,,preliminary ,,report ,,of ,,the ,,commission ,,appointed ,,by ,,the ,,university ,,of ,,pennsylvania ,,to ,,investigate ,,modern ,,spiritualism ,,in ,,accordance ,,with ,,the ,,request ,,of ,,the ,,late ,,henry ,,seybert ,,with ,a ,,foreword ,,by ,h4,h4 ,,furness1 ,,jr4 #ahhg1 #aibj ,,foreword ,now1 at the present time1 when the attention of the public is turning towards questions of ,psychology and ,psychiatry1 it is most appropriate that a volume such as the present ,report be again placed in the hands of the public4 ,while it cannot be said that the conclusions reached by the ,seybert ,commission were final1 yet material for future investigation was furnished and facts so clearly stated that the reader might form his own conclusions4 ,the purpose and intended scope of the ,commission are plainly set forth in the ,preliminary sections1 and therefore need not be entered upon here4 ,of the members composing that ,commission but one is now surviving1 ,dr4 ,calvin ,b4 ,knerr1 who contributed an interesting report on the slate-writing medium1 ,mrs4 ,patterson4 ,the sections by the ,acting-,chairman1 ,dr4 ,horace ,howard ,furness1 on ,mediumistic ,development1 ,sealed ,letters1 and ,materialization were the occasion of acrimonious and violent attack on the whole work of the ,commission by those periodicals devoted to spiritualism and its propaganda4 ,age cannot wither the charm of the good humoured satire with which the ,acting-,chairman treated these subjects2 and it was largely the spirit in which they were thus approached that inspired the intense hostility on the part of the spiritual mediums and their many followers4 ,it has been epigrammatically said that1 ,superstition is1 in many cases1 the cloak that keeps a man's religion from dying of cold2 possibly the same may be said of ,spiritualism and ,psychology4 ,h4,h4 ,,furness1 ,,jr4 ,february1 #aibj4 ,,preliminary ,,report ,,of ,the ,seybert ,commission for ,investigating ,modern ,spiritualism4 ,to the ,trustees of ,the ,university of ,pennsylvania3 ',the ,seybert ,commission for ,investigating ,modern ,spiritualism' respectfully present the following ,preliminary ,report1 and request that the ,commission be continued1 on the following grounds3 ,the ,commission is composed of men whose days are already filled with duties which cannot be laid aside1 and who are able1 therefore1 to devote but a small portion of their time to these investigations4 ,they are conscious that your honorable body look to them for a due performance of their task1 and the only assurance which they can offer of their earnestness and zeal is in thus presenting to you1 from time to time1 such fragmentary ,reports as the following1 whereby they trust that successive steps in their progress may be marked4 ,it is no small matter to be able to record any progress in a subject of so wide and deep an interest as the present4 ,it is not too much to say that the farther our investigations extend the more imperative appears the demand for these investigations4 ,the belief in so-called ,spiritualism is certainly not decreasing4 ,it has from the first assumed a religious tone1 and now claims to be ranked among the denominational ,faiths of the day4 ,from the outset your ,commission have been deeply impressed with the seriousness of their undertaking1 and have fully recognized that men eminent in intelligence and attainments yield to ,spiritualism an entire credence1 and who can fail to stand aside in tender reverence when crushed and bleeding hearts are seen to seek it for consolation and for hope8 ,they beg that nothing which they may say may be interpreted as indicating indifference or levity4 ,wherever fraud in ,spiritualism be found1 that it is1 and not whatever of truth there may be therein1 which is denounced1 and all ,spiritualists who love the truth will join with us in condemnation of it4 ,the admission of evidence concerning the so-called ,spiritual manifestations has been duly weighed4 ,there is apparent force in the argument that our national histories are founded1 accepted and trusted on evidence by no means as direct as that by which1 it is claimed1 the proofs of ,spiritual miracles are accompanied4 ,but it must be remembered that the facts of profane history are vouched for by evidence which is in accord with our present experience2 they are in harmony with all that is now going on in the light of day 7that history repeats itself has grown into a commonplace71 and we are justified in accepting them on testimony1 however indirect1 which is nevertheless at one with the ordinary course of events4 ,but the phenomena of ,spiritualism have no such support2 they are commonly regarded as in contravention of the ordinary experience of mankind 7in that they are abnormal and extraordinary lies their very attractiveness to many people71 and no indirect testimony concerning them can be admitted without the most thorough1 the most searching scrutiny4 ,we doubt if any thoughtful ,spiritualist could be found to maintain that we should unquestioningly accept all the so-called 'facts' with which their annals teem4 ,to sift the evidence of merely half a dozen would require incalculable labor4 ,wherefore we decided that1 as we shall be held responsible for our conclusions1 we must form those conclusions solely on our own observations2 without at all imputing untrustworthiness to the testimony of others we can really vouch only for facts which we have ourselves observed4 ,the late ,mr4 ,henry ,seybert during his lifetime was known as an enthusiastic believer in ,modern ,spiritualism1 and shortly before his death presented to ,the ,university of ,pennsylvania a sum of money sufficient to found a chair of ,philosophy1 and to the gift added a condition that the ,university should appoint a ,commission to investigate 'all systems of ,morals1 ,religion1 or ,philosophy which assume to represent the ,truth1 and particularly of ,modern ,spiritualism4' ,a ,commission was accordingly appointed1 composed as follows3 ,dr4 ,william ,pepper1 ,dr4 ,joseph ,leidy1 ,dr4 ,george ,a4 ,koenig1 ,professor ,robert ,ellis ,thompson1 ,professor ,george ,s4 ,fullerton and ,dr4 ,horace ,howard ,furness2 to whom were afterwards added ,mr4 ,coleman ,sellers1 ,dr4 ,james ,w4 ,white1 ,dr4 ,calvin ,b4 ,knerr and ,dr4 ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell4 ,of this ,commission ,dr4 ,pepper1 as ,provost of ,the ,university1 was1 ex-officio1 ,chairman1 ,dr4 ,furness1 ,acting ,chairman1 and ,professor ,fullerton1 ,secretary4 ,as a befitting preliminary1 at one of our earliest meetings each member in turn expressed his entire freedom from all prejudices against the subject to be investigated1 and his readiness to accept any conclusion warranted by facts2 one of our number1 the ,acting ,chairman1 so far from being unprejudiced confessed to a leaning in favor of the substantial truth of ,spiritualism4 ,we deemed ourselves fortunate at the outset in having as a counselor the late ,mr4 ,thos4 ,r4 ,hazard1 a personal friend of ,mr4 ,seybert1 and widely known throughout the land as an uncompromising ,spiritualist4 ,by the advice of ,mr4 ,hazard we addressed ourselves first to the investigation of ,independent ,slate ,writing1 and through his aid a sance for this purpose was arranged with a noted ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,s4,e4 ,patterson4 ,this mode of manifesting ,spiritualistic power1 as far as it has come under our observation1 is1 concisely stated1 the writing on the concealed surface of a slate which is in contact with a ,medium4 ,in the present instance1 between two slates fastened together by a hinge on one side and a screw on the other1 there was placed a small fragment of slate pencil2 when this fragment is bitten off by the ,medium1 it receives1 so ,mr4 ,hazard assured us1 additional ,spiritualistic power4 ,as soon as a ,spirit has finished writing its communication with the pencil on the inner surface of the slates1 the completion of the task is made known by the appearance of the slate pencil on the outside1 upon the slates4 ,the slates are always held in concealment under the table1 and never has this remarkable passage of the pencil through the solid substance of the slate been witnessed by any one1 not even by the ,medium herself1 in all the years during which this wonderful phenomenon has been a matter of daily1 almost hourly1 experience4 ,our first sance was held in the evening at the ,medium's own home4 ,the slates were screwed together with the bit of slate pencil enclosed1 and held by the ,medium between her open palms1 in her lap1 under the table4 ,after waiting an hour and a half without the least response on the slates from the ,spirits1 the attempt was abandoned for that evening much to the disappointment1 not only of us all1 but to the chagrin of ,mr4 ,hazard1 who could not understand 'what the deuce was in it1 seeing that the ,medium was one of the very best in the world1 and on the preceding evening1 when he was all alone with her1 the messages from the spirit of ,henry ,seybert came thick and fast4' ,no better success attended our second sance with this ,medium1 although we waited patiently an hour and twenty minutes1 while the slates were in the ,medium's lap4 ,by the advice of the ,medium1 in order to eliminate any possible antagonism1 we divided our numbers1 and only one or two of us at a time sat with her4 ,on one occasion writing did appear on the slates1 after the slates had been held by both hands of the ,medium for a long time in concealment under the table1 but to neither of the two sitters did the screw appear to be by any means as tightly fastened after the writing as before2 nor did the writing of two or three illegible words seem beyond the resources of very humble legerdemain2 in fact1 no legerdemain was needed1 after a surreptitious loosening of the screw which1 considering the state of the frame of the slate1 could have been readily effected4 ,from some cause or other the atmosphere of ,philadelphia is not favorable to this mode of ,spiritual manifestation4 ,with the exception of the ,medium just alluded to1 not a single ,professional ,independent ,slate ,writing ,medium was known to us at that time in this city1 nor is there one resident here even at this present writing1 as far as we know4 ,we were1 therefore1 obliged to send for one to ,new ,york4 ,with this ,medium1 ,dr4 ,henry ,slade1 we had a number of sittings1 and1 however wonderful may have been the manifestations of his ,mediumship in the past1 or elsewhere1 we were forced to the conclusion that the character of those which passed under our observation was fraudulent throughout4 ,there was really no need of any elaborate method of investigation2 close observation was all that was required4 ,at the risk of appearing inconsequent by mentioning that first which in point of time came last1 we must premise that in our investigations with this ,medium we early discovered the character of the writing to be twofold1 and the difference between the two styles to be striking4 ,in one case the communication written on the slate by the ,spirits was general in its tone1 legible in its chirography1 and usually covered much of the surface of the slate1 punctuation being attended to1 the i's dotted1 and the t's crossed4 ,in the second1 when the communication was in answer to a question addressed to a ,spirit the writing was clumsy1 rude1 scarcely legible1 abrupt in terms1 and sometimes very vague in substance4 ,in short1 one bore the marks of deliberation and the other of haste4 ,this difference we found to be due to the different conditions under which the communications were written4 ,the long messages are prepared by the ,medium before the sance4 ,the short ones1 answers to questions asked during the sance1 are written under the table with what skill practice can confer4 ,with this knowledge1 it is clear that the investigator has to deal with a simple question of legerdemain4 ,the slate1 with its message already written1 must in some way be substituted for one which the sitter knows to be clean4 ,the short answers must be written under trying circumstances1 out of sight1 under the table1 with all motions of the arm or hand concealed4 ,it is useless to attempt to limit the methods whereby these two objects may be attained4 ,all that we can do is to describe the processes which we distinctly saw this ,medium adopt4 ,in its simplest form 7and one which any person can try with astonishing results upon an artless1 unsuspicious sitter71 a slate1 on which1 before the sitter's visit1 a message has been written1 is lying face downward on the table when the sance begins4 ,there are other slates on an adjoining table within easy reach of the ,medium4 ,in order that the ,medium may be brought into ,spiritual relationship with the sitters1 contact with the ,medium is necessary1 and the sitters are therefore requested to place their hands1 palms downward1 in the middle of the table2 on these hands the ,medium places his own and the sance begins4 ,before long1 the presence of ,spiritual power becomes manifest by raps on the table1 or by vibratory movements of the table1 more or less violent1 and by spasmodic jerkings or twitching of the ,medium's arms or body4 ,when sufficient ,spiritual power has been generated1 the ,medium takes up the slate1 and1 still controlling with his left hand the hands of his sitters1 places on it a minute fragment of slate pencil4 ,no offer is made to show both sides 7the prepared message is on the hidden side71 the side in full view is perfectly clean1 and it is on that side that the ,spirits are to write with the slate pencil2 there is no need of showing the other side4 ,with his right hand the ,medium holds the slate under the edge of the table1 barely concealing it thereunder1 and drawing it forth every few seconds to see if any writing has appeared4 ,after waiting in vain for five or ten minutes1 the ,medium's patience becomes exhausted1 and he reaches for another slate from the table close behind him1 and1 ostentatiously washing both sides of it1 lays it on the table in front of him 7still controlling with his left hand the hands of his sitters71 and removes the pencil from the first slate to the second1 and on top of the second so places the first slate that the prepared message is underneath1 on the inside and next to the other slate4 ,the trick is done4 ,all that now remains for the ,medium to do is to hold the two slates under the table for awhile1 or rest them on the shoulder close to the ear of the sitter on the ,medium's right1 and1 by scratching with the finger nail on the frame of the slate1 to imitate the writing by the ,spirits with the enclosed pencil4 ,when there are two or more sitters it is only the one on the right of the ,medium who is privileged to hear the writing4 ,to apply the slate to the ear of any other would disclose the way in which the sound of the writing is counterfeited4 ,to him1 therefore1 who sits on the ,medium's left1 so that the ,medium's hand1 while holding the slates on the shoulder of the sitter on the right1 is sharply outlined against the light1 the motions of the ,medium's fingers while the sound of writing is imitated by him may be distinctly seen4 ,by such elementary tricks of legerdemain as these are guileless1 honest folk deceived4 ,dr4 ,slade prefers to have only two sitters at a time1 one on his right and one opposite4 ,the fourth side of the table he prefers to have unoccupied2 his manipulations of the slate can be from that side more readily observed2 moreover1 strange ,spiritual antics may be there manifested1 such as upsetting chairs which happen to be there1 making slates appear above the edge of the table1 etc4 ,these manifestations are executed by the ,medium's foot1 which1 on one occasion1 was distinctly seen before it had time to get back into its slipper by one of our number1 who stooped very quickly to pick up a slate which had accidentally fallen to the floor while the ,spirits were trying to put it into the lap of one of the sitters4 ,at the first two sances an ordinary wooden table was used belonging to the hotel where ,dr4 ,slade lodged4 ,at the third sance a similar but larger table was used1 somewhat the worse for wear1 and the joints of its leaves were far from fitting close4 ,every crack1 however1 and every chink had been carefully filled up with paper to prevent1 so the ,medium said1 'the electricity from flowing through4' ,the method of producing the long message which opened the sance has been described above4 ,whenever we received other long messages1 written with some care and more or less filling the side of the slate1 the agency employed was adroit substitution1 generally effected when the ,medium supposed that the attention of his sitters was engrossed with an answer just received to a question addressed to the ,spirits4 ,prepared slates resting against the leg of the table behind him were substituted for those which but a moment before he had ostentatiously washed on both sides and laid on the table in front of him4 ,the handwriting of these long messages bore an unmistakable similarity to the ,medium's own4 ,when a question is written on the slate by a sitter1 equal dexterity to that used in substituting the prepared slate1 or even greater1 is demanded of the ,medium1 in reading the question and in writing the answer4 ,the question is written by the sitter out of sight of the ,medium1 to whom the slate1 face downward1 is handed over and a piece of pencil placed on it4 ,the task now before the ,medium is first to secure the fragment of pencil and to hold it while the slate is surreptitiously turned over and the question read1 then the slate is turned back again and the answer written4 ,every step in the process we have distinctly seen4 ,in order to seize the fragment of pencil without awakening suspicion1 while holding the slate under the table1 the slate is constantly brought out to see whether or not the ,spirits have written an answer4 ,by this manoeuvre a double end is attained3 ,first1 it creates an atmosphere of expectation1 and the sitters grow accustomed to a good deal of motion in the ,medium's arm that holds the slate2 and secondly1 by these repeated motions the pencil 7which1 having been cut out from a slate pencil enclosed in wood1 is square1 and does not roll about awkwardly71 is moved by the successive jerks toward the hand which holds the slate1 and is gradually brought up to within grasping distance4 ,the forefinger is then passed over the frame of the slate1 and it and the thumb seize and hold the pencil1 and under cover of some violent convulsive spasms the slate is turned over and the question read4 ,at this point it is that the ,medium shows his nerve3 it is the critical instant1 the only one when his eyes are not fastened on his visitors4 ,on one occasion1 when the question was written somewhat illegibly in a back hand1 with a very light stroke1 and close to the upper edge of the slate1 the ,medium had to look at it three several times before he could make it out4 ,after reading the question1 it may be noticed that ,dr4 ,slade winks three or four times rapidly2 this may have been partly to veil from his visitors the fact that he had been looking intently downward1 and partly through mental abstraction in devising an answer4 ,he evidently breathes freer when this crisis is past4 ,convulsive spasms attend the reversing of the slate1 which is then generally held between his knees2 only once did we note that he placed it on his knees1 and once we believed that he supported it by pressing it against the leg of the table4 ,the answer is written without looking at the slate1 in a coarse1 large1 sprawling hand1 at times scarcely legible4 ,while writing he keeps his eyes steadily fixed on his visitors1 and generally rests a minute or two after it is finished4 ,presently the slate is held near the edge of the table and close up to it1 and a tremulous motion imparted to it suggests that ,spiritual power is then at work and that the writing is in progress4 ,dr4 ,slade performed several little tricks which he imputed to ,spiritual agency1 but which were almost puerile in the simplicity of their legerdemain1 and which have been repeated with perfect success by one of our number2 such as tossing a slate pencil on and sometimes over the table from a slate held apparently under the table1 or the playing of an accordion when held with one hand under the table4 ,this ,medium's fingers are unusually long and strong1 and the accordion1 being quite small and with only four bellows folds1 can be readily manipulated with but one hand1 and when under the table is held by the keys4 ,two compasses1 which we placed on the table during one sance1 remained unaffected by ,dr4 ,slade's presence4 ,at our last sance with him we noticed two slates which were not with the other slates on the small table behind him1 but were on the floor resting against the leg of that table1 and within easy reach of his hand as he sat at the larger table4 ,as we had previously seen prepared slates similarly placed we kept a sharp watch on these slates4 ,unfortunately1 it was too sharp4 ,dr4 ,slade caught the look that was directed at them4 ,that detected glance was sufficient to prevent the ,spirits from sending us the messages which they had so carefully prepared4 ,the slates were not produced during the sance1 but when it was over one of our number managed to strike them with his foot so as to displace them and reveal the writing4 ,none of us present that day will be likely to forget the hurried way in which these slates were seized by the ,medium and washed4 ,we think it worthy to be recorded that1 in reply to a question1 ,dr4 ,slade said that ,professor ,zoellner watched him closely only during the first three or four sittings1 but that afterwards ,professor ,zoellner let him do just as he pleased1 fully and unreservedly submitting to all the conditions demanded by the ,spirits4 ,we received from ,dr4 ,slade a written expression of his satisfaction with our treatment of him1 which had been throughout1 so he said1 entirely fair and courteous1 and of his willingness at any time hereafter to sit with us again1 should we desire it and his engagements permit4 ,it is a source of regret that1 in our investigations1 we have received no aid from unprofessional ,mediums2 and in dealing with professional ,mediums we have been continually distracted by the conflicting estimates in which these ,mediums are held among the ,spiritualists themselves4 ,there are very1 very few professional ,mediums1 as far as our experience goes1 who are accepted by all ,spiritualists as free from the reproach of fraud4 ,indeed one ,medium with whom1 by the advice of ,mr4 ,hazard1 we had a sance1 and for whom ,mr4 ,hazard vouched as one of the best of his class1 we have seen denounced as a 'liar and a thief4' ,in the earnestness of our zeal we advertised in the local secular press1 and in the leading ,spiritualist ,journals both ,east and ,west1 for ,independent ,slate ,writing ,mediums1 and to this widespread appeal there came but three replies1 and of these1 two were so remote that the promise of performance held out by the respondents did not1 in our opinion1 justify so large an outlay of money for traveling expenses as a journey across the ,continent involved4 ,this noteworthy reluctance on the part of ,mediums to come before us cannot be due to any harsh or antagonistic treatment received at our hands by any ,medium4 ,all ,mediums have been treated by us with uniform courtesy1 and with every endeavor to acquiesce in the 'conditions' imposed or suggested by the ,spirits4 ,and yet a well-known ,medium in ,new ,york1 ,mrs4 ,thayer1 to whom the ,acting ,chairman was unknown1 and with whom he was at the time having a sance1 vehemently asserted that no member of the ',seybert ,commission' should ever have a sance with her1 that the whole ,commission1 one and all1 were 'old scoundrels and should never darken her doors1' etc41 etc41 and confessed that the foundation of her belief was the warning 7sent to her by an eminent ,medium whose sances the ,commission had attended7 that she should have nothing to do with 'the ,seybert men1 that they would do her no good4' ,even in instances where ,mediums have expressed their willingness to appear before us1 we have been embarrassed by demands for compensation which we could not but deem extortionate and1 practically1 prohibitory2 as in the case of ,mr4 ,keeler1 the ,spiritual ,photographer1 whose terms will be found in the ,appendix1 and in that of ,dr4 ,henry ,rogers1 whose terms were five hundred dollars if he should be successful before us1 and the half of that sum if he failed4 ,although the number of ,mediums whose manifestations we have been able to examine has been thus restricted1 we feel ourselves justified in giving as a result of our examination of ,independent ,slate ,writing that1 whether the agency be ,spiritual or ,material1 its mode of manifestation almost wholly precludes any satisfactory investigation4 ,there are not wanting eminent expounders of the ,spiritualistic ,faith who assert that this is as it should be1 and that if in the attempt to apply the laws of the material world to ,spiritual manifestations we are baffled1 the fault lies in us1 and not in the ,mediums4 ,if this be so1 we must accept our fate and enlarge the adage that 'poets are born1 not made1' and include ,spiritualists4 ,yet1 as a rule1 ,mediums assert that they invite investigation4 ,our experience has been1 as we have just said1 that as soon as an investigation1 worthy of the name1 begins1 all manifestations of ,spiritualist power cease4 ,the bare statement of the conditions whereunder the ,mediums maintain that the manifestations of ,independent ,slate ,writing are alone possible1 involves the extreme difficulty1 we might almost say the impossibility1 of any genuine or rational investigation4 ,even the very spirit of investigation1 or of incredulity1 seems to exercise a chilling effect and prevents a successful manifestation4 ,indeed ,mr4 ,hazard once told us that the true spirit in which to approach the study of ,spiritualism is 'an entire willingness to be deceived4' ,in ,independent ,slate ,writing1 in our experience1 there is a period1 of longer or shorter duration1 when the slate is concealed4 ,during this period the investigator's eye must not watch it4 ,when the slate is held under the table1 knees and feet and clothing exert no deleterious effect1 but the gaze of a human eye is fatal to all ,spiritual manifestation2 although to one of our number1 on three occasions1 a pocket mirror1 carefully adjusted1 unknown to the ,medium1 gave back the reflection of fingers1 which were clearly not ,spiritual1 opening the slates and writing the answer4 ,there is really no step in the bare process of producing this writing1 as we have observed it1 which might not be accomplished by trickery or by legerdemain4 ,of course1 therefore1 we were sincerely anxious to disprove in these experiments the presence of those discreditable elements1 not only for the credit of human nature1 but for the sake of the great scientific interest involved4 ,we are perfectly ready to accept any fact of ,spiritual power2 and so far from flinching from an open avowal of our belief in this revelation of a novel force in ,nature1 we would welcome it4 ,but no one1 not a ,spiritualist1 we should suppose1 can demand of us that we should accept profound mysteries with our eyes tight shut1 and our hands fast closed1 and with every avenue to our reasoning faculties insurmountably barred4 ,yet this is precisely what is demanded of us by ,mediums in regard to ,independent ,slate ,writing4 ,we must sign a dispensation to forego the exercise of common sense1 and accept as 'fact' what they choose so to term4 ,few assertions by departed ,spirits are more hacknied than1 ',this is a great truth1' and yet in an honest endeavor to prove that it is a 'great truth2' and not a great lie1 the sincere and earnest seeker is at every turn baffled and thwarted4 ,to eliminate from our investigations every element of distrust1 or hostility1 or suspicion1 or chilling antagonism1 we entrusted to ,mr4 ,hazard's friend1 ,mrs4 ,patterson1 vouched for by him as one of the very best ,mediums in the country1 two carefully closed and sealed slates1 enclosing1 of course1 the required piece of slate-pencil1 with the earnest entreaty that the ,spirits should write therein even if it were but the merest mark1 sign1 or scratch1 therewith we would be content1 and be ready to accept ,independent ,slate ,writing with its train of consequences4 ,the ,medium was fully impressed with the importance of the trial1 and with the fame which would thereby accrue from such a wholesale conversion as that of the united ,seybert ,commission4 ,every ,medium1 it would appear1 is under the special tutelage of a departed ,spirit2 this ,spirit is termed the ',medium's control4' ,in the present case1 when the slates were delivered to ,mrs4 ,patterson1 her 'control1' one ',thomas ,lister1' at once promised that ,spirit hands should shortly write within the sealed-up space4 ,but no writing came that day nor the next1 nor the next1 although the ,medium protested that every attention should be bestowed on the refractory slates4 ,in vain was the ,medium again and again adjured to put forth every power4 ,at the end of six months the slates were received again1 without any writing1 according to the confession of the ,medium4 ,so anxious1 however1 was our ,acting ,chairman that the experiment should prove successful1 that1 undeterred by this failure1 he carefully sealed up a second slate1 and placed it in the hands of the same ,medium1 with renewed adjurations to put forth all her ,spiritualistic strength4 ,at the end of a fortnight or more1 after redoubled exertions of ,mediumistic power1 to which was added the combined ,spiritualistic power of the ,medium's entire family circle1 the exciting announcement was made to us that the fragment of slate pencil within the slates could no longer be heard to rattle1 and that presumably the ,spirits had written a message for us4 ,each ,medium1 generally1 has some peculiar mode of manifesting ,spiritualistic power2 it is a peculiarity of this ,medium1 as has been before stated1 that the completion of the ,spirit message within the slates is indicated not by raps1 as is frequently the case with other ,mediums1 but by the sudden and marvelous appearance on the top of the slate of the little fragment of pencil1 which had been securely fastened up within4 ,the fact1 therefore1 that the pencil was no longer inside of our slates was presumptive evidence that the ,medium's control had been true to his word1 and had written us a message4 ,the slates were received from the ,medium most carefully1 and a meeting of the ,commission hastily called4 ,it is scarcely worth while to enter here at length on the details of that session1 of the careful scrutiny to which the slates were subjected1 of the unmutilated seals1 of the untouched screws1 etc41 etc42 but it is worth while to record the feeling of grave responsibility1 almost akin to solemnity1 with which we all approached what1 for aught we knew1 might prove to be a revelation of a power as wonderful as any with which1 as yet1 we had ever been brought into acquaintance4 ,just before we opened the slates it was noticed that at one corner1 owing to the flexibility of the wooden frames1 it was quite possible to stretch the slates far enough apart to permit the insertion of the blade of a knife1 and an examination of the edges at this point revealed only too plainly discolored abrasions4 ,when the slates were finally opened1 not a stroke of writing nor a scratch was to be found1 but at the suspected corner were the discolored marks1 visible to this day1 of the knife which had been inserted to extract the pencil1 which1 in its enforced outward passage1 had left behind1 in its scratches on the wood1 a tell-tale trail of dust which the microscope revealed to be of the same substance as the pencil4 ,the ,spirits had not taken even the precaution to wipe the broad knife clean from rust or dirt4 ,the slates are preserved in our sad museum of specimens of misdirected ingenuity4 ,we are continually confronted with statements wherein the narrator claims a ,spiritual solution as the only possible one of the enigma involved in the phenomena1 as he observed them4 ,to all such statements we have1 first1 the plain and ready answer1 that we do not attempt to pass judgment on manifestations which we ourselves have not observed4 ,all that we can vouch for is the result of our own observation4 ,more cannot be demanded of us4 ,secondly1 experience has shown us that with every possible desire on the part of ,spiritualists to tell the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing but the truth1 concerning marvelous phenomena1 it is extremely difficult to do so4 ,be it distinctly understood that we do not for an instant impute wilful perversion of the truth4 ,all that we mean is that1 for two reasons1 it is likely that the marvels of ,spiritualism will be1 by believers in them1 incorrectly and insufficiently reported4 ,the first reason is to be found in the mental condition of the observer2 if he be excited or deeply moved his account cannot but be affected1 and essential details will surely be distorted4 ,for a second reason1 note how hard it is to give a truthful account of any common1 everyday occurrence4 ,the difficulty is increased a hundred-fold1 when what we would tell1 partakes of the wonderful4 ,who can truthfully describe a juggler's trick8 ,who would hesitate to affirm that a watch1 which never left the eye-sight for an instant1 was broken by the juggler on an anvil2 or that a handkerchief was burned before our eyes8 ,we all know the juggler does not break the watch1 and does not burn the handkerchief4 ,we watched most closely the juggler's right hand1 while the trick was done with his left4 ,the one minute circumstance has been omitted that would have converted the trick into no-trick4 ,it is likely to be the same in the accounts of most of the wonderful phenomena of ,spiritualism4 ,for these two reasons1 we laid down for ourselves at the start that in cases demanding close observation we would endeavor to have as many members as possible of the ,commission present at every sance4 ,in dealing with phenomena1 where all ordinary methods of investigation are excluded1 we perceived clearly that our best resource lay in having the largest possible number of observers4 ,in dismissing this subject of ,independent ,slate ,writing1 we repeat1 what we think ,spiritualists will generally grant1 that this phenomenon can be performed by legerdemain4 ,the burden of proof that it is not so performed rests with the ,mediums4 ,this proof the ,mediums will neither offer themselves1 nor permit others to obtain4 ,investigators1 therefore1 are forced to bring to bear their own powers of close observation1 sharpened and educated by experience4 ,be it remembered that what we have here stated applies solely to the process whereby the communication is written on the slate2 with the substance of the communication1 whether pertinent answers to questions or dreary platitudes1 we are not now dealing4 ,whether these answers be ascribed to ,spirits1 or to what is termed clairvoyance1 they would be none the less true or false if delivered orally by the ,medium2 all that we are sure of is that the writing down of these communications1 be their substance what it may1 is performed in a manner so closely resembling fraud as to be indistinguishable from it4 ,it would be a mere matter of opinion that all ,independent ,slate ,writing is fraudulent2 what is not a matter of opinion is the conviction1 which we have unanimously reached as a ,commission1 of its non-spiritual character in every instance that has come before us4 ,an eminent professional juggler performed1 in the presence of three of our ,commission1 some ,independent ,slate ,writing far more remarkable than any which we have witnessed with ,mediums4 ,in broad daylight1 a slate perfectly clean on both sides was1 with a small fragment of slate pencil1 held under a leaf of a small ordinary table around which we were seated2 the fingers of the juggler's right hand pressed the slate tight against the underside of the leaf1 while the thumb completed the pressure1 and remained in full view while clasping the leaf of the table4 ,our eyes never for a fraction of a second lost sight of that thumb2 it never moved2 and yet in a few minutes the slate was produced1 covered on both sides with writing4 ,messages were there1 and still are there1 for we preserved the slate1 written in ,french1 ,spanish1 ,dutch1 ,chinese1 ,japanese1 ,gujerati1 and ending with ',ich bin ein ,geist1 und liebe mein ,lagerbier4' ,we were utterly baffled4 ,for one of our number the juggler subsequently repeated the trick and revealed its every detail4 ,we request your honorable body to note that this ,report is preliminary and that we do not consider our investigations in this department as finally closed1 but hold ourselves ready to continue them whenever favorable circumstances arise4 ,to the subject of ',spirit-rappings' we have devoted some time and attention1 but our investigations have not been sufficiently extensive to warrant us at present in offering any positive conclusions4 ,the difficulty attending the investigation of this mode of ,spiritualistic manifestation is increased by the fact1 familiar to physiologists1 that sounds of varying intensity may be produced in almost any portion of the human body by voluntary muscular action4 ,to determine the exact location of this muscular activity is at times a matter of delicacy4 ,what we can say1 thus far1 with assurance is that1 in the cases which have come under our observation1 the theory of the purely physiological origin of the sounds has been sustained by the fact that the ,mediums were invariably1 and confessedly1 cognizant of the rappings whenever they occurred1 and could at once detect any spurious rappings1 however exact and indistinguishable to all other ears might be the imitation4 ,for the details of the investigation which guided us to this conclusion we refer to the ,appendix4 ,there are among ,mediums certain ,specialists1 whose alleged ,spiritual manifestations we have endeavoured to investigate1 not always successfully1 as1 for instance1 in the case of ,mr4 ,w4,m4 ,keeler1 through whose ,mediumship ',spiritual ,photographs' are produced4 ,the 'conditions' which this ,medium demanded would have made any attempt at investigation a mere waste of time1 and his terms of remuneration were1 in addition1 as we have before mentioned1 prohibitory and suggestive of unwillingness to come before the ,commission4 ,in these days of ',composite ,photography' it is worse than childish to claim a ,spiritual source for results which can be obtained at any time by any tyro in the art4 ,mr4 ,keeler's letter will be found in the ,appendix4 ,we were more successful in procuring a sance with ,mr4 ,keeler's brother1 whose ,mediumship manifests itself by the materialization of a right hand behind a low screen1 in front of which the ,medium sits1 with his face alone visible1 his entire person being concealed by black muslin4 ,the screen is stretched across a corner of a room to about the height of the back of the ,medium's head1 as he sits in front of it4 ,the lights are lowered1 and in a few minutes various instruments1 musical and otherwise1 which had been previously placed on a small table in the corner enclosed by the screen1 are heard to sound1 a drum is beaten1 a guitar is played1 etc4 ,the music is interspersed with flashes of hand darting and waving above the screen to the right of the ,medium4 ,the hand1 when shaken1 was found to be a right one4 ,as a proof that the hand is ,spiritual and not that of the ,medium1 the latter requests one of the visitors at the sance to sit beside him on his right1 and also to be covered to the chin with the same black muslin under which all the ,medium1 except his head1 is concealed4 ,this visitor's bare left forearm is grasped by the ,medium1 as he says1 with both his hands1 and this pressure of the ,medium's two hands on the visitor's arm is never relaxed1 as the visitor readily testifies4 ,the proof seems1 therefore1 conclusive that the hand which plays the instruments behind the screen is not the ,medium's1 and hence must be a materialized ,spirit4 ,the trick is simple and highly deceptive1 as any one can prove for himself by requesting a blindfolded friend to bare the left arm to the elbow1 then let the experimenter grasp this bared arm1 near the wrist1 with the third and fourth fingers of his left hand1 closing them around it tightly1 and as he does so1 asking the owner of the arm to note that this is his left hand1 then let the experimenter1 without relaxing this hold1 stretch the remaining fingers and thumb up the arm as far as he can1 and while clasping it with his thumb and forefinger1 remark that this second pressure comes from his other hand4 ,the conviction is complete in the mind of the blindfolded friend that he feels the grasp of two hands1 whereas only the left hand of the experimenter has grasped his arm1 and the right hand is free to beat a drum or play a zither4 ,after this test1 which is patent to all1 we can dismiss the theory of a ,spiritual origin of the hand behind ,mr4 ,keeler's screen4 ,to forestall the discovery by ,mr4 ,keeler's companion of this trick1 and to prevent its detection by simply feeling with his free right hand after the suppositious hands of the ,medium1 which are grasping his left forearm1 a second visitor is requested to share the discomfort of the muslin envelope1 and to sit on the right of the first visitor and to hold the latter's truant right hand with his left hand1 while his right is exposed to view outside the curtain4 ,again we refer to the ,appendix