TESTIMONY I.
Testimony of Miss H. G.
August 9, 10. I was at the house of Mr. Blaisdel, by the persuasion of others; for as to myself I made very light of the matter, supposing that the whole was the contrivance of certain persons, and I believe still that nothing good appeared there.
We heard rappings, and these sounds were spoken to, but no answer obtained. After much altercation (which is needless to rehearse) we all came out of the cellar, and all went off, except a few persons, of whom I was one. Some of Mr. Blaisdel’s family uttered severe expressions against those who went off and did not believe. “What do you want they should believe,” said I; “for my part I see nothing to believe.” Immediately Mrs. Butler came in from the entry very much affrighted, “If any one desires to be convinced,” said she, “let him look there in the entry.” I looked there and saw nothing. Soon after this, while Mrs. Butler was sitting on the foot of a bed, we heard a sound right against her on the outside of the house. Mr. Butler told her to speak to it. At first she refused. They told her she must. Then she said to it, “If I am guilty stay away; if I am clear in the name of the Lord clear me.” The Spirit then rapped very hard, so as to shake the house. Some of the company said she must go into the cellar. “So I must,” said she; “if I do not, she will come into the room: and if she does, I shall die.[24] Who will go with me.” D—— A—— said she would go. They went,[25] and soon after we all went down. Then I plainly heard the voice say to Mrs. Butler, “Go up, that the people may not think it is you who speaks.” I saw her go up into the room, and heard at the same time the voice in the cellar. Mr. Blaisdel asked the Spirit whence she came. She answered, “I am from heaven. I am with God and with Christ—angels and seraphim, praising God. Glory, glory, glory.” Mr. Blaisdel asked why she did not manifest herself in the fore part of that night to all the people. She answered, “I was not permitted to come where there was so much sin.” The Spirit then said to Mr. Blaisdel, “Ask the people if they are convinced.” He did so; and I among the rest answered that I was. But I think otherwise now. God knew who would be there the forepart of that night. Why did he send her? Then the Spirit said, “I must appear;” and by her direction we placed ourselves in order. Then I saw a white appearance, at first not more than a foot in height, but it appeared larger and larger, and more plainly, and when it came nearer to me, I was struck with fear and left the cellar; but others told me that afterwards they saw the Spirit plainly.
August 13-14, I again went to Mr. Blaisdel’s with forty-seven persons. The Spirit now told us again that she was from heaven, and that she was once N—— H——. After much conversation the Spirit said that some of the people were faint, and could not hear all that was to be said, and that we must go up and refresh ourselves. “You must go with me to two places this night,” said she, “and you must be ready at one o’clock.” “What o’clock is it now,” said Mr. Blaisdel; she said, “twelve, twelve, twelve.” We went up immediately and looked on the watch, and it was exactly twelve. In a short time, hearing the usual sign, we returned. Among many other words which I do not remember, Mr. Downing asked the Spirit if she knew him; she answered, “yes,” and called him by name. He asked if she was ever at his house. She answered that she had been once there with her mother. At length she told us that we must go up and she would walk with us behind, with Mrs. Butler. But you must walk in order, two and two, said she, singing a Psalm: for God is a God of order. Some person asked when she would be ready. She said, “I will let you know.” Some person again asked what o’clock it was. She answered, one. We went up and again looked on the watch and it was one. We attended prayer, and immediately after she knocked. A Psalm was chosen, which the greatest number of us could best remember, and it was sung as we walked. I was now far forward and did not see the Spirit. When we came to Capt. Millar’s, the Spirit rapped there, and Capt. Millar with Capt. Paul Blaisdel and some others, went into the cellar, and I heard them talk, but could not understand what was said to them. Then word came to us that we must stand out in the field before the house—that she would appear before us, and walk with Mrs. Butler, that the people might be convinced that Mrs. Butler had told the truth in relating that she had walked with her before. Then we all stood before the house. Mrs. Butler put on a black cloak, and when she had walked a little distance from us, as before directed by the Spirit, I heard her groan bitterly, and soon after I saw the appearance of a woman in white, walking with her. Suddenly Mrs. Butler sung a part of that hymn called New Jerusalem. Then she came to us and we all went back in order to Mr. Blaisdel’s. I then looked back and saw a person in white walking with Mrs. Butler. After we returned to the house, Mrs. Butler appeared very weary and exhausted. I asked her at what time the Spirit came to her. She told me it was after she had walked a little distance from the people. “When you heard me groan, said she, then I saw it coming toward me. I am always more afraid when I only see it, than I am after it has spoken to me:[26] and she now told me not to be scared; that she was not come to hurt me, and that if I would sing a hymn, it would expel my fears.” HANNAH GATCOMB.
TESTIMONY II.
Testimony of Mr. Paul Simson, Jun.
August 9, 1800. I was at Mr. A. Blaisdel’s, with many more, and heard the sound of knocking. It was addressed, and a voice answered, but I could not understand it. Several persons spoke, but received no satisfactory answer. The people generally concluded that the whole affair was some deception. Therefore they went off and I among them. But my reflections on that singular knocking, induced me to say to two young men, “If you will go back, I will, and find out something more, if possible; for I am no more satisfied now, than I was before I went to that house.” We went back. Mr. Blaisdel asked us why we returned. I told him that we had all gone off with the opinion that the whole affair was a scheme contrived by his daughters, and nothing more, and I meant if possible, to find them out. “You must think as you please,” said he, “I am clear, and I believe my family is.” I told him I wished to see all his family sitting in one part of the room. They complied. Then I took a candle and stood in the midst of the room. After several minutes, something rapped near where two of us stood, and from thence removed to several parts of the house. “What do you think of it,” said Mr. Blaisdel? “It appears, said I, to be strange.” “We will go into the cellar,” said Mr. Blaisdel, “and, if you think any body is there, search the cellar through with a candle;” we did so. I came out last and was careful and watched, so that I was sure that no person went down. Also the outer door was fast. Then again we heard the sound of knocking. It was addressed, and conversation followed, in the midst of which Mr. Blaisdel said to me, “If you think any living person talks, go forward and grasp that person.” I went forward a few steps, but was so convinced that no body was there, that I considered all further attempts as useless.
After much discourse, which I cannot remember, the Spirit told us that we must go up and come down again in order, two and two, and she would appear to us. We did so, and I saw the apparition at first about two feet in height; but, as it drew nearer to me, it appeared as tall as a person. I saw this appearance passing close by me and from me five or six times. At last it diminished to about a foot in height and then vanished. PAUL SIMSON, Jun.
TESTIMONY III.
Testimony of Miss Sally Martin.