STRANGE PHENOMENA AT ROCHESTER, N.Y.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7632, 4 January 1887, Page 4

STRANGE PHENOMENA AT ROCHESTER, N.Y.

"■V.' :•' vNew '. Xork', . Sept. ' 28.— A Rochester '<:■'■ disimtclitb the, JForftf says that live weeks . ''ago Arnriy' Westvier, 'the 12-year-old son -, •• ' or a,' .respectable pivpeflmnger, was siezed ' 'v'v-apparently-witliatpvmofSt. Vitns'sdance, ''""'andfqr fully fiffc'eeu 'minutes was' unable v'.::,;ito control the.muscles of his lower limbs. vY-Tiie fit passed off and 'no other symptoms ■ •'■ 'appeareduhtil he retired in the evening. '-/After getting into bed he was siezed again •! ■ jwitli' a shock which apparently affected f - iill'the muscles in his body. The boy cried .; ; - ; ,-f6.r,help'andliU) parents entered his room. .'-' '':-As theydid so they wore astonished to see ■■',the chairs, and otheu furniture moving up • • . and'downseemingly in unisonwith niovoV/.'menta of hisniuscleH. " \The chairs would ■'■.'rise, sis or eight;inches, while the bed and \ lmreau.voula shake perceptibly. .Finally 1 ; '.- the shock passed away and the ■ motions ' v ; ceased, only to be followed, as' the family > , .'statd; by. noises orrappirigs which seamed ■V; to come from the wails and ceilings of the -■■':. room. The rapping. also soon died away. ■' "'.- '■■'. (VSinc'e that' Arney 'has had fits or shocks "o ; 'ilt intervals of' two or three days. Tliey ■: ■'"• are. iio'w increasing in frequency, and ;.'. '.hardly a day pasoes without one, though r fiV-thev 'do", not increase in .' violence. In ■ ' K-eaqh iiisfcance the shocks ire accompanied "Vby -the moving of particles in the vicinity >■;>'.'■! of ;•'. the:, boy. .'Visitora to tlie house '"-•' have" almoijf daily witnessed strange : ': -plienomona; Amongst- those who have '■■'<"' ' called ■ are"'- Peter de Beauyn, , pastor j ; „of .the chiirch'.which they,; the -Westviers, 19 : \ attend, .tjiid .Rev. -Meievatna of the German '-. ■' churchY , The physicians are all puzzled by ['■'■ the - symptoms. They say he is. not ..' ' ' troubled with St. Titus'sdance or epilepsy. ",'■■]. Bis. Kemp and Schuhart are inclined to : - A i believe he has heart disease, but Dr Stil- '"''..■ well says that, his heart is iv a normalcon•Xx dition. , The victim of this strange malady ■j ,v is 1 perfectly conscious when under its inilu- ■;,'>; enca, aiidcan converse. He is, however; en,.'i.tiroly poNyerless to . control , himself,'; and ■ / connot move a muscle until the trouble • .:• passes off. Occasionally articles in another, j • .'■■ ropm from that in which he is are affected, ,;.-, tot only when the spells are'very violent. '■■'■■". 'The articles nearest him move more than V.vothersY..-' '.'",- '_■''.■' '■' ' ■ --'" ' - ''