for the minutes of our meeting4 ,we had a sance also with ,messrs4 ,rothermel and ,powell1 of whom the former is the ,medium1 the latter1 acting mainly as a reservoir of psychic force1 guides and directs the sance4 ,in this case the ,medium's ,spiritual manifestations1 as well as his material arrangements1 are similar to those of ,mr4 ,keeler1 except that instead of having a visitor whose arm may be grasped1 ,mr4 ,rothermel's hands are fastened in his lap by bands of tape passed around his legs and sewed to his clothes4 ,after the black curtain had hid the hands from our sight we were not again allowed to examine them except in the most hurried and superficial way1 but1 even in the brief inspection which was permitted1 a glance was sufficient to show that the tape had been tampered with4 ,the close of the sance was announced by the sound of clipping scissors1 and by ,mr4 ,rothermel's exclamation1 while still concealed1 that the ,spirits were cutting him loose4 ,we had no means of knowing whether the tape was cut at the beginning of the sance or not4 ,when the muslin envelope was removed1 ,mr4 ,rothermel's hands were certainly free4 ,the bands were cut1 and we had no difficulty in believing that the hands which were dexterous enough to play the zither with very remarkable skill1 under such conditions1 behind the curtain1 were deft enough to sever the cords4 ,our sances with ,mrs4 ,maud ,e4 ,lord were acknowledged by the ,medium herself to be altogether unsatisfactory4 ,this is much to be regretted4 ,mrs4 ,lord is one of the few professional ,mediums whose excellence is acknowledged by all ,spiritualists alike1 and who1 in her attitude towards the ,commission1 displayed every desire to aid a full and complete investigation into the manifestations peculiar to her ,mediumship1 and furthermore1 without remuneration4 ,in conclusion1 we beg to express our regret that thus far we have not been cheered in our investigations by the discovery of a single novel fact2 but1 undeterred by this discouragement1 we trust with your permission to continue them with what thoroughness our future opportunities may allow1 and with minds as sincerely and honestly open1 as heretofore1 to conviction4 ,we desire to call especial attention to ,professor ,fullerton's ,report in the ,appendix of his interviews with ,professors ,fechner1 ,scheibner and ,weber1 the surviving colleagues of ,professor ,zoellner in his experiments with ,dr4 ,henry ,slade4 ,and also to an investigation of the power of ,mediums to answer the questions contained in ',sealed ,envelopes4' ,,william ,,pepper1 ,,joseph ,,leidy1 ,,george ,a4 ,,koenig1 ,,george ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,,robt4 ,,ellis ,,thompson1 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness1 ,,coleman ,,sellers1 ,,james ,w4 ,,white1 ,,calvin ,b4 ,,knerr1 ,s4 ,,weir ,,mitchell4 ,university of ,pennsylvania1 ,may1 #ahhg4 ,,appendix4 ,soon after the appointment of the ,seybert ,commission1 ,i as ,secretary1 was asked to make a collection of the best representative literature of ,spiritualism1 and to prepare for the use of the ,commission a sketch of the rise1 progress1 present condition1 doctrines and alleged phenomena of this belief1 as well as an account of previous investigations1 similar to the one contemplated by ourselves4 ,for a number of months ,i busied myself diligently with this work1 and finally read my sketch before the ,commission1 at a meeting at which ,mr4 ,thomas ,r4 ,hazard1 the well-known ,spiritualist1 was present as our guest4 ,i had at this time seen scarcely anything of ,spiritualism1 but was much impressed with what ,i had read1 and certainly in a fully receptive attitude towards phenomena supported by so much apparently strong testimony4 ,mr4 ,hazard declared himself quite satisfied with the tone of the paper1 saying that he had come expecting to hear something very different1 but that it was fair and unbiased4 ,i mention these facts to show that my present opinion on the subject was not assumed at the outset1 but has been arrived at gradually1 and is based upon my own observations4 ,i have been forced to the conclusion that ,spiritualism1 as far at least as it has shown itself before me 7and ,i give no opinion upon what has not fallen within my observation71 presents the melancholy spectacle of gross fraud1 perpetrated upon an uncritical portion of the community2 that the testimony of such persons as to what they see is almost valueless1 if they are habitually as inaccurate as they have been at the sances at which ,i have been present with them2 and that there is an unwillingness on the part of ,mediums to have their powers freely and thoroughly investigated--a fact which makes any investigation of ,spiritualism difficult and expensive4 ,my opinions are not based exclusively upon what ,i have seen and recorded in my work with my colleagues1 but also upon observations made at various times in a private capacity2 and there is but one conclusion to be appended to them all4 ,i subjoin notes of sances1 recorded by myself as ,secretary of the ,commission4 ,their somewhat disjointed form arises from the fact that ,i have not thought it desirable to make changes in my notes1 except such as were necessary in taking the ,records1 which are of value as evidence1 out of their contextual connection with records of business meetings and matters of no interest to the public4 ,nothing which could be looked upon as evidence has been purposely suppressed4 ,i have intentionally left out a description of several things which we have been unable to use1 and which would have merely swelled our ,records2 as1 for example1 the account of our sealing slates for the experiments with ,dr4 ,slade1 he afterwards having refused to have anything to do with slates sealed by us4 ,my notes were made during the sances1 or as soon as possible after them4 ,they were arranged and copied in no case later than two days after4 ,explanations and additions1 which do not belong to the original ,records1 but have been inserted later1 are put in brackets4 ,for a justification of the opinion of ,spiritualism expressed above1 ,i refer to the ,records which follow4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton4 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #acth1 #ahhd4 ,on ,thursday1 ,march #acth1 #ahhd1 the ,commission met at #ejh ,s4 #afth ,street1 at #h ,p4,m41 for the examination of ,mrs4 ,s4,e4 ,patterson1 ,spiritualistic ,medium4 ,for the first test1 a small piece of slate pencil was placed within a double slate1 and the leaves fastened together with a screw1 which passed through one wooden rim into the other4 ,the ,spirit-writing upon the slate should be indicated by the pencil appearing upon the outside of the slate4 ,the slate was laid upon the ,medium's lap for one hour and a-half without results4 ,meanwhile the ,medium wrote what purported to be messages from several ,spirits upon slips of paper1 the handwriting varying with each message4 ,one message was signed ,elias ,hicks1 another ,lucretia ,mott1 another signed ,h4,s4 was compared with a message from ,mr4 ,henry ,seybert to ,mr4 ,t4,r4 ,hazard the day before4 ,the initials were somewhat different4 ,the ,commission sat in a circle1 the ,medium at a small table with folding leaves4 ,one communication1 signed ,e4,h41 declared that the person sitting opposite ,mr4 ,hazard 7,mr4 ,furness7 was endowed with great ,mediumistic powers4 ,the writing failing to appear on the slate it was opened1 and ,dr4 ,leidy1 having written upon a slip of paper a question1 enclosed it in the slate1 which was again fastened4 ,after half an hour's waiting1 no results being obtained1 the ,commission addressed some questions to the ,medium and then adjourned4 ,the ,medium described her sensations during the automatic writing as a constriction at the wrist4 ,she declared that she had no knowledge of what she wrote1 was not distracted by noises1 etc4 7,mr4 ,furness and ,mr4 ,fullerton1 however1 noticed that she1 when interrupted1 glanced back over what she had previously written before continuing47 ,she could not go into the trance state4 ,just before adjournment the ,medium laid her hands upon the table and tried to produce raps1 but did not succeed4 ,has been a ,spiritualist for nine or ten years1 but has always been possessed of unusual powers4 ,as a child saw visions1 etc4 ,declares that she is most successful as a ,slate ,writer4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,wednesday1 ,march #aith1 #ahhd4 ,the ,commission met at #ejh ,s4 #afth ,street1 at #h ,p4,m4 ,present3 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,professor ,koenig1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,fullerton and ,mr4 ,hazard4 ,the ,medium was ,mrs4 ,s4,e4 ,patterson4 ,mr4 ,furness brought two new double slates1 which could be fastened by a screw4 ,the ,medium cut a small piece of slate pencil and enclosed it in a double slate 7one of those brought by ,mr4 ,furness71 into which was also put a paper upon which ,dr4 ,leidy had written a question4 ,the slate was then fastened with a screw4 ,dr4 ,koenig also wrote a question1 which was enclosed in the other slate1 the slate being screwed up by ,mr4 ,furness4 ,the ,medium then placed both slates upon her lap1 and partially under the table4 ,a portion of the time the upper slate was between the palms of her hands1 the back of the lower hand resting on the lower slate4 ,then one hand was placed upon each slate1 the two being placed together4 ,no results having been obtained after waiting twenty minutes1 one of the new slates was laid aside1 and the ,medium's old slate1 with a piece of pencil in it1 laid upon the remaining new slate in the ,medium's lap4 ,the ,medium held from time to time a lead pencil in one hand1 but was not moved to write4 ,the ,medium declared that when writing appears upon the slate in her lap she feels a shock1 but no other sensation4 ,two ,spirit ,photographs were exhibited by the ,medium4 ,in one the ,spirit was her own mother4 ,the ,spirit in each appeared as a white apparition behind a person seated in the foreground4 ,the slates remained in the lap of the ,medium one hour and twenty minutes4 ,no manifestations were produced during the evening4 ,the ,commission adjourned to a room at the ,social ,art ,club for conference4 ,the above notes of the evening's session were read by the ,secretary and approved4 ,it was resolved to meet again on the evening of ,wednesday1 ,march #bfth1 for the next session4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #bfth1 #ahhd4 ,the ,commission met on ,wednesday1 ,march #bfth1 at #g4cj ,p4,m41 at #aaag ,callowhill ,street4 ,present3 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,fullerton and ,mr4 ,t4,r4 ,hazard4 ,the ,medium was ,mr4 ,fred4 ,briggs4 ,the ,medium gave the following answers to ,dr4 ,leidy's questions3 #a4 ,has been a ,medium since seven years of age4 ,now #bb years old4 #b4 ,before seven years of age could see visions1 etc41 but did not communicate with ,spirits4 #c4 ,was born in ,boston4 ,lived there when not on journeys4 #d4 ,his parents had no such powers4 #e4 ,his grandfather was a ,west ,india importer1 his father had no business4 #f4 ,educated in ,middleboro and ,bridgewater1 ,mass4 #g4 ,his family1 ,baptists4 #h4 ,he can communicate with ,spirits best a4 ,at night1 or in the evening4 b4 ,in cold or snowy weather4 c4 ,in dry weather4 d4 ,when in a healthy condition4 #i4 ,when in communication with ,spirits feels nervous1 but cannot describe the feeling4 ,the ,medium had on the table two single slates which could be laid upon each other4 ,the table was about three and a-half feet square1 and covered with a cloth4 ,the light was kept rather dim4 7,the ,medium explained later in the evening that writing is best produced in the dark1 because dark is negative1 light positive1 and negative conditions are most favorable to communication47 ,mr4 ,furness had brought two folding slates1 which could be fastened with a screw4 ,dr4 ,leidy and ,mr4 ,furness and the ,medium each held a double slate under the table4 ,mr4 ,fullerton asked a question as requested1 but received no answer from the ,spirits4 ,some scratching was now heard under the table4 ,the ,medium took the slate held by ,mr4 ,furness 7one not screwed or fastened by hinges71 and it was held under the table by ,mr4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,hazard and ,mr4 ,briggs4 ,the ,medium seemed much excited1 spoke rapidly1 etc41 and was so much overcome that he dropped the slate 7one brought by ,mr4 ,furness7 which he was holding under the table with his left hand1 and left it lying on the floor under the table4 ,at #h o'clock ,dr4 ,koenig came in4 ,the slate held by the ,medium1 ,mr4 ,furness and ,mr4 ,hazard1 was held in ,mr4 ,hazard's lap1 and some taps were heard4 7,mr4 ,furness afterwards produced taps precisely similar by rubbing the side of his finger slowly along the side of the slate47 ,no writing having been obtained1 the ,medium declared that he alone would hold the slate1 as the magnetism of ,mr4 ,furness was injurious4 ,again we were invited to ask questions4 ,dr4 ,leidy asked3 ',when and where did you die8' ,no answer4 ,the ,medium asked ,mr4 ,furness if his name were not ,furness4 7,mr4 ,hazard had seen the ,medium before1 and informed him that the ,commission was coming47 ,mr4 ,furness now put his hand under the table on the hand of the ,medium1 which was pressing the double slate 7not the screwed one7 up against the table4 ,mr4 ,furness declared that he heard a certain buzzing noise4 ,the slate being taken out1 there was found written on the inside of the under slate3 ,i will help you all ,r4 ,dale ,owen and something that looked like ,henry ,furness is here4 ,the slate on the floor being examined1 there was found on the outside 7it was a screw-slate7 ,i am here with you ,i will help you ,r4 ,dale ,owen4 ,some other illegible marks were found on the slate4 ,nothing was obtained on the inside of either screw-slate4 ,the handwriting on the two slates1 purporting to be from ,r4 ,dale ,owen1 was much alike4 ,the ,medium now took hold of ,mr4 ,hazard's hand1 and went into trance1 personating ,esther ,hazard1 a deceased daughter of ,mr4 ,hazard4 ,he 7the ,medium7 made convulsive motions1 trembled1 etc41 and while in this state predicted that ,mr4 ,fullerton would receive a very pleasing letter on ,saturday next--said that he should come to the ,medium for advice4 ,no such letter was received on that date by ,mr4 ,fullerton4 ,he also declared that ,dr4 ,koenig had brought with him a ,spirit named ,august4 ,he declared ,ponto1 ,white-feather1 ,red ,jacket and ,thomas ,paine to be present4 7,the ,medium called ,white-feather he1 ,mr4 ,hazard objecting that ,white-feather was a woman47 ,the light was then turned out1 and all hands laid upon the table4 ,mr4 ,furness laid one of his hands upon one of the ,medium's and upon one of ,mr4 ,hazard's4 7,the ,medium afterwards asserted that ,mr4 ,furness had held both his hands4 ,but ,mr4 ,furness was positive that he held only one47 ,mr4 ,hazard was touched several times about the face4 ,mr4 ,furness was touched on the cheek and on his ear-trumpet and ,mr4 ,fullerton was struck on the head by a paper thrown from the other side of the table1 and touched once on the back of his left hand by what felt like human fingers4 ,there were no more manifestations4 ,the ,committee adjourned to ,dr4 ,leidy's house for conference4 ,the above notes were read and approved4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,april #hth1 #ahhd4 ,on ,tuesday evening1 ,april #hth1 ,dr4 ,leidy and ,mr4 ,furness held another sance with the ,medium formerly examined1 ,mrs4 ,patterson4 ,the slates used belonged to the ,medium1 and were1 as she told them1 in daily1 almost hourly use2 the frame of one of them was far from sound1 and the hole which admitted the screw was more than well worn4 ,within these slates1 after being held for a long while by both hands of the ,medium under the table1 two or three barely legible words appeared4 ,the screw was1 by no means1 as tight after the writing as before4 ,this fact1 together with the prolonged concealment1 rendered it impossible to attach any real importance to the attempt to write1 as far as could be made out1 the name of ,henry ,seybert4 ,under the same conditions our colleague1 ,mr4 ,sellers1 produced writing for us very satisfactorily4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,april #agth1 #ahhd4 ,on ,thursday evening1 ,april #agth1 #ahhd1 a sitting was held by ,mrs4 ,patterson with ,dr4 ,koenig1 ,mr4 ,fullerton and ,mr4 ,hazard4 ,the ,medium declared herself unwell4 ,no results were obtained4 ,the session was in ,mrs4 ,patterson's room at ,no4 #ejh ,s4 #afth ,street4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #cast1 #ahhd4 ,on ,saturday1 ,may #cast1 #ahhd1 at #h ,p4,m41 the ,commission met at the house of the ,provost1 #ahaa ,spruce ,street1 for the purpose of sealing a slate to be left with the ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,patterson1 who was to try to procure independent writing upon the inside surfaces4 ,there were present ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,professor ,thompson and ,mr4 ,fullerton4 ,mr4 ,furness brought the slate and seals4 ,the slate was the double one used in our former tests1 hinged1 and fastening with a screw4 ,a small piece of pencil was enclosed in the slate1 which was perfectly clean1 and the slate was screwed up by ,dr4 ,pepper4 ,the direction of the cut in the screw-head was marked by a scratch on the wood at the end of the slate4 ,it was nearly parallel with the long diameter of the slate4 ,mr4 ,furness then tied the slate with red tape1 passing the tape longitudinally and transversely around the middle of the slates4 ,the first seal 7red wax7 was on the knot1 which was over the under end of the screw4 ,the end of the screw projected a little through the wood1 but was covered by the seal4 ,the second seal was over the ends of the tape4 ,the head of the screw was also covered by a seal1 and three 7#c7 additional seals were affixed on the outside edges of the slates1 where they were crossed by the tape4 ,one of the three impressions at the edges of the slates was made by ,professor ,thompson's right thumb4 ,a test was then proposed by ,professor ,thompson1 which the ,commission does not feel at liberty to make public1 as it has not yet been carried out1 and publicity may interfere with its success4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,november #eth1 #ahhd4 ,the ,commission met at the house of ,mr4 ,furness1 #bbb ,west ,washington ,square1 on ,november #eth1 #ahhd1 at #h ,p4,m4 ,there were present ,dr4 ,wm4 ,pepper and ,mrs4 ,pepper1 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,dr4 ,koenig1 ,prof4 ,thompson1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,george ,s4 ,pepper1 ,miss ,logan1 ,mr4 ,fullerton1 ,mr4 ,coleman ,sellers1 and the ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,margaret ,fox ,kane1 who was the guest of ,mr4 ,furness at the time4 ,those present seated themselves around an oak dining table1 some eight feet by four and a-half feet and the usual height4 ,mrs4 ,kane was at one end of the table and ,mr4 ,sellers at the other4 ,the ,medium sat with her feet partly under the table1 and consequently concealed from most of those present--her feet were hidden also by her dress4 ,dr4 ,leidy asked the question3 ,is any ,spirit present8 ,ans4 ,three raps4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,will you confer with the man to left of the ,medium8 ,ans4 ,two raps4 7,no47 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,to the right8 ,ans4 ,three raps4 ,professor ,thompson 7who was the person indicated73 ,is the ,spirit male8 ,ans4 ,three raps4 ,will it answer to the alphabet8 ,three raps4 ,the alphabet was called and ,henry ,seybert spelled out4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,will ,henry ,seybert make the raps at this end of the table8 ,ans4 ,no4 ,is he satisfied with the ,commission8 ,five raps were given for the alphabet2 ,professor ,thompson called it2 raps spelled out3 ,i will be satisfied before the investigation is through4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,does ,mr4 ,seybert know the names of the ,commission8 ,ans4 ,three raps4 ,does he know who is now speaking8 ,three raps4 ,mr4 ,sellers then pointed to the letters of the alphabet1 which he had written in order on a sheet of paper1 and raps spelled out3 ,,charles ,,ceri4 ,mrs4 ,kane then tried standing at some distance from the table1 with her hands on the back of a chair2 there were some raps seemingly near or under the ,medium4 ,raps were produced as members of the ,committee stood with the ,medium around the desk in the library1 and close to a book-case4 ,raps were produced according to the ,medium on the glass door of a book-case1 upon which ,mr4 ,sellers placed his hand4 ,mr4 ,sellers felt no vibration on the glass1 but raps were heard somewhere in the vicinity4 ,the ,committee then returned to the dining-room and the ,medium wrote upon a sheet of paper the following3 ,friend ,pepper3 ,i am happy to meet you here to-night4 ,i have not forgotten my promise to you1 ,henry ,seybert4 ,the paper had to be held to the light and read from the obverse side1 as the message was written from right to left4 ,mr4 ,geo4 ,pepper3 ,do you remember the year in which you made the promise8 ,the answer given in same way was3 ,it was in the year in which my ,spirit left the body4 ,h4,s4 ,call the alphabet1 ,h4,s4 ,dr4 ,pepper called the alphabet--the sentence ,let ,friend ,pepper call the alphabet was rapped out4 ,mr4 ,geo4 ,pepper called the alphabet3 the letters ,,hand were rapped out1 and the communication ceased4 ,the ,medium wrote then as before3 ,friend ,pepper1 meet me again4 ,it was asked whether ,mr4 ,seybert would meet us on the next evening8 ,ans4 ,three raps4 ,the ,committee adjourned at #i4cj o'clock to meet again at #h o'clock on the next evening at the same place4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton4 ,secretary4 ,the following stenographic report of the meeting of ,november #fth1 #ahhd1 has been read and approved by the ,commission before being entered upon this book4 ,the few additions which were made when it was read1 appear as foot notes4 ,the report was approved as excellent4 7,a ,record from the notes of the ,stenographer--,mr4 ,j4,i4 ,gilbert47 ,,philada41 ,november #fth1 #ahhd4 ,the ,committee reconvened this day1 at #h o'clock ,p4,m41 at the residence of ,mr4 ,h4,h4 ,furness1 when the investigation of the ,spirit ,rappings1 in the presence of ,mrs4 ,margaret ,fox ,kane as ,medium1 was resumed4 ,the persons present were the following3 ,of the ,committee--,dr4 ,leidy1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,dr4 ,koenig1 ,mr4 ,fullerton1 ,mr4 ,coleman ,sellers1 and by invitation of the ,committee1 ,mr4 ,geo4 ,s4 ,pepper4 ,the ,medium--,mrs4 ,kane4 ,the ,stenographer--,mr4 ,gilbert4 ,the company promptly repaired to the dining-room1 and there gathered around a common pine-wood table1 consisting solely of its supports and top1 which had been specially provided1 in compliance with the direction of the ,medium4 ,the dimensions of the table1 approximately stated1 are as follows3 height1 three feet2 length1 four feet2 width1 two and a-half feet4 ,the ',spirit ,rappings' during the evening1 aside from those heard during the test with the glass tumblers1 were apparently confined to the floor-space in the immediate vicinity of1 and directly beneath the table described--around which the company were seated in the order here stated4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7to whom had been deputed the duty of eliciting the responses7 occupied the chair at the end of the table more remote from the ,stenographer4 ,next1 upon ,mr4 ,sellers' right and at the side of the table1 sat ,mr4 ,pepper1 and ,mr4 ,furness in the adjoining seat4 ,the first chair on the side of the table to the left of ,mr4 ,sellers was occupied by the ,medium1 and the remaining chair on the same side by ,mr4 ,fullerton4 ,at the near end of the table1 ,dr4 ,leidy and ,dr4 ,koenig were seated4 ,the ,committee1 with one exception1 in accordance with a requirement imposed by the ,medium1 rested their hands upon the table and fixed their minds upon the subject of the rappings4 ,the exception was ,dr4 ,koenig1 who1 being seated at a distance of three feet from the table1 could not conveniently comply with the requirement4 ,after the expiration of some twenty minutes1 the ,medium requested ,dr4 ,koenig to place his hands upon the table1 and he promptly complied with the request and moved his chair closer to that of ,dr4 ,leidy1 thus depriving himself of any facilities of observation of the space beneath the table4 ,the ,stenographer was at a table about four feet from the circle of the ,committee4 ,the lengths of the intervals between the questions addressed to the ,spirits and the responses thereto1 were computed by the audible second-strokes of a clock in an adjoining apartment2 the periods of waiting being necessarily brief in view of the assurance of the ,medium 7as set forth in its proper place in the ,report7 that ,when the raps come1 they come right away4 ,the ,spirit ,rappings varied materially in quality and character1 being at times faintly1 and at other times distinctly audible4 ,the record of the ,investigation is as follows3 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,is any ,spirit present now8 ,three raps--faint and partly indistinct--are almost instantly audible4 ,the raps apparently emanate from the floor-space directly beneath1 or in the immediate vicinity of the table4 ,this remark is applicable to all the rappings during the sance at the pine table4 ,the ,medium 7interpreting the sounds73 ,that was ,yes4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7aside73 ,they sounded like three4 ,the raps are immediately repeated with more distinctness4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7aside73 ,there are three1 and they are quite distinct4 7,resuming73 ,is the ,spirit the same one that was present last night8 ,three raps1 apparently identical with those last heard1 are again audible4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7aside73 ,it says it is the same ,spirit4 7,resuming73 ,i presume then it is ,henry ,seybert8 7,no response47 ,is it ,henry ,seybert8 ,three raps--distinct and positive4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,you promised last evening to give a communication to ,mr4 ,pepper4 ,are you able to communicate with him now8 ,two raps--comparatively feeble4 ,the ,medium 7interpreting73 ,one1 two3 that means not now4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7repeating73 ,not now4 ,the ,medium 7reflectively73 ,but probably before he leaves4 ,three raps--quickly1 distinctly and instantly given4 ,the ,medium3 ,he said ,yes1 before he leaves4 7,to ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,you asked that question1 ,i think8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,yes4 7,resuming73 ,will you communicate with him before ,mr4 ,pepper leaves to-night8 ,three raps--instantaneous1 quick and vigorous4 ,the sounds in this instance are four times repeated1 the repetitions being in quick succession and apparently without variation in quality or character4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7addressing his associates73 ,it has been very clearly shown to-night that certain sounds of greater or less volume have been produced4 ,we have heard the sounds4 ,we are conscious that they are raps4 ,it is exceedingly important1 in deference to the ,medium herself1 that we should prove that she has nothing to do with the production of the sounds other than in a ,spiritualistic capacity4 ,i would like to ask her if there is any test that she herself can propose which would be capable of satisfying us that she does not produce the sounds4 ,the ,medium3 ,i could name a great many tests1 but they might not be satisfactory to you2 for instance1 the one of standing on glass tumblers1 where the raps are produced on the floor4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,will the raps be produced under such circumstances8 ,the ,medium3 ,i cannot say that they will be1 any more than ,i can say that they will be produced through the use of the table4 ,in fact1 they are not so readily produced sometimes4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,i understand your position4 ,but you say that there are cases in which1 when the ,medium is standing upon glass1 the sounds are produced4 ,the ,medium3 ,oh1 yes4 ,i mention that--the producing through glass--as one of the most difficult of tests4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,then the sounds will be just beneath your feet1 will they8 ,the ,medium3 ,well1 they will seem to be4 ,they may be on the side4 ,after a brief interval1 during which ,mr4 ,furness absented himself to procure glass tumblers1 the colloquy with the ,medium was resumed4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,while we are waiting for those tumblers1 will you repeat the experiment of last night1 that of standing near the table and not touching it1 to see if the same character of sounds then produced can be again heard8 ,last evening we had a very satisfactory exhibition of that4 ,the ,medium3 ,yes4 ,but we have to keep to a certain condition2 that is1 you are not to break4 ,for instance1 if you will all stand up and stand touching the table--all of us--until we get started1 it will be some assistance4 ,all of the gentlemen and the ,medium rise and remain standing with their hands in contact with the table4 ,the ,medium 7continuing73 ,this is a test1 something that ,i have not gone through with since ,i was a little child almost4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7after an interval of waiting73 ,there seem to be no raps4 7,another short interval47 ,now1 ,mr4 ,seybert1 cannot you produce some raps8 ,eighty seconds here elapsed with no response1 when the ,medium made an observation which was partly inaudible at the ,reporter's seat1 the purport of which was that the ,spirit communications are sometimes retarded or facilitated by a compliance by the listeners with certain conditions4 ,another interval of probably two minutes elapsed1 when the ,medium suggested to ,dr4 ,leidy to place his hands upon the table4 ,the suggestion was complied with4 ,mr4 ,sellers inquires of the ,medium whether a change in her position1 with regard to the table1 would do any good4 ,the ,medium3 ,i will change positions with you4 ,the change was made accordingly1 but without result1 and another period of waiting followed4 ,the ,medium 7to ,dr4 ,leidy73 ,suppose you ask some questions4 ,you may have some friend who will respond4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,is any ,spirit present whom ,i know1 or who knows me8 ,after a pause of ten seconds1 three light raps are heard4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,who am ,i8 ,the ,medium explains that the responses by rappings are mainly indicative only of affirmation or negation4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,will you repeat your taps to indicate that you are present yet8 ,three taps are heard4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,those are very clearly heard4 ,the ,medium 7to ,dr4 ,leidy73 ,ask if that is ,mr4 ,seybert8 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,is ,mr4 ,seybert present8 ,three raps--very feeble4 ,dr4 ,leidy 7to ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,was there an answer to that8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,there was4 ,the answer was three raps4 7,after an interval1 in which no response is received73 ,there seem to be no further communications4 ,i suggest that the test with the glass tumblers be now tried4 ,upon the suggestion of the ,medium1 the test referred to was momentarily deferred1 and ,mr4 ,sellers made this inquiry3 ,it is proposed that the ,medium shall stand upon tumblers4 ,are we likely to have any demonstration8 ,three raps--promptly given1 though feeble in delivery and but faintly audible4 ,the ,medium3 ,there were three--a kind of tardy assent4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7to the ,medium73 ,as if the ,spirits might or might not communicate8 ,the ,medium3 ,well1 that a trial might be made4 ,three raps are here again instantly heard--the characteristics of the sounds in this instance being rapidity and energy1 or positiveness4 ,the ,medium3 ,that is a quick answer4 ,at this point attention is directed to the first of a series of experiments with four glass tumblers1 which are placed together1 with the bottoms upward1 on the carpeted floor1 in the centre of a vacant space4 ,the ,medium stands directly upon these1 the heels of her shoes resting upon the rear tumblers and the soles upon the front tumblers4 ,the ,committee co-operate with the ,medium1 and1 in conformity with her suggestions1 all the men clasp hands and form a semi-circle in front of the ,medium1 the hands of the latter being grasped by the gentlemen nearest to her on either side4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7after a notification from the ,medium to proceed73 ,is ,mr4 ,seybert still present8 ,no response4 ,the ,medium3 ,it may be a few minutes before you will hear any rapping through these glasses4 ,ten seconds elapse4 ,the ,medium3 ,this test is a very satisfactory one1 if they do it4 ,and they have done it a hundred times4 ,five seconds elapse4 ,the ,medium 7to ,mr4 ,furness73 ,the glasses are not placed over marble1 are they8 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,no2 the floor is of wood4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7after another interval of waiting7 informally remarked to ,mr4 ,furness3 ,we will wait probably for another minute to see if anything comes4 ,as you know1 the ,medium claims it is impossible for her to control these things--that she is merely one who is operated through4 ,another interval expires4 ,the ,medium3 ,that was a very faint rap4 ,suppose we change the position of the glasses4 ,note by the ,stenographer4--,no intimation is given that the rap here spoken of was heard by any one other than the ,medium herself4 ,pursuant to the request just stated1 the carpet is removed and the glass tumblers are located on the bare floor at a point about five feet distant from the place at which the first test was tried4 ,the new location is in the centre of a passage way1 about three feet in width1 between a side-board on one side and a wall projection on the other4 ,its selection is apparently1 though not specifically1 dictated by the position and movements of the ,medium4 ,the ,medium and the ,committee resume their positions1 the former standing on the glasses and the gentlemen facing her in a group4 ,the ,medium3 ,now1 ,spirits1 will you rap on the floor8 ,thirty seconds here elapsed with no response1 when one glass was heard to click against another1 and the ,medium exclaimed1 ,oh4 ,the ,medium 7repeating73 ,will you rap on the floor8 ,thirty seconds now elapse without any demonstration4 ,the ,medium 7aside73 ,it seems to be a failure4 ,they have done it4 ,another click of the glasses1 which passes without comment4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,we will have to set down the result of the experiment on glass tumblers as negative4 ,it may be well to try it later4 ,the ,medium 7evidently reluctant to abandon the test73 ,suppose now1 as we have gone so far1 we kind of form a chain4 ,the company retained their positions with hands joined1 and the ,spirits were repeatedly requested to make their presence known--,mr4 ,pepper1 at the suggestion of the ,medium1 asking the ,spirit of his friend1 ,henry ,seybert1 to manifest its presence by one rap--but all efforts to elicit such response proved ineffectual4 ,the glasses were then removed and the requests were again reiterated1 but with a like negative result4 ,the ,medium finally remarked that she had rarely known of failures with the glass tumblers1 but it had been a long time since she had tried them4 ,she suggested that this branch of the investigation might be deferred until later4 ,the ,committee acquiesced in the suggestion and returned to the pine table1 where1 with the ,medium1 they resume their original positions4 ,the ,stenographer is seated at the table in the rear of the company4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,now we have returned to the table4 ,can you indicate on the table your presence1 ,mr4 ,seybert8 ,an interval of sixty-four seconds here followed4 ,the ,medium3 ,ask some questions that would interest him in life4 ,as ,mr4 ,sellers was repeating to ,mr4 ,pepper the suggestion made by the ,medium1 three raps were heard4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,there is now a communication that he is present4 ,mr4 ,pepper3 ,harry1 would you like to know something about this investigation of ,spiritual manifestations1 which you had so much at heart while living8 ,three raps--prompt and decided4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,do you1 ,mr4 ,seybert1 at the present time1 see the persons present8 ,are they visible before you8 ,two raps--noticeably slow4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7aside73 ,he says ,no1 they are not4 ,the ,medium 7interpreting73 ,well1 that would be too--'partially4' ,dr4 ,koenig3 ,what would that mean--that he only sees some of us1 or that he sees none of us entirely1 but only partially8 ,the ,medium3 ,that he sees us1 but not clearly4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,will you please rap the number of the members of the ,committee who are present at this time8 ,three raps4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,now1 say how many4 ,three raps4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,are there only three8 ,the ,medium 7to ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,that answer was ',yes1' ,i think4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,well1 you say you can do it4 ,please count the number of the members of the ,committee who are present4 ,a,seven raps--very slow1 deliberate and distinct4 ,footnote ,a3 ,when1 in answer to ,mr4 ,sellers' question1 the raps counted the number of the ,committee present1 the number seven was indicated4 ,this counted in ,mr4 ,george ,s4 ,pepper and the ,stenographer4--,g4,s4,f4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,are there seven members of the ,committee present8 ,three raps4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,are they all seated around one table8 ,no response4 ,about forty seconds elapse4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,are they seated at two tables8 ,b,three raps--quite feeble4 ,footnote ,b3 ,when the raps indicated that the members of the ,commission sat at two tables1 this expressly included in the number of the ,commission the ,stenographer1 who sat at a different table from that at which the members of the ,commission were seated at the time of asking the question4--,g4,s4,f4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7to his associates73 ,we still must go back to the one thing4 ,the information we receive through these responses is of little importance to us compared with the information which we must obtain as to whether these sounds are produced by a disembodied ,spirit or by some living person2 that is1 in deference to the ,medium4 7,to ,mr4 ,furness73 ,do you not think so8 ,mr4 ,furness is understood to assent4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7continuing73 ,we have tried the glass tumblers4 ,we have the sounds here4 ,i would ask ,mrs4 ,kane if it is proper for us to look below the top of the table at the time the sounds are being produced1 and in such a way as to see her feet4 ,the ,medium3 ,yes1 of course1 you could do that1 but it is not well to break1 when you are standing1 suddenly4 ,as you know1 you have to conform to the rules1 else you will get no rappings4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,what are the rules8 ,the ,medium 7disconnectedly73 ,the rules are--every test condition1 that ,i am perfectly willing to go through1 and have gone through a thousand times--at the same time1 there are times when you can break the rules4 ,so slight a thing as the disjoining of hands may break the rules4 ,i do not think the standing on the glass has been fully tried4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,we will try that later4 ,mr4 ,furness 7to the ,medium--informally73 ,this investigation is one of great importance to us4 ,there is no question about it--we have heard these curious sounds4 ,now1 as to whether they come from ,spirits or not--that would seem to be the very next logical step in our inquiry4 ,i think you are entirely at one with us in every possible desire to have this phenomenon investigated4 ,the ,medium3 ,oh1 certainly4 ,but ,i pledge myself to conform to nothing1 for--as ,i said in ,europe--,i do not even say the sounds are from ,spirits2 and1 what is more1 it is utterly beyond human power to detect them4 ,i do not say they are the ,spirits of our departed friends1 but ,i leave others to judge for themselves4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,then you have come to the conclusion that they are entirely independent of yourself4 ,the ,medium3 ,no1 ,i do not know that they are entirely independent of myself4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,under what conditions can you influence them8 ,the response1 which was partly inaudible at the ,reporter's seat1 was understood to be3 ,i cannot tell4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,you say that1 in the generality of cases1 they are beyond your control8 ,the ,medium3 ,yes4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,how