism. Our time and business were greatly
interfered with, and the overwhelming question frequently arose, "What
shall we do? We cannot endure this much longer." But there was a course
marked out for us (unconsciously to ourselves) to follow. For a time we
fancied things were going on better, and we felt encouraged, but we
little knew the bitter experience we were destined to pass through. Many
of our visitors were anxious to learn, through the Spirits, how to make
a fortune. Some wished to know the secrets of others; some, dissatisfied
with their domestic relations, sought the aid of Spirits to help them
out of their difficulty; some wanted to know what numbers they should
buy in a lottery, to be successful; others would wish to be advised in
their stock speculations.
To all such questions ready responses were given, but invariably ended
in failures.
This order of investigation brought us in rapport with an entirely
different class of Spirits. They had no particular motive in tormenting
us, but they seemed delighted to lead us on, and deceive the visitors
who sought them in such a spirit. But, when people sought for
communications of a more elevated character, answers were given
accordingly.
Frequently our friends would become so deeply interested in their
manifestations that they would forget we were mortal and needed time to
recuperate our physical strength. They did not know that every echo, as
it came through our medium forces, consumed a portion of our vitality.
The Spirit knew this, and would close the séances by spelling "done."
This, our friends would sometimes take exception to, and complain that
they should break off so abruptly. We could not explain, to their
satisfaction, that we were exhausted under the constant pressure of mind
and body. The Spirits, knowing this, would give the signal "done." After
this word done was spelled, we never obtained anything of an elevated
character. We could get physical manifestations, of an independent
character, such as throwing things, and moving furniture in different
parts of the house. _Those_ manifestations seldom seemed to weaken us,
but intellectual communications given through our immediate brain forces
had a weakening effect upon us when continued too long.
A gentleman (Dr. C. D. Griswold) living in Batavia had induced his
minister (an Episcopal clergyman) to visit us.
They arrived late; and, after a few questions had been answered, the
word "done" was spelled. They did not understand the meaning of this,
and continued their questions. Suddenly a loud rapping, in a distant
part of the room, spelled out, "Why the devil do you ask questions after
you have been told done?"
This was a terrible damper to us all. The minister stood aghast, looking
first at one and then at the other with astonishment, as if wondering
what kind of creatures we were. The friend who had brought him was
mortified in the extreme. They remained in town, and called on us again
the next morning. All things were quiet, and we sat down with these two
gentlemen alone. The doctor asked this question, "Will the spirit of my
dear father come and answer my questions?"
Immediately the alphabet was called for, and spelled out this sentence,
"When good Spirits say 'done,' you should not seek for further
communications. Order is heaven's first law, and you should not overtax
mediums; for no good Spirit will answer, after their guardians say
'done.'"
The doctor received the explanation favorably, and felt greatly relieved
when he saw his friend, the minister, was disposed to investigate
further. With us all was turmoil and confusion. When manifestations and
communications were consistent, we believed them to come from good
Spirits; but when they were to the contrary, we condemned all as evil.
We had no religious prejudices, no motive whatever in establishing
theories. We could make no satisfactory explanations to the various
interrogatories, made by promiscuous parties who were constantly in
attendance.
Let me here emphasize the fact that the general feeling of our family,
of all of us, including Calvin Brown, who was virtually one of us, was
strongly adverse to all this strange and uncanny thing. We regarded it
as a great misfortune, as it was an affliction, which had fallen upon
us; how, whence or why, we knew not. The influence of the surrounding
opinion of neighbors, and the country round about, reacted upon us in
conformation of our own natural and educational impressions, that the
whole thing was of evil origin, unnatural, perplexing, and tormenting;
while its unpopularity tended to cast a painful shadow upon us. We
resisted it, struggled against it, and constantly and earnestly prayed
for deliverance from it, even while a strange fascination attached to
these marvellous manifestations thus forced upon us, against our will,
by invisible agencies and agents whom we could neither resist, control,
nor understand. If our will, earnest desires and prayers could have
prevailed or availed, the whole thing would have ended then and there,
and the world outside of our little neighborhood would never have heard
more of the Rochester Rappings, or of the unfortunate Fox family.
But the movement was not in our hands nor under our control. It had an
object, and we, as reluctant and humble instruments, were in the hands
of other and higher wills and forces, from whom it had proceeded, by
whom it was directed, and, so to speak, engineered. We have since come
to understand that all these events and incidents, perplexing and
distressful as they were to us, were but the birth-throes of a new
truth, which was destined to revolutionize this world, and establish a
communication between the here and the hereafter; of the Earth and of
the Spirit.
And I may here say that, inasmuch as Electricity and Magnetism seem to
play some part in the machinery of this intercommunication, it is not
surprising that the Spirit on the other side who seems to have been the
principal initiator, not to say the inventor of this new development in
the evolution of Humanity, was the great man known to earthly fame as
the father of electrical science, as he was one of the great fathers of
American liberty; he of whom it has been grandly written that he
snatched the lightning from the sky, and the sceptre from the hand of
the tyrant: the immortal BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.