FIRE DOES NOT BURN HIM.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9370, 12 February 1909, Page 7

FIRE DOES NOT BURN HIM.

One of the greatest puzzles ever offered to scientists has appeared In America in the person of a young mechanic named Frank E. Foskett, of "Orange, Massachusetts, who, >■ according to New York papers, has mystifled a big committee of trained observers with feats of “psychic magic.” Professor P. F. Hall, of Boston, invited to his house Professor James, who holds the Ohair of Philosophy at Harvard, and a number of medical men and members of the American Society of Psychical Research to witness an exposition of Foskett’s powers. All of them came away astounded by what they had seen, and stating that so far as they could tell science could offer no explanation of the mysteries'exhibited. At Professor Hall’s house, in the ring of observers, Foskett sat in the centre of the room before a small table, and performed every feat of the Hindu J fakir. He then went through the fire test. First he allowed the flames from matches to curl around h:s fingers. Then he held both hands over a kerosene lamp until the smoke completely blackened the chimney. ' . . . The climax was reached when he j poured a quart of alcohol into a j basin, set in on fire, and bathed his \ bands in the flaming liquid for ten • minutes, also spreading the flaming alcohol over his face and arms. After this performance several physicians examined Foskett, and could not find the slightest trace of a burn or blister. Foskett told them that the flames did not give nim the slightest sensation of burning, and that he felt comfortably warm and pleasant, nothing more. Then he performed the greatest wonder of all—namely, that of melting into thin air before them and gradually reassuming the substance of his body again. Those present were simply spellbound with astonishment. ! One scientist said Foskett was ‘absolutely and positively dematerialised. He seemed, to dissolve into thin air as we watched him. He was gone for 41 seconds, and then materialised. It was so startling , that I was afraid we had lost sight of the test conditions, and wo asked him to appear before us again. It seems unbelievable . but it certainly seemed so. We hardly know what to think of it. ” ,

According to those present, Poskefct seems in a passive state during the tests, and says he thinks of nothing in particular. Those who examined him discredit the hypnotic theory, and express the belief that he has some latent “psychic force” that has never been studied.