in the world shall we test that8 ,the ,medium3 ,well1 by-- ,mr4 ,furness3 ,by--what8 ,isolating you from the table8 ,the ,medium3 ,yes4 ,mr4 ,furness 7applying his right hand1 by her permission1 to the ,medium's head73 ,are you ever conscious of any vibration in your bones8 ,the ,medium3 ,no2 but sometimes it causes an exhaustion1 that is1 under circumstances when the raps do not come freely4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,the freer the raps come1 the better for you8 ,the ,medium3 ,yes2 the freer the better--the less exhaustion4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,but do you feel now1 to-night1 any untoward influence operating against you8 ,the ,medium3 ,no1 not to-night1 for it takes quite a little while before we feel those things4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,do these raps always have that vibratory sound--tr-rut--tr-rut--tr-rut8 ,the ,medium3 ,sometimes they vary4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,as a general rule ,i have heard them sound so4 ,the ,medium3 ,every rap has a different sound4 ,for instance1 when the ,spirit of ,mr4 ,seybert rapped1 if the sound was a good one1 you would have noticed that his rap was different from that of another4 ,every one is entirely different from another4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,do you suppose that the present conditions are such that you can throw the raps to a part of the room other than that in which you are8 ,the ,medium3 ,i do not pretend to do that1 but ,i will try to do it4 ,mr4 ,furness and ,dr4 ,leidy station themselves in the corner of the room1 diagonally1 and most remote from the pine table1 at which their associates remain seated1 with their hands upon the table1 and 'their minds intent on having the raps produced at the corner indicated1' as requested by the ,medium1 who also remains at the table4 ,the ,medium asks1 ',will the ,spirit rap at the other side of the room1' and1 after twelve seconds1 and again after forty-three seconds1 repeats the inquiry4 ,no response is received4 ,the experiment is repeated with ,mr4 ,furness and ,dr4 ,koenig at the corner1 but with a like negative result4 ,at this point the attention of the ,committee was again directed to the attempted production of the rappings with the ,medium standing upon the glass tumblers4 ,the lady proceeded to the space between the side-board and the wall where the last preceding test had been made1 and there the tumblers were again arranged4 ,the ,medium resumed her position upon them1 with ,doctors ,leidy and ,koenig1 and ,messrs4 ,sellers and ,furness facing her4 ,the ,medium3 ,will the ,spirit rap here8 ,twenty-three seconds elapse4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,is any ,spirit present8 ,an interval of thirty-nine seconds here followed1 when the attention of the ,committee was momentarily diverted by an inquiry addressed to ,mr4 ,furness by ,mr4 ,sellers1 viz43 ,whether a glass plate of sufficient strength to bear the weight of the ,medium was procurable4 ,at this moment the ,medium suddenly exclaimed3 ',i heard a rap4 ,you said1 ,get a glass1 and there was a rap4',a ,footnote ,a3 ,no one but the ,medium heard this rap4--,g4,s4,f4 ,the ,medium 7repeating for the information of ,mr4 ,furness73 ,somebody proposed a glass and there were three raps4 ,dr4 ,koenig inquires of the ,medium whether the meaning intended to be conveyed by the sounds is that the ,spirits desire to have the glass plate procured4 ,the ,medium3 ,i do not know4 ,i know there were raps4 7,turning to ,mr4 ,sellers1 the ,medium adds73 ,they may have been made by your heel on the floor but certainly there were sounds4 ,mr4 ,fullerton3 ,then it was not the regular triple rap8 ,the ,medium3 ,i could not tell4 ,just before calling attention to the alleged rap or raps the ,medium grasped with her right hand the woodwork of the side-board as if for support4 ,it was then that she stated she heard the sounds4 ,they were apparently not heard by any one but the ,medium4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7addressing the ,spirit73 ,will you repeat the raps we heard just now1 assuming that there were some8 ,ten minutes elapse without a response4 ,the ,medium3 ,there is no use of my standing longer1 for when they come at all they come right away4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7after scrutinizing the position of one of the feet of the ,medium1 remarks73 ,the edge of the heel of the shoe rests on the back tumbler4 7,assuming a stooping posture for a more prolonged scrutiny1 he adds73 ,we will see whether the raps will be produced now4 ,the ,medium now proposes that all members of the ,committee shall stand up and join hands4 ,mr4 ,sellers and his associates accordingly stand1 facing the ,medium1 with hands joined4 ,changes in their positions were made by some of the gentlemen from time to time1 as suggested by the ,medium1 ,mr4 ,pepper and ,dr4 ,koenig being the first to exchange places4 ,this occurred after a silence of thirty seconds without any response4 ,the ,medium3 ,now1 ,mr4 ,seybert1 if your ,spirit is here1 will you have the kindness--,i knew ,mr4 ,seybert well in life--to rap8 ,fifteen seconds elapse4 ,the ,medium3 ,no1 he does not seem to respond4 ,at the suggestion of ,mr4 ,sellers1 all the gentlemen approach the ,medium for the purpose of inducing some acknowledgment by the ,spirit1 and inquiries similar to those already stated are repeated without result4 ,the ,committee then temporarily abandon this test4 ,all present 7except the ,stenographer7 having been seated at the large circular table in the centre of the room1 ,mr4 ,pepper addressed the ,spirit of ,mr4 ,seybert1 as follows3 ',harry1 will you communicate with me as you promised to do8' 7,three raps--given slowly and deliberately--are heard47 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,will you communicate with ,mr4 ,pepper by raps or by writing8 7,no response47 ,will you communicate by raps8 ,the ,medium 7to ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,well1 my hand does feel like writing4 ,will you give me a piece of paper8--and maybe they will give me some directions4 ,mr4 ,fullerton 7to the ,medium73 ,how does your hand feel when affected in that way8 ,the ,medium3 ,it is a peculiar feeling1 like that from taking hold of electrical instruments4 ,i do not know but that you might possibly feel it in my hand4 ,the lady here extended her right hand upon the table toward ,mr4 ,fullerton4 ,the latter placed his left hand upon the extended hand of the ,medium1 and subsequently remarked that the pulsation of her wrist was a little above the ordinary rate4 ,the ,medium1 ostensibly under ,spirit influence1 with lead pencil in hand proceeded to write two communications from the ,spirit of the late ,henry ,seybert4 ,the first of these covered two pages of paper of the size of ordinary foolscap4 ,the ,medium wrote in large characters1 with remarkable rapidity1 and in a direction from the right to the left1 or the reverse of ordinary handwriting4 ,the writing1 consequently1 could be read only from the reverse side of the paper and by being held up so as to permit the gas-light to pass through it4 ,the communications1 as deciphered by ,mr4 ,sellers1 with the aid of ,mr4 ,fullerton and the ,medium1 were as follows3 ,you must not expect that ,i can satisfy you beyond all doubt in so short a time as you have yet had4 ,i want to give you all in my power1 and will do so if you will give me a chance4 ,you must commence right in the first place or you shall all be disappointed for a much longer time4 ,princiipis ,obsta ,sero ,medicina ,paratum4 ,henry ,seybert4 ,mend the fault in time or we will all be puzzled4 ,henry ,seybert4 ,the foregoing were understood to be directed to ,mr4 ,pepper1 in accordance with the assurance given by the ,spirit that it would communicate with him4 ,subsequently1 when the trance condition had apparently disappeared1 the ,medium complied with a request to write1 as it would be read to her1 the ,latin phrase at the end of the first communication4 ,using the pencil in her right hand1 she transcribed slowly and in the usual direction from left to right4 ,the style of her handwriting was small and comparatively neat4 ,apparently in every particular her writing in this instance was the exact opposite of that made by her while in the alleged trance condition4 ,she here stated that1 ordinarily1 she wrote in the same manner in which people generally write1 with her right hand and from left to right4 ,with respect to her inability to transcribe the ,latin words until these had been spelled for her1 she explained that she was not at all familiar with ,latin4,a ,footnote ,a3 ,mr4 ,george ,s4 ,pepper1 who was present1 said that ,mr4 ,seybert knew no ,latin4--,g4,s4,f4 ,a member of the ,committee1 commenting upon a defect in the spelling of the first of the ,latin words in the ,spirit communication1 suggested that the error might be accounted for on the hypothesis that ,mr4 ,seybert1 in life1 was accustomed to the use of poor ,latin4 ,the ,medium farther explained that her understanding of the second communication was that it was a translation of the ,latin contained in the first4 ,the glass tumblers are here again produced and the ,medium takes her position upon them1 with ,mr4 ,fullerton standing next to her upon the right and ,mr4 ,furness to the left4 ,mr4 ,sellers remains for some moments kneeling on the floor to enable himself better to hear any sounds that may be but faintly audible4 ,the ,spirits are repeatedly importuned by the ,medium to produce the rappings1 but no response is heard until the company is about to abandon the experiment4 ,three raps are then audible4 ,the raps are very light but very distinct4 ,mr4 ,fullerton states that he heard the raps4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,i heard a sound then1 but it seemed as if it was around there4 7,indicating along the wall immediately in the rear of the ,medium47 ,the tumblers are here moved further away from the wall and the ,medium resumes her position upon them4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,will the ,spirit rap again8 7,no response47 ,the ,medium3 ,were any of you gentlemen acquainted with ,mr4 ,seybert in his lifetime8 ,mr4 ,fullerton3 ,i saw him several times before his death4 ,if he can give an intimation now of anything he said at that time1 it will indicate that he remembers it4 ,a very faint rap is heard4 ,the ,medium3 ,there is a rap4 ,it seems to be there again4 7,indicating the spot to which attention was previously called by ,mr4 ,sellers47 ,the ,medium again importunes1 first1 ',mr4 ,seybert' and next 'the ,spirits' 'to rap2' and the importunities are repeated4 ,three raps are distinctly but faintly heard4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,i heard them4 ,they sounded somewhat like the others1 not exactly4 ,the ,medium3 ,i heard one rap1 but it is nothing for me to hear them2 ,i want you gentlemen to hear them4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,probably we will hear them again4 ,while ,mr4 ,sellers and ,mr4 ,furness are conversing1 several raps are heard1 though less distinct than the preceding ones4 ,the ,medium3 ,there they are as though right under the glass4 7,after a silence of forty seconds73 ,now ,i hear them again very light--oh1 very light4 ,mr4 ,furness1 with the permission of the ,medium1 places his hand upon one of her feet4 ,the ,medium3 ,there are raps now1 strong--yes1 ,i hear them4 ,mr4 ,furness 7to the ,medium73 ,this is the most wonderful thing of all1 ,mrs4 ,kane1 ,i distinctly feel them in your foot4 ,there is not a particle of motion in your foot1 but there is an unusual pulsation4 ,mr4 ,sellers here made some inquiries of the ,medium1 concerning the shoes now worn by her4 ,the replies1 which were not direct1 are here given4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,are those the shoes which you usually wear8 ,the ,medium3 ,i wear all kinds of shoes4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,are the sounds sometimes produced in your room when you have no shoes on4 ,the ,medium3 ,more or less4 ,they are produced under all circumstances4 ,following the suggestion of the ,medium1 all present proceed through an intervening apartment to the library where the ,medium selects various positions--standing upon a lounge1 then upon a cushioned chair1 next upon a step-ladder and finally upon the side of a book-case--but all with a like unsuccessful result1 no response by rappings being heard4 ,upon an intimation being given by a member of the ,committee that the ,medium may be wearied1 the further prosecution of the ,investigation is temporarily deferred4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the examination of ,mrs4 ,kane1 and after the ,stenographer had left1 the ,commission held a conference1 and commissioned ,mr4 ,furness to lay before ,mrs4 ,kane the question of continuing or closing the investigation1 so far as she was concerned4 ,if she were sanguine of more satisfactory results at another sance1 the ,commission was willing to prolong the investigation4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 ,below is given the letter from ,mr4 ,furness1 explaining why the investigation of ,mrs4 ,kane was not continued4 ,the decision to discontinue it came from her4 ,my ,dear ,fullerton3 ,you remember that the members of ,the ,seybert ,commission separated last evening with the understanding that we should meet ,mrs4 ,kane again this evening1 if ,mrs4 ,kane desired it1 and that they requested me to lay the question before her for her decision4 ,accordingly1 ,i had an interview with her this morning1 of which the following is as accurate an account as ,i can remember4 ,i told her that the ,commission had now had two sances with her1 and that the conclusion to which they had come is that the so-called raps are confined wholly to her person1 whether produced by her voluntarily or involuntarily they had not attempted to decide2 furthermore1 that although thus satisfied in their own minds they were anxious to treat her with all possible deference and consideration1 and accordingly had desired me to say to her that if she thought another sance with her would or might modify or reverse their conclusion1 they held themselves ready to meet her again this evening and renew the investigation of the manifestations2 at the same time ,i felt it my duty to add that in that case the examination would necessarily be of the most searching description4 ,mrs4 ,kane replied that the manifestations at both sances had been of an unsatisfactory nature1 so unsatisfactory that she really could not blame the ,commission for arriving at their conclusion4 ,in her present state of health she doubted whether a third meeting would prove any better than the two already held4 ,it might be even more unsatisfactory1 and instead of removing the present belief of the ,commission it might add confirmation of it4 ,in view of these considerations1 she decided not to hold another sance4 ,afterward1 during the forenoon 7you know she has been and still is my guest71 she recurred to the subject1 and added that if hereafter her health improved it would give her pleasure to make a free-will offering to the ,commission of a number of sances for further investigations4 ,i forgot to tell you1 when we last met1 that yesterday morning1 the #fth of ,november1 ,i brought away from ,mrs4 ,patterson our sealed slate4 ,it contains no writing1 so ,mrs4 ,patterson says4 ,during the many months that it has been in this ,medium's possession ,i have made to her the most urgent appeals1 both in person and by letter1 to fulfill her promise of causing the writing to appear in it4 ,her invariable excuse has been her lack of time4 ,i ,remain ,yours1 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness1 ,acting ,chairman4 #gth ,november1 #ahhd4 ,it will be seen from the last paragraph of the preceding letter that the attempt to produce 'independent writing' on the inside of the slate sealed by the ,commission was without result4 ,the slate was sealed on ,may #cast1 #ahhd 7as described in the records of the meeting of that date71 was placed in the hands of the ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,patterson1 the next day1 where it remained until ,november #fth4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,january #afth1 #ahhe4 ,the ,commission met on ,friday evening1 ,january #afth1 #ahhe1 for the purpose of examining a second slate which had been sealed by ,mr4 ,furness and left with ,mrs4 ,patterson1 and was now returned to the ,commission4 ,the slate was screwed and sealed by ,mr4 ,furness1 just before ,christmas1 and was in the hands of the ,medium until ,january #abth4 ,so importunate was the ,acting ,chairman in his entreaties to ,mrs4 ,patterson to bring to bear on these slates all her ,spiritual power1 that at last he induced her to name a certain afternoon that should be devoted to the task4 ,he went to her house on the day named1 and sat with her while she held the slates in her lap4 ,to increase to the utmost all available ,spiritual force1 ,mrs4 ,patterson's two daughters and her brother-in-law1 ,mr4 ,winner1 were called in and shared the session4 ,after sitting for nearly two hours1 the little pencil had not made its appearance on the outside1 but could still be heard rattling inside1 and the obdurate ,spirits were abandoned for the day4--,h4,h4,f4 ,the slate was secured as follows3 ,illustration ,the two leaves of the slate were fastened by four screws at #a1 #b1 #c and #d2 one side of the slate was already secured by the hinges #h1 #h2 the slate had then been wrapped by the tape #i1 #i1 as indicated1 the knot being at #d2 seals had then been set over the heads of the screws1 upon the tape1 at #a1 #b1 #c and #d1 and also over the ends of the screws1 upon the tape1 on the other side of the slate2 a seal was also placed upon the ends of the tape at #e2 and two seals at one corner1 at the places indicated by #f and #g4 ,the corner marked by the arrow 7--7 was protected only by the screws and seals at #c and #d4 ,when the slate was shaken no sound of the rattling of the pencil was heard--a pencil-scrap having been enclosed as usual in the slate when it was sealed4 ,the ,medium had declared that the pencil was gone1 but said she did not know whether there was writing on the slate or not4 ,the seals were first examined and declared intact4 ,then ,dr4 ,leidy pushed a thin knife-blade between the slates at the unprotected corner1 marked by the arrow on the sketch4 ,then ,mr4 ,sellers pushed in a thick knife-blade a little to one side of ,dr4 ,leidy's4 7,the exact place is marked on the rim of the slate itself47 ,both the blades were thrust straight in--,dr4 ,leidy's exactly at the corner1 and ,mr4 ,sellers's at the point marked1 and neither of them was worked about between the slates4 ,the slates were thus separated by the thick knife-blade about one-tenth of an inch4 ,the seals were not broken by this4 ,while the slates were thus separated1 it was noticed that the wood was discolored and rubbed glossy on the sides of the crack4 ,mr4 ,sellers then removed the tape1 seals and screws4 ,the slate being opened1 no pencil was found and no pencil-marks appeared on the slate4 ,the rims were worn smooth and blackened at the corner where the slates could be separated2 this was very distinct4 ,some soap-stone dust1 which ,dr4 ,koenig identified under a microscope as the same with a remaining fragment of the pencil inserted 7which ,mr4 ,furness had preserved71 was found rubbed into the same corner1 showing that the slates had been separated and the piece of pencil worked out4 ,mr4 ,furness then produced three slates of the same sort 7with hinges1 and about #h in4 by #f47 to be used in the presence of ,dr4 ,slade4 ,they were screwed up with a bit of pencil inside1 in the presence of the ,commission4 ,each was marked on the inside by ,mr4 ,sellers1 with a scratch from a diamond4 ,to ,mr4 ,furness was delegated the work of sealing them4 ,as ,dr4 ,slade1 however1 refused to use any of our sealed slates1 our labor was wasted4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following is a stenographic report of a meeting of the ,commission1 to consider the reports offered by several members of sances with ,dr4 ,henry ,slade1 who came to ,philadelphia to meet the ,commission4 ,as he refused to sit with more than three of the ,commission at a time1 it was necessary to visit him in sections4 ,arrangements had been made to have all the members sit with him in turn1 but it was soon decided that continuity of observation was valuable1 and certain members were appointed to do the whole work4 7,a record from the notes of the ,stenographer1 ,mr4 ,j4,i4 ,gilbert47 ,,philada41 ,february #gth1 #ahhe4 ,a formal session of the ,seybert ,committee was held to-day at #h o'clock ,p4,m41 at the residence of ,mr4 ,furness1 ,no4 #bbb ,west ,washington ,square4 ,the session was devoted to consideration of the sances held with ,dr4 ,henry ,slade1 from ,january #bast to ,january #bhth inclusive4 ,the following is a compilation of written notes and verbal comments upon the sances by members of the ,committee3 ,mr4 ,coleman ,sellers 7referring to notes73 ,the ,committee met on ,january #bast1 #ahhe1 at the ,girard ,house1 ,philadelphia1 in ,room #bd4 ,there were present3 ,messrs4 ,thompson1 ,sellers and ,furness1 of the ,committee1 and the ,medium1 ,dr4 ,henry ,slade4 ,the sance was conducted at a pine table prepared by the ,medium1 which was supplied with two falling leaves and stationed at a point remote from the centre of the room1 and contiguous to a wall of the apartment4 ,upon the table were two ordinary writing slates and fragments of slate pencils4 ,the relative positions of the ,medium and the ,committee were as follows3 the ,medium was seated in the space between the table and the wall4 ,professor ,thompson occupied a chair at the side of the table to the right1 and ,mr4 ,furness one at the side to the left of the ,medium4 ,mr4 ,sellers was seated at the side directly opposite to the ,medium4 ,after calling attention to the slates and the pencil pieces1 the ,medium remarked that1 as his baggage had not come to hand1 he was apprehensive that the sitting would not be a very good one4 ,a brief1 general conversation followed1 and then1 complying with a direction of the ,medium1 all present joined hands upon the table4 ,thereupon the ,medium abruptly started back1 and1 remarking that he had received a very severe shock of some kind1 inquired whether the gentlemen present had not experienced a like sensation4 ,the responses were in the negative4 ,the ,medium next proposed to give an exhibition of ,spiritism through the agency of communications invisibly written upon the apparently blank surface of one of the slates4 ,at this point ,mr4 ,sellers asked that the table be examined1 and1 with the assent of the ,medium1 an examination was accordingly made by the ,committee2 the only noteworthy result of which was the discovery immediately beneath the table-top of openings or slots into which the bars supporting the table leaves entered when turned to permit the lowering of the leaves4 7,mr4 ,sellers here continued1 without reference to notes73 ,these slots and the use to which ,i ascertained they might be applied are worthy of special comment1 as they played a very important part in all the expositions that were made of the ,medium ,slade's manifestations4 ,the slot under the table into which the vibrating bar passed when the leaf was lowered was an inch and a-quarter in depth4 ,at a later period of the meeting1 when the opportunity was afforded1 ,i took the slate in my hand1 and1 from the table side at which ,i was seated 7the one directly opposite the ,medium's position7 passed it into the slot1 allowing it to rest there diagonally4 ,upon removing my hand the slate remained suspended in its place1 and in a position in which it could conveniently be written upon4 ,i may add that this arrangement of the slate is said to be an essential feature of ,slade's favorite method of writing4 ,the ,medium did not fail to notice my experiment of passing the slate into the slot1 and1 upon the occasion of my second attendance at the manifestations 7which was at the third meeting of the ,committee71 having dispensed with the table ,i have described and prepared another1 he somewhat ostentatiously called attention to the fact that the table then produced contained no slots such as those of which ,i have spoken4 ,i have a memorandum of the size of the slots4 ,the dimensions of the table last referred to are given in ,mr4 ,fullerton's report4 7,mr4 ,sellers1 referring again to his notes73 ,taking a slate in his hand ,slade held it beneath the table leaf to his right1 when almost immediately there was a succession of faintly audible sounds such as would have been made by writing on the slate under the table4 ,a knock indicated that the writing had ceased4 ,the ,medium then attempted to withdraw the slate1 but in this encountered a seeming resistance1 and only succeeded by a jerk1 as if wrenching the slate from the grasp of a strong person who was below the table4 ,upon the slate1 which was at once inspected1 appeared in a fair1 running handwriting1 and as if written with a pencil held firmly in hand1 the following3 ,my friends1 ,look well to the truth and learn wisdom1 ,i am truly ,james ,clark4 7,continuing1 without reference to notes73 ,this writing differed entirely1 in general appearance1 from the subsequent writings upon the slate1 having apparently been made with the rounded point of a pencil held in an easy and natural position for writing4 ,in other instances the writings had a strained and artificial appearance1 and had evidently been made with a pencil point which had been flattened before being used4 ,professor ,thompson 7to ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,do you remember that at the session of which you now speak the ,medium denied having any knowledge of ,james ,clark1 and afterwards said that he did know of him8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,i remember distinctly that he said he knew nothing of ,james ,clark's affairs1 and that1 on another day1 he presented a communication from a ,william ,clark4 7,mr4 ,sellers here resumed his reading from notes1 as follows73 ,the writing was obliterated from it and the slate again held under the table1 when the question was asked1 ,will you do more4 ,an interval of perhaps one or two minutes elapsed when the slate was exhibited1 and upon it appeared the word ,yes4 ,the word had been written with a broad-ended pencil1 and neither in style nor character resembled the first writing4 ,mr4 ,sellers1 complying with the ,medium's request to write a question on the back of the slate1 wrote ,do you know the persons present8 ,the response which was made to this was ,yes1 we do4 ,no additional manifestations by writings were made at the first meeting4 ,during the sitting many raps were produced on the table through some invisible agency1 and as these sounds1 in some instances1 were such as could be made by simple means and at the command of a person sitting at the table1 a member of the ,committee reproduced the sounds4 ,it was the conviction of the members of the ,committee present that the sounds thus produced were similar to the sounds said to have been made by ,spirits4 ,the ,medium1 however1 professed his ability to distinguish between the two classes of sounds1 and remarked that some of the sounds heard by him were such as would be made by a person touching the table and causing it to make the raps2 that such sounds were not from the ,spirits2 that when the raps were genuine they caused a peculiar sensation1 a sort of tremor1 in his breast1 and1 therefore1 he could tell when the raps were spurious4 7,mr4 ,sellers1 aside73 ,in other words1 that none were genuine but those made by himself4 7,resuming1 from notes73 ,the ,medium1 in answer to inquiries1 gave a detailed description of the remarkable phenomena said to have been produced in the presence of ,professor ,zoellner--which1 he said1 were as unexpected to himself 7,slade7 as they were to any one2 that they were beyond his control1 and evidently the work of ,spirits under very favorable conditions4 ,mr4 ,sellers here read the minutes of the meeting of ,january #bb;d1 #ahhe1 as prepared by ,professor ,fullerton4 7,the minutes are as follows73 ,the ,committee met on ,thursday1 ,january #bb;d1 #ahhe1 at #ab ,m41 in the ,girard ,house1 ,philadelphia4 ,present3 ,messrs4 ,thompson1 ,furness1 ,fullerton and the ,medium1 ,henry ,slade4 ,a table measuring five or four and a-half by three feet1 was used by the ,medium4 ,it was an oval table with two leaves4 ,the ,medium sat at one side1 with ,mr4 ,furness at the end of the table to his left1 ,professor ,thompson at the end to his right1 and ,mr4 ,fullerton opposite4 ,a circle was first formed by joining hands upon the table4 ,a slate was passed to ,mr4 ,fullerton by the ,medium1 with the request that it be held by him under the table leaf to his 7,mr4 ,fullerton's7 left4 ,the slate was held by ,mr4 ,fullerton as requested1 but at no time during the sitting was any writing produced on the slate4 ,toward the close of the sance the slate was held for some time under the opposite table leaf by ,messrs4 ,furness and ,fullerton4 ,dr4 ,slade1 after cleaning a slate1 held it under the table-leaf to his right1 in the space between himself and ,professor ,thompson4 ,the slate was not held close to the table1 but in a slanting position1 so that a space of perhaps four or five inches was left between the edge of the slate farthest removed from the table and the table itself4 ,a piece of pencil1 broken from a small pencil--about #a-afth to #a-abth in4 cross section1 was laid on the slate4 ,a series of questions were here propounded1 in each instance the inquiry being followed by a scratching sound1 and the slate being then withdrawn from under the table and showing writing upon it4 ,these writings were construed as responses4 ,the questions and answers were as follows3-- #a4 ,it was asked3 ,will the ,spirits answer questions8 ,ans4 7as above74 ',we will try1' #b4 ,is the gentleman opposite a ,medium8 7,mr4 ,fullerton47 ,ans4 ,he has some power4 #c4 ,are there more ,spirits than one present8 ,ans4 ,yes1 there is4 #d4 ,another communication which appeared on the slate was 'we will do more soon4' #e4 ,ques4 ,do you move this pencil8 ,ans4 ,we do1 of course4 #f4 ,tell us if you will play the accordion1 or try to to-day8 ,ans4 ,yes4 ,the accordion 7a small one7 was then held partly under the leaf of the table1 where the slates had been4 ,it played a little4 ,the members of the ,commission could not see it when in that position1 or at least could not see the whole of it4 ,mr4 ,fullerton1 by looking under ,professor ,thompson's arm1 over the table1 could occasionally catch a glimpse of it as ,dr4 ,slade moved it to and fro1 but saw only one corner4 ,dr4 ,slade then marked a slate with a line1 and laid one of the bits of pencil upon the line4 ,a large slate pencil was then laid along the edge of the slate4 ,the slate was placed below the edge of the table beside ,dr4 ,slade 7to his right1 as usual7 when the large pencil was thrown up into the air two and a-half or three feet above the table4 ,when the slate was brought up into view again the small bit of pencil was still in its place4 ,this would1 of course1 be nothing remarkable if the ,medium's finger were upon the small bit of pencil at the time of the jerk4 ,another slate was held by ,dr4 ,slade on the same side of and below the table 7as far as ,i could judge from his arm it was nearly as low as ,dr4 ,slade's knee71 and it was suddenly broken into many pieces1 the frame being at once held up for inspection by ,dr4 ,slade4 ,it did not seem to have been broken against the table1 as there was no shock felt in the table1 nor did the sound indicate it4 ,it might have been broken by a sudden blow upon the knee1 as ,dr4 ,slade's knees were in close proximity to the place where the slate was held4 ,the following are ,notes of points which ,mr4 ,sellers asked me particularly to observe4--,g4,s4,f4 ,,note #a4--,the bits of pencil placed upon the slates seemed to be used in writing1 for pieces with sharp edges were broken and put on the slates and afterwards were found somewhat worn4 ,,note #b4--,they were apparently the same pieces1 as the size was the same4 ,,note #c4--,the writing did not seem to have been done by drawing the slate over a pencil at the time that the scratching was heard1 for the slate was partly in view1 and though it moved somewhat1 it did not then move enough to make1 for example1 a line the whole length of the slate1 as was done in one instance4 ,,note #d4--,the pencil was found where the writing ended1 and in the case of the line cited just above1 the mark on the slate was just about as wide as the rubbed part of the pencil4 ,the pencil was rubbed and the end had been flat4 ,,note #e4--;,i did not notice any difference in the fineness of the earlier and later writings4 ,the first communication began and ended with a strong broad line4 ,,note #f4--,the accordion was a small one1 and ,i cannot say whether it might not have been played upon with one hand if grasped in the right way4 ,,note #g4--;,in every case1 what was done was done out of our sight1 ,dr4 ,slade declaring that the object in concealing the slates1 etc41 was to prevent our wills from having a negative effect upon the phenomena4 ,my own position opposite the ,medium was a very bad one for observing what was going on on his side of the table4 7,mr4 ,sellers here read1 from notes taken by himself1 the minutes of the third of the series of ,slade sances1 as follows73 ,the ,committee met on ,january #bc;d1 #ahhe1 at the ,girard ,house1 ,philadelphia1 in ,room #bd4 ,there were present3 ,messrs4 ,thompson1 ,sellers and ,furness1 of the ,committee1 and the ,medium1 ,dr4 ,henry ,slade4 ,the ,medium was seated in the space between the table and the wall4 ,professor ,thompson occupied a chair at the side of the table to the right1 and ,mr4 ,furness one at the side to the left of the ,medium4 ,mr4 ,sellers was seated at the side directly opposite to the ,medium4 ,the table made use of on this occasion was much larger than the one used at the first meeting4 ,attention was called to the fact that there were no slots under the middle leaf of the table as there were in the other table4 ,between the leaf and the centre of the table paper had been introduced for the purpose of stuffing the crack1 a rather large one1 and the explanation of the ,medium was1 ',this is to stop a sort of draft that comes up through the crack and breaks the connection4' ,the members of the ,committee were inclined to think that the purpose was to prevent them from observing through the crack any manipulations of the slate or motions by the ,medium under the table4 ,the first writing on the slate was1 ',we will do all we can4' ,by request of the ,medium1 a slate with a bit of pencil was then held by ,mr4 ,sellers under the table leaf next to him on his left1 when the question was put1 ',will you try to write on the slate held by the gentleman opposite4' ,the response1 ',we will try1' was written on the ,medium's slate4 ,after taking the slate in his hand and cleanly wiping it1 the ,medium passed it under the table leaf1 when almost instantly sounds indicating writing1 such as were audible at the first session1 were repeated4 ,upon being exhibited the slate contained the following3 ,my friends1-- ,paul's injunction was add to your faith knowledge4 this knowledge1 has encouraged the desponding1 and given comfort to the mourner1 and gives hope to the ,hopeless4 ,i am truly ,william ,clark4 ,the appearance of this writing was much the same as that of the first day1 when another long written communication was produced1 but it bore no resemblance to the scrawls which were exhibited in answer to questions4 ,a special minute is here made of observations by members of the ,committee upon certain features of the ,medium's operations1 which tended to discredit the assumption of a supernatural agency in the production of the slate writings4 ,in the above instance a slate which had been noted as standing against a leg of the table and behind the chair of the ,medium1 but conveniently within his reach1 was dexterously substituted by the ,medium for the slate taken from the table and the one upon which ostensibly writing was to appear4 ,this was observed by one member4 ,in another instance a member 7,mr4 ,sellers7 observed the same substitution1 so far as the motion of the ,medium's hand and arm was concerned4 ,by certain private marks1 adroitly applied1 the same member noted the fact that the slate on which the writing was exhibited was not1 as the ,medium represented it to be1 the same slate which had been taken from the table4 ,the foregoing note by the ,stenographer is somewhat incoherent1 owing to his unfamiliarity with ,slade's sances2 yet we prefer to let it remain as it is4--,g4,s4,f4 7,mr4 ,sellers adds1 parenthetically73 ,that is1 ,i watched the ,medium's operations specially with a view of informing myself whether the slate used in both instances was the same4 7,resuming1 from notes73 ,the ,medium proposed that the ,committee should retain the slate upon which the long message appeared4 ,the slate was accordingly retained by the ,committee4 ,professor ,thompson 7addressing ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,was not that slate the one that ,i held at the time referred to8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,it was4 ,the slate was held by you at the same time that it was held by the ,medium4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,then there is an additional fact to be noted in regard to it4 ,that fact is this4 ,when the sounds indicating the writing process had ceased1 ,i endeavored to pull the slate away from under the table1 but the ,medium resisted my effort1 and by powerful exertion jerked the slate out toward himself4 ,the substitution of one slate for the other was probably made at this time1 and the slate so substituted was then placed on the table4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,that is true1 most assuredly ,i saw the substitution1 and ,mr4 ,furness also saw it very plainly4 ,from his position ,mr4 ,furness saw the ,medium take up the other slate4 ,,note4--,an explanation was here made by ,mr4 ,furness to the effect that his knowledge of the substitution here spoken of was inferential1 but that at another period of the sance he did distinctly see the ,medium grasp an unused slate4 ,mr4 ,sellers here resumed1 from his notes3 ,the ,medium then proposed to attempt the experiment of causing the chair upon which ,professor ,thompson sat1 to rise from the floor1 without external agency other than that of the hand of the ,medium on the back of the chair4 ,in answer to the question1 ',will you try to lift the chair8' the response was ',yes4' ,mr4 ,sellers1 being requested to write a question on the back of the slate near him1 wrote the following1 ',what is the time8' ,after some little time1 during which the ,medium furtively glanced at the slate1 the answer was given1 ',a little after twelve4' ,upon being requested to open his left hand and hold it thus extended in a position beneath the top of the table to his left1 ,mr4 ,sellers complied with the request1 when a slate1 which had been held by the ,medium under the opposite leaf1 was passed across1 and1 after touching ,mr4 ,sellers's hand1 fell to the floor4 ,after several repetitions1 the slate was passed into ,mr4 ,sellers's hand1 but the experiment was accompanied by a motion of the ,medium which was evidently such as would have been made if the ,medium had passed the slate across by his foot4 ,at his sances ,dr4 ,slade wears slippers1 into and out of which he can readily slip his feet4--,g4,s4,f4 ,in answer to the question1 ',are you ready to lift the gentleman8' the response1 in writing1 was given1 ',yes4' ,clasping the back of the chair firmly with his right hand1 and approaching it close enough to enable him to place his knee under the seat of the chair1 the ,medium1 after very considerable effort1 caused the chair to rise from the floor an inch or two4 ,the physical strain on the part of the ,medium was evident4 ,professor ,thompson1 having obtained the permission of the ,medium1 wrote the following upon the slate1 ',can a ,spirit1 still in the body1 write with a slate pencil without touching the pencil8' ,after some delay1 and frequent surreptitious glances at the slate by the ,medium1 the answer was1 ',yes1 we can tell4' ,this trial not being satisfactory1 the same question was repeated4 ,the answer1 which was longer delayed than the one preceding it1 was1 ',we can do so1 if the conditions are favorable4' ,professor ,thompson 7interposing73 ,do you remember the ,medium's remarks about the resistance of the ,spirits8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,i do4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,when he was pushing and pulling the slate1 and meanwhile looking at it--while moving it backward and forward--the ,medium remarked1 ',there seems to be some kind of resistance2 they don't seem to know what to make of it'--meaning that the ,spirits were making some resistance to his moving the slate4 ,mr4 ,sellers here resumed and completed the reading of his minutes1 as follows3 ,the experiment attempted on the second day1 of causing a slate pencil to jump from a slate without any disturbance of the slate1 was here repeated4 ,a line was drawn upon the slate1 and upon this line a small bit of pencil was placed1 the success of the experiment depending upon this small piece remaining immovable upon the line4 ,after several trials this was accomplished4 ,the experiment of playing an accordion beneath the table was next made1 and in one instance the top of the instrument was thrown upon the table4 ,mr4 ,sellers verbally made the following addition to his minutes3 ,the response to the question propounded by ,professor ,thompson was attended with more than ordinary delay4 ,upon hearing the response1 viz43 ',we can do so if the conditions are favorable1' ,professor ,thompson remarked that this did not answer the question at all4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,i made that statement in regard to both of the responses4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,the statement1 then1 was1 that neither of the responses answered the question4 ,whereupon the ,medium at once obliterated the question from the slate1 and remarked1 ',well1 that is the best they can do1' or something of that kind1 or1 ',they cannot understand that4' ,the fact was that the ,medium did not understand the question himself1 as it was purposely a somewhat involved question4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,the fact appears to have been demonstrated that the ,medium seemed to have no difficulty in catching the purport of questions of simple construction at a glance1 and that a question of more than average length1 which he could not perceive the sense of1 or which was somewhat misleading in its terms1 was not answered intelligently4 ,professor ,thompson here further explained that1 when writing the question spoken of1 he concealed his hand from the observation of the ,medium4 ,mr4 ,sellers here imitated the motions of the body of the ,medium and the position of his hands at the time--the left resting on the table1 and the right hand beneath the table1 near the slate--after which the writing was displayed4 ,mr4 ,sellers next presented the minutes of the meeting of ,january #bdth1 as follows3 ,the ,committee met on ,january #bdth1 #ahhe1 at the ,girard ,house1 ,philadelphia1 in ,room #bd4 ,there were present3 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,mr4 ,h4,h4 ,furness and ,mr4 ,coleman ,sellers1 with the ,medium1 ,dr4 ,henry ,slade4 ,dr4 ,leidy occupied the position previously held by ,professor ,thompson1 to the right of the ,medium2 ,messrs4 ,sellers and ,furness were seated as at the former sittings4 ,slates were produced and held as at the previous sances4 ,upon one slate the following interrogatories and responses were recorded3 ',spirits1 are you ready to work8' ,answer3 ',soon1' ',will you write for the gentlemen8' ,answer3 ',we are trying to do so4' ,at this point the ,medium substituted another slate for the one which he had held in his hand1 and almost immediately thereafter1 upon the new slate being placed under the table1 the sound of writing began and was carried on with little interruption4 ,the writing continued for a very long time1 during which the ,medium1 removing his hand from the hands of the other gentlemen1 said1 ',you see that if ,i take my hand away from the circle and thus break the circle1 the sound of the writing ceases2 if ,i place my hand back again1 the writing is repeated4' ,the sound of the writing1 which had been temporarily suspended1 recommenced when the hand of the ,medium returned to its former position4 ,the ,medium further stated1 by way of qualifying his statement on this point1 ',if ,i do not jerk it away ,i can raise my hand a little4' ,he illustrated his meaning by slightly elevating his hand and withdrawing it from the other hands1 at the same time calling attention to the fact that the sounds of the writing on the slate were continued4 ,this modification by the ,medium of his original statement was regarded as intended to cover instances in which the circle had been surreptitiously broken by members of the ,committee without any of the results which1 had been predicted4 ,several such breaks had been made by the writer 7,mr4 ,sellers7 unknown to any one but himself2 and the ,medium1 finally becoming aware of this fact1 observed that the circle might frequently be broken a little without any effect being apparent4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,but did not the ,medium make that statement at the very first sance8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,he stated that at the first sance4 7,resuming1 from notes73 ,the communication inscribed upon the slate when beneath the table was in the same handwriting as the other long communications1 and was evidently written with a sharpened pencil under favorable conditions4 ,it was as follows3 ',my friends3 ,i have been made happy by the advent of my dear wife into this land of souls4 ,the name of my dear wife is ,ann ,louisa ,tiers1 of ,germantown4 ,now we shall part no more by death1 as there is no death in this life4 ,my friends1 never grieve because your friends meet the change called death1 as death is but the blooming of the soul4 ,i am ,john ,tiers4' ,mr4 ,sellers1 in reply to an inquiry by ,dr4 ,leidy concerning the identity of the alleged author of the communication1 here explained that a newspaper advertisement of even date set forth that ,ann ,louisa ,tiers1 widow of ,john ,tiers1 died on the day preceding the day of the meeting4 ,the advertisement had been noticed by ,mr4 ,furness1 and it appeared to furnish the foundation for what had been imposed upon the ,committee4 ,the slate used at the meeting here referred to was one which ,mr4 ,furness saw substituted1 and which the writer 7,mr4 ,sellers7 is confident was substituted4 ,dr4 ,leidy here stated that the communication now referred to1 unlike all the other communications of the ,medium1 which were miserable little scrawls of a few words1 was a lengthy one1 which covered the entire slate4 ,he felt convinced that the slate upon which it was contained was substituted for the other one which the ,medium ostensibly continued to use4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7resuming the reading of his minutes73 ,dr4 ,leidy then wrote on the slate the following question1 ',dr4 ,le ,conte--are you engaged now in the study of ,coleoptera8' ,the slate was then placed below the table1 and1 after the ,medium had been observed to glance at it repeatedly1 as in the case of former exhibitions of this kind1 the slate was finally reproduced with this answer written upon it1 ',dr4 ,l4,c4 is not present4' ,then the experiment was repeated of drawing a line1 laying a bit of pencil on the line and then a pencil on the edge of the slate4 ,the pencil on the edge of the slate was tossed violently over the table1 passed over and fell on the other side of the table1 while the piece of pencil on the mark was not disturbed4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,it should be borne in mind that that throw was not from under the table1 because when the pencil went over1 the slate appeared on the outside of the table4 ,i sat near the ,medium and saw that slate brought out as the pencil went up4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,the ,medium claimed that sometimes the pencil appeared on the side of the table opposite to that at which he was sitting1 but no such thing occurred in our presence4 ,would not it be advisable1 when you say it was thrown up1 to add that it was thrown from the side at which the ,medium was sitting8 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,in each and every case4 ,dr4 ,leidy 7to ,mr4 ,sellers73 ,when the ,medium gave you and me a slate to hold1 he said the ,spirits would make a communication4 ,we held the slate away from him and there was not at any time a communication4 7,mr4 ,sellers here resumed1 from his notes73 ,the same experiment of jerking the pencil over the table was repeated with another pencil4 ,then1 at the suggestion of one of the gentlemen present1 the ,medium repeated the experiment made at a former session1 in which a long line was drawn on the slate while the slate was apparently held without any motion4 ,the ,medium then took one of the slates in his hand and placed it below the table1 when it was suddenly broken4 ,as he produced it1 he called attention to the fact that the slate seemed as if broken from the top downwards4 ,as he brought it out1 the ,medium turned the slate over and knocked it on his knee1 and in that way crushed it to pieces4 ,he then turned it over to show on which side the crushing took place4 ,i saw that as plainly as ,i saw anything4 ,he then used a pencil and drew a zig-zag line across the slate4 ,the pencil was worn at one end4 ,the same experiment1 which was made when ,professor ,fullerton was present1 was repeated1 and it was noticed that the pencil used in drawing the line was the identical one found on the slate4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,in that part of the exhibition which purported to show how1 through ,spiritual influence1 a slate pencil might remain in contact with a slate1 the ,medium took care not to elevate the slate to an angle of forty-five degrees4 ,he merely raised it to the elevation which ,i now indicate4 ,if he had elevated it a little more the pencil would have fallen off4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7resuming73 ,an accordion was then played under the manipulations of the ,medium1 after which that gentleman told the writer that he might look under the table and witness the performance of the instrument4 ,the writer availed himself of this permission1 but1 upon his looking below the table1 the musical sound ceased1 and no such sounds were heard during the period in which these observations were continued4 ,the ,medium remarked1 ,that is unaccountable2 there is no reason why you should not see it4 ,nevertheless1 the accordion did not produce any sound while the writer was looking at it4 ,professor ,thompson3 ,there is one point which was suggested at an earlier stage of the minutes1 and which is1 perhaps1 worthy of being recorded4 ,it is this4 ,at the time at which the slate was passed to the hand of ,mr4 ,sellers1 under the table1 the ,medium compelled me to sit around in a position different from that which ,i had occupied1 in order that1 in his operations1 he could move his arms and lower extremities as freely as he pleased4 ,dr4 ,leidy3 ,my own supposition is that1 when he played the accordion freely1 the ,medium made use of a little wire attached to a hook or something of that kind1 which he could hold by fastening it to his clothing4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,his method of manipulating the instrument was readily observable upon close attention4 ,the accordion was a small one of the kind which is easily procurable in the market4 7,resuming1 from notes73 ,the next meeting of the ,committee1 which was held on ,january #bfth1 at the ,girard ,house1 was an exceedingly important one1 because its result was absolutely negative4 ,there were present1 with the ,medium1 ,professor ,thompson1 ,mr4 ,furness and ,mr4 ,sellers4 ,two slates were lying on the table behind him4 ,the ,medium brought forward one of these1 wiped it1 laid a pencil on it1 and placed it under the table1 but without any result4 ,he said1 ,we must make a circle--that will have better effect4 ,he laid the slate back upon the table4 ,we then joined hands1 and1 after a time1 thinking that there was magnetic influence enough at work1 the ,medium reached back and took the second slate--not the first one--brought that forward and put it under the table4 ,mr4 ,sellers asked the ,medium1 ,dr4 ,slade1 will you allow me to see that slate8 ,the reply was1 ,no1 not now2 the conditions are not favorable4 ,the ,medium seemed rather embarrassed1 and apparently regretted his reply4 ,he laid the second slate back upon the table1 in its former position1 but further back4 ,we then again formed a circle1 when he seemed to hesitate a moment as to the better course for him to pursue4 ,he then reached back1 grasped the first slate1 and with a sponge washed off both of its sides1 though there had been no writing upon either2 and then he brought forward the second slate1 with the top side upward1 and washed that side1 though there was no occasion for the washing1 as there was no writing upon that side4 ,turning the slate over1 he began washing the back of it without showing the face of the slate1 and finally laid it down4 ,mr4 ,furness here stated that he observed1 at the time1 that the face of the slate contained writing4 ,professor ,thompson here remarked that the ,medium had evidently appreciated the fact that he had been caught4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,that fact was plainly apparent4 ,mr4 ,fullerton here remarked that at the sance reported by him1 soon after the members were seated1 the ,medium reached behind his 7the ,medium's7 position to get one of the slates placed near him1 and accidentally turned up one1 the back of which was covered with writing1 whereupon he coolly remarked1 ',that is the wrong slate4' ,mr4 ,fullerton added that he did not at the time think of connecting this accidental exposure with what the ,medium was then doing1 and suggested that possibly this exposure prevented ,dr4 ,slade's use of this method at the sance reported by him1 as it would seem that none of the communications produced on that occasion were of the sort produced by substitution of slates4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,the methods of this ,medium's operations appear to me to be perfectly transparent1 and ,i wish to say emphatically that ,i am astonished beyond expression at the confidence of this man in his ability to deceive1 and at the recklessness of the risks which he assumes in his deceptions1 which are practiced in the most barefaced manner4 ,the only reason of our having any so-called 'manifestations' under the circumstances was because of the fact that the ,committee had agreed in advance to be entirely passive1 and to acquiesce in every condition imposed4 ,at the meeting here spoken of1 ,i said to ,dr4 ,slade1 ',you see that we do not attempt to exercise any deleterious influence2 what we want is the truth1 the simple truth1 and we try to exert no influence which would tend to impair the success of your operations4' ,the reply of the ,medium was1 ',no1 ,i know that you do not2 but sometimes the ,spirits will work and sometimes they will not work4' ,we had no writings in any part of that sitting--everything failed4 ,mr4 ,furness3 ,we did not have even raps4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,we did not have even raps4 ,there was no sound of any character2 the day was absolutely fruitless of any result4 ,disgusted with this evident failure1 the ,medium decided to close the sance4 ,he was asked1 among other things1 if he would write on double closed-up slates4 ,he replied that he would not write upon them for the reason that the ,spirits had forbidden him to do so2 that they had said they would not write on sealed slates1 because many tricks had been played on them1 one of which was the writing in advance of foolish and obscene matter1 which1 when the slates were opened1 was attributed to the ,spirits4 ,i said to him1 ',would there be any objection by the ,spirits to the use of the slates if these are brought here1 opened and exhibited before you prior to their being used8' ,he replied1 ',i have been forbidden to write upon sealed slates2 the ,spirits tell me that if ,i disobey them they will not write for me any more4' ,professor ,thompson3 ,yes1 ,i heard that statement1 that it was forbidden to bring them or to offer the sealed slates to the ,spirits4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7resuming from notes73 ,as ,i have stated1 the result of the meeting of the #bfth inst4 was entirely negative4 ,that on the #bgth was the last sitting4 ,there were then present3 ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,mr4 ,furness and ,mr4 ,sellers--,dr4 ,pepper occupying the seat originally occupied by ,professor ,thompson1 to the right of the ,medium4 ,all the manifestations that were made on that day were so similar1 as far as writings and questions were concerned1 to those that preceded them that it is scarcely necessary to make notes of them4 ,two or three rather remarkable things occurred4 ,for instance1 almost at the beginning of the sitting1 ,dr4 ,slade exhibited both sides of two slates to show that neither side contained any writing1 and then placed a piece of pencil on one slate1 and1 covering it with the other one1 held the two together between the thumb and finger of his right hand1 and placed them upon ,dr4 ,pepper's shoulder near the back of that gentleman's head4 ,the covering of slate answered the same purpose which a table would have answered1 and prevented those present from observing the operation4 ,he frequently repeated the words1 ',the ,spirits will write upon the slate4' ,he held the slate in this position for some time1 but there was no writing upon it4 ,he then placed both slates upon the table before him1 side by side4 ,taking in his right hand the slate which was towards his left hand1 he placed a bit of pencil upon it1 held it under the table1 and said1 ',will the ,spirits write upon this slate8' ,he then added1 ',i feel a sort of drawing1 a something which seems to pull the slate down underneath the table4 ,that often occurs4' ,i may here remark that1 at the other sittings1 the same expression was made use of at times1 accompanied by the thrusting of the slate some distance under the table4 ,the statement was that the slate seemed to be drawn some distance over to the person opposite the ,medium4 ,a sound was heard1 and upon the ,medium bringing the slate out from under the table1 a zig-zag line appeared upon the slate with the pencil at the end of the line4 ,the ,medium remarked1 ',that is something4' ,then laying the slate upon the slate to his right hand1 with a sponge wiped off the top of it1 but did not show what was on the underside of it4 ,he then placed his thumb beneath the slates1 and turned them in such a way that the left hand1 or top slate1 came to be the one furthest from him as it was held behind ,dr4 ,pepper's head4 ,when holding it in that position for a moment1 a scratching sound was heard in answer to the question1 ',will the ,spirits endeavor to write on the slate thus held8' ,a rap followed the sound of the writing4 ,the slates were then taken down1 and the top slate taken off4 ,upon what had previously been the top slate was written the words1 ',yes1 we will try4' ,mr4 ,furness 7interposing73 ,that was one of the neatest things he did4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,my habits of observation have been trained in this kind of work1 and ,i watched the slates intently during the process4 ,subsequently certain raps were audible1 when the ,medium called the attention of ,dr4 ,pepper to the fact that some of the raps were made upon the chair on which the ,doctor was seated4 ,it was very evident that the raps were1 in fact1 made on that chair2 there was no doubt about that at all4 ,throughout this entire sitting the ,medium complained sadly of his physical disability4 ,he said that he was afraid that he was going to lose the power of his right side1 that he was becoming numb all over4 ,the peculiar symptoms which he described will be reported upon in the observations of ,dr4 ,pepper1 by whom they were noted4 7,mr4 ,furness here stated that the notes of ,dr4 ,pepper would be read later in the evening47 ,mr4 ,sellers 7continuing73 ,the ,medium did very little more in the way of writing4 ,he repeated some few of the experiments previously made1 such as the throwing off of the pencil4 ,he declined to play upon the accordion1 as the instrument had been broken4 ,at this meeting two pocket compasses1 one brought by ,mr4 ,furness and the other by ,mr4 ,sellers1 were placed at a point near the circle of the hands in order to observe whether any deflection from the magnetic course occurred4 ,no such result was noted4 ,no change whatsoever in the needles was observed other than that which was caused by a vibration due to shakings of the table4 ,from time to time the ,medium would call attention to one of the needles with the remark1 ',there1 one of those needles is moving now4' ,in point of fact1 the needle at the time would show no motion other than that caused by the jarring of the table4 ,the ,medium went on to say that frequently1 under like circumstances1 when placed close together1 he had seen two needles point around in opposite directions4 ,this might have been true1 in the present instance1 if the ,medium had placed a magnet attached to his foot at a point at which it would have been between the two needles4 ,its effect would have been just the one which he has described4 ,no such result was noticeable during our observations4 ,a large part of the sitting was devoted to the discussion of the ,zoellner experiments1 the ,medium narrating some of the phenomena that had been witnessed in the presence of ,dr4 ,zoellner4 ,he said1 however1 that ,zoellner was a peculiarly impressible person1 and one who had entire confidence in his 7the ,medium's7 ability4 ,before the conclusion of the sance1 the writer 7,mr4 ,sellers7 asked the ,medium if he was acquainted with the methods of operation of any conjurors4 ,the ,medium replied that he did not know many of them1 but he always liked to have conjurors at his sittings1 as they produced a very good influence upon him4 ,at this point the following colloquy ensued3 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,do you know a man named ,kellar1 who is exhibiting in this city8 ,dr4 ,slade3 ,i do not4 ,i never knew him4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,you may1 however1 be able to explain to me a very remarkable slate-writing experiment which ,kellar has performed4 ,i will state the details of it4 ,mr4 ,sellers here described at length ,mr4 ,kellar's trick with the fastened slates1 and in concluding1 asked3 ,how did ,mr4 ,kellar do that8 ,dr4 ,slade3 ,he is a ,medium4 ,he does that work precisely as ,i do it4 ,mr4 ,sellers3 ,but can he not do it by trickery8 ,dr4 ,slade3 ,no it is impossible4 ,he is a ,medium1 and a powerful ,medium4 7,mr4 ,sellers continued the reading of his transcript1 as follows73 ,then ,i described to the ,medium an experiment by ,kellar in lifting a table ostensibly merely by laying his hands upon it1 and ,i detailed his explanation of how deceptions might occur1 his custom of pulling up his sleeves and exhibiting his hands to the audience4 ,i added1 that he had done the same thing with a chair4 ,dr4 ,slade3 ,i do that thing1 too4 ,i will show you how ,i do it the next time4 ,he does it as ,i do it4 ,he is a ,medium4 7,mr4 ,sellers here paused to make the following verbal explanation73 ,i pause here for the express purpose of having the fact noted that1 being thoroughly familiar with the details of the methods of these experiments1 ,i can positively assure the ,committee that there is no ,mediumistic power in ,mr4 ,kellar1 so far as his methods are concerned1 that those methods are as easy of solution as are any other physical problems4 7,resuming1 from notes73 ,the inquiry was then addressed to ,dr4 ,slade1 ',do you know a man named ,guernella who1 with his wife1 gave sances8' ',yes1' he replied1 ',i know him very well4' ',well1 how does he perform his wonderful exploits in rappings1 etc48' ',he is a ,medium1 a powerful ,medium4 ,i know him very well indeed4 ,i can assure you that all that he does is done solely by means of his ,mediumistic powers4' ,i now state to the ,committee that the ,guernellas exhibited in ,philadelphia some years ago as exposers of ,spiritualism4 ,they did not expose it1 but they performed experiments which1 prior to that time1 were said to have been accomplished by the aid of ,spirits4 ,guernella himself1 at my house1 in my presence1 in broad daylight1 performed all the feats and exhibited the phenomena that were produced at the dark and other sances1 and he repeated them until ,i myself became as expert as he in performing them2 for which ,i paid him a consideration4 ,so much for the ,mediumistic power4 7,resuming1 from notes73 ,before the close of this last sance1 a letter was read to ,dr4 ,slade by ,mr4 ,furness1 to which the ,medium was requested to make reply at his convenience2 the object was to preserve evidence of the fact that the ,medium had stated that all the sances must be held under his conditions--that if the ,committee deviated in the slightest degree from the conditions imposed by him 7,dr4 ,slade7 he would 'pack up his traps and clear out4' ,the letter and reply will be found annexed to this ,record4 ,at the end of this sance1 the sum agreed upon1 three hundred dollars1 was paid to the ,medium in three one-hundred-dollar bills4 ,he was asked to sign a receipt for that amount1 but his nervousness was such as to make this a task of some difficulty4 ,he made many attempts to grasp the pen presented to him1 but his hand shrank from it4 ,at last1 by a violent effort1 and conquering the emotions that overcame him1 the ,medium grasped the pen and wrote the receipt4 ,the extreme trepidation of ,dr4 ,slade was possibly due to the unexpected displacement of two covered slates which he had left standing on the floor1 resting against the leg of the small table at his back1 and which ,mr4 ,furness had overturned with his foot1 the result being that at least two of the members of the ,committee were apprised1 by the quantity of writing on one of the slates1 that it was ready for immediate use4 ,mr4 ,sellers 7aside73 ,i saw the writing on the slates4 ,it had manifestly been prepared for use by the ,medium1 and up to the moment of its discovery had been carefully kept completely covered4 ,mr4 ,furness here read to the ,committee the following3 ,before ,dr4 ,slade came to ,philadelphia to meet this ,commission1 ,i was told by a valued ,correspondent1 an eminent ,spiritualist1 that much of ,dr4 ,slade's success in ,spiritual manifestations would depend on the way in which he was treated1 and that he should be met in a cordial1 friendly spirit4 ,as this was but natural1 and as ,dr4 ,slade's life has been passed among extraordinary scenes the world over1 which makes him an entertaining companion1 it gave me pleasure to extend to him what little courtesies lay in my power1 asking him to dine with me during his visit1 and to spend the evenings at my house1 if the time hung heavy on his hands at his hotel4 ,he dined with me several times1 and ,i consequently saw more of him than did the other ,commissioners4 ,i told him more than once that1 as a ,commissioner1 ,i should watch him with lynx eyes1 and he always gave a laughing assent4 ,i furthermore never concealed from him that he had1 by no means1 converted me to ,spiritualism4 ,i last saw him in ,boston1 when1 as ,i was passing along ,shawmut ,avenue1 ,i caught sight of him at a window2 he eagerly beckoned me to come in1 and1 as ,i settled myself in a chair1 ,i said to him1 ',well1 and how are the old ,spirits coming on8' ,whereupon he laughed and replied1 ',oh1 pshaw6 you never believed in them1 did you8'--,april1 #ahhg4 ,i had several sances with him in afternoons after the sances with the ,commission1 when ,i was accompanied by my mother1 my sister1 and by several friends2 of course1 only by one or two others at a time4 ,it would be superfluous to rehearse here at length what ,mr4 ,sellers has set before you much better than ,i can1 the steps to the conclusion to which we all arrived3 that the long messages were written beforehand4 ,the difference between them and the short answers to questions asked at the sance1 in the character of the handwriting1 is too manifest and too obtrusively patent to be disregarded4 ,in the long message from ',william ,clark' on the slate which we have preserved and had photographed1 ',paul's injunction' is carefully included within quotation marks4 ,the short answers to questions were scarcely legible1 and at times could be deciphered only by help of the ,medium himself4 7,this illegible handwriting is not without its use2 it engrosses the attention of the sitters47 ,it follows1 therefore1 that1 if prepared slates are to be used1 they must be adroitly substituted for others1 which the sitters know to be clean4 ,the question is thus narrowed to one of pure legerdemain1 and the ,medium must necessarily have several slates at hand4 ,when two slates only are used1 the prepared slate is usually lying on the table when the sitters take their seats4 ,no attention is called to it1 and some little time is taken in conversation1 and in the spasmodic jerking caused by 'electric currents'2 in a few minutes the slate pencil is placed on the slate2 no offer is made of showing both sides1 which would be quite needless1 since the side which is exposed is perfectly clean1 and it is on that side which the ,spirits are expected to write2 the slate is kept almost constantly and wholly in full view and but very slightly inserted beneath the table4 ,after an interval of waiting1 during which1 by constantly looking at the slate as though impatient for the writing to begin1 whereby his sitters become accustomed to the appearance and disappearance of the slate1 the ,medium reaches for a second slate1 ostentatiously washes both sides1 lays it on the table1 removes the pencil from the first slate to the second1 and places over it the first slate with its prepared message1 face downward1 and the trick is done4 ,the two slates are held for a minute under the table1 and are then held to the ear or on the shoulder of the sitter on the ,medium's right hand--never to any other sitter1 since to do so would reveal the scratching of the ,medium's finger-nail on the rim of the slate1 whereby the writing of the pencil within the slates is counterfeited4 ,i have distinctly1 three or four times1 watched the motion of the ,medium's finger while thus scratching2 as ,i sat facing the window the fingers which held the slate and made the fictitious writing were sharply outlined against the light4 ,and here let me say that he who sits on the ,medium's left hand1 the side to which he turns almost his full back1 has the best position for observation4 ,he told me many times that he did not like to have three sitters1 but much preferred only two2 at the third side1 when unoccupied1 wonderful manifestations occur1 such as a chair's elevation1 or being thrown down1 or the appearance of the unsupported slate1 etc4 ,these manifestations are executed by the ,medium's foot1 and lest its motions under the table should be detected1 the longitudinal cracks where the two table-leaves join1 were carefully stuffed with paper1 although1 to be sure1 he once explained to me the presence of this paper as necessary to keep 'the electricity from flowing through4' ,although ,dr4 ,slade had agreed verbally in ,new ,york that the last sance of the series should be in the presence of all the ,commission1 he flatly refused1 when in ,philadelphia1 to hold any in the presence of more than three at a time4 ,on one occasion1 when the ,medium was very sure of his sitters1 he placed the prepared slate1 face downwards1 on the table1 with his fingers resting on the upper surface1 then in a few minutes the slate was lifted up and the writing displayed1 as though just made by ,spiritual agency4 ,generally1 however1 when the writing is thus exhibited1 it is in answer to a spoken question1 and the reply is written by the ,medium in his lap and the slate turned over before it is placed on the table4 ,manifestly it cannot occur as an answer to a written question1 unless the written question is exposed on the upper side of the slate4 ,how the scratching of the slate pencil is produced when the slate is lying on the table 7,i have been told that the sound is heard then7 ,i cannot possibly explain1 for the plain reason that ,i am too deaf to hear it1 and ,i was1 therefore1 never on the watch for anything unusual4 7,nor did ,i ever hear the sound of writing when the slate was held on the shoulder of my opposite neighbor1 but ,i could see1 and ,i knew what was going on1 for the slate had once been placed on my own shoulder47 ,when three slates are used1 the third1 and prepared1 slate1 is either on the little table behind him or on the floor resting against the supports of this little table4 ,in either case he seizes the opportunity when his sitters are engrossed with an answer just given to a question1 to substitute one of the slates which he has been using1 and which he has just before ostentatiously washed on both sides1 for the prepared slate4 ,this ,i have distinctly seen him do twice1 and once when ,i had arisen from my seat to read an answer on the slate1 held by ,mr4 ,sellers1 ,i noticed when ,i resumed my seat that a certain slate which ,i had been watching was gone from where it had been resting against the leg of the little table1 and we then immediately had the long message between closed slates4 ,this was the 'inferential' substitution referred to on page #ei of this ,appendix4 ,the slate which we have preserved and had photographed ,i saw him take from the table at his back4 ,next1 as to his answers to questions4 ,i became so familiar with his methods in this department that ,i could have told at almost any instant what he was doing4 ,after the question has been written the slate is handed to him face downward4 ,a piece of pencil is then placed on the slate near the edge of the slate farthest from the ,medium's hand as it holds the slate2 of course1 as the writing is to be done under cover of the table1 and as the ,medium's hand or wrist is supposed to be always visible1 the pencil must be far under the table4 ,the awkwardness1 therefore1 must be overcome of having to reach or grope after it before the slate can be turned over1 which it must be in order to enable the ,medium to read the question on the under side4 ,this difficulty is surmounted by constantly bringing out the slate and looking at it to see if any answer has appeared4 ,by this manoeuvre a double end is attained2 first1 it creates an atmosphere of expectation1 and the sitters grow accustomed to a good deal of motion in the arm that holds the slate2 and secondly1 by constantly moving the slate the fragment of pencil 7which1 be it noted1 having been extracted from those slate pencils which are enclosed in wood1 like lead pencils1 is square in shape and remains stationary on the spot to which it is moved71 this pencil1 ,i repeat1 is moved up to the side of the slate within reach of a thumb and finger2 when this is done1 it is dexterously seized by the ,medium1 who is in turn at that instant seized by violent 'electric shocks1' under cover of which the slate is turned and generally placed between his knees1 only once ,i think did he rest it on his knee1 and once ,i think he pressed it against the table2 then he reads the question4 ,and here he shows his nerve4 ,it is the critical instant of the sitting1 it is the only instant when his eyes are not fastened on his sitters1 and ,i confess that his coolness won my admiration4 ,on one occasion1 when the question was written in a back-hand with a very light stroke and close to the upper edge of the slate1 he looked at it three several times before he could read it4 ,moreover1 it was a question out of the common1 relating to the species of a hawk and not to a ,spirit1 and required an intelligent and definite answer4 ,the hastiness of his reading may be inferred by the frequency with which merely the initials of the ,spirit friend are given in the answer4 ,after reading the question1 ,i noticed that ,dr4 ,slade winks rapidly three or four times in a sort of mental abstraction1 ,i suppose1 while thinking out an answer1 but he always breathes freer when this crisis is passed1 and the violent convulsions are over1 which attend his hurried writing and the re-turning of the slate4 ,his eyes can now be fixed in turn on each of his sitters1 and he can rest a minute or two4 7,one one occasion ,i saw the slate as he held it between his index and second finger1 his index-finger and thumb held the slate pencil47 ,presently1 the slate is held near to the edge of the table1 and a tremulous motion is given to it as though the writing were then going on4 ,on one occasion1 when ,i knew he was about to use the prepared slate 7,professor ,thompson will remember what ,i am about to relate71 ,i suggested that we should use a perfectly fresh pencil1 so that we could be sure that that very pencil had done the writing4 ,i was very curious to know how he would evade the test4 ,the slate was held close to the under side of the table 7the new pencil debarred him from using the double slate72 when the writing was finished the slate was slapped violently against the table1 and was drawn from underneath it--apparently with very great difficulty1 and almost perpendicularly--and the little pencil1 of course1 slipped off1 and in the excitement of reading the message from the ',summer-land1' who would think of looking for the pencil8 ,it was so clever ,i wanted to applaud him on the spot4 ,the other tricks1 such as tossing the pencil from the slate and playing the accordion1 can be perfectly explained and repeated by ,mr4 ,sellers4 ,dr4 ,slade's fingers are unusually long and strong1 and the accordion1 which has but four bellows-folds1 can be readily manipulated with one hand4 ,at our last sance ,i noticed what were evidently two prepared slates resting against the support of the table behind him1 where his prepared slates usually stood4 ,i inferred that he would like to have some extraordinary slate writing on this occasion1 and1 therefore1 kept a sharp watch on these slates4 ,unfortunately it was too sharp1 for one second the ,medium saw me looking at them4 ,it was enough4 ,that detected look prevented the revelation of those elaborate ,spirit messages4 ,but when the sance was over and he was signing the receipt for his money1 ,i passed round behind his chair and pushed these slates with my foot so as to make them fall over1 whereupon the writing on one of them was distinctly revealed4 ,i think ,dr4 ,pepper and ,mr4 ,sellers will recall how the ,medium instantly pushed his chair back until it was fairly over the slates and then snatched them up1 and in the most hurried manner washed them both while turning his back to us4 ,two compasses1 which we placed on the table during our sance1 remained unaffected by the ,medium's presence4 ,during one sitting1 when the ,spirits conveyed the slates from the ,medium's hand under the table to the hand of the opposite sitter1 the latter failed twice to grasp the slate in time1 and it fell to the floor with a crash4 ,each time it behoved me to pick up the slate 7both the other sitters were women71 but the second time ,i stooped with the greatest alacrity and looked not at the slate but at the ,medium's foot1 which ,i saw just entering his slipper1 into which it most hastily settled4 ,i think ,dr4 ,slade's personal appearance noteworthy1 and shall endeavor to obtain a photograph of him for preservation in our ,records4 ,he is probably six feet in height1 with a figure of unusual symmetry1 his hands are large but shapely1 the nail of the second finger of his right hand is rather longer than the others1 and appeared in the centre to be slightly split and worn4 ,his face would1 ,i think1 attract notice anywhere for its uncommon beauty4 ,he has a small1 curling1 dark moustache1 and short1 crisp1 iron-grey hair1 of a texture exceeding in fineness any that ,i have ever seen on a man's head4 ,his eyes are dark1 and the circles around them very dark1 but their expression is painful4 ,i could not divest myself of the feeling that it was that of a hunted animal or of a haunted man4 ,the color on his cheeks is very bright1 but it is said to be artificial4 ,he complained bitterly of ill-health and of water around his heart1 which he said at times he could hear and feel swashing about4 ,a noteworthy man in every aspect4 ,mr4 ,furness then read to the ,committee the following3 ,memorandum by ,dr4 ,wm4 ,pepper of an interview with ,dr4 ,slade on the morning of the #bgth ,january1 with ,mr4 ,furness and ,mr4 ,sellers4 #ahaa ,spruce ,street1 ,philadelphia4 ,he complained immediately and very frequently of his right side1 saying it felt weak and numb1 and he was sure he was going to be paralyzed4 ,careful observation showed that the right side was fully developed1 the color of the right hand normal and the same as that of the left1 and that the right arm1 foot and leg were unusually supple and moveable4 ,during the sitting ,i saw him deliberately kick my chair three 7#c7 times with the side of his right foot1 while attracting my attention to the scraping noises of the slate he was holding to my left ear2 and again1 when soft raps were heard and felt under the table1 just beneath one of my hands1 and at about the distance from him to which his leg would reach1 ,i saw distinct movements of rotation of his thigh1 as though he were producing these sounds by the ball of the toe striking under the table at that point4 ,february #fth1 #ahhe4 ,mr4 ,sellers offered the following resolution1 which was adopted unanimously3 ,resolved1 ,that the reports of the ,slade sances held in ,philadelphia1 as described by ,messrs4 ,fullerton1 ,furness1 ,pepper and ,sellers1 are in accordance with the observations of each of the members of the ,commission who were present4 ,after a short ,business ,meeting the ,commission adjourned4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following correspondence explains itself3 ,,philadelphia1 ,january #bfth1 #ahhe4 ,,dear ,,dr4 ,,slade3--,i think you need no assurance that the ,seybert ,investigating ,committee have been anxious to deal with you in the fairest spirit of impartial1 unbiased1 scientific investigation1 and ,i think you will bear witness to their uniformly considerate courtesy throughout our intercourse4 ,you know how very deaf ,i am1 and do not therefore need to be reminded that one should trust scarcely more to what a deaf man hears than