Theresa Cheung - The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World - The Ultimate A–Z of Spirits, Mysteries and the Paranormal

According to records the activity began with streaks of animal faeces or manure appearing on the floor of the house. A young boy, Dean, was blamed; however, when the boy was out of the house the stains continued to appear, proving that he was not the cause. Soon the activity increased: windows were smashed, objects were thrown and fires broke out. This time the focus was identified as 11-year-old Dinah McLean, an adopted child of the family.

In November 1889 an investigator named Percy Woodstock asked Dinah to take him to the woodshed where she had reported seeing a strange man. To Woodstock’s amazement, from the middle of the empty shed a few feet away came the clearly audible voice of an old man. It cursed them both in a deep, gruff voice, using language Woodstock would not record. It said, ‘I am the devil, I’ll have you in my clutches, I’ll break your neck.’ Woodstock talked to the voice for several hours, during which it admitted causing the fires, spreading the manure, smashing the windows and moving objects. Eventually it calmed down and admitted it was only doing the haunt-ingsfor fun.

A crowd soon heard about the phenomena and gathered around the house and woodshed, where the entity allegedly performed incredible feats for the audience. Woodstock organized a statement signed by 17 witnesses acknowledging that they had seen the phenomena of flying stones and a mouth organ playing by itself:

To whom it may concern:

We, the undersigned, solemnly declare that the following curious proceedings, which began on the 15th day of September, 1889, and are still going on, on the 17th day of November, 1889, in the home of Mr George Dagg, a farmer living seven miles from Shawville, Clarendon Township, Pontiac County, Province of Quebec, actually occurred as below described.

1st, That fires have broken out spontaneously through the house, as many as eight occurring on one day, six being in the house and two outside; that the window curtains were burned whilst on the windows, this happening in broad daylight whilst the family and neighbors were in the house.

2nd, That stones were thrown by invisible hands through the windows, as many as eight panes of glass being broken; that articles such as waterjug, milk pitcher, a wash basin, cream jug, butter tub and other articles were thrown about the house by the same invisible agency; a jar of water being thrown in the face of Mrs John Dagg, also in the face of Mrs George Dagg, whilst they were busy about their household duties, Mrs George Dagg being alone in the house at the time it was thrown in her face; that a large shelf [mouth organ] was heard distinctly to be played and was seen to move across the room on to the floor; immediately after, a rocking chair began rocking furiously. That a washboard was sent flying down the stairs from the garret, no one being in the garret at the time. That when the child Dinah is present, a deep gruff voice like that of an aged man has been heard at various times, both in the house and outdoors, and when asked questions answered so as to be distinctly heard, showing that he is cognizant of all that has taken place, not only in Mr Dagg’s family but also in the families of the surrounding neighborhood. That he claims to be a discarnated being who died twenty years ago, aged eighty years; that he gave his name to Mr George Dagg and to Mr Willie Dagg, forbidding them to tell it. That this intelligence is able to make himself visible to Dinah, little Mary and Johnnie, who have seen him under different forms at different times, at one time as a tall thin man with a cow’s head, horns and cloven foot, at another time as a big black dog, and finally as a man with a beautiful face and long white hair, dressed in white, wearing a crown with stars in it.

What is of particular interest is that the entity made itself visible in a variety of guises to Dinah and the two younger children of the house - as a devil, a black dog and a man in white robes. Finally, when the entity had got the attention it craved, it was said to have departed from the farm singing beautiful music in the sky.

Sceptics argue that Dinah and the children may have been responsible for the whole phenomena, tricking their parents into believing an entity existed, but this does not explain how they could convince a whole crowd of adults. The case has never been resolved but some experts believe that the poltergeist, having finally got some attention, calmed down and went away. According to this theory, poltergeists can act like humans at times, perhaps behaving badly out of boredom or a need to attract attention. Once they get the attention they want their disruptive behaviour ceases.

A form of divinationthat predicted the future through burning a branch of laurel in an open fire. If the laurel burned with a good crackling sound this was a good omen, but if the laurel burned slowly and quietly this was a bad sign.

The practice dates back to ancient Rome where a sacred grove of laurel trees was planted by each emperor when they ascended to the throne. In the year AD 68 the laurel grove withered and died. This was the same year Emperor Nero died and the long line of Caesars came to an end.

The Davenport brothers conducted one of the most popular and successful séanceacts of the nineteenth century. Ira Erastas and William Henry Davenport added the spirit cabinetto the medium’s repertoire and their sophisticated performances amazed and mystified audiences all over America and Europe.

Ira Davenport was born in Buffalo, New York on 17 September 1839, and his brother William two years later, on 1 February 1841. Their father, a New York policeman, was interested in stories of rappingsreported in nearby Rochester and decided to try a sitting at home with his family. Almost immediately they got results and Mr Davenport would later tell friends that the boys and their younger sister Elizabeth levitated about the room.

The family began to hold regular séances and at one in 1850 the family made contact with their spirit guide, an entity named John King. It was King who allegedly told the family to rent a hall and give public performances, and in 1855, the boys went on stage for the first time, aged 16 and 14. At first their act consisted of table tiltingand rapping but soon the Davenport brothers began to introduce new phenomena, such as floating musical instruments playing under their own power and playful spirit hands that touched and pulled at audience members. By the end of the year the brothers had introduced escapes from complicated rope bindings and knots into their séances and, what would eventually become the signature for their act, the spirit cabinet.

The cabinet was a box, similar to a closet, which would be erected on stage. A sceptical member of the audience would be asked to bind and tie the brothers inside the cabinet, making it seemingly impossible for them to escape. However, as soon as the cabinet doors were closed, and the lights turned off, spirit music would play and disembodied hands would appear through apertures that had been left open on the exterior walls.

On occasion, a volunteer from the audience would be placed between the brothers in the cabinet. A few moments after the doors were closed the volunteer would be tossed out of the box with a tambourine on his head. When the doors were opened the Davenports would be found tied up, in exactly the same way they were before.

The act was billed as a séance and created a sensation. Although the brothers never admitted to being mediums - leaving that to the audience to decide - and critics labelled them mere stage magicians, spiritualistshailed their act as genuine proof of spirit phenomena.