THE ''JUMPERS'' OF MAINE. 173 



Many strange things are done by these Jumpers. One of those 

 with -whom I experimented came very near cutting his throat the day 

 before I reached the lake. He was shaving, and the door slammed 

 suddenly behind him ; he jumped, and, had the razor been held in a 

 different way, he might have inflicted a severe wound. One of these 

 Jumpers being surprised by an order to " strike," while standing before 

 a window, struck his fist right through the glass, cutting it severely. 

 These Jumpers have been known to strike their fists against a red-hot 

 stove ; they have been known to jump into the fire, as well as into 

 water ; indeed, no painfulness or peril of position has any effect on 

 them ; they are as powerless as apoplectics or hysterics, if not more 

 so ; the absolute victims of the orders that are given them, or of the 

 surprises that are played upon them ; they must do as they are told, 

 though it kill them, or though it kill others. I can find no evidence 

 that the presence of water or of fire will interfere, even in the slightest 

 degree, with the motions which they are compelled to make. As has 

 been made apparent by the above description, it is not necessary that 

 the surprises should come from any human being ; it is not necessary 

 that they should be ordered to strike or to jump ; any sound, from 

 any source, that comes upon them with sufticient severity and sudden- 

 ness, for which they are not forewarned and forearmed, may cause 

 them to jump and to cry. One of those on whom I experimented 

 told me that the falling of a tree in the woods, when unexpected, 

 would have the same effect upon him. He said that one time he 

 was so alarmed by the sudden crash of a tree that he not only 

 jumped, but was perfectly entranced, so that he could not move, al- 

 though the tree did not fall upon him. The explosion of a gun or 

 pistol is almost sure to excite these Jumpers. The screech of a steam- 

 whistle is especially obnoxious to them, few of them, so far as I have 

 been able to learn, having been able to withstand it. On one of the 

 lake-steamers in which I returned from the hotel, there was a Jumper 

 who, when the screech was heard, jumped right up, so that he nearly 

 hit his head on the upper deck. As the steamer neared the landing 

 and came to a place where he knew the whistle would sound again, 

 he was warned to prepare himself, and he did so with such success, 

 that on the first screech he jumped scarcely any ; on the second, 

 however, despite his care, he raised his shoulders perceptibly, but did 

 not jump. In many of these cases, it may be observed, a simple rais- 

 ing of the shoulders, a sudden impulsive movement, is all that is done, 

 there being no cry and no movement of the hands to throw or to strike. 



the part of the subject experimented on ^ 3. Intentional collusion of other parties ; 4. 

 Unintentional collusion of other parties ; 5. Chances and coincidences ; 6. Phenomena of 

 the involuntary life. In experimenting with the Jumpers the nature of the phenomena 

 made it easy to eliminate the main element of error, intentional deception on the part 

 of the subject since, unless the subject is deceived or at least surprised, the phenomena 

 do not appear. 