to what a blind man sees4 ,wherefore1 ,i want you1 for my sake1 and that the ,committee may feel sure of their ground1 to confirm in writing what you have more than once said to me1 namely1 that the ,committee must conform to the conditions which the ,spirits impose2 that you cannot consent to submit to any tests1 and that rather than do so you will return at once to ,new ,york2 that we must accept the manifestations as given by the ,spirits2 and that1 since these manifestations are the result of a gradual growth1 it is impossible1 in the space of six sances1 to repeat or to verify ,professor ,zoellner's experiments2 and1 lastly1 that1 if on your return to ,new ,york1 the ,spirits so authorize it1 you will be willing1 if desired1 to make arrangements for another series of sances with us of a higher order of manifestations4 ,i remain respectfully1 ,your obedient servant1 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness1 ,acting ,chairman ,seybert ,commission4 ,no4 #aa ,e4 #acth ,street1 ,n4,y41 ,february #dth1 #ahhe4 ,,dear ,,mr4 ,,furness3--,i take this opportunity to express to you1 and through you to the other members of the ,seybert ,commission1 my hearty approval of the course pursued by them in their investigation of phenomena occurring in my presence4 ,fully realizing that ,i am only the instrument or channel through which these manifestations are produced1 it would be presumption on my part to undertake to lay down a line to be followed by the unseen intelligences1 whose servant ,i am4 ,hence1 ,i did say their conditions must be acceded to or ,i would return to ,new ,york4 ,that they did so1 is evident to my mind from the results obtained1 which ,i regard as a necessary preliminary to a continuation1 when other experiments may be introduced with better prospects of success4 ,it may be well not to insist on following the exact course pursued by ,professor ,zoellner1 but leave it open to original or impromptu suggestions that may be adopted without previous consideration1 which1 if successful1 would be of equal value as evidence of its genuineness1 at the same time give greater breadth to the experiments4 ,in conclusion1 allow me to say that in the event of the ,committee desiring to continue these experiments through another series of sittings with me1 it will give me pleasure to enter into arrangements for that purpose4 ,very truly yours1 ,,henry ,,slade4 99 99 99 99 99 ,february #acth1 #ahhe4 ,on ,february #acth1 #ahhe1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,professor ,thompson and ,mr4 ,fullerton1 on the part of the ,commission1 met ,mr4 ,harry ,kellar1 a professional conjurer1 at ,egyptian ,hall4 ,the men seated themselves at a common pine table1 #e ft4 x #c ft41 with leaves4 ,mr4 ,kellar sat at one side of the table1 ,mr4 ,furness at one end to his left1 ,professor ,thompson at one corner to ,mr4 ,furness's left1 and ,mr4 ,fullerton opposite ,mr4 ,kellar4 ,the end of the table to ,mr4 ,kellar's right was unoccupied4 ,nine slates were found lying on a small stand about six feet from the table4 ,these slates were washed one by one on the stand1 and laid in a pile on the table at ,mr4 ,kellar's right4 ,a slate was taken from the pile1 both sides washed1 another slate placed upon it1 and both held together under the edge of the table4 ,a long communication appeared upon one of them 7or what seemed to be one of them71 purporting to come from the ,spirits4 ,two more slates were taken and apparently both sides washed4 ,one was placed on the other and both laid upon the table in front of ,professor ,thompson1 one end of the slates being held by him and the other by ,mr4 ,kellar4 ,when the upper slate was removed the under side of it was covered with writing4 ,professor ,thompson then changed his position to that which he held when with ,dr4 ,slade--to the end of the table opposite ,mr4 ,furness1 and to ,mr4 ,kellar's right4 ,writing was produced in similar manner on two other slates without the ,committee detecting the manner in which it was produced4 ,one of these slates was covered on both sides with the following messages3 ,on voyage tout veill dans le royaume des rves et des illusions2 l'esprit se refuse admettre les merveilles executes dans une salle clair devant un public incrdule qui cherche s'expliquer les trucs employs deviner les-- ,kellar huye del espiritismo porque ya pas la poca de ella1 y solo d el ejercicio carcter de prestidigitacion4 ,het blyfft onbegrypelyk hoe de heer ,kellar die door twee personen uit het publiek stevigwordt vast gebonden1 zich in een oogwenk wist los te maken ,here follow1 in eight lines1 sentences for which we have no types1 in ,chinese1 ,japanese1 ,arabic1 and ,gujerati4 ,this remarkable feat closes with the following in ,german script3 ,ich bin ein ,geist und ich liebe mein ,lagerbier--,hans ,schneider4 ,von ,moltke4 ,one slate was broken in a similar way to that broken by ,dr4 ,slade4 ,professor ,thompson was asked to write a question1 which he did while the side of the slate on which he wrote was turned away from ,mr4 ,kellar4 ,the slate was not turned over1 the written question remaining on the under side1 and it was held at the usual place under the table1 ,mr4 ,kellar's thumb remaining above the table in full view1 while the fingers held the slate up under the table4 ,a moment after the placing of the slate under the table1 it was withdrawn to admit of a small pencil being placed upon it1 ,mr4 ,furness having remarked the absence of the pencil4 ,the slate was not otherwise withdrawn from under the table above two inches until its final withdrawal1 and the question was always1 seemingly1 on the under side4 ,when the slate was brought out a communication was found upon it in answer to ,professor ,thompson's question4 ,the answer was on the upper side of the slate4 ,april1 #ahhg3 ,mr4 ,kellar afterwards revealed his methods to our colleague1 ,mr4 ,furness4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,february #aith1 #ahhe4 ,the ,commission met on ,thursday1 ,february #aith1 #ahhe1 at #h ,p4,m41 at the house of ,mr4 ,furness1 to attend a sance in the presence of ,mrs4 ,maud ,e4 ,lord4 ,all of the ,commission were present1 and there were present also1 at the request of the ,medium1 several friends of members of the ,commission1 both men and women4 ,there were in all eighteen persons present beside the ,medium2 these seated themselves1 as directed by the ,medium1 in a circle1 which was about six or seven feet in diameter2 the ,medium took her seat in the centre4 ,the lights having been put out1 the ,medium drew her chair to one side of the circle1 placing her feet in contact with those of one of the persons in the circle4 ,those composing the circle linked hands1 while the ,medium had her hands free4 ,the ,medium described a number of ,spirit forms as coming to those present--to one a little child1 to another an old man with white hair1 etc4 ,the descriptions were in general vague and indefinite1 and might have applied to many persons4 ,nevertheless1 they were in very many cases wide of the mark4 ,sometimes a father1 a mother1 or other relation was described as present4 ,in some cases the death of such relations was acknowledged by the person to whom the ,medium addressed herself1 but in other cases the relation in question had not died1 or1 as in the case of a child or brother--had not existed4 ,to give an instance of the ,medium's inaccuracy3 ,mr4 ,fullerton's grandfather was described as coming to him1 and the ,medium1 describing the form1 added that ,mr4 ,fullerton was not familiar with it1 as his grandfather had died while he was a young man1 and had had but little intercourse with him4 ,both ,mr4 ,fullerton's grandfathers died some years before he was born4 ,many other descriptions were quite as erroneous4 ,sometimes a form was described as coming to one person in the circle and not being recognized by that one1 was referred to the next2 described as standing between them1 etc4 ,the number of successes1 compared with the number of failures1 was not striking4 ,whispers were heard--one at a time--always at a point in the circle at a distance from that at which the ,medium was just after the whisper heard to speak to some one in her natural voice4 ,the whispers were never simultaneous with the remark afterward made by the ,medium4 ,in the short interval between the whisper and the succeeding remark by the ,medium1 ,i distinctly heard1 on many occasions1 a rustle of clothing1 and once or twice a slight creak of the chair1 as though the ,medium had moved her body from one side to the other1 which she could easily have done without taking her feet away from those of the person she faced4 ,upon one of those present inquiring why the whisper always sounded as if made by the same voice1 the ,medium stated that the whisper did always sound the same1 and that she was sorry to have to add1 that it always sounded as if made by the voice of the ,medium4 ,upon one occasion a light appeared and reappeared two or three times in front of the ,medium1 passing from near her knee up for a foot or two4 ,the light was indistinct1 apparently phosphorescent1 and passed so quickly that it could not be examined4 ,it was described by the ,medium1 however1 as a form of a child from the ,spirit world4 ,those present changed their seats during the sance1 as suggested1 but without producing more satisfactory results4 ,the sance lasted about two hours4 ,at ,mrs4 ,lord's own suggestion before the sance1 two women present took the ,medium into another room1 and searched her clothes4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,february #bjth1 #ahhe4 ,the ,commission met on ,friday1 ,february #bjth1 #ahhe1 at #h ,p4,m41 again at the house of ,mr4 ,furness1 to attend a second sance in the presence of ,mrs4 ,lord4 ,on the part of the ,commission were present ,mr4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,sellers and ,mr4 ,fullerton4 ,there were also present several women and men1 some of whom had been present at the previous sitting4 ,the circle1 when formed1 was about six feet in diameter4 ,a ring was given by the ,medium to ,mr4 ,sellers and another to ,miss ,logan to wear during the evening1 with the expectation that they might be taken by the ,spirits and passed to another person in the circle1 in accordance with the unexpressed wish of the one holding the ring4 ,this was not done during the evening4 ,a small musical-box was also given to one of the women to hold1 and a zither placed upon the lap of a man4 ,the former was1 during the sance1 taken from the woman holding it1 and passed to another person in the circle4 ,the ,medium sat as before1 with her hands free1 while those in the circle clasped hands1 as was done on the former evening1 each one having his left wrist grasped by the right hand of his neighbor1 or vice versa4 ,the zither was undisturbed during the evening4 ,touches were felt here and there on the knees of those in the circle1 and whispers were again heard from time to time4 ,the whispers were1 as before1 never simultaneous with the speeches of the ,medium1 which were heard just after in another part of the circle4 ,i distinctly noticed1 on several occasions1 the same rustle1 as of a change of position on the part of the ,medium1 between the whisper and the remark by the ,medium4 ,many ,spirit forms were described by the ,medium as coming to those present1 with about the same proportion of success as on the former evening4 ,at various times during the sitting1 lights were seen1 which appeared and disappeared rapidly4 ,they were indistinct and phosphorescent--such as can be produced in a dark room by rubbing a match-head1 or by exhibiting an object rubbed with a match4 ,the lights--at least all that were clearly seen by several persons--were within the circle and about the ,medium4 ,occasionally the ,medium spoke of lights as without the circle1 and one or two of those present 7not members of the ,commission7 assented4 ,but1 as on two such occasions1 when those opposite myself described the light as above and behind me1 ,i saw it above and in front of me1 or between me and the ,medium2 there is no reason to believe that they were not deceived by the difficulty of judging of the distance of an indistinct and evanescent appearance in a quite dark place4 ,the direction1 but not the distance1 can in such a case be readily known4 ,after a sitting of about two hours1 the attempt to produce more striking phenomena was abandoned4 ,during both sances ,mrs4 ,lord kept up an almost continuous clapping of hands--the noise was not loud1 but sufficient to aid in hiding any rustle of the ,medium's dress1 or creaking of a chair4 ,the ,medium also talked constantly4 ,at the suggestion of the ,medium those present joined in singing on two occasions4 ,the whisper heard in the circle was uniformly hoarse4 ,a list of those present at these sances and the names of the ladies who searched the ,medium1 are appended3 ,those present at ,mrs4 ,lord's sance on ,thursday were3 ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,pepper1 ,professor and ,mrs4 ,fullerton1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,sellers1 ,professor and ,mrs4 ,thompson1 ,geo4 ,s4 ,pepper1 ,mr4 ,leonard1 ,miss ,m4,m4 ,logan1 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,mrs4 ,a4,l4 ,wister1 ,miss ,agnes ,irwin1 ,walter ,r4 ,furness1 ,dr4 ,c4,b4 ,knerr1 ,dr4 ,koenig1 ,dr4 ,h4,h4 ,furness4 ,those present at ,friday's sance were3 ,professor ,fullerton1 ,miss ,smith1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,sellers1 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,mr4 ,leonard1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,f4 ,furness1 ,mrs4 ,a4,l4 ,wister1 ,miss ,irwin and ,miss ,sophie ,irwin1 ,miss ,logan1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,f4,m4 ,dick1 ,mrs4 ,j4,e4 ,carpenter1 ,h4,h4 ,furness4 ,mrs4 ,a4,l4 ,wister1 ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,women ,searchers4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,may #bgth1 #ahhe4 ,on ,may #bgth1 ,the ,seybert ,commission held a meeting at the house of ,mr4 ,furness1 at #h ,p4,m41 to examine the phenomena occurring in the presence of ,mr4 ,pierre ,l4,o4,a4 ,keeler1 a professional ,medium4 ,there were present on the part of the ,commission1 ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,mr4 ,furness1 ,dr4 ,koenig1 ,dr4 ,white1 ,dr4 ,knerr1 ,mr4 ,sellers and ,mr4 ,fullerton4 ,the following friends of the ,commission were also present3 ,mr4 ,f4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,w4,r4 ,furness1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,foster ,kirk1 ,mr4 ,yost1 ,mrs4 ,e4,d4 ,gillespie1 ,miss ,gillespie1 ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,mitchell1 ,mrs4 ,c4,b4 ,rossell1 ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,mrs4 ,sellers1 ,mrs4 ,a4,l4 ,wister1 ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,knerr1 ,miss ,agnes ,irwin1 ,miss ,m4,m4 ,logan4 ,there were also present1 as introduced by the ,medium1 the ,medium's wife1 ,mrs4 ,keeler2 ,col4 ,s4,p4 ,kase and ,mrs4 ,kase1 and ,dr4 ,annie ,d4 ,ramburger4 ,the ,medium1 ,mr4 ,keeler1 is a young man1 apparently about thirty years of age1 with well cut features1 curly1 brown hair1 a small1 sandy moustache1 and rather worn and anxious expression2 he is strongly built1 about five feet eight inches high1 and with rather short1 quite broad1 and very muscular hands and strong wrists4 ,the hands were examined by ,dr4 ,pepper and ,mr4 ,fullerton after the sance4 ,the sance was held in ,mr4 ,furness's drawing-room1 and a space was curtained off by the ,medium in the north-east corner1 thus3 ,illustration ,the curtain is represented by a1 b2 c1 d and e are three chairs placed in front of the curtain by the ,medium1 in one of which 7e7 he afterwards sat2 g denotes the position of ,mrs4 ,keeler2 f is a small table1 placed within the curtain1 and upon which were a tambourine1 a guitar1 two bells1 a hammer1 a metallic ring2 the asterisks show the positions of the spectators1 who sat in a double row--the two marked 7#a7 and 7#b7 indicate the positions taken by ,mrs4 ,kase and ,col4 ,kase1 according to the directions of the ,medium4 ,the curtain1 or rather curtains1 were of black muslin1 and arranged as follows3 ,there was a plain black curtain1 which was stretched across the corner1 falling to the floor4 ,its height1 when in position1 was #ec inches2 it was made thus3 ,illustration ,the cord which held the curtain was #a1 #b1 and the flaps which are represented as standing above it 7a1 b1 c1 etc471 fell down over a'1 b'1 c'1 etc41 and could be made to cover the shoulders of one sitting with his back against the curtain4 ,a black curtain was also pinned against the wall1 in the space curtained off1 partly covering it4 ,another curtain was added to the one pictured1 as will be described later4 ,the ,medium then asked ,col4 ,kase to say a few words as to the necessity of observing the conditions1 need of harmony1 etc4 ,and then the ,medium himself spoke a few words of similar import4 ,he then drew the curtain 7shown on the preceding page7 along the cord 7#a1 #b7 and fastened it2 placed three wooden chairs in front of the curtain1 as indicated in the cut1 and saying he needed to form a battery1 asked ,miss ,agnes ,irwin to sit in chair 7d71 and ,mr4 ,yost in chair 7c71 the ,medium himself sitting in chair 7e74 ,a black curtain was then passed by ,mrs4 ,keeler over ,mr4 ,keeler1 ,miss ,irwin and ,mr4 ,yost1 being fastened at g1 between e and d1 between d and c1 and beyond a3 thus entirely covering the three sitting in front of the stretched curtain up to their necks2 and when the flaps before mentioned were pulled down over their shoulders1 nothing could be seen but the head of each4 ,before this last curtain was fastened over them1 the ,medium placed both his hands upon the forearm and wrist of ,miss ,irwin1 the sleeve being pulled up for the purpose1 and ,miss ,irwin grasped with her right hand the left wrist of ,mr4 ,yost2 his right hand being in sight to the right of the curtain4 ,after some piano-music1 the ,medium said he felt no power from this 'battery1' and asked ,mrs4 ,e4,d4 ,gillespie to take ,miss ,irwin's place4 ,hands and curtain were arranged as before4 ,the lights were turned down until the room was quite dim4 ,those present sang4 ,during the singing1 the ,medium turned to speak to ,mr4 ,yost1 and his body1 which had before faced rather away from the two other persons of the 'battery' 7which position would have brought his right arm out in front of the stretched curtain7--his body was now turned the other way1 so that1 had he released his grasp upon ,mrs4 ,gillespie's arm1 his own right arm could have had free play in the curtained space behind him4 ,his left knee also no longer stood out under the curtain in front1 but showed a change of position4 ,at this time ,mrs4 ,gillespie declared she felt a touch1 and soon after so did ,mr4 ,yost4 ,the ,medium's body was distinctly inclined toward ,mr4 ,yost at the time4 ,mrs4 ,gillespie said she felt taps1 but declared that1 to the best of her knowledge1 she still felt the ,medium's two hands upon her arm4 ,raps indicated that the ,spirit1 ,george ,christy1 was present4 ,as one of those present played on the piano1 the tambourine was played in the curtained space and thrown over the curtain2 bells were rung2 the guitar was thrummed a little4 ,at this time the ,medium's face was toward ,mrs4 ,gillespie1 and his right side toward the curtain4 ,his body was further in against the curtain than either of the others4 ,upon being asked1 ,mrs4 ,gillespie again said she thought she still felt two hands upon her arm4 ,the guitar was then thrust out1 at least the end of it was1 at the bottom of the curtain1 between ,mrs4 ,gillespie and the ,medium4 ,mrs4 ,keeler drew away the curtain from over the toes of the ,medium's boots1 to show where his feet were2 the guitar was thrummed a little4 ,had the ,medium's right arm been free1 the thrumming could have been done quite easily with one hand4 ,afterwards the guitar was elevated above the curtain2 the tambourine1 which was by ,mrs4 ,keeler placed upon a stick held up within the enclosure1 was made to whirl by the motion of the stick4 ,the phenomena occurred successively1 not simultaneously4 ,when the guitar was held up1 and when the tambourine was made to whirl1 both of these were to the right of the ,medium1 chiefly behind ,mrs4 ,gillespie2 they were just where they might have been produced by the right arm of the ,medium1 had it been free4 ,two clothes-pins were then passed over the curtain1 and they were used in drumming to piano-music4 ,they could easily be used in drumming by one hand alone1 the fingers being thrust into them4 ,the pins were afterwards thrown out over the curtain4 ,mr4 ,sellers picked one up as soon as it fell1 and found it warm in the split1 as though it had been worn4 ,the drumming was probably upon the tambourine4 ,a hand was seen moving rapidly with a trembling motion--which prevented it from being clearly observed--above the back curtain between ,mr4 ,yost and ,mrs4 ,gillespie4 ,paper was passed over the curtain into the ,cabinet and notes were soon thrown out4 ,the notes could have been written upon the small table within the enclosure by the right hand of the ,medium1 had it been free4 ,mrs4 ,keeler then passed a coat over the curtain1 and an arm was passed through the sleeve1 fingers1 with the cuff around them1 being shown over the curtain4 ,they were kept moving1 and a close scrutiny was not possible4 ,mr4 ,furness was then invited to hold a writing-tablet in front of the curtain1 when the hand1 almost concealed by the coat-sleeve and the flaps mentioned as attached to the curtain1 wrote with a pencil on the tablet4 ,the writing was rapid1 and the hand1 when not writing1 was kept in constant tremulous motion4 ,the hand was put forth in this case not over the top curtain1 but came from under the flap1 and could easily have been the ,medium's right hand were it disengaged1 for it was about on a level with his shoulder and to his right1 between him and ,mrs4 ,gillespie4 ,mr4 ,furness was allowed to pass his hand close to the curtain and grasp the hand for a moment4 ,it was a right hand4 ,soon after the ,medium complained of fatigue1 and the sitting was discontinued4 ,it was declared by the ,spiritualists present to be a fairly successful sance4 ,when the curtains were removed1 the small table in the enclosure was found to be overturned1 and the bells1 hammer1 etc41 on the floor4 ,it is interesting to note the space within which all the manifestations occurred4 ,they were1 without exception1 where they would have been had they been produced by the ,medium's right arm4 ,nothing happened to the left of the ,medium1 nor very far over to the right4 ,the sphere of activity was between the ,medium and ,mr4 ,yost1 and most of the phenomena occurred1 as1 for example1 the whirling of the tambourine1 behind ,mrs4 ,gillespie4 ,the front curtain--i4e41 the main curtain which hung across the corner--was #he inches in length1 and the cord which supported it1 #ec inches from the floor4 ,the three chairs which were placed in front of it were side by side1 and it would not have been difficult for the ,medium to reach across and touch ,mr4 ,yost4 ,when ,mrs4 ,keeler passed objects over the curtain1 she invariably passed them to the right of the ,medium1 although her position was on his left2 and the clothes-pins1 paper1 pencil1 etc41 were all passed over at a point where the ,medium's right hand could easily have reached them4 ,to have produced the phenomena by using his right hand1 the ,medium would have to have passed it under the curtain at his back4 ,this curtain was not quite hidden by the front one at the end near the ,medium1 and this end both ,mr4 ,sellers and ,dr4 ,pepper saw rise at the beginning of the sance4 ,the only thing worthy of consideration1 as opposed to a natural explanation of the phenomena1 was the grasp of the ,medium's hands on ,mrs4 ,gillespie's arm4 ,the grasp was evidently a tight one above the wrist1 for the arm was bruised for about four inches4 ,there was no evidence of a similar pressure above that1 as the marks on the arm extended in all about five or six inches only4 ,the pressure was sufficient to destroy the sensibility of the forearm1 and it is doubtful whether ,mrs4 ,gillespie with her arm in such a condition could distinguish between the grasp of one hand1 with a divided pressure 7applied by the two last fingers and the thumb and index7 and a double grip by two hands4 ,three of our number1 ,mr4 ,sellers1 ,mr4 ,furness and ,dr4 ,white1 can1 with one hand1 perfectly simulate the double grip4 ,it is specially worthy of note that ,mrs4 ,gillespie declared that1 when the ,medium first laid hold of her arm with his right hand before the curtain was put over them1 it was with an under grip1 and she felt his right arm under her left4 ,but when the ,medium asked her if she felt both his hands upon her arm1 and she said yes1 she could feel the grasp1 but no arm under hers1 though she moved her elbow around to find it--she felt a hand1 but not an arm1 and at no time during the sance did she find that arm4 7,taken from notes made during the sance and immediately after it47 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 ,n4,b4--,it should be noted that both the ,medium and ,mr4 ,yost took off their coats before being covered with the curtain4 ,it was suggested by ,dr4 ,pepper that this might have been required by the ,medium as a precaution against movements on the part of ,mr4 ,yost4 ,the white shirt-sleeves would have shown against the black background4 ,g4,s4,f4 99 99 99 99 99 ,december #bith1 #ahhe4 ,there was a meeting of ,the ,seybert ,commission this evening1 at the house of ,mr4 ,furness1 on ,washington ,square1 to investigate some ,materializations promised by the ,mediums1 ,dr4 ,rothermel and ,mr4 ,powell4 ,there were present ,mr4 ,furness1 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,professor ,thompson1 ,dr4 ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell1 ,dr4 ,white1 ,dr4 ,knerr1 ,mr4 ,fullerton1 ,colonel ,kase1 ,mr4 ,frank ,furness1 ,mrs4 ,j4 ,dundas ,lippincott1 ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,mrs4 ,a4,l4 ,wister1 and a number of others4 ,the ,mediums arrived with quite a bundle of apparatus1 and stretched their curtain where ,mr4 ,keeler had his1 across the corner of the parlor1 from the door leading into the hall to the edge of the window4 ,the curtain was similar to that of ,mr4 ,keeler in its general character1 and1 as in that case1 the whole corner was draped in black4 ,the shape of the ,cabinet was triangular4 ,the ,mediums said it was impossible to produce materialized forms as they had expected1 and proceeded to give much the same sort of a sance as ,mr4 ,keeler's--in this case1 however1 the hands of the ,medium covered by the curtain being fastened with tape1 instead of being held4 ,the arrangement of the curtain1 positions of the ,mediums1 and the positions of the spectators were as indicated4 ,illustration3 ,x ,dr4 ,rothermel--a curtain at his back and one in front of him1 his head through a hole in the upper part of the outer flap of the double curtain4 ,y ,mr4 ,powell4 99 99 99 ,spectators4 ,on table 7#b7 was a music-box1 and on table 7#a71 within the ,cabinet1 bells1 a zither1 etc4 ,the lights were all extinguished but one1 and that one was prevented from throwing light on the ,medium by a shade placed upon one side of it--it was turned low4 ,the light was not so good as during ,mr4 ,keeler's sance4 ,before the lights were put out1 ,dr4 ,white was asked to tie the ,medium1 and ,mrs4 ,lippincott to sew the ends of the ribbon and tape with which he was tied4 ,a ribbon was tied around each leg above the knee1 and the ends sewed to his trowsers4 ,a bit of black tape was then passed under the ribbon and tied around the wrist1 the ends being knotted and sewed together by ,mrs4 ,lippincott4 ,his right hand was thus fastened to his right leg1 and his left hand to his left leg2 though he still had some freedom of motion1 and could easily reach one hand with the other4 ,dr4 ,rothermel was then placed as indicated1 behind the outer curtain1 and the lights extinguished as described4 ,he asked for a drink of water1 which was given him by ,mr4 ,powell1 who stood directly in front of him while he drank it1 and hid him from the audience4 ,then the zither played1 a cap was thrown out over the curtain1 a hand 7to the right of the ,medium7 was shown over the curtain4 ,bells were rung1 papers thrown out1 a drum accompaniment to the piano played1 as by ,mr4 ,keeler1 and the drumsticks thrown out4 ,mr4 ,powell wet in a glass some handkerchiefs with water1 and passed them over the curtain1 they were passed out with a message written on them in indelible ink4 ,this could easily have been done with an indelible pencil4 7,the small table within the curtain was within easy reach of the right hand of the ,medium1 had it been free1 and could have been used for such work47 ,the music-box on table 7#b7 was set off--was rattled several times4 7,it could have been done by the ,medium's left hand if it were free47 ,the person1 to whom each of the above-mentioned handkerchiefs was to be returned1 was indicated by raps from the ,spirit4 7,the ,spirit was in error in returning handkerchiefs to ,dr4 ,mitchell and ,mr4 ,fullerton47 ,the zither was put out at the right and left hand lower corners of the curtain4 7,it could have been done by the ,medium1 were his hands free47 ,the ,medium professed to be then controlled by the ,spirit of a young girl--,emma ,hirsch4 ,he spoke in an unnatural and squeaky voice1 but occasionally lapsed into his natural voice4 ,the ,spirit declared the ,medium unconscious1 but refused to allow any medical examination of his condition4 ,the ,mediums were then asked to allow ,dr4 ,rothermel's hands to be examined4 ,after a little delay1 the curtain was folded back and the hands exposed4 ,mr4 ,fullerton was permitted to examine them by the light of a match only1 and very hastily4 ,they did not allow a candle1 which had been lighted1 to be brought near4 ,as ,mr4 ,fullerton approached to examine the knots1 ,mr4 ,powell came close and seemed very much afraid they would be touched4 ,he kept reiterating1 ,don't touch them6 ,don't touch them6 ,it would be very dangerous6 ,the examination was hasty and unsatisfactory1 as ,mr4 ,powell and ,dr4 ,rothermel both said that he 7the latter7 could endure it only a moment4 ,hasty as it was1 it showed that the knots1 which had been on top of the wrists1 were now underneath2 the tapes1 as is mentioned later1 were1 at the end of the sance1 found cut close to the knots4 ,whether the tapes were really in their former state1 and not already cut1 could only be known by examining them all around1 and such an examination was not allowed4 ,it should be stated that before this1 and after some of the manifestations1 the ,medium1 with some convulsive movement1 as if pulled and pushed by ,spirits1 came out from under the curtain1 and stood with his hands on his legs1 as if tied there1 but it was too dark to see whether he was really tied1 or merely held his hands there1 and no examination was made4 ,soon after1 the ,medium declared that the ,spirits were cutting him loose1 and when the curtain was removed and lights brought1 the tapes which had bound his wrists were found to be cut through close to the knots4 ,whether this was done at the beginning of the sance1 leaving the ,medium's hands free from the beginning1 or at the time indicated by the ,medium1 there was no means of proving4 ,the cutting of the tapes made the tying and sewing tests quite valueless4 7,taken from notes made during the sance and immediately after47 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following advertisement was1 in ,march1 #ahhe1 inserted in ,the ,religio-,philosophical ,journal1 of ,chicago1 ,the ,banner of ,light1 in ,boston1 and ,the ,public ,ledger1 in ,philadelphia3 ,,the ,,seybert ,,commission ,,for ,,investigating ,,modern ,,spiritualism1 of the ,university of ,pennsylvania1 hereby requests all ,mediums for ,independent ,slate ,writing1 and no other at present1 who are willing to submit their manifestations to the examination of this ,commission1 to communicate with the undersigned1 stating terms1 etc4 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness1 ,acting ,chairman1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,spiritual ,,photography4 ,when ,mr4 ,keeler1 a well-known ,spiritual ,photographer1 was in the city1 the ,acting ,chairman called on him1 and requested from him in writing a statement of his terms and the conditions under which an investigation by this ,commission could be held4 ,the following reply was received from him3 #afad ,green ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,november #fth1 #ahhe4 ,,mr4 ,,furness4 ,dear ,sir3--,in regard to giving the ,photographic ,sances ,i feel that ,i am obliged to ask an observance of the following conditions3 ,that there be three ,sances1 for which ,i shall expect the sum of #cjj4 ,i desire only the regularly appointed members of the ,commission on your side to be present1 ,i to have the privilege to invite an equal number of persons1 if necessary1 to harmonize the antagonistic element which might be produced by those persons not in perfect sympathy with the cause4 ,i must have the right to demand1 if conditions make it necessary1 the exclusive use of the dark room and my own instrument4 ,the ,sances to be given at your own residence4 ,as ,i cannot guard against the influences which others may bring1 ,i shall expect to be paid the afore-named sum whether my efforts prove satisfactory or not1 although ,i hope for the most favorable results1 and to this end ,i would urge the members of the ,commission to surround me with the most congenial and harmonious conditions possible4 ,these ,sances to begin on the #abth inst4 ,if this meets with your approval an early answer is solicited4 ,very respectfully1 ,w4,m4 ,,keeler4 ,,memorandum ,,for ,,the ,,seybert ,,commission4 ,i called this morning 7,saturday1 #adth ,november1 #ahhe71 on ,mr4 ,w4 ,m4 ,keeler1 and told him1 in effect1 in the very words as well as ,i can remember1 as follows3 that ,i had received his letter of the #fth inst41 containing his terms1 and had consulted the ,commission in regard to them2 and that our conclusion had been quickly reached4 ,he must know how very simple a process this 'composite photography' is1 and that among photographers there is no mystery whatever in it4 ,for his own process he claimed a ,spiritual ,agency--this agency we were willing to accept 7in my own case ,i was anxious to accept it7 if1 after a thorough investigation1 his process could not be explained by well-known physical laws4 ,the conditions he demanded were such as to render any investigation simply silly4 ,his exclusive use of the dark room1 which could have nothing to do with ,spiritual forces1 for the ,spirits had already done their work in the ,camera1 utterly precluded us from discovering whether his processes were in anywise different from ordinary photography4 ,he wished to know in what way this prevented us from detecting fraud if the operations took place in a private house where he was a stranger4 ,i replied that without for a moment impugning his honesty1 he must know that unless we were present with him in the dark room1 we could not affirm that our marks had not been duplicated on substituted plates4 ,furthermore1 that we had regarded his terms as intentionally prohibitory4 ,the demand for three hundred dollars was so extraordinary that we could regard it in no other light than as a desire to avoid an investigation altogether4 ,i asked him what his ordinary charge was1 and he replied two dollars for each sitting1 and that he made from twenty to forty dollars a day1 when he settled down to work4 ,that there might be no misunderstanding1 ,i repeated my reply to his wife3 that we were ready to investigate1 if we could be allowed to watch the very points where material agency ceases and spiritual begins1 but these very points ,mr4 ,keeler forbade us to examine1 and that the failure rested with him4 ,at one time his vexation 7which was manifest7 a little ran away with his discretion4 ,he asked1 with somewhat of a sneer1 ',how did you expect to investigate it8' ,i replied that ',i could not answer for others1 but for myself ,i should have liked to have him say1 when we of the ,commission met him1 ,the ,spirits are present1 through my ,mediumship1 here is my ,camera in which the ,spirits will manifest themselves on the sensitized plates1 take it1 and so long as ,i am present with my influence1 do what you please4' ,he laughed outright and said ',that would be a good thing4' ,i endeavored throughout the interview to impress him with our utter incredulity in the spiritual nature of his photographs1 and yet to give him no loop to hang a charge of discourteous or illiberal treatment on4 ,i asked him to give me1 in my private capacity1 a sitting at his earliest convenience1 and that ,i should not be satisfied with less than a cherub on my head1 one on each shoulder1 and a full-blown angel on my breast4 ,he laughingly assented4 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness1 ,acting ,chairman ,seybert ,commission4 ,i ought1 perhaps1 to add that ,i showed to ,mr4 ,keeler a composite photograph taken by one of my sons1 wherein a ,spirit quite as ethereal as any of ,mr4 ,keeler's1 appears in the background4 ,he looked at it1 and returned it to me without remark4 ,h4,h4,f4 99 99 99 99 99 ,march #cjth1 #ahhf4 ,the ,seybert ,commission met this evening at the house of ,dr4 ,pepper1 to investigate ,spiritistic phenomena produced through the ,mediumship of ,mr4 ,briggs 7for an account of ,mr4 ,briggs see a previous report74 ,there were present1 ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,dr4 ,s4 ,weir ,mitchell1 ,professor ,koenig1 ,dr4 ,white1 ,dr4 ,knerr1 ,mr4 ,fullerton and two friends of ,dr4 ,pepper1 ,mr4 ,charles ,g4 ,smith and ,mr4 ,robert ,s4 ,davis2 also the ,medium1 ,mr4 ,fred4 ,briggs4 ,the sance was in ,dr4 ,pepper's office2 a square table 7about #c-a_/b feet square7 was placed in the room near the centre1 and was supplemented by an oblong table 7about #d feet by #c7 placed with one end touching the side of the former1 upon the ,medium's declaring the former too small4 ,seats were taken around the tables4 ,a banjo1 a musical box1 a zither1 a couple of slates and a fan were on the tables4 ,the ,medium insisted that there should be total darkness1 and a shawl was hung over the window to exclude all light4 ,at first hands were joined around the table4 ,then the ,medium suggested breaking the circle4 ,his hands were then quite free4 ,draughts of air were felt 7possibly the fan72 the ,medium kept making noises1 blowing and breathing hard1 talking1 etc42 the slates on the table were moved1 the guitar was twanged1 the music-box played4 ,during all this the ,medium asked that the hands of all present be kept on the table4 ,the ,medium stated that ,mr4 ,seybert was present4 ,he declared that ,mr4 ,seybert expressed himself as satisfied with the efforts of the ,commission to make a fair investigation4 ,when the ,medium stated that some message had been written on one of the slates by ,mr4 ,seybert1 the gas was lit1 and we found on one slate ,i am here4 ,no one present was able to declare it ,mr4 ,seybert's handwriting1 as none were familiar with his writing4 ,the light was then turned low4 ,mr4 ,smith was asked to sit in the place of ,dr4 ,mitchell4 ,he held1 as directed1 one slate up under the table1 and the ,medium held the other under the table over his own knee4 ,after some conversation the ,medium drew out his slate1 and the light being turned up we found on it3 ,i am with you4 ,john ,pepper4 ,it was too dark to watch the ,medium during this last occurrence4 ,the conversation1 which was general1 would have prevented writing from being heard4 ,light turned up--both slates held by the ,medium under the table--no result4 ,the light was then turned low4 ,dr4 ,leidy was asked to sit next the ,medium4 ,some noise and confusion resulted from making the change4 ,then the ,medium asked ,dr4 ,leidy to put his hand also upon a slate which the ,medium was holding up under the table4 ,attention was then called to a scratching sound1 which might have been writing4 ,the slate was taken out by ,dr4 ,leidy1 and the light turned up4 ,the following was written on it3 ,john ,smith is with you like a young son4 ,john ,lydy4 ,it was1 of course1 possible that the writing was done before ,dr4 ,leidy put his hand on it1 as the slate was not then examined4 ,the ,medium suggested that we ask mental questions2 several did so1 without result4 ,the light was then turned up4 ,hands were joined4 ,some feeble raps were heard2 they apparently issued from under the table4 ,slates were held under the table1 but without result4 ,the light was then turned low4 ,a slate was held under the table by the ,medium4 ,he breathed hard1 and made no little noise for some time4 ,then ,dr4 ,koenig was asked to put his hand on the slate4 ,a scratching was heard4 ,when the light was turned up the slate contained the message3 ,i will help you all4 ,dr4 ,benj4 ,rush4 ,with this the sance ended4 7,copied from notes taken during the sance4 ,written out the day after47 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,april #aath1 #ahhf4 ,i attended a sance at the house of ,colonel ,kase1 #afja ,north #aeth ,street1 ,philadelphia1 on ,april #aath1 at #h4aj ,p4,m4 ,the ,medium was ,mrs4 ,best4 ,there were about a dozen persons present2 at least two of them1 besides ,mrs4 ,best1 claimed to be ,mediums4 ,the sance was in ,colonel ,kase's sitting-room4 ,the ,cabinet was made by stretching a curtain1 suspended to a curved rod1 across one corner4 ,it could hold a chair1 and was perhaps four feet across1 or more4 ,the ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,best1 took her seat in the chair and drew the curtain4 ,the room was made totally dark--a cloth being used to cover the crack of the door4 ,the spectators1 who were arranged in a deep curve facing the cabinet1 were asked to sing a hymn4 ,as we sang1 a voice from the ,cabinet1 a deep contralto1 joined in1 loudly4 ,soon something resembling in outline a human form covered with drapery appeared at the ,cabinet4 ,it was indistinctly luminous4 ,no face was visible2 nor could the face of any other ,spirit1 which appeared during the evening1 be discerned even in faintest outline4 ,the light seemed to belong entirely to the drapery4 ,the ,spirit was declared to be ,apollonius1 and made a speech in a loud1 harsh voice4 ,other similar forms appeared one after the other1 and spoke in different tones--all the voices1 however1 with the exception of ,apollonius's and that of another speaker1 were more or less like hoarse whispers4 ,when the ,spirit of ,mr4 ,t4,r4 ,hazard appeared1 his voice was by no means natural1 and sounded like a bad imitation4 ,a form calling itself ,lottie appeared1 kissed a ,medium present1 and at my request passed its hands over my head and face4 ,its hands were covered with luminous drapery which hung down perhaps a foot4 ,i was allowed to touch it4 ,it felt like soft tulle4 ,a very strong odor of sandal-wood prevailed1 and the smell of phosphorus1 even if it had been used1 could not easily1 at a little distance1 have been discerned4 ,the luminous appearance of the drapery did not seem to be due to phosphorus--it did not fume4 ,it seemed rather such as might have been produced by luminous paint--a mixture luminous in the dark after exposure to the light4 ,i noticed on the hand1 or what1 from position1 ,i inferred to be the hand1 of the form1 a distinctly phosphorescent appearance2 it was on this account ,i asked it to touch me4 ,as it passed its hand over my face ,i distinctly smelt phosphorus4 ,at one time two forms appeared near each other and near the ,cabinet4 ,they might easily have been produced by holding up luminous drapery4 ,tall and then short forms then appeared one at a time4 ,if the drapery were raised or lowered the appearance could readily have been produced1 and the person holding it would have been quite invisible4 ,the different voices that spoke never spoke simultaneously4 ,a large rug on the floor in front of the ,cabinet would have prevented steps from being heard1 had the form been the ,medium4 ,on two occasions1 when ,i suggested that ,i recognized the form by asking1 ,is it ----8 the ,spirit assented1 and assumed the character4 ,both the persons ,i mentioned are still alive4 ,the sance began at #h4aj ,p4,m41 and lasted two hours and a-half4 ,there was much singing4 ,the sance was regarded by several ,spiritualists who were present as a very satisfactory one4 ,i expressly asked for their opinion4 7,written out on ,april #acth1 from notes made in the car1 on my way home from the sance47 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 99 99 99 99 99 ,january #cjth1 #ahhg4 ,yesterday ,i visited ,mrs4 ,m4,b4 ,thayer1 an ,independent ,slate ,writing ,medium1 at #afja ,north #aeth ,street1 ,philadelphia1 in hopes of arranging for a sance at that time4 ,i had a conversation of about half an hour with ,mrs4 ,thayer1 who asked what ,i had seen before1 and with what ,mediums ,i had sat2 but ,i was not able to get a sitting at once1 ,mrs4 ,thayer declaring the conditions unsatisfactory4 ,she made an appointment1 however1 for to-day at #d ,p4,m4 ,in the hall ,i met1 on my departure1 ,mrs4 ,kase1 the hostess of the ,medium1 to whom ,i am personally known1 and who told me in an 'aside' that she would not reveal my identity to the ,medium4 ,this might readily have been overheard by the ,medium1 who was standing close by4 ,i visited ,mrs4 ,thayer alone1 because she had expressed an unwillingness to appear before the ,commission1 and we found it necessary to visit her as private persons4 ,upon calling to-day1 ,i was ushered into ,mrs4 ,thayer's room1 in which stood a small wooden table covered with a red cloth 7which hung down1 perhaps a foot1 on all sides from the edges of the table71 ready for the sance4 ,ten or twelve plain single slates lay in a pile on a piece of furniture near the table4 ,mrs4 ,thayer handed me two of these slates1 which ,i cleaned and examined4 ,i then marked them on the inside1 or what became1 when ,i laid them together1 the inside1 and held them while she tied them together with a piece of white tape4 ,after they were tied they could be separated an eighth of an inch without difficulty4 ,holding the slates in my hand1 ,i examined the table and the furniture near it1 and then took my seat at the table1 ,mrs4 ,thayer sitting opposite me4 ,the table was about #b-a_/b x #a-a_/b feet4 ,at the suggestion of ,mrs4 ,thayer1 ,i placed the tied slates upon the table under the cloth1 and we both placed our hands upon the cloth above them4 ,after waiting for some time for indications of writing1 ,i withdrew the slates from under the cloth1 and1 as directed1 held them1 with my right hand up against the under surface of the table1 ,mrs4 ,thayer placing her left hand upon my right as ,i held the slates4 ,after holding them thus for some time ,i was told to withdraw them1 and hold them against my forehead4 ,then ,i was told to open them and to scrape some pencil-dust over the inner surfaces4 ,this ,i did1 again closing the slates1 which ,mrs4 ,thayer tied as before4 ,i was again directed to hold them up against the under surface of the table1 and the ,medium again placed her hand upon the hand with which ,i held them4 ,her hand was not wholly upon mine1 but projected beyond it upon my wrist and towards my edge of the slates4 ,after my holding the slates in this position1 seemingly without result1 until ,i was very wearied1 the ,medium suggested my laying them upon my lap and covering them with the table cover1 which hung down more on my side than on hers4 ,she said it was necessary that the slates should be concealed4 ,when they were in this position we joined hands upon the table1 and she placed her feet upon mine under the table1 thus making1 as she said1 a strong battery4 ,this seeming to be inefficacious1 ,i was directed to wrap the slates in a cloth given me for the purpose 7apparently a small table cover7 and to lay them on the floor under the table1 placing my left foot upon them4 ,this ,i did1 and the ,medium placed one of her feet upon my left foot1 taking my hands upon the table1 and again forming the battery4 ,after some waiting1 much calling upon the ,spirit of ,foster to write 7this she did at intervals during the sance7 and several requests for raps 7which did not come71 the ,medium decided that we should get nothing during the sitting1 and it was discontinued4 ,i took up the slates from the floor1 took off the cloth and untied the tape2 no mark had been made upon them4 ,there had been much conversation during the sitting1 the ,medium telling me not to keep my mind on the slates1 but to put myself into a condition of passivity4 ,she declared me mediumistic1 and said that she doubted whether she would ever be able to get results with me4 ,she stated two or three times that she saw three forms behind me1 but dimly1 and could not describe them4 ,one was a mild and gentle lady1 with a beautiful hand4 ,to the only person whom ,i can remember with a markedly beautiful hand1 no one would have applied these adjectives4 ,the sitting was about an hour long4 7,copied and arranged the same evening from notes made in the car on the way home from the sance47 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton4 ,i arranged for another sance with ,mrs4 ,thayer1 to be held some days later1 but at the time appointed she refused to see me1 giving as excuse indisposition4 ,g4,s4,f4--,april1 #ahhg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the evening of ,january #bith1 #ahhg1 in company with ,dr4 ,j4,w4 ,white1 ,i called on ,mrs4 ,thayer1 at ,no4 #afja ,north #aeth ,street4 ,the lady seemed not to be pleased with our visit1 and declared that we were no ,spiritualists4 ,she reluctantly agreed to give us a sance on the following ,sunday1 and on parting the gentleman of the house politely invited us to attend a flower sance to be held by the same lady on the following ,thursday4 ,calling on ,sunday1 ,mrs4 ,thayer excused herself on account of indisposition4 ,the next ,thursday we attended the flower sance1 in which ,i felt much curiosity from the wonderful story that had been told to me by a ,spiritualist friend1 who had seen one by the same ,medium several years before4 ,the sance was held in the second story of the back building1 in a room which the proprietor of the house informed me he had devoted to the purpose of ,spiritualist sances4 ,about thirty persons were assembled1 and1 without any examination of the premises1 they were seated around a long dining-table4 ,in the company ,dr4 ,koenig was the only other member of the ,seybert ,commission present4 ,the sance was opened with an 'invocation' by a lady1 and during the 'manifestations' the company sang popular airs1 such as ',sweet by-and-bye1' etc4 ,the doors and windows were all securely closed and the lights extinguished4 ,sounds were heard of objects dropping on the table1 and from time to time matches were lit and exposed1 strewed before the company1 cut plants and flowers4 ,there were all of the kind sold at this season by the florists1 consisting of a pine bough1 fronds of ferns1 roses1 pinks1 tulips1 lilies1 callas 7,richardia7 and smilax 7,myrsiphyllum74 ,at one time there fell on the table a heavy body1 which proved to be a living terrapin2 at another time there appeared a pigeon which flew about the room4 ,the flower manifestation ceased1 and the gas was re-lit4 ,a lady then made some remarks on the wonderful phenomena exhibited in evidence of the truth of ,spiritualism1 and another followed with some sentimentalities on the subject4 ,the proprietor of the house declared that the flowers and other objects brought to view in the sance were not previously in the room1 and their appearance could not be explained unless through ,spiritual agency4 ,he said that in former years1 at similar sances1 flowers had appeared in much greater quantities4 ,the ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,thayer1 said she had not before served in a flower sance for several years4 ,at the next act of the sance1 as ,i understood it1 a 'test' was called for4 ,a young man1 whose name ,i did not distinctly hear1 now took the chair of the former ,medium4 ,he promptly announced the appearance of the ,spirit of an ,indian girl1 and then personified her by assuming a silly address in broken ,english4 ,in this manner he expressed himself as seeing various ,spirits of friends and relatives of the company hovering among them4 ,they were announced by the first name in a rather uncertain and expectant manner1 and in a few instances they were supposed to be recognized by some of the company1 but mostly did not accord with their knowledge4 ,as an example1 the ,medium informed ,dr4 ,koenig that a tall man named ,charley was holding something over his head and encouraging him in some great enterprise4 ,dr4 ,koenig did not recognize the man1 nor could he be made to comprehend anything of the subjects of which he was informed by the materialized ,indian girl4 ,during this second act of the sance1 ,i could detect nothing that could be attributed to other than ordinary human agency4 ,the ,indian girl retired1 and the sance closed4 ,,joseph ,,leidy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,february #ajth1 #ahhg4 ,i enter ,col4 ,kase's house1 #afja ,north #aeth ,street1 in company of ,drs4 ,leidy1 ,white and ,mr4 ,sommerville1 a friend of the first4 ,we are received by the ,colonel and pass scrutiny4 ,the sance takes place in the second story sitting-room4 ,this is furnished with a large oak table1 a square piano1 and one corner is made into an alcove1 the curtains of which are thrown back and reveal several drawings in black and white--one of the young ,raphael4 ,over the mantlepiece a painting representing the apparition of a ,spirit-form1 to a young lady sitting in front of a fire-place4 ,on entering this room find the ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,thayer1 engaged in seating the audience4 ,she is a middle-aged lady of good proportions1 hair black1 color flushed1 the light eyes look weary1 the lower face rather square1 deep lines around the mouth4 ,she is evidently not in very good humor4 ,after a while the company1 between twenty and thirty persons1 mostly women1 get seated4 ,owing to the many people present ,i could not see what preparations had been made4 ,medium requests that the piano be moved against the door 7to keep off illicit ,spirits874 ,chair placed against the door4 ,light turned out completely4 ,singing of ,sweet by-and-bye4 ,medium requests a lady to invoke ,divine blessing4 ,disgusting cant4 ,more singing4 ,darkness impenetrable4 ,sudden bumping noise on the table4 ,match struck by the ,colonel just as something crawls over my hand and falls to the floor4 ,it is a red-bellied terrapin4 ,some ferns appear neatly arranged on the table in front and to the left of the ,medium4 ,expressions of gratification4 ,dark4 ,singing4 ,a pine-bough is thrown against me4 ,screaming on account of terrapin4 ,match4 ,several parties have large lilies in front of them4 ,my neighbor a lily of the valley 7he states that his wife said before he left3 ,i wish you would get a lily of the valley74 ,dark4 ,singing4 ,match4 ,dr4 ,leidy has some red lilies2 some smilax and a wreath are on the table4 ,great astonishment4 ,colonel ,kase says it is wonderful1 but during the ,centennial year they got tables loaded with flowers 7the ,medium has not given a flower sance for some years1 she says1 hence the rather meagre supply47 ,a lady points out the fact that the flowers are quite cold and have a sort of dew on them4 ,but ,i found those before me quite dry1 as if they had been in the room for some time4 ,the ,medium is tired and retires4 ,mrs4 ,x4 is requested to come under the influence of her ,spirit-guides1 and she does4 ,she puts herself in an oratorical posture1 eyes closed1 and reels off the common-places of the ,banner of ,light3 the ,spirits are eager for investigation1 but benighted men in the flesh cannot make the conditions1 and thus continue to wallow in darkness4 ,the ,spirits are kind4 ,they do not damn those poor benighted ones1 but still hold out1 in beautiful optimism1 the hope that all those who do want to know the truth will find it6 ,another lady1 ,mrs4 ,y41 is now called upon to put herself under ,spirit-guidance1 and she thereupon proceeds to enlighten the sheep-fold how it is possible that these flowers and branches and turtles can come through solid walls and closed windows4 ,it is all awfully simple2 it is nothing but ,,projection6 ,the ,spirits understand the laws of electric projection2 even the electric forces themselves understand the laws of nature and the currents4 ,the electric force snatches the flower1 or plant1 and propels it along invisible wires4 ,there is no such thing as solid substance1 matter is permeable to these forces1 and1 therefore1 it is easy to see how a terrapin can come quick as lightning through a wall4 7,verbatim47 ,mr4 ,copeland is now called upon to give the audience some tests1 a rather inoffensive looking young man with hair standing up4 ,the light is turned down2 he jerks his head and body1 passes his hand over his eyes and begins to talk in broken1 childish sentences4 ,a little ,indian maid now controls him4 ,the maid describes a tall1 bony1 black-haired gentleman standing near me1 with a fatherly look2 he is ,charley1 and holds something1 as if ,i were undertaking some grand enterprise4 ,but as ,i do not know ,charley1 ,charley disappears1 and the spirit of a ,quaker gentleman comes to a lady not far from me--all right4 ,soon1 however1 the maid is at me again4 ,this time it is ,william4 ,he has something chemical1 like a discovery4 ,have ,i not been across the water where people had the cholera and turned black and died8 ,did ,i not very much disappoint a young lady over there8 ,did ,i give her a ring8 ,margaret1 or some name like that1 now comes around4 ,have ,i never seen the ,medium before8 ,no4 ,then ,i should pay him a visit4 ,wants to talk with me about my past and future4 ,has much to say2 and so on4 ,do ,i not go often into a building where many persons work at chemistry8 ,am ,i not sceptical8--rather4 ,wants to cure my scepticism1 and so on1 ad nauseam4 ,me is tired1 me wants go4 ,again the jerks1 the rubbing of the eyes1 and the ,indian maid is once more ,mr4 ,copeland4 ,sance terminates with the payment of one dollar1 cash1 at #i4cj ,p4,m4 ,stifling atmosphere breathed for #a-a_/b hours1 for what8 ,quelle btise6 ,,geo4 ,a4 ,,koenig4 99 99 99 99 99 ,saturday1 ,march #bfth1 #ahhg4 ,i attended a sance at the house of ,col4 ,kase1 #afja ,north #aeth ,street1 on ,thursday evening1 ,march #bdth1 ,mrs4 ,wells acting as ,medium4 ,there were about thirty persons present1 of whom several seemed to be ,mediums4 ,the sance was held in the sitting-room in the second story--a room separated by double doors from a smaller room behind4 ,the back room1 used as a ,cabinet1 was shut off by portires1 and the persons were arranged in front of the curtains1 in the form of a deep curve1 ,dr4 ,leidy1 ,dr4 ,knerr and myself being put in the second row4 ,mrs4 ,thayer directed us where to sit4 ,the room in which we sat was lighted by a single gas-jet1 situated some distance behind the spectators2 a piece of music was placed before this to prevent any direct light from falling on the curtains1 and the gas was turned very low4 ,mrs4 ,wells entered the room used as a ,cabinet1 and took her seat in a chair opposite the curtains4 ,mrs4 ,thayer closed the curtains4 ,after some time ,spirits began to show themselves one by one between the curtains1 and to whisper4 ,mrs4 ,thayer stepped forward and interpreted for them1 calling up persons in the circle to receive communications4 ,the forms were very indistinct from the circle1 and apparently not very distinct to those called up1 as they expressed some dissatisfaction4 ,one man called up to speak with his daughter 7one of the better forms7 remarked that he saw her putty good1 but not very4 ,one or two of the forms stepped out in front of the curtains 7one was dressed as a man1 one purported to be ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots71 but they did not advance to the circle1 and the light was so dim that they could not be seen at all clearly4 ,only on one or two occasions two forms appeared at once1 and then not in front of the curtains1 but one on each side of one of the curtains--this curtain being pulled together1 as though some one were reaching around behind it4 ,the appearance could very readily have been made by the ,medium's appearing between the two curtains1 and holding up a bit of drapery at the side of one of them4 ,the audience was evidently an uncritical one4 ,when a ,spirit called for her husband1 ,mrs4 ,thayer1 the interpreter1 asked1 ,has anyone here a wife on the other side8 ,an old man present stated that his had died two years before4 ,he asked if the ,spirit's name were ,may4 ,when he came back to his seat1 ,i heard him remark to his neighbor that that must have been her1 but she had more flesh on than when ,i knew her4 ,no examination was made before or after the sance of either room or ,medium1 and no tests of any sort were applied4 ,the sance lasted about an hour and a-half4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton1 ,secretary4 7,copied and arranged from notes made in the car on the way home from this sance--,saturday evening1 ,march #bfth1 #ahhg47 ,n4,b4--,i have neglected to state 7though it is mentioned in my notes7 that the sance was commenced by an invocation from ,mrs4 ,coleman1 who sat near the curtains4 ,it was in no wise remarkable4 ,g4,s4,f4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dr4 ,,leidy4 ,the undersigned1 a member of ,the ,seybert ,commission1 appointed by the ,university1 in company with one or more of the other members1 at different times1 from ,march1 #ahhd1 to ,april1 #ahhg1 attended twelve sances with reputed ,spiritualist ,mediums4 ,led to view ,spiritualism with the respect due to its importance1 based on the reflection that many of the most intelligent and honorable of the community had become convinced of its truth1 ,i undertook the investigation of the subject free from conscious prejudice1 and with a desire to observe with unbiased judgment the phenomena which might be presented to me in the sances of ,spiritualist ,mediums4 ,of the dozen sances attended in company with other members of the ,commission1 five were held with three ,slate-writing ,mediums1 two with as many ,rapping ,mediums1 and five with four ,materializing ,mediums4 ,all the ,mediums possessed more or less celebrity as such among the advocates of ,spiritualism4 ,i further attended1 unaccompanied by members of the ,commission1 three sances1 of which one was held with one of the former ,materializing ,mediums1 and two with other ,rapping ,mediums4 ,the reputed phenomena or manifestations were carefully observed1 as far as circumstances would permit1 i4e41 under the conditions ordinarily exacted by ,mediums4 ,i have kept a record of my observations of the ,spiritualist sances1 but it is unnecessary to relate them here4 ,as the result of my experience thus far1 ,i must confess that ,i have witnessed no extraordinary manifestation1 such as we ordinarily hear described as evidence of communication between this and the ,spirit world4 ,on the contrary1 all the exhibitions ,i have seen have been complete failures in what was attempted or expected1 or they have proved to be deceptions and tricks of jugglery4 ,sometimes accompanied by buffoonery1 ,i never saw in them anything solemn or impressive1 and never did they give the slightest positive information of interest4 ,having thus far failed to discover anything in evidence of the truth of ,spiritualism1 ,i yet remain ready to receive such evidence from an honest ,medium4 ,one of the ,slate-writing ,mediums1 with whom we held several sances1 relieved the tedium of waiting for a slate-communication by writing in pencil on slips of paper1 under ,spirit control1 as we were assured1 communications from a succession of ,spirits4 ,the hand of these communications was good1 and in each one different as it would appear from different individuals4 ,there was1 however1 in all a similarity of expression and grammatical construction1 which indicated a want of entire ,spirit control4 ,one of these communications1 in my possession1 reads literally thus3 ,people have thought my manner and habit very strange indeed regarding the ,truth of ,spirit control ,there has been many things practiced which ,i see now was wrong and foolish yet the ,truth stills exist that we can come back and make ourselves felt you ask if ,i am pleased with what ,thomas probably ,thomas ,r4 ,hazard1 who was with us at the time is doing ,i am in many respects though there are things best left undone and unsaid ,you are perfectly aware of my past feelings also of my desire to have the truth properly investigated which ,i feel it will be and the ,truth and ,truth only sought after by the ,committee ,i am more concious now than a time back ,henry ,seybert ,another communication in my possession1 obtained by a friend from the same ,medium1 at another sance1 is in an equally good and strikingly different hand from the former1 and reads thus3 ,yes both of those ,spirits were there and were plainly seen ,there was others there that were imperceptable ,alice ,cary ,as examples of communications1 in irregular scrawls on slips of paper1 in my possession1 thrown from behind a screen by a ,materialized ,spirit1 at a sance of ,mr4 ,keeler1 are the following3 ,hello folks ,oh ,i am a big slugger ,how is your nose ,doc ,i am seeing the sad result of my work4 ,h4 ,seibert sic4 ,the punctuation and spelling are carefully copied4 ,,joseph ,,leidy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,slade-,,zoellner ,,investigation4 ,perhaps no other investigation of ,spiritistic phenomena has exercised so strong an influence upon the public mind in ,america1 at least1 as that conducted by ,professor ,j4,c4,f4 ,zoellner and his colleagues in ,leipsic in #ahgg and #ahgh4 ,in ,november and ,december of the year #ahgg and in ,may of #ahgh1 ,professor ,zoellner had a number of sances with ,dr4 ,henry ,slade1 the ,american ,medium1 in ,leipsic1 the results of which he has narrated in his ,scientific ,treatises1 and which he finds of special interest in connection with certain physical speculations with which he was before this time occupied4 ,he declares himself specially authorized to mention by name as present at some of his investigations his colleagues1 ,professors ,fechner and ,scheibner1 of the ,university of ,leipsic1 and ,professor ,weber of ,goettingen4 ,these three1 he states1 were perfectly convinced of the reality of the observed facts1 and that they were not to be attributed to imposture or prestidigitation4 ,he also mentions the presence of ,professor ,wundt at at least one of the sittings4 ,the phenomena narrated by ,zoellner--the bursting of the wooden screen1 the passages of coins out of closed boxes1 the abnormal actions of the solid wooden rings1 the tying of knots in the endless cord1 the prints made upon smoked paper by the feet of four-dimentional beings--all these have become classic in ,spiritistic literature1 and the accounts may be obtained in convenient form collected1 arranged and translated into ,english by ,mr4 ,c4,c4 ,massey1 of ,lincoln's ,inn1 ,london4 ,of these phenomena themselves1 verification is1 at this late date1 manifestly out of the question4 ,the only published accounts are those made by ,zoellner1 and in the absence of notes made at the time1 all descriptions of phenomena given now by the other persons present would be valueless1 except as indicating the impression made upon them at the time by the occurrences4 ,but1 though the phenomena themselves cannot be satisfactorily sifted1 the men who were engaged in the investigation are1 with the exception of ,zoellner himself1 still living1 and it occurred to me when in ,germany during the past summer1 that a conference with each of these men1 and an inquiry into their qualifications for making such an investigation into the phenomena of ,spiritism1 might be of no small value4 ,these men are3 ,william ,wundt1 ,professor of ,philosophy in the ,university of ,leipsic2 ,gustav ,theodore ,fechner1 now ,professor ,emeritus of ,physics in the ,university of ,leipsic2 ,w4 ,scheibner1 ,professor of ,mathematics in the ,university of ,leipsic2 and ,wilhelm ,weber1 ,professor ,emeritus of ,physics in the ,university of ,goettingen--all of them men of eminence in their respective lines of scholarship4 ,on ,saturday1 ,june #aith1 ,i called upon ,professor ,wundt at his home in ,leipsic2 with respect to the investigation of #ahgg-gh he gave me the following information1 which ,i noted down during my conversation with him1 asking him to repeat the points mentioned as ,i noted them1 so as to avoid any error or misunderstanding1 and which ,i copied out1 with merely verbal changes1 two days later4 ,professor ,wundt said3 #a4 ,that at the sances at which he himself was present 7and he was present at two or three of them7 the conditions of observation were very unsatisfactory4 ,all hands had to be kept on the table1 and no one was allowed to look under it4 #b4 ,that all that he saw done looked as if it might have been done by jugglery4 #c4 ,that the writing on slates was very suspicious--the ,german was bad1 just such ,german as ,slade spoke4 #d4 ,that ,professor ,weber1 who was present at the sittings1 was a very old man at the time1 and presumably not an acute observer4 #e4 ,that ,professor ,fechner1 another of those present1 was afflicted with an incipient cataract1 and could see very little4 #f4 ,that ,professor ,zoellner himself was at the time decidedly not in his right mind2 his abnormal mental condition being clearly indicated in his letters and in his intercourse with his family4 #g4 ,that he 7,professor ,wundt7 had not a high respect for the scientific judgment of ,professor ,ulrici1 of ,halle1 who had been so much impressed by the report made by ,professor ,zoellner2 ,professor ,ulrici he thought literary and poetical1 but not scientific4 ,it will be seen that some of the points mentioned by ,professor ,wundt are suggestive2 but ,i will postpone an examination of his statements1 as of those of each of the others1 until they have all been given and can be compared4 ,on the same day 7,june #aith7 ,i called upon ,professor ,fechner1 also at his home in ,leipsic4 ,professor ,fechner1 who no longer lectures1 being old and feeble1 and suffering from cataract of the eyes1 made the following statements1 each of which ,i translated to him for his approval1 after ,i had set it down3 #a4 ,that he himself was present at but two sittings1 and that these were not very decisive4 #b4 ,that he did not look upon ,slade as a juggler1 but accepted the objective reality of the facts2 that he did this1 however1 not on the strength of his own observations1 for these were unsatisfactory1 but because he had faith in ,professor ,zoellner's powers of observation4 #c4 ,that what he saw might have been produced by juggling4 #d4 ,that the sittings at which he was present were held at night1 and that he could not remember what sort of a light they had4 #e4 ,that ,zoellner's mental derangement came on very gradually1 so that it would be difficult to say when it began2 but that from the time of his experiments with ,slade it was more pronounced4 ,he 7,fechner7 did not think1 however1 that it incapacitated ,zoellner as an observer1 the derangement being emotional2 but1 such as it was1 it was clearly shown in his family and in his intercourse with friends4 #f4 ,professor ,fechner referred me to ,professors ,scheibner and ,weber for information1 saying that these two were present at most of the sittings4 ,i failed at this time to meet ,professor ,scheibner1 who1 though resident in ,leipsic1 happened to be away from home on a visit2 but1 having made an appointment with him by letter1 ,i returned to ,leipsic on ,july #c;d1 and called upon him at his home2 upon this occasion he gave me more full and satisfactory details concerning ,professor ,zoellner's investigation than ,i succeeded in obtaining from any of the others4 ,the notes which ,i made during my conversation with him ,i translated to him1 and corrected in accordance with his suggestions before leaving his house4 ,after my return to ,halle ,i copied my notes out in full1 and sent them by mail to ,professor ,scheibner1 with the request that he correct them and return them to me at ,berlin1 signing his name to them if they correctly represented his opinions4 ,in answer he enclosed me the copy which ,i had sent him1 corrected where he thought the notes inexact1 and an accompanying letter1 stating that he did not forbid me to use the material which he had given me1 but that he did not wish to set his name to any publication1 if only for the reason that he was not sufficiently familiar with the ,english to judge accurately as to the shades of meaning1 and thus could not say whether he accurately agreed with the notes as they stand1 or not4 ,the copy which he corrected and returned to me ,i place at length in this ,report1 merely translating his corrections 7very literally71 and inserting them at the points indicated by himself4 ,they are enclosed in quotation marks4 ,in some instances1 my desire for exactitude in the translations has resulted in very bad ,english2 the shape of my own paragraphs is due to the time and manner of their framing1 and to a reluctance to making any changes in their form afterwards4 ,the copy reads as follows3 ,on ,july #c;d1 #ahhf1 ,i visited ,professor ,w4 ,scheibner1 at his rooms1 in ,leipsic1 and obtained from him the following information concerning ,professor ,zoellner's ,spiritistic experiments with ,dr4 ,henry ,slade1 the ,american ,medium3 #a4 ,professor ,scheibner thinks that he was present at three or four of the regular sances with ,slade4 ,slade came to ,professor ,zoellner's rooms2 they sat around a table for perhaps half an hour1 and then1 after the sance was over1 they spent an hour or two sitting informally in the same room1 or in the next room1 and talking4 ,during these informal conversations surprising things would occur4 ,raps would now and then be heard1 and objects would unexpectedly be thrown about the room4 ,in these conversations ,professor ,scheibner was present perhaps five or six times4 ,some of these took place during the day1 and some in the evening4 #b4 ,professor ,scheibner said that each single thing that he saw might possibly have been jugglery1 although he perceived nothing that raised a direct suspicion4 ,the whole number of incidents taken together1 however1 surprised him1 and seemed scarcely explicable as jugglery1 for there did not seem to be the necessary time or means for preparing so many tricks1 which often connected themselves surprisingly with desires casually expressed in momentary conversations4 ,professor ,scheibner said1 however1 that he did not regard himself as competent to form an opinion which should have scientific weight1 because3 7a7 ,he knows nothing about jugglery2 7b7 ,he was merely a passive spectator1 and could not1 properly speaking1 make observations--could not suggest conditions1 or gain the control which seemed necessary2 and 7c7 ,he is short-sighted1 and might easily have left unnoticed something essential4 ,he says merely1 that to him1 subjectively1 jugglery did not seem a good or sufficient explanation of the phenomena4 #c4 ,professor ,scheibner said that he had never seen anything of the kind before4 ,he had never even1 since his childhood1 seen any exhibitions of jugglery2 he does not go to see such things1 because he is so short-sighted that if he went he would see nothing4 ,in this connection he repeated his statement that from this1 among other causes1 he did not regard himself as competent to give an opinion4 ,he said that many persons in ,germany had demanded his opinion1 but that he had refused it because he regarded his subjective impression1 without objective proofs1 as scientifically valueless4 #d4 ,professor ,scheibner said that he did not believe in these things before4 ,he came to the sances because ,professor ,zoellner was a personal friend4 ,he has seen very little of the sort since4 ,that little has been in the presence of a lady in ,leipsic through whom raps occurred1 and psychography4 ,this last phenomenon consisted in communication through a little contrivance1 furnished with an index or pointer1 which answered questions by pointing to letters laid out before it4 ,this it did when the lady placed her hand on the machine4 ,the questions were usually not asked mentally1 but spoken out4 ,there were no tests applied to these phenomena1 no conditions of exact investigation4 ,professor ,scheibner holds suspicion of conscious deception to be out of the question4 #e4 ,professor ,zoellner was1 said ,professor ,scheibner1 a man of keen mind1 but in his investigations apt to see by preference what lay in the path of his theory4 ,he could less easily see what was against his theory4 ,he was childlike and trustful in character1 and might easily have been deceived by an impostor4 ,he expected everyone to be honest and frank as he was4 ,he started with the assumption that ,slade meant to be honest with him4 ,he would have thought it wrong to doubt ,slade's honesty4 ,professor ,zoellner1 said ,professor ,scheibner1 set out to find proof for four-dimentional space1 in which he was already inclined to believe4 ,his whole thought was directed to that point4 #f4 ,professor ,scheibner thinks that the mental disturbance under which ,zoellner suffered later1 might be regarded as1 at this time1 incipient4 ,he became more and more given to fixing his attention on a few ideas1 and incapable of seeing what was against them4 ,towards the last he was passionate when criticized4 ,professor ,scheibner would not say that ,professor ,zoellner's mental disturbance was pronounced and full-formed1 so to speak1 but that it was incipient1 and1 if ,zoellner had lived longer1 would have fully developed4 ,zoellner himself1 whose brothers and sisters frequently,a suffered from mental disease1 often feared lest a similar fate should come upon him4 ,footnote ,a3 ,dessen ,geschwister mehrfach etc4--the words may be taken in two senses4 #g4 ,professor ,scheibner gives no opinion on ,spiritism4 ,he can only say that he cannot explain the phenomena that he saw4 #h4 ,professor ,weber1 said ,professor ,scheibner1 attended the ,zoellner-,slade experiments under the same circumstances as he 7,scheibner7 himself4 #i4 ,professor ,zoellner's book1 said ,professor ,scheibner1 would create the impression that ,weber and ,fechner and he agreed with ,zoellner throughout in his opinion of the phenomena and their interpretation2 but this1 he said1 is not the case4 ,,halle a4,s41 ,july #eth1 #ahhf4 ,so much for the information given by ,professor ,scheibner4 ,it now remained to see ,professor ,wilhelm ,weber1 and on the evening of ,july #abth ,i called upon him at his house in ,goettingen4 ,of his statements ,i took notes during my conversation with him1 as in the former instances1 and copied and arranged them the same evening at my hotel4 ,professor ,weber is now eighty-three years old1 and does not lecture4 ,he is extremely excitable and somewhat incoherent when excited4 ,i found it difficult to induce him to talk slowly enough1 and systematically enough1 for me to make my notes4 ,professor ,weber said3 #a4 ,that he thought the things he saw in the sances with ,slade were different from jugglery4 #b4 ,that he did not think there was time or opportunity for ,slade to prepare deceptions4 #c4 ,that he himself knew nothing of jugglery1 nor did ,professor ,zoellner4 #d4 ,that he can testify to the facts as described by ,zoellner1 and that he could not himself have described the occurrences better than they are described in ,zoellner's book3--to the facts he is willing to testify1 the means he declares unknown to him1 but does not regard jugglery as a sufficient explanation4 ,if another can understand1 he said1 how jugglery can explain the facts1 well and good--he can not4 #e4 ,that he had never seen anything of the kind before1 and has not since2 it being his only experience of ,spiritualism4 #f4 ,that he had the greatest freedom to experiment and set conditions1 and that the conditions were favorable to observation4 #g4 ,that he regarded ,professor ,fechner as one of the best observers in the world1 and ,professor ,scheibner as an excellent observer4 #h4 ,that ,professor ,zoellner was not at that time1 in any sense1 in an abnormal mental condition4 ,professor ,weber seemed unwilling to speak decidedly on the subject1 but showed that he leaned to the ,spiritistic interpretation of the facts4 ,he said that the things done indicated intelligence on the part of the doer4 ,having now before us the testimony given by these survivors of the famous investigation1 ,i will collect briefly the facts relating to each of those concerned--adding in one or two cases from other sources--and point out the nature and value of their testimony to the occurrences recorded by ,professor ,zoellner4 #a4 ,as to ,professor ,wundt1 who is by profession an experimental psychologist1 and an observer4 ,professor ,wundt did not regard the investigation1 so far as he participated1 as in any respect thorough or satisfactory4 ,the conditions of observation were not present4 ,when called upon by ,professor ,ulrici to describe the occurrences as he saw them1 he said he would not willingly describe what he had not had opportunity to observe4 #b4 ,as to ,professor ,zoellner1 the chief witness and author of the book published1 a number of points are worthy of note4 7#a47 ,the question of his mental condition at the time of the investigation4 ,it is asserted by ,baron ,hellenbach 7see ,geburt und ,tod etc41 ,wien1 #ahhe1 ,s4 #if7 that ,zoellner was of sound mind up to his death4 ,the statement should have due weight1 but the author's general attitude towards ,spiritism should not be overlooked4 ,i do not consider his testimony for ,zoellner's sanity as good as that of ,fechner or ,scheibner against4 ,of the four men mentioned as connected with him1 ,wundt1 ,weber1 ,fechner and ,scheibner1 three 7all except ,weber7 are decidedly of the opinion that his mental condition was not normal4 ,the opinion of ,wundt1 as of a man whose profession would not permit him to speak hastily upon this topic1 ,i would regard as of special value2 but if we rule that out upon the ground that ,wundt was not impressed by the investigation1 and might naturally be inclined to underrate ,zoellner1 who was1 we have left the opinions of ,fechner and ,scheibner1 both ,zoellner's colleagues at ,leipsic1 both particular friends of ,zoellner1 and both inclined to agree with him as to the reality of the facts he describes4 ,both of them regarded ,zoellner at the time as of more or less unsound mind4 ,his disease1 as described by them1 seems to have been chiefly emotional1 showing itself in a passionate dislike of contradiction1 and a tendency to overlook any evidence contrary to a cherished theory4 ,to the general change in his nature due to his disease ,professor ,scheibner testifies2 and ,professor ,fechner's belief as to his mental condition is specially worthy of note from the fact that1 although recognizing it to be abnormal1 he still holds his powers of observation to be sound1 and upon this ground is inclined to assent to the facts described4 ,if anyone could be tempted to make ,zoellner as sane as possible1 it would be one in the position of ,professor ,fechner4 ,professor ,weber's testimony ,i will examine later4 ,upon the question whether the peculiar form of ,zoellner's disease would be likely to affect his powers of observation1 the following points may throw some light4 7#b47 ,it is evident1 both from what ,zoellner has himself printed and from what ,professor ,scheibner has said1 that ,zoellner's interest in the investigation centered in his attempt to prove experimentally what he already held to be speculatively true as to a fourth dimension of space4 ,in a paper published in the ,quarterly ,journal of ,science1 for ,april1 #ahgh1 he says3 ,at the end of my first treatise1 already finished in manuscript in the course of ,august1 #ahgg1 ,i called attention to the circumstance that a certain number of physical phenomena1 which1 by 'synthetical conclusions priori' might be explained through the generalized conception of space and the platonic hypothesis of projection1 coincided with so-called ,spiritualistic phenomena4 ,cautiously1 however1 ,i said3--',to those of my readers who are inclined to see in ,spiritualistic phenomena an empirical confirmation of those phenomena above deduced in regard to their theoretical possibility1 ,i beg to observe that from the point of view of idealism there must first be given a precise definition and criticism of objective reality' etc4 ,now this reference to ,spiritualistic phenomena was made before ,zoellner had seen anything of the kind1 and his attitude was evidently a receptive one4 ,moreover1 we have ,professor ,scheibner's testimony to the fact that during the whole investigation his attention was entirely directed towards the subject of the fourth dimension1 and an experimental demonstration of its existence4 ,bearing in mind1 therefore1 the mental attitude in which1 and the object with which1 ,zoellner approached this investigation1 we cannot look upon any subjective1 or emotional1 mental disturbance1 which results1 as described1 in making him narrow his attention more and more upon a few ideas1 and disregard or find it difficult to observe what seems contrary to them1 as without objective significance1 particularly where we know the man to be a total stranger to investigations of such a nature as this one1 and not only quite ignorant as to possible methods of deception1 but unwilling to doubt the integrity of the ,medium4 7#c47 ,there are things in ,zoellner's own accounts which indicate a certain lack of caution and accuracy on his part1 and tend to lessen one's confidence in his statements4 ,as an instance of inaccuracy1 ,i may mention the statement he makes in his article in the ,quarterly ,journal of ,science as to the opinions of his colleagues4 ,professor ,zoellner says3 ,i reserve to later publication1 in my own treatises1 the description of further experiments obtained by me in twelve sances with ,mr4 ,slade1 and1 as ,i am expressly authorized to mention1 in the presence of my friends and colleagues1 ,professor ,fechner1 ,professor ,wilhelm ,weber1 the celebrated electrician from ,goettingen1 and ,herr ,scheibner1 ,professor of ,mathematics in the ,university of ,leipsic1 who are perfectly convinced of the reality of the observed facts1 altogether excluding imposture or prestidigitation4 ,here the attitude of the four men is not correctly described1 and ,professor ,zoellner's statement does them injustice1 as ,professor ,scheibner remarked4 ,at least two of the men were merely inclined to accept the facts1 and to these two the words perfectly convinced will not apply4 ,as one out of numerous instances of lack of caution1 ,i may refer to ,zoellner's statements1 that at certain times writing was heard upon the slates1 giving no proof whatever to show that the writing was really done at the time of hearing the sounds1 and apparently quite ignorant of the fact that deception may readily be practiced on this point4 #c4 ,as to ,professor ,fechner4 ,the fact is admitted that he was1 at the time of the investigation1 suffering from cataract1 which made all observation extremely defective4 ,moreover1 he was present at but two of the sittings1 and has stated that he did not regard these as very decisive4 ,his attitude towards the phenomena described is based on his faith in ,professor ,zoellner's powers of observation1 and not on what he saw himself4 ,he does not1 therefore1 as an independent witness would1 add anything to the force of ,professor ,zoellner's testimony4 #d4 ,as to ,professor ,scheibner4 ,his position is simply that he cannot see how the whole series of phenomena can reasonably be attributed to jugglery1 though he admits that each single thing he saw1 alone considered1 might possibly be4 ,he does not regard himself1 however1 as able to give an opinion which should have objective value2 because he was merely a passive spectator1 and could not1 properly speaking1 make observations--could not suggest conditions1--because he knows absolutely nothing about jugglery1 and the possibilities of deception1 and because he is so short-sighted that he may easily have overlooked something of importance--so short-sighted that he never goes to see a juggler1 because he sees nothing4 #e4 ,as to the last witness1 ,professor ,weber1 his testimony agrees more decidedly with that of ,professor ,zoellner4 ,he was present at eight sances1 declares the occurrences to have been as represented by ,professor ,zoellner1 and denies that ,zoellner was in any sense insane4 ,but ,professor ,weber is from ,goettingen1 and was at the time of the investigation in ,leipsic on a visit2 it is not improbable that those of ,professor ,zoellner's colleagues1 who lived and worked at the same ,university with him1 may have had better opportunities for judging as to his mental condition than one who only saw him occasionally4 ,moreover1 ,professor ,weber's opinion as to the qualifications of the men with whom he was associated does not seem to have been always sound4 ,one who could look upon ,professor ,fechner as one of the best observers in the world1 and ,professor ,scheibner1 as for the purpose in hand1 an excellent observer1 neglecting entirely to note that one was partly blind and that the other could not see well1 might readily overlook the fact of a not very pronounced mental aberration on the part of a third person4 ,and as to ,professor ,weber's opinion of the phenomena1 it is well to note that ,professor ,weber was seventy-four years old at the time1 had had no previous experience in investigations of this kind and was quite ignorant of the arts of the juggler4 ,whatever may be a man's powers of reflection at seventy-four1 it is natural to suppose that his powers of perception1 especially when exercised in a quite new field1 are not at that age what they were some years previously4 ,,summary4 ,thus it would appear that of the four eminent men whose names have made famous the investigation1 there is reason to believe one1 ,zoellner1 was of unsound mind at the time1 and anxious for experimental verification of an already accepted hypothesis2 another1 ,fechner1 was partly blind1 and believed because of ,zoellner's observations2 a third1 ,scheibner1 was also afflicted with defective vision1 and not entirely satisfied in his own mind as to the phenomena2 and a fourth1 ,weber1 was advanced in age1 and did not even recognize the disabilities of his associates4 ,no one of these men had ever had experiences of this sort before1 nor was any one of them acquainted with the ordinary possibilities of deception4 ,the experience of our ,commission with ,dr4 ,slade would suggest1 that the lack of such knowledge on their part was unfortunate4 ,a consideration of all these circumstances places1 it seems to me1 this famous investigation in a somewhat new light1 and any estimate of ,zoellner's testimony1 based merely upon the eminence in science of his name and those of his collaborateurs1 neglecting to give attention to their disqualifications for this kind of work1 cannot be a fair or a true estimate4 ,in concluding this ,report1 ,i give sincere thanks to all of these gentlemen for their courtesy and frankness--a frankness which has alone made it possible for me to collect this evidence2 and which1 considering the nature of the evidence1 must be regarded as most generous4 ,to ,professor ,scheibner1 especially1 my thanks are due for the trouble he has taken in helping me to make my notes exact and truthful4 ,,geo4 ,s4 ,,fullerton4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,dr4 ,,knerr4 ,in #ahhd rumors reached me of remarkable ,spiritual communications from a revered friend and relative1 ,dr4 ,hering4 ,these communications had come through a slate-writing ,medium by the name of ,patterson1 and were received by two gentlemen whose names ,i am not at liberty to mention1 but whom ,i will call ,a4 and ,b4 ,both were prominent men1 and both had become thorough believers in ,spiritualism after several sittings with ,mrs4 ,patterson4 ,a4 claimed to have received personal benefit from medicines thus prescribed1 and learned the circumstances of his son's death which had occurred in some mysterious manner far away from home4 ,b4 has since died1 and communications under his signature have come through this same ,medium4 ,the manifestations in this province of ,spiritualism1 ,independent ,slate-,writing1 would seem to be of a nature more tangible and direct than those of so-called ,materializing or ,trance ,mediums1 and1 therefore1 in this instance ,i determined to test to the utmost what had been reported to me concerning communications from one who stood so near in life4 ,although ,i received a number of messages at my first visit1 written in pencil1 in many different handwritings1 which the ,medium alleged were written by ,spirit-control of her hand1 ,i received but one or two in the slate4 ,the slate was a small double slate1 joined together with hinges1 about #aj inches by #ab inches in dimension4 ,inside of the slates1 written on a slip of paper1 carefully folded1 ,i placed the question ,can ,i obtain a communication from ,dr4 ,hering which will be characteristic of himself8 ,a small piece of slate pencil chipped from an ordinary pencil1 perhaps an eighth of an inch long1 was placed within the slates1 together with the written question4 ,the slates were then tightly screwed together at the open end1 by myself1 with the blade of an old knife which was at hand to serve the purpose of a screwdriver4 ,it was then placed by the ,medium in her lap1 under the table1 one hand1 the left1 resting upon the slate1 the other hand remaining on top of the table1 writing1 with a lead pencil1 messages in different handwritings1 on paper4 ,these messages came in characters bold as ,john ,hancock's1 and in chirography as small and neat as the writing of ,charlotte ,bront1 whose manuscript the compositor is said to have deciphered with the aid of a magnifying glass2 and between these extremes were a dozen or more styles as varied and marked as one could wish4 ,the purport of these messages1 which were written rather quickly1 and without perceptible thought or hesitation1 changing from one handwriting to another without the least apparent difficulty1 was in some instances the veriest twaddle1 while others contained tolerably good sense1 even in language rather above the ,medium1 unless appearances were misleading1 for she looked the embodiment of ignorant simplicity1 and spoke far from grammatically4 ,the table at which we sat was a very ordinary little sewing-table1 without any drawer or compartment1 and before sitting down ,i examined it top and bottom1 a privilege freely accorded4 ,we had sat about ten minutes when the ,medium brought up the slate with the little piece of pencil1 which ,i had scratched with a knife for identification1 lying on top of the slate4 ,the screw was in its place1 seemingly as ,i had put it4 ,i was requested to remove the screw1 which ,i did1 and found written across the inside surface of one of the slates the words ,i will try to accede to your wish1 signed with the initials of my departed friend1 to whose handwriting it was not dissimilar4 ,i was much puzzled by this answer1 ,i confess1 and immediately placed within the slates another question1 this time addressed to the name of another deceased friend4 ,again ,i screwed up the slates with my own hand1 and kept my eyes riveted on the hands of the ,medium as well as my position would permit1 without getting up and bending over the table4 ,i did not have long to wait before an answer came as before1 again signed with the initials of the person addressed4 ,how the writing came in the slate ,i could not surmise4 ,the following are specimens of the communications which were written by the ,medium's controlled1 possibly self-controlled1 free1 right hand1 at my first visit3-- 7,in a fine1 light1 legible hand47 ,cannot say wether we can control the slate or no4 will do our utmost to do so there are times when we cannot get the proper influences nor find the right conditions4 ,c ,,hering 7,in a close1 heavy hand47 we have quite as much power over you as over any other medium1 mediumistic forces are not confined to a few1 but exist to some extent in all4 be patient we will do what we can4 ,h 7,in a sprawling back hand1 the same as a subsequent one1 signed ,thomas ,lister47 ,the friend you have asked for is here and will do what he can to comply with your wish it is not necessary that you should sit with any medium to convince yourself of this truth you have enough of this power to get almost any sort of manifestations you should ask for they will develope without any effort on your part but you can materially assist them ,,tl 7,in a neat and precise feminine hand47 ,there stands by thy chair a venerable man who had passed through many years of work in his profession on the earth plane he is one that doth influence and impress thee to do many things when in the body was a phisician of the homeopathic school he sayeth that he doth feel the same interest in the progruss of the medical fraternity as when in the body4 appeareth to be one of strict integrity and ranked high as a thinker thou hast many years to stay in the form and through thee a work will be completed that none other can do ,l ,,mott 7,in a small1 rather indistinct feminine hand47 ,i dont think the doctors knew what my trouble was4 ,i know if doctor ,hering or ,raue had treated my case ,i would still be in my body but its no difference as far as ,i am concerned ,i have found this life far the best leaving my mother was hard1 but now ,i know how to get back to her ,i am content ,,cs ,clara ,swencke 7,in a plain masculine hand47 if you prepare a slate the doctor will give you a message on it in his own handwrite and one characteristic of him ,,esw 7,in a small1 rather illegible hand47 ,my friend ,tiedemann made a mistake in the medicine he prepared for me he never for a moment thought it would prove anything but a help but it had the effect of sending me to the higher life ,w ,,morwitzer 7,in a large1 generous1 open hand47 ,yea if thee dost fix a slate so as to satisfy thyself thy friend will write on it and give thee a description of his birth into everlasting life ,,elias ,,hicks 7,in a very indistinct feminine hand47 cannot say wether we can procure the presence of any one just now that can write music were it possible to have any one conversant with it they could not only write one but many notes for you 7,signature indistinct47 7,in a small1 cramped hand of almost microscopic fineness supposed to be ,charlotte ,bront1 and occupying but very little more space than on this printed page47 ,the future holds much for you of success1 the later portion of this and the whole of the next will be filled with prosperity you have a band of the more advanced spirits about you and were you to follow your first impressions you would never fail in your judgment ,,cb 7,in a clear scholarly hand47 a man of few words when in the body ,i still have the same peculiarities will with your permission become one of your guiding band ,,abernethy 7,in a bold masculine hand74 ,sit for ten or fifteen minuets two evenings in the week and thus help perfect the powerful gifts you have1 through them you can do much good both for others and yourself ,,tn 7,in the same hand as a preceding communication signed ,,tl7 ,be patient2 the party that wrote on the slate before is trying to do it over we sometimes have a difficulty in doing this ,t ,,lister 7,in a slow1 labored1 uncouth hand47 ,i know one thing and that is that they didn't make any headway in killing me when they hung me nor even when they scooped my brains out afterward--damn the doctors--damn the preachers--,i hate them all they lied to me preachers priests and all they told me it was all right but ,i have found out its all wrong4 ,i havent seen ,mrs ,reed nor do ,i want to ,i never was sorry that ,i killed her1 it don't make a saint out of a man to send him out the way ,i had to go--its only killing--they were as bad as ,i was--,i cant see--its dark ,,mc ,,ginnis4,a ,footnote ,a3 ,mc,ginnis was a murderer recently hung for the brutal killing of his mother-in-law4 ,particulars of the murder1 execution and autopsy were in all the local papers4 7,in an ordinary feminine hand47 ,put a piece of paper on a stand place a pencil on it and ,i will try to make the scale for you at home there is a power that is growing on you that will enable me to do this in a few times of trying ,i could write my own hand this is my first time of coming here so that makes it harder for me to get control ,b 7,this doggerel came in answer to a question whether the ,spirits could write poetry1 and is in a hand not dissimilar to the preceding communication1 although the signatures differ47 ,when the clear bright sun was shining ,then they took my cherished form ,and they bore it to the church yard ,to consign it to the worm ,well no matter that was only ,the clay dress your loved one wore ,god had robed her for an angel ,she had need of this no more ,though the tears fell fast and faster ,yet you would not call me back ,nay be glad her feet no longer ,tread life's rough and thorny track ,yes be glad the father took her ,took her whilst her heart was pure ,oh be glad he did not leave her ,all life's trials to endure ,,ac 7,in a sprawling hand47 ,your friend has lost the ,control ,i cannot say wether it will be possible to regain it now or no ,i find it hard work to get any hold at all4 ,,am 7,each letter distinct1 as a child would print the alphabet47 ,chief there cant come any answer the magnetic current is broken for want of power we go now but will come in your own wigwam ,,howondo 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the following sances ,i received slate writings repeatedly4 ,sometimes the slate would scarcely be in the ,medium's hands before a message appeared1 each time with the little pencil on top4 ,i was told that ,i was an excellent ,medium1 that1 if ,i cultivated the faculty1 would soon myself be able to obtain these slate writings4 ,i was also asked to prepare a slate secured in any way ,i wished1 and had the promise that a message would be written within it4 ,i acceded to the request and took a slate of my own1 tied it up in every direction with twine1 and put my private seal upon it in several places where ,i had knotted the string4 ,this slate the ,spirits could not overcome4 ,i never received the promised message4 ,i never even had the slate returned to me4 ,after remaining in the ,medium's possession for several months1 she having changed her residence in the meantime1 she told me the slate had disappeared and somehow must have gotten lost in moving4 ,at any rate the slate had been spirited away somehow4 ,i will here mention that at about the third or fourth sitting ,i asked permission to watch the slate while it was under the table1 which was freely granted1 but on this occasion1 and whenever ,i did so1 there were no results4 ,on one occasion we took the trouble to bring ,mrs4 ,patterson to a room in the house of our departed friend4 ,she was here among a small circle of intimate friends and members of the family1 some inclined to belief and others skeptics4 ,she failed utterly to obtain as much as even a scratch inside of the slates1 although communications on paper came thick and fast4 ,i may mention that on this occasion several persons sat with the slate continually in full view4 ,i had almost decided to drop ,mrs4 ,patterson and her slate writing1 although reluctant to do so1 because ,i had no certain and positive evidence of fraud with which to confront my friend1 who was getting impatient at my slowness in accepting all ,i had seen1 when ,i resolved to push my investigations to a point of certainty1 one way or another1 and hit upon the little scheme of going prepared1 at my next visit to ,mrs4 ,patterson1 with a mirror in my pocket which ,i could hold under the table at an angle that would reflect whatever occurred on the other side of the table1 in the ,medium's lap1 the accustomed position of the mysterious slate4 ,the sitting was held in broad daylight1 and the table was so placed that the ,medium was seated with her back to a window1 affording sufficient light for the experiment4 ,i purposely avoided removing my overcoat on this day1 because ,i wished to hide my movements as much as possible1 and sat down at my side of the table with considerable misgiving as to the result of taking liberties with the ,spirits4 ,the ,medium this time had on her table a new slate1 a larger one1 one which she said had belonged to the celebrated ,slade who had himself received messages on it4 ,she said her old slate was broken1 which was probably true2 when ,i had last seen it it was in a battered condition4 ,she asked if it would make any difference to me if she used the new slate4 ,the only apparent difference between the slates was that this one was larger and did not close with a screw1 therefore1 thought ,i1 more easily manipulated2 consequently ,i did not withhold my consent4 ,i wrote upon a slip of paper my question1 ,will ,dr4 ,h4 advise me what to do for ,juliet 7an old colored patient78 ,i folded over the slip of paper five times1 put it in the slate with a small stub of pencil1 and down the slates went into the lap of the ,medium where ,i could see them1 lying plainly reflected in my little mirror which ,i had slipped out of my pocket and laid across my knees at the proper angle of reflection4 ,mrs4 ,patterson first wrote a letter-sheet full of alleged ,spirit communications1 and handed them to me across the table for perusal4 ,i took the sheet with one hand and while ostensibly scanning the written page1 with the other hand ,i carefully adjusted my little mirror1 on which my downcast and watchful eyes were fixed1 when lo6 in the mirror ,i beheld a hand1 closely resembling that of the ,medium1 stealthily insert its fingers between the leaves of the slate1 take out the little slip1 unfold and again fold it1 grasp the little pencil1 which had rolled to the front while the slate was tilted that way1 and with rapid but noiseless motion 7had there been the least noise from the pencil1 it would have been drowned by the fit of coughing1 which1 at that instant1 seized the ,medium7 write across the slate from left to right1 a few lines2 then the leaves of the slate were closed1 the little pencil laid on the top1 and1 over all1 two hands were folded as if in benediction4 ,the woman opposite me1 to whom the hands belonged 7unless they were ,spirit hands7 sat with uplifted eyes1 a calm expression of innocence upon her face4 ,after holding the slates so for a moment or two1 and after calling to the ,spirit friends to come and please write in the slate1 she produced them1 saying1 ,it has come6 ,of course1 ,i did all ,i could to master my indignation1 which1 at that moment1 was extreme1 and quietly opening the slates1 ,i read the message pretending to have come from high authority1 ,the channels are obstructed1 give ,arsenic1 ,bryonia and ,pulsatilla in succeeding doses1 an hour apart6 ,the last words were somewhat illegible1 and ,mrs4 ,patterson suggested another trial2 she thought the ,spirits would write it plainer4 ,again the slates went down2 again ,i saw the hand at work as before4 ,this second time the hurriedly written message was not much plainer than the first4 ,mrs4 ,patterson1 who was better versed in deciphering ,spirit dispatches than ,i1 offered to read it for me1 but remembering that all good things are three1 ,i requested a third trial4 ,after this last experiment1 in which again1 for the third time1 in my little mirror1 ,i saw the stealthy fingers write on the slate1 ,i told the ,medium ,i was satisfied1 smothered my indignant anger1 and left the house as quickly as ,i could4 ,for the larger part of a year ,i had investigated in good faith this department of ,spiritualism1 which1 in this ,medium's case1 had turned out a downright fraud4 ,not long after my last interview with ,mrs4 ,patterson it was my good fortune to meet with an unprofessional ,medium1 a young gentleman of reputed honor and veracity1 to whom ,i was introduced by a friend who had known him from childhood1 and vouched for his honesty4 ,this young man's ,mediumistic abilities had begun to develop with the planchette1 and had reached the stage in which a drum and sundry musical instruments were played behind a curtain where he sat entranced1 with his hands tightly bound together by a handkerchief or cord4 ,these sances were continued with regularity on certain nights in the week1 and were confined strictly to the family circle and to a few privileged friends4 ,there was1 therefore1 no temptation to deceive for gain4 ,i came into the circle as an observer1 not as believer1 but was impressed by the phenomena witnessed at the first sance in which the ,medium was under ,indian control4 ,there were strange sounds1 guttural tones and whoops which really might have emanated from a wild son of the forest4 ,a drum1 an accordion1 a zither1 a mouth-organ were all played upon4 ,the drumsticks kept time to music1 rapped on the wall1 appeared above the edge of the curtain several times1 brightly illuminated1 as if dipped in electric light or some phosphorescent substance4 ,as ,i have said1 ,i was impressed1 and might have ended in complete conversion1 by manifestations from so trustworthy a source1 and vouched for in such perfect sincerity1 had it not1 in an unlucky moment1 occurred to me to apply a little harmless test4 ,the test consisted simply in putting a dab of printer's ink on one of the drumsticks at the very last moment before the sance began4 ,the result could not prove physically injurious to the ,medium1 who had challenged investigation1 nor to any one in the circle4 ,the result was startling4 ,being accorded the privilege of tying the ,medium's hands1 ,i proceeded to do so with a stout cord1 using a certain knot which ,i believe has never been known to slip or come undone4 ,this accomplished1 and while some one else fastened the ,medium securely to his chair1 with his back to the instruments on the table1 the ink1 concealed in a pocket-handkerchief1 was applied4 ,in this position we left the ,medium1 the lights were lowered and the music began4 ,soon were heard the deep breathings preceding the trance1 then the ',indian' began to manifest1 at first somewhat sullenly1 as if not pleased with the conditions1 some of the instruments sounded1 and at last the drumsticks began their tattoo4 ,at the close of the sance1 when the curtains were drawn and the lights turned up1 the ,medium was found in his chair with his hands still tied1 but great was the astonishment of everyone present at the marvelous condition of the ,medium's hands4 ,how in the world printer's ink could have gotten smeared over them while under control of ',deerfoot1 the ,indian1' no one1 not even the ,medium1 could fathom4 ,i believe there is an explanation for these or similar phenomena1 but ,i must leave it to the ingenious and adroit expounders of ,spiritualist philosophy4 ,,calvin ,b4 ,,knerr4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,mediumistic ,,development4 ,at my very first sance1 as a member of this ,commission1 ,i was told by the ,spirit of ,elias ,hicks1 through ,mrs4 ,patterson1 that ,i was gifted by nature with great ,mediumistic power4 ,another ,medium1 with whom ,i had a session shortly afterwards 7,i cannot remember his name1 but he advertised himself as a great ',australian ,medium'71 professed himself quite unable to exert any power in the presence of a ,medium so much more powerful than himself4 ',father ,holland1' the control of ,mrs4 ,williams1 in ,new ,york1 assured me that ,i merely needed development to have ,spiritual manifestations at my own home2 and ,joseph ,caffray was so emphatic in his assertions of my extraordinary ,spiritual capabilities1 that ,i began to think that it was my duty to quicken these dormant powers and not to let them 'fust in me unused1' and if successful1 when ,i had become fully 'developed1' ,i could offer myself to my fellow ,commissioners as a corpus vile on which every experiment could be made1 and at a great saving of expense4 ,spiritualists constantly reproach investigators of ,spiritualism with faint-heartedness and lack of patience2 they allege that at the very first rebuff all investigating ardor cools1 and that one failure is deemed sufficient to condemn a whole system4 ,if the case be really thus1 the ,spiritualists have a show of reason for this objection1 and it behooves the ,seybert ,commission to give no ground for it4 ,after much deliberation ,i decided to put myself in the hands of ,caffray for 'development4' ,i preferred this ,medium1 first1 because he was the most emphatic of all in his assertion of my almost unrivaled ,mediumistic powers1 and in his confidence that indications of ,spiritual growth would be manifest in three or four weeks1 and at the end of six weeks or of two months ,i might celebrate my ,spiritual majority by slatefuls of messages2 and1 secondly1 ,mr4 ,hazard assured me again and again that ,caffray was the 'greatest ,medium in the country2' and did not ,mr4 ,hazard1 by way of proof1 show me a stoppered vial containing a card1 on which1 through ,caffray's ,mediumship1 a message had been written while the closed vial was fast held in his closed hand8 ,the first step was the purchase of two slates from ,caffray1 for which ,i gave him several dollars4 ,they were common enough to look at1 but ah6 they had been for months in his ,materializing ,cabinet and had absorbed ,spiritual power to the point of saturation1 and fairly exuded it4 ,i brought them carefully from ,new ,york1 and folded them in black muslin1 and laid them away in a dark drawer4 ,caffray told me that with a beginner the ,spirits found it somewhat easier to write with ,french chalk than with slate pencil4 ,so ,i bought a box of a dozen pieces1 such as tailors use4 ,the instructions which ,i received from ,caffray were to keep these slates carefully in the dark1 and every evening at about the same hour to sit in total darkness1 with my hands resting on them for about a half or three-quarters of an hour2 to maintain a calm1 equable1 passive state of mind1 even to think of any indifferent subject rather than to concentrate my thoughts too intently on the slate-writing4 ,there could be no question of the result4 ,a ,medium of my unusual and excessive power would find1 at the end of three weeks1 faint zig-zag scratches within the closed slates1 and these scratches would gradually assume shape1 until at last messages would be legible1 probably at the end of six weeks1 or of three months at the very farthest4 ,in addition to this1 ,i must wear1 night and day1 a piece of magnetized paper1 about six inches square1 a fresh piece every night and morning2 its magnetism was exhausted in about twelve hours4 ,when ,i mentioned to ,mr4 ,hazard the proposed use of this magnetized paper1 he assured me that it was a capital idea--that he had himself used it for a headache1 and when he put it on the top of his head 'it turned all his hair backward4' ,i confess to dismay when ,i heard this2 ,caffray had told me that ,i must wear this paper on the top of my head under my hat6 ,but did it not behoove the ,acting ,chairman of the ,seybert ,commission to yield himself a willing victim to the cause of ,psychical ,research8 ,was to be1 or not to be1 a ,medium so evenly balanced that the turning of a hair1 or of a whole head of hair was to repel me8 ,perish the thought6 ,that paper should be worn on the top of my head1 under my hat1 and that hat should be worn all day long4 ,i would eat my breakfast with that hat on1 eat my dinner with that hat on1 and sleep with that hat on1 and that magnetized paper should remain on the top of my head1 let it turn my hair to all the points of the compass1 if it would6 ,when ,i received the slates from ,caffray he had no paper that was sufficiently magnetized just then2 he had some sheets that were about half done1 and promised to send them to me as soon as the process was complete4 ,in the meantime ,i began with the slates1 sitting with them in total darkness from about a quarter past eight to nine o'clock every evening1 with my hands resting on them lightly4 ,in three or four days the paper arrived4 ,i explained to my family that hereafter they must not infer1 from the wearing of my hat indoors and at meals1 either that my wits had slipped1 or that ,i had become converted to ,judaism1 but that my conduct was to be viewed by the light of the pure flame of research4 ,in my secret soul ,i resolved that ,i would go at once1 that very morning1 to ,new ,york and plead with ,caffray for some slight easing of my ordeal4 ,the ',spectre of the ,threshold' appeared to wear a silk hat1 and ,i was afraid ,i never1 never should pass him4 ,the magnetized paper ,i handled with awe4 ,it was1 in outward semblance1 ordinary white blotting paper1 and1 from some faint indications of ink here and there1 looked as though it might on occasion have served its original use2 but had ,i not paid a dollar a sheet for it8 ,it must be good4 ,as ,i started for the train ,i put a piece on the top of my head1 gave a fond1 farewell look at my hair1 and planted my hat firmly on my brows4 ,i reached the train1 and while looking for a seat caught sight of my friend1 ,miss ,w----4 ,of course1 ,i instantly bowed1 and instantly there came fluttering down before her astonished and bewildered eyes a piece of blotting paper4 ,i snatched it hastily1 and in terror lest ,i had already broken the charm and forfeited all chance of ,mediumship1 retired to the rear of the car and furtively replaced the precious pad4 ,decidedly ,i must see ,caffray at once4 ,luckily1 when ,i reached ,new ,york ,i found that eminent ,medium at home1 and1 'bonneted1' rehearsed to him my dread anticipations4 ,he could not repress a grim laugh1 and to my inexpressible relief gave me permission to wear the paper suspended round my neck next the skin4 ,with those precious slates ,i sat every night1 at the same hour1 in darkness4 ,i allowed nothing to interfere with this duty2 no call of family1 of friends1 of society1 was heeded4 ,at the end of three weeks ,i searched every molecule of the slate for the indication of a zig-zag line1 but the surface was unsullied1 and its black monotony returned stare for stare4 ,still hopeful and trustful ,i continued1 day by day and week by week4 ,the six weeks expired4 ,not a zig1 nor a zag4 ,caffray was kept busy magnetizing paper4 ,i renewed my stock and determined to push on to two months4 ,i moved to the country and carried my slates thither1 wrapped in double folds of black muslin4 ,the days and weeks rolled on4 ,two months passed4 ,the slates were as clean as when they came into my possession4 ,i would go on to three months4 ,does not a hen sit for three weeks8 ,where a hen gives a week1 shall not ,i give a month8 ,is not a ,medium worth more than a chicken8 ',courage6' cried ,caffray1 with each batch of paper4 ,i went to the seashore and my slates went with me4 ,not a single evening did ,i break my rule4 ,and so it went on4 ,the three months became four2 became five2 became six6 ,and there an end1 with absolutely virgin slates4 ,i had used enough blotting paper1 it seemed to me1 to absorb a spot on the sun4 ,i dare not calculate the number of hours ,i had spent in darkness4 ,let ,spiritualistic reproaches of investigators for lack of zeal and patience be heaped up hereafter till ',ossa becomes a wart2' ,i care not2 my withers are unwrung4 ,punch gives a receipt for making ',gooseberry ,fool3' ',carefully skin your gooseberries1 extract the seeds and wash the pulp in three waters for six hours each4 ,having done this with the gooseberries1 the ,fool is perfect4' ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,sealed ,,letters4 ,readers of the ,spiritualistic literature of the present day cannot fail to have their attention frequently called to the remarkable power attributed to certain ,mediums1 not only of reading the contents of envelopes which are securely gummed and sealed1 but of returning to the questions therein contained pertinent answers from friends in the other world4 ,it is far from uncommon to hear of conversions to faith in ,spiritualism wrought by these remarkable proofs of ,spiritual power4 ,at this hour1 in many a loving home1 responses to letters1 thus sealed and answered through these ,mediums1 are treasured as tenderest1 completest proofs that love survives the grave and still encircles the living and the dead4 ,recognizing in this phase of ,mediumship a department of ,spiritualism capable of plain1 matter-of-fact investigation1 which could be conducted in writing and demanding no special powers of observation1 the duty of investigation devolved mainly upon the ,acting ,chairman4 ,there are only four of these special ,mediums whose advertisements ,i have seen in ,spiritual papers4 ,he who has probably the widest reputation is ,dr4 ,james ,v4 ,mansfield1 ,boston4 ,a second is ,mr4 ,r4,w4 ,flint1 ,new ,york ,city4 ,a third is ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,eleanor ,martin1 ,columbus1 ,ohio2 and lastly1 also of the same name1 ,mrs4 ,eliza ,a4 ,martin1 of ,oxford1 ,massachusetts4 ,through the ,mediumship of the first1 ,i have seen it stated that upward of a hundred thousand securely sealed letters have been answered2 and the names of men high in our business and financial world have been cited to me as of those who had received proofs of his power which could not be questioned1 nor explained on any other ground than that of clairvoyance1 or of ,spirit communication4 ,to him1 therefore1 ,i concluded to apply first4 ,the choice of a subject whereon to communicate with a denizen of the other world is not easy4 ,to follow in the well-trodden path and ask after the welfare of departed friends would only end1 ,i well knew1 in turning on that stream of generalities1 not glittering1 but very dull1 in which a large experience had taught me that disembodied ,spirits chiefly delight when expatiating on the conditions of their changed existence4 ,furthermore1 it was desirable that from the investigation should be eliminated all elements of thought-transference or of mind-reading4 ,i must select a subject on which my own mind was a blank1 and where the responses would have to be definite and unambiguous1 and withal quite within the scope of ,spiritual knowledge4 ,at last1 as fulfilling1 in all honesty and sincerity1 the requisite conditions1 a skull in my possession was fixed on4 ,this skull is a relic1 interesting from its dramatic associations4 ,it has been used for fifty or sixty years as a 'property' at the ,walnut ,street ,theatre1 whenever ',hamlet' has been performed1 and as ',yorick's skull' has been handled in that play1 from ,edmund ,kean down to ,henry ,irving and ,edwin ,booth4 ,it is preserved with care1 and mounted on a piece of polished black marble4 ,surely here is a skull whose experiences are singular above all ordinary skulls1 and in whose career its original owner might be not unreasonably expected to cherish some interest or to have followed its fortunes with some little attention4 ,untold possibilities for the vindication of ,spiritualistic truth and power hang around it1 should there be an unwavering agreement by all ,spiritual authorities1 as to the circumstances1 when alive1 of its original owner4 ,surely1 ,i concluded1 the translated inhabitants of the 'summer-land' cannot have doffed the homespun honesty of mortal life2 all will either confess ignorance with regard to this skull1 or display their truthfulness by a substantial harmony in their reports1 and thereby furnish an indisputable1 irrefragable proof of the truth of ,spiritualism4 ,sincere in this trust1 ,i wrote on a small sheet of paper this question3 ,what was the name1 age1 sex1 color or condition in life of the owner1 when alive1 of the skull here in my library8 #bh ,february1 #ahhe4 ,this paper was put in an envelope1 whereof the flap was then gummed to within a small distance of the point1 under this point some sealing-wax was dropped1 and enough was added above it to form a large1 heavy1 substantial impression4 ,at the four corners additional seals1 with different impressions1 were placed4 ,thus gummed1 and sealed with five seals1 the envelope was enclosed to ,dr4 ,j4,v4 ,mansfield1 with a request that it be subjected to his ,mediumistic power4 ,in a few days the following was received3 ',boston1 ,march #b;d1 #ahhe4 ,dear ,furness4--,your package came duly to hand most respectfully say ,i have given the package two sittings and re'd from two different spirits 7purported7 answer one coroberating sic the other statement ,one from ,robt ,hair sic the other from ,dr ,b4 ,rush for the two communicates my charge is #e4jj which if you will send me per registered mail ,i will remit you per return mail ,respfy ,j4,v4 ,mansfield ,i judge from the com4 it relates to a skeleton4' ,with this letter the sealed envelope was returned1 apparently in exactly the same state in which it had been sent2 the seals were intact1 with the exception perhaps of a few trifling fractures1 for which the transit to and from ,boston1 through the mail1 would readily account4 ,upon closer inspection1 however1 and upon turning the envelope so as to catch the light1 ,i thought that a slight glazing of gum was discernible around the central seal1 and from beneath its edge a minute bubble of mucilage protruded4 ,the fee demanded was at once forwarded1 and by return of mail the following 'communicates' were received1 written in pencil on long strips of common paper1 and in two different hands3 ,dear ,furness4--,yours of #bh ,feby before me--as to this matter under consideration ,i have looked it over and over again ,called my old friend ,geo ,combe and we are of the mind it is the skull of a female--,combe says he thinks it was that of a ,colored woman--the age--about #dj to #dd the name of the one who inhabited it--it would not be possible for any spirit but the one who the skull belonged to ,if it was colored--,cornelia ,winnie might know4 ,respfy ,,robt ,,hare ,mch #b '#he4' ,in a larger1 bolder hand on the second slip was the following3 ',my dear ,townsman--pardon what may seem an intrusion--but seeing your anxiety to get the ,aage sic sex--col and name of a skull in your office and seeing the conclusion that ,dr4 ,hare and ,proffr ,combe have arrived at--,i will say that ,i have looked the same over and fully concur in their conclusion save in the color of the one who once annimated sic that skull4 ,fowler ,spurzeheim sic and ,gall agree in saying that ,hare and ,combe have nothing to base an opinion upon1 as to the color--yet in sex they agree ,yours with ,respect ,,benja ,,rush ,m4,d4 ,exact age could not be determined4 ,mch #b '#he' ,these answers are certainly remarkable4 ,the very words of the question inside the sealed envelope are here openly repeated1 and although the six eminent1 scientific ghosts1 ,hare1 ,combe1 ,fowler1 ,spurzheim1 ,gall1 and ,rush do not agree with each other on all points1 yet a slight divergence1 or contrariety1 in opinion is at times observable to the grosser eyes of flesh among doctors upon earth2 and then they were all in accord over the sex of the skull1 in which problem1 having one chance out of only two1 they could not go very far afield4 ,moreover1 the very framing of the question as to sex might suggest female1 and as to color might suggest black4 ,but had not the envelope been opened8 ,it occurred to me to cut the edges of the sealed envelope carefully1 whereby ,i could examine the flap1 on the inside4 ,it was done4 ,the paper of the envelope under three of the seals was torn1 and deception stood revealed4 ,the seals had been cut out1 and restored to their position with mucilage4 ,although1 in legal phrase1 ,i might rest my case here1 yet ,i was anxious so to seal an envelope that while its contents could not be extracted without the destruction of the envelope and a betrayal of any attempted fraud1 yet that an answer to the question enclosed should be quite within the clairvoyant power1 so called1 of the ,medium1 if he really possessed any1 and as to the existence whereof ,i was sincerely anxious to obtain some satisfactory proof4 ,animated with this desire1 ,i proceeded as follows3 ,in the 'communicate' from the ,spirit of ,dr4 ,hare1 reference is made to ,cornelia ,winnie's possible knowledge of the information which ,i was seeking in regard to the skull4 ,could this have been a lure to tempt me to knock again at the ,spiritual door of which ,dr4 ,mansfield is the porter8 ,at any rate ,i accepted the suggestion4 ,on a sheet of note-paper ,i wrote3 ',can ,cornelia ,winnie1 or any other ,spirit 7,dr4 ,hare refers me to the former71 give me any particulars of the life or death of the colored woman who once animated this skull here in my ,library4 ,i am entirely ignorant myself on the subject4' ,this was folded1 placed in an envelope1 gummed and sealed precisely as ,i had folded1 gummed and sealed the previous letter4 ,this ,i marked with ink on the outside ',no4 #a4' ,on another sheet of similar note-paper ,i repeated word for word1 and line for line1 and dot for dot1 the very same question4 ,this paper was also folded and put into an envelope1 ,,but two or three stitches of red silk were then passed through the flap of the envelope and the enclosed paper1 sewing the two securely together2 these stitches were made at the point of the flap1 and again at each of the four corners4 ,over these stitches1 and concealing them1 seals of red sealing wax were affixed4 ,exteriorly the two envelopes were precisely alike4 ,the stitched envelope was marked on the outside ',no4 #b4' ,as the contents of both were identical1 a clairvoyant ,spirit that could answer ,no4 #a could answer ,no4 #b1 but nothing less than superhuman power could extract the paper from ,no4 #b without so tearing the envelope as to betray an un-,spiritual origin4 ,these two envelopes were enclosed to our ,medium with the following note3 ',dear ,doctor ,mansfield4 ,the answers to my sealed letter were so satisfactory and so very curious that ,i should like to follow up the interesting subject1 if ,i am not taxing your powers too heavily4 ,i therefore enclose two more sealed envelopes1 marked ,no4 #a and ,no4 #b4 ,if it be possible1 ,i should like to have you sit with ,no4 #a first4 ,if the ,spirits respond1 pray send me word and let me know how much ,i am indebted to you4' ,my object in asking the ,medium to sit first with ,no4 #a was that1 if he were fraudulent1 finding the ease with which ,no4 #a could be opened1 he would undertake the opening of ,no4 #b with such freedom and assurance that the envelope would be torn beyond the healing power of mucilage1 and a confession of failure would have to follow4 ,in a few days the envelopes were returned with the following brief note3 ',dear ,furness3 ,send you what came to your ,p ,k the #b;d gave no response my terms are #c for each trial--warrant nothing4 ,respectfully1 ,j4,v4,m4' ,the ,spiritual communication enclosed reads as follows3 ',i ,bress de ,lord for deh one mor to talk to de people of my ole home ,i been thar lots o tim since ,i com here--but o ,lord de ,massy--they no see ,winne cos she be ded and she jus no ded at tall--now--as to dot ,col gal--,hed ,i could not say--sure--but ,i think it ,dinah ,melish--she who lov de ,lord too4 ,i think it seem ,dina top not4 ,will see ,dina som time and then i ask her--do you no ,minister ,du ,cachet well he here--and want the there here follows in the original a rude drawing of a decanter and wine glass4 ,in this scandalous allusion there is no trace1 it will be observed1 of phonetic spelling in the proper name just de same4 ,i ,bress de ,lor ,i don't want it4 ,march #ac1 '#he4 ,cornelia ,winnie4' ,an examination of the envelope marked ,no4 #a1 by cutting it open at the edges1 revealed the same story of fraud3 three of the seals had been cut out1 and replaced4 ,an examination of ,no4 #b1 in the same way1 readily disclosed the reason why the ,spirits had failed to answer1 although the question assuredly presented no greater difficulties than in ,no4 #a4 ,an attempt had been made to start two of the seals1 but meeting with unexpected resistance in the silk stitches1 and finding that further effort would end in tearing the envelope in a very palpable and mundane fashion1 the ,spirits had grown disheartened and taciturn4 ,we shall meet this ,medium again1 but for the present we will leave him1 after pausing for a minute over his business card1 which1 after stating his terms in prosaic dollars and cents1 thus apostrophizes his clientele3 ,from the bright stars1 ,and viewless air ,sweet ,spirit1 if thy home be there1 ,answer me4--,answer me4 ,happily my experience enables me to remove all doubt as to the locality of the ,spirit's 'home1' and to state with positiveness its exact location4 ,but like the ,german philologist's example of the remarkable incongruity in ,english between spelling and pronunciation1 that what was written ',boz' was pronounced ',charles ,dickens1' so ,i cheerfully add to this list of incongruities that what is written 'bright stars' is pronounced ',boston1' and 'viewless air' is pronounced ',dartmouth ,street4' ,i next turned my attention to ,mr4 ,r4,w4 ,flint in ,new ,york4 ,from him ,i received the following circular in answer to my inquiries3 ,,dear ,i am controlled by one spirit1 purporting to be my guide who is the scribe for the spirits1 delivering 7in his own hand-writing7 what is dictated to him by the spirit of communicating4 ,i am in a normal 7not trance7 state1 but unconscious of the composition4 ,my hand is moved to write from right to left 7backwards71 independent of my will4 ,by holding the written side up to the light1 the answer can be read4 ,the spirit-letters should be ,,securely sealed1 addressed to the spirit1 giving his or her name in full1 and signed by the writer's name in full2 but no address on the envelope4 ,when left open they cannot be answered1 my agency being efficient only when my mind is passive1 and blank to both questions and answers4 ,put your questions clearly1 directly1 briefly4 ,the mixed and many kinds defeat the object of the investigator4 ,i have my photograph for sale1 exhibiting my ,spirit ,guide's hand and arm1 or form of control2 taken while answering a sealed letter4 ,the terms here follow1 with honorable notification that the money is returned in all cases when the letters are not answered4 ,it will be noted that this ,medium's ',spirit-guide' requires the names in full of both ,spirit and writer2 ,i was1 therefore1 forced to select a ,spirit who knew not only me and my ways1 but also the high value that is placed on that skull4 ,mindful that eminent ,spiritual authority had pronounced this skull to be that of a colored woman1 ,i decided1 after deliberation1 to address the ,spirit of ,w---- ,h----1 a colored servant1 who had lived over forty years in one family a faithful1 blameless life1 and who1 when he died1 carried with him the respect and regards of the entire household1 and whose widow and daughters still survive in honest1 humble life1 and to whose ears this apparent freedom with their husband's and father's name will never reach4 ,accordingly1 the following note was addressed to the ,spirit world3 ',dear ,w---- ,h----4 ,can you tell me anything about the owner1 when alive1 of the skull here in the ,library8 ,you remember how anxious ,i have always been to have my ignorance on this score enlightened4 ,have you any message to send to your wife1 ,m---- ,f----8 ,are you happy now8 ,your old friend1 ,horace ,howard ,furness4' ,this letter was put in an envelope1 which was gummed and sealed with five simple seals1 without the impenetrable stitches of silk1 and enclosed with the fee to ,mr4 ,flint4 ,it was received again in a few days with this note3--',dear ,sir--,i gave your sealed ,spirit-letter three sittings and regret to state that ,i have been unable to get an answer4 ,my ,guide at each sitting wrote and said1 the ,spirit called upon is not present to dictate an answer4' ,the fee was also returned4 ,an examination of the envelope by cutting at the edges1 as in the previous experiment1 showed that the ',spirit arm' of the ,guide of ,mr4 ,flint had not the nerve of ,dr4 ,mansfield4 ,i was at a loss to know why it stopped2 it was going along in the removal of the seals very nicely2 to be sure the paper was tearing perilously near where the rent could be detected from the outside1 but with only a little more of ,dr4 ,mansfield's pluck1 and the ,spirit of ,w---- ,h---- would have been present1 and the fee pocketed4 ,however1 from whatever cause1 whether fright or repentance1 the 'flighty purpose was o'ertook1' and the ,medium supposed that a little mucilage would 'clear him of the deed4' ,next ,i turned to ,mrs4 ,eleanor ,martin1 in ,columbus1 ,ohio4 ,without writing a fresh letter1 ,i sent her the same letter to ,w---- ,h----1 which had been returned to me from ,mr4 ,flint1 and the envelope was sealed in the simple easy way with five seals1 but no silk stitches4 ,to this came the following response3 ',columbus1 ,ohio1 ,march #beth1 '#he4 444 ,please find enclosed your sealed letter1 also the messages1 and my terms4 ,i learn from the messages1 your letter was written upon the ,spiritual topic4 ,my terms being #a4jj4 ,but in your case ,i find the messages are at a greater length than many and according to request of the ,spirit ,belle ,i paint the little white rose as her nature4 ,most truly1 ,eleanor ,martin4 ,first message1 written by one of my ,guides in ,spirit for the following persons3 ,,message4 ,in earth life ,i was tall and fair ,with jet black eyes and golden hair ,eyes that sparkled with mirth and song ,and whose hair in curls one yard long4 ,ah but many sad years ago ,my life was burdened with woe ,but the seens sic through which ,i passed ,are now with gladness overcast4 ,i was born in your earth to await ,the coming of a cruel fate ,yes1 ,i a true and loving wife ,but mine was a sad darkened life4 ,oh a life which seemed to last ,to me the future1 as the past1 ,and as the lone hours drifted by ,my only prayer1 ,oh could ,i die4 ,cruel is the assassins hand ,yet so many are in your land ,day by day as a fearful flood ,hearts have flowed in tears of blood4 ,my own the pain1 ,i could not tell ,but ,i can say ,i know full well ,my soul ne'er found sweet peace one day ,and with earth ,i could no longer stay4 ,my form was sold to doctors three ,so you have all that's left of me ,i come to greet you in white mull ,you that prizes my lonely skull4 ,i can cause you many bright hours ,strew your path in purest flowers ,for your kindness tendered me ,i will always guard and guide thee4 ,you may call me your ,sister ,belle ,my other name ,i ne'er can tell ,they tell me it is for the best ,to let earth's troubles be at rest4 ,tis ,i who have often raped sic ,in your quiet room have taped sic ,and have impressed on your mind ,many inquiries of me so kind4 ,by ,blind ,harry for a beautiful lady who gives the name ,belle4 ,,second ,,message4 ,to my ,dear friend ,horace ,horace you wonder if all is well ,yes1 ,i'm more happy than ,i can tell ,for sorrow and trouble does not last ,but like a sweet dream goes gliding past ,in a smooth path of eternal day ,where dawns for each a perpetual ,may4 ,dear ,m---- tell her1 and family too ,that ,i am ever to them most true ,and ,i daily guide her tender feet ,where'er she goes upon the street ,that she has my love forever more ,i understand her more than before4 ,oh6 yes this bright and eternal space ,fills each true soul with love and grace ,there is nothing like earth's crimes so vile ,no frown wreathes the face but a sweet smile ,and which glides along1 to one and all ,greeting old1 and young1 gay1 and small4 ,the bright spirit world is everywhere ,and to each is appointed some care ,to guide earth's children on their way ,amid the poor1 as well as the gay ,we dwell in fields of labor and love ,guiding thousands in true relms sic above4 ,many things ,i would love to rehearse ,which would be written for me in verse ,but so many are here to await ,their joyous messages to relate ,many friends with me are ever near ,to guide our brother ,horace dear4-- ,by ,blind ,harry4 ,for a gentleman who gives his name ,w---- ,h----4' ,the sealed envelope scarcely needed to be opened at the back for interior inspection2 its exterior bore ample and all-sufficing evidence that the seals had been broken1 and the gum softened2 the fingers which had again pressed down the gummed edge were not as unsullied as ',sister ,belle's' white rose4 ,this communication from the ,spirit world gave me pause4 ,here was food for reflection4 ,it settled many points in dispute among the scientific ,ghosts4 ,first3 they were all right on the question of sex2 but ,hare1 ,combe and ,cornelia ,winnie were wrong as to color4 ,sister ,belle is not a negress1 her hair is not black and in kinks1 it is golden1 and its curls are three feet in length1 moreover1 a white rose is her emblem4 ,and what a sad domestic tragedy have ,i not here unearthed4 ,in reading between the lines of these verses we learn that what darkened the life of this true and loving woman was a mercenary husband1 and that this husband survived her1 and in his unhallowed greed sold her body1 and this1 too1 at so exorbitant a price1 that it required the united purses of three doctors to induce him to close the bargain4 ,secondly3 by the message from ,w---- ,h----1 that most sedate and respectful of all respectful colored servants1 the moralist may learn anew the truth that ,death is a leveller of all distinctions4 ,not even when the ,emperor ,charlemagne appeared at a ,materializing ,sance in a dress-coat and standing collar1 and apologetically remarked that ',kings leave their ermine1 sir1 at the door of the tomb1' not even then was this great truth driven so profoundly home as when ,w---- ,h---- greeted me by my ,christian name1 and hailed me 'brother4' ,need it be added that ,i gratefully remitted to ,medium ,number ,three a double fee1 and do yet consider myself many times her debtor8 ,her gratitude to me found expression in another outburst of song4 ,had the identity of the original owner of the skull been my sole object1 ,i might well have rested content4 ,i had found the owner1 and she had claimed her own4 ,she was ',sister ,belle1' and confessed to that rare combination of golden hair with black eyes1 like ,lady ,penelope ,rich1 ,sir ,philip ,sydney's first love4 ,but my duty as a member of this ,commission compelled me to complete my investigations1 and make application to the fourth and last ,medium for answering ,sealed ,letters4 ,as ,i have stated1 this ,medium is also a woman1 and resides in ,massachusetts4 ,her circular directs the sealed letters to be 'well sealed or stitched1 so that they may not be opened until returned4' ,to this ,medium1 ,mrs4 ,eliza ,a4 ,martin1 ,oxford1 ,mass41 was sent the same letter to ,w---- ,h---- that had been sent to her predecessor1 of the same name1 in ,columbus1 and it was put in an envelope1 merely gummed and sealed1 without the silk stitches4 ,within a few days ,i received the following note1 enclosing my sealed envelope3 ',a message awaits your order from ,w---- ,h----4 ,please state if you recognize ,mrs4 ,m4,f4,h4--,several friends came and that name was mentioned4444 ,there are some words in an unknown tongue4' ,the minute that ,i looked at the returned envelope1 ,i felt like standing uncovered1 as in the presence of genius1 a genius before which ,mediums ,one1 ,two and ,three paled4 ,nothing could excel the unsullied virginity of the seals1 or of the gummed spaces between them4 ,i felt that ,i must proceed with the utmost caution4 ,with a very sharp penknife ,i then began to cut the edge of the envelope at one end4 ,scarcely had the knife been drawn very slowly more than the half of an inch before it became manifest that the edge of the envelope presented more resistance than the simple fold of paper would make4 ,i stopped and examined the severed edges4 ,very delicate but very distinct traces were visible of a thin mucilage1 perhaps of rice-water or of diluted gum-tragacanth4 ,how exquisite and how light are the touches of ethereal1 ,spiritual fingers6 ,after all the trouble with my seals1 when1 emulating ,dr4 ,watt's ,busy ,bee1 so neat ,i spread my wax1' it was beginning to dawn upon me that clairvoyant eyes1 quite as much as our own1 require ,heaven's broad sunshine on black ink and white paper4 ,the transmission of the fee brought in a few days the following3 ',dictated by the ,spirit of ,w---- ,h----4 ,to ,h4,h4 ,furness4 ,i found things very different here from what ,i expected4 ,i think that is almost the universal experience4 ,the half has not been told1 nor can it ever be1 for no language known to humanity can convey any definite knowledge of the mysteries of the ,spiritual ,life4 ,i remain the same toward you and all my earthly friends4 ,am with you frequently4 ,was present in your ,library with you one day recently4 ,i send my love to ,m---- ,f---- and to all others who knew me in earth-life4 ,a friend whom we both know and respect will pass over to this side before long4 ,will come to you again4' ,i cannot but think that all will agree in estimating this communication1 with its adroit generalization1 and in its general tone as superior to any thus far received4 ,on another sheet of paper was written3 ',there is a ,spirit ,friend present1 who gives the name of ,marie ,st4 ,clair4 ,earth-life had not much pleasure for her1 and a course of dissapation sic and sin resulted in an untimely death4 ,born of ,french parentage1 and inheriting some of the peculiar characteristics of that people might perhaps furnish some excuse4 ,this ,spirit says furthermore1 you have something which once belonged to her in your possession4 ,behold this ruin1 'tis a skull ,once of etherial spirit full-- ,par quel ordre du ,ciel1 que je ne puis compendre ,vous dis-je plus que je ne dois8 ,here is evidently 'a spirit of no common rate1' of whom we might well desire further acquaintance1 albeit at the cost of losing golden-haired1 black-eyed ,sister ,belle4 ,but why should we talk of 'loss8' ,if1 as ,banquo says1 'there's husbandry in ,heaven1' why should we not in the ',summer-land' find one and the same skull1 with frugal economy1 given to two owners8 ,desirous of submitting the mother-wit of this ,medium to the test of stitched envelopes1 ,i wrote the following3--',is ,marie ,st4 ,clair pleased in having her skull carefully treasured here in my ,library8 ,does it gratify her1 as a ,spirit1 that it is mounted on black marble8 ,does she ever hover over it8' ,this was placed in an envelope1 gummed1 and sealed with five seals in the ordinary1 easy-going way1 and marked ,no4 #a4 ,the very same questions were repeated on another piece of paper and put in an envelope1 which was stitched securely with silk1 the stitches passing through both the envelope and the paper1 and carefully concealed under the sealing wax4 ,this was marked ,no4 #b1 and in the note accompanying these two envelopes1 the ,medium was requested to sit with ,no4 #a first4 ,the ,test was the same as that to which ,dr4 ,mansfield had been subjected1 and to which he had succumbed4 ,the mail soon returned both envelopes1 with this note3--',the reply comes to us in the affirmative to both envelopes4 ,there is quite a communication for you from same ,spirit ,friend4' ,a close examination of the edges of the envelopes soon revealed the edge at which they had been opened and closed again4 ,that edge has been preserved intact for future verification1 if required1 and the envelopes were opened by cutting the other edges4 ,the seals had not been removed2 as1 in fact1 there was no need of removing them4 ,the paper containing the questions had not been extracted from ,no4 #b2 it still remained firmly stitched to the front of the envelope4 ,yet the ,medium had evidently read it4 ,her words are 'the reply comes in the affirmative to both envelopes1' which is a good1 fair answer4 ,i was puzzled1 it must be confessed4 ,suddenly it occurred to me to try how far one could look into the contents of the paper1 supposing the end of the envelope to be open4 ,i tried it1 and lo6 enough can be easily read to make out that ,no4 #b is a repetition of ,no4 #a4 ,the needle had missed taking up all the folds of the paper6 ,the communication from ,marie ,st4 ,clair1 which accompanied these envelopes1 runs thus3--',to ,h4,h4 ,furness4 ,your kindly nature has often drawn the ,spirit of ,marie to your side4 ,i consider myself indebted to you for certain acts which you will understand4 ,not that the poor inanimate thing which you have so kindly treated1 is of itself of much account1 but your kindness has often drawn me to your side in moments when you little dreamed ,i were near4 ,had ,i met in material existence one like yourself my past might have been far different4 ,in this beautiful life1 the sources and courses of all earthly misfortunes and sins appear to us like a figure seen in a dream4 ,the lowest plane of ,spiritual life is as much superior to earthly existence as sunlight is superior to starlight4 ,from ,marie ,st4 ,clair4 ,please inform ,mrs4 ,martin why you so carefully preserved the skull1 and where you obtained it1 and all you know about it1 and oblige yours truly1 ,e4,a4 ,martin4 ,there is an acrostic upon your name waiting for you here from ,marie4' ,if the fair and frail ,marie appears somewhat cautious in direct allusions to her skull1 and to her 'earth-life1' it is certainly to her credit that she seems to have retained no taint of mercenary greed4 ,she made no demand or reference to a fee1 and a second letter had to be sent to her ,medium to learn the amount of my debt4 ,this is her reply3--',your kind favour came duly to me1 and as your message to your ,spirit ,friend was delivered previously1 that is1 as soon as it was written1 ,i had no further effort to make than to convey the following to you3 ',amants1 heureux amants1 voulez-vous voyager6 ,que ce soit aux rives prochaines4 ,patience1 je n'en ai pas quand je suis si prs et si loin de vous4 ,ah6 tout ce qu'il y a dans le coeur de crainte1 de douleur1 de desespoir1 j'ai tout devin2 tout souffert1 je puis tout exprimer maintenant surtout la joie4 ,adieu6 ,marie ,st4 ,clair4' ,here end my investigations into the power of ,spirits to answer sealed questions4 ,in every instance the envelopes had been opened and reclosed2 it is therefore scarcely necessary to add that every instance has borne the stamp of ,fraud4 ,there is yet one other dark chapter1 perhaps the darkest of all1 which my duty compelled me to read4 ,i began with ,dr4 ,mansfield1 in ,boston2 let me end with him there4 ,in addition to the answering of sealed letters sent to him by mail1 this ,medium exercises his ,mediumistic powers on questions propounded to him1 or rather to the ,spirits through him1 at his own home4 ,his method of work1 as described by several highly intelligent observers1 is somewhat as follows3--,there are two tables in the room of sance1 at one of which sits the ,medium1 at the other the visitor4 ,the visitor at his table writes his question in pencil at the top of a long slip of paper1 and1 after folding over several times the portion of the slip on which his question is written1 gums it down with mucilage and hands it to the ,medium1 who thereupon places on the folded and gummed portion his left hand1 and in a few minutes with his right hand writes down answers to the concealed questions2 these answers are marvels of pertinency1 and prove beyond a cavil the ,clairvoyant or ,spiritual powers of the ,medium4 ,so remarkable are the results of this phase of ,mediumship1 that through them and through the high standing and intelligence of those who believe in him1 this particular ,medium is a tower of ,spiritualistic strength4 ,examine my informants as narrowly as possible1 there appeared to be no possibility of fraud4 ,the impression had gradually deepened in my mind that here is an instance of genuine ,spiritual power4 ,but the fraudulent character of his dealings with the sealed letters made me fear that falsus in uno1 falsus in omnibus4 ,on the #adth of ,may1 #ahhe1 ,i called on ,dr4 ,mansfield at his house1 ,no4 #bh ,dartmouth ,street1 and was ushered into the second story front room--a bedroom4 ,there were1 ,i think1 three front windows looking on the street2 at the farthest was the ,medium's table1 so placed sideways to the window1 and close to it1 that the full light fell on the ,medium's left hand1 as he sat at it1 and faced the middle of the room4 ,in front of the ,medium1 as he sat at the table with his back to the wall1 were the usual writing materials1 lead pencils and mucilage bottle1 and beyond them1 on the edge of the table farthest from the ,medium1 and between him and the rest of the room1 was a row of books1 octavos1 etc41 extending the whole length of the table and terminating in a tin box1 like a deed box1 with pamphlets on it4 ,when the ,medium sits at his table1 this row of books is between him and his visitor4 ,the table for the visitor is a small one1 near one of the other windows and six or seven feet from the ,medium4 ,on this table were a number of strips of paper and a pencil4 ,the ,medium1 who did not ask my name1 bade me take a seat at the small table and write my question on one of the strips of paper1 and then to fold down the paper two or three times4 ,i sat down and wrote1 ,has ,marie ,st4 ,clair met ,sister ,belle in the other world8 ,i then folded that portion of the strip of paper down three times1 and told the ,medium that it was ready for the mucilage2 he came over from his table at once with a brush of mucilage1 and spread it abundantly under the last fold4 ,then1 taking the strip between his thumb and forefinger1 he walked with it back to his table1 keeping it in my sight all the time4 ,as soon as he took his seat and laid the strip on his table before him1 ,i rose and approached his table1 so as to keep my paper still in sight2 the row of books entirely intercepted my view of it4 ,the ,medium instantly motioned to me to return to my seat1 and1 ,i think1 told me to do so4 ,i obeyed1 and as ,i did so could not repress a profound sigh4 ,why had no one ever told me of that row of books8 ,the ,medium did not sit in statue-like repose1 but moved his body much1 and his arms frequently2 his hands ,i could not see1 hidden as they were1 behind the row of books4 ,after a minute or two the ,medium looked up and said1 ',i don't know whether ,i can get any communication from this ,spirit1' a remark which a long experience with ,slate-,writing ,mediums has taught me to regard as a highly favorable omen1 and as an indication that they have read the question and are now about to begin the little game1 in which ,i always take much interest1 of experiencing great difficulty in obtaining the 'rapport1' as they term it4 ,dr4 ,mansfield frowned1 shook his head and assumed an air of great doubt and perplexity4 ,i was certain that there would be now an ostentatious display of the strip of paper1 and sure enough1 in a minute more the ,medium1 strip in hand1 came over to my table1 and shook his head ominously4 ,he placed his left hand on the portion of the strip containing my question1 and began tapping on it with his forefinger4 ',pray1 tell me1' ,i said1 'is that motion of your forefinger voluntary or involuntary8' ',it's my telegraph to 'em1' he replied1 'getting 'em to come4' ',i don't want to weary you1' ,i rejoined1 'but if that tapping will bring them1 do keep it up6 ,i cannot tell you how anxious ,i am to hear from this ,spirit4' ,he paused1 and then made some marks1 like cabalistic signs1 which are still to be seen on the paper4 ,then the tapping was resumed4 ,then more cabalistic signs were made4 ,at last he said1 ',put your left foot against mine1 and your left knee against mine1 and hook your forefinger into mine1 and pull hard4' ,i did so4 ',stop1' he cried1 'is it ,maria8' ',yes1' ,i replied1 'that's it1 she is called ,marie4 ,it's ,marie6' ',i have to go by the sound1' he rejoined4 ,we then pulled forefingers again4 ',stop1' he cried1 'is there a ,saint about it8' ',yes1' ,i answered1 ',st4 is the first part of the next name6 ,i have so longed to have her come to me4' ,dr4 ,mansfield arose1 gathered up the strip and returned to his table4 ,i could go now unopposed and stand by him while he wrote the following3 ',i am with you my dear ,bro but too xcited to speak for a moment have patience brother and ,i will do the best ,i can do to control4 ,your sister ,marie ,st4 ,clair4' ,the change in kinship1 and its novelty1 staggered me somewhat2 clearly they manage things differently in the ',summer-land4' ,however1 ,i mastered my emotion4 ',and now1' ,i said1 'for the great question1' and was going hastily to my table to write it4 ',stop1' said the ,medium1 'you're too excited to ask that question now4 ,put some other questions first4 ,then when you are calmer put the important question4' 7,a clever stroke6 ,he did not know enough of me or of ,marie to answer anything definitely--a few intermediate questions might furnish him with many a clue47 ',but1 my dear sir1' ,i cried1 'what can ,i ask about8 ,i have but one thought in my mind2 that engulfs all others4 ,if ,i don't ask that1 ,i shall have to ask ,marie if she minds this pouring rain1 or some twaddle about the weather4' ',well1 well1 you'd better ask it then1 and get it off your mind1 and we'll see how far ,marie can answer it4' 7,here let me recall that stanza in ,sister ,belle's communication wherein she says3 ,my form was sold to doctors three ,and you have all that's left of me1 etc47 ,i sat down at my table and wrote3 ',is it really true that ,sister ,belle's body was sold to three doctors8' ,i folded it down1 carried it to the ,medium's table1 watched him gum it1 and still remained standing at his table1 but he immediately and peremptorily waved me to my seat4 ,again were his hands and my strip of paper1 with its freshly gummed fold1 completely hidden from sight1 behind the row of books4 ,again the ,medium's arms moved4 ,he turned to the window and hastily pulled down the shade4 ,this puzzled me4 ,there was no sunshine to be excluded1 it was raining fast outside1 the day was unusually dark1 and he needed all the light he could get4 ,i turned and looked out of my window1 and there in the house just across the narrow street1 at a window on a level with ours1 and commanding a full view of the ,medium's table1 sat a woman sewing1 with another1 ,i think1 standing by her4 ',bravo6' ,i thought1 'are not the four ,cardinal virtues1 ,temperance1 ,justice1 ,prudence and ,fortitude8' and then resumed my watch inside4 ,dr4 ,mansfield finished writing1 and then held up the slip as though for a final revision before handing it to me4 ,a toothpick which he had in his mouth worked energetically from side to side1 and he gravely shook his head as in perplexity4 ',i don't like this1' he ejaculated at last1 ',i don't want to give it to you4 ,there'll be trouble here4 ,it's very serious4 ,better let me tear it up4' ',let me see it1' ,i cried1 ',i promise you ,i'll be calm1' and ,i took the strip from his fingers and read3 ',dear ,brother--,i fear such was the case--but--,i could not say who--,i have consulted ,dr4 ,hare--and the far famed ,benja ,rush1 and they agree that the body is not in the earth--,i fear darling ,belle's body--is in process of being--wired4 ,marie ,st4 ,clair4' ,the last word was not1 ,i thought1 quite legible1 so ,i appealed to the ,medium1 and when he solemnly said 'wired1' the utterance with which ,i greeted it he probably thought was a groan1 and1 indeed1 from the borderland of laughter1 ,i did try to push it over into the land of tears1 as hard as ,i could4 ,my third question immediately followed3 ,can you give me any information as to where even a portion of the body is8 ,again ,i was waved to my seat1 again my strip of paper and the hands were concealed1 again the arms were nervously moved4 ,this answer ,i awaited with not a little anxiety4 ,surely1 surely1 ,marie ,st4 ,clair and ,sister ,belle would remember that their joint skull was in my library4 ,they had told me so1 only a few weeks before1 and as that skull was known to be fifty or sixty years old1 and their united memory of it had lasted throughout those long years1 surely that memory would not desert them now4 ,and ,dr4 ',benja' ,rush1 who had recently greeted me as 'townsman1' he was present and surely he would come to the rescue of ,spiritualism1 and gladly seize the chance to settle the question which he had once discussed with ,combe1 and ,gall1 and ,spurzheim by bringing forward the frail ,marie and the golden-haired1 black-eyed ,belle as tenants in common 7and uncommon7 of the same skull4 ,moreover1 ,i thought1 are there not to be found in ,anatomical ,museums skeletons of infants with one body and two heads8 ,why may not this have been an instance of one head and two bodies8 ,to be sure1 one of the bodies lived in ,ohio and the other in ,massachusetts1 but then when we have once started on a journey through the marvels of ,spiritualism1 as portrayed by these four ,mediums1 what does such a trifle as this amount to8 ,i had1 ,i reflected1 in all seriousness1 taken no single step in the investigation of these ,mediums that was not fully authorized by the explicit statements received from the ,mediums themselves4 ,i had accepted as truth what they told me was truth4 ,if ,spiritualism is hereby wounded1 it is wounded in the house of its own disciples4 ,at last my answer came3 ',i am not allowed to divulge what ,i think--much less what ,i know--it would be productive of more harm than good--let them have it--it is but earth at best--they have not got our precious ,belle--she is safe in the ,haven of ,eternal repose--,i would not make any noise about it--but let it pass--as a discovery of it would give you pain rather than otherwise--,belle says let it pass--the triune that have it bought it without knowing whose it was1 and such care as little as they know4 ,marie ,st4 ,clair4' ,i felt that it was time that a conclusion should be put to this farce1 so humiliating in the thought that honest1 unsuspicious1 gentle men and gentle women are daily deceived by it4 ,nevertheless1 ,i wished to bring the 'wheel full circle' to this ,medium's ,spiritual communications of aforetime4 ,i recalled that ,cornelia ,winnie's spirit had said that she thought the skull was ,dina ,melish's 'top not4' ,my fourth1 and last1 question therefore ran3 ',do you think that by any chance ,dina ,melish would know8' ,to which the answer came3 ',well ,brother1 as to that ,she may know more than ,she may be willing to divulge--you see1 ,brother1 it places ,dinah in a very unpleasant position1 i4e41 should it be noised abroad that she was in the secret4 ,i do not by any means censure ,dinah for what she may know1 if know she does4 ,you could xamine ,dinah on that point--carefully1 not allowing her to suspect your object in so doing4 ,you might and might not elicit some light on the matter4 ,marie ,st4 ,clair4' #ad ,may1 '#he4 ,after ,i had handed this last question to ,dr4 ,mansfield a slight incident enabled me1 to my own satisfaction1 to note the exact instant when he read my question 7he would say1 'clairvoyantly'7 behind his row of books4 ,he once lifted his eyes to mine1 and met them full for an instant in a piercing look4 ,i do not think he suspected that ,i was his former correspondent 7,i would have told him willingly who ,i was if he had ever asked me71 but the name ',dina ,melish' seemed to come back to his memory1 as one that he had heard but could not localize4 ,of course ,i knew that he had just read my question4 ,i told him that these were all the questions ,i desired to ask him4 ,he exhorted me to be calm1 and told me a cheerful story of a young girl's having been recently buried alive1 of which1 ,i infer1 the moral was1 that she would have found it more comfortable all round to have been sold to the doctors4 ,i paid him his fee and left4 ,in conclusion1 let me add that we have by no means exhausted the lessons which ,spiritualism1 in the hands of some of its votaries1 can teach us4 ,to our purblind vision the joint ownership of one skull by two different persons presents a physiological problem more or less difficult of solution4 ,but all difficulty vanishes as soon as 'the river is crossed4' ,i derived no little comfort and much light from a ,materializing ,sance which ,i attended shortly afterwards in ,boston1 where both ,marie ,st4 ,clair and ,sister ,belle appeared together1 at the same time1 and greeted me with affectionate warmth4 ,to my inexpressible relief they were each well provided with skulls4 ,they were more mature and matronly1 ,i confess1 than my ardent fancy had painted them1 and ,sister ,belle's 'golden curls one yard long' were changed to very straight black hair2 the golden hue which ,sister ,belle had herself ascribed to them must have been due to the light in which she saw them1 'the light that never was on sea or land4' ,i was pleased to find that ,marie's ,english was excellent1 without a trace of foreign accent4 ,but this1 and the matronly appearance1 ,i learned subsequently were presumably due to the age1 shape and nativity of the ,medium through whom she materialized4 ,for when ,marie afterwards appeared to me1 as she did many times at another ,medium's sances1 her appearance was quite youthful1 with clustering brown curls low down on her forehead1 which when ,i once attempted to stroke ,i found to be full of sharp pins2 and to my expressions of gratitude that she should so kindly appear to me1 she lisped in broken ,english3 ',i am viz you olvays4' ,the present of an amber necklace1 with the name ',marie' engraved on the silver clasp1 obtained for me from her the written expression of her pleasure that ,i had carefully preserved what ,i assured her was 'the last thing on her neck before she passed over4' ,need ,i say that this document1 in ,marie's own handwriting1 invests the skull with even added interest8 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,materialization4 ,i think it would be difficult to find a psychological study more interesting than that which is afforded by a ,materializing sance4 ,i have never attended one that did not yield abundant food for reflection1 and present one problem1 at least1 too deep for any solution ,i can devise4 ,although1 perhaps1 our first experience in such sances makes the deepest impression1 yet the novelty never wears off1 nor can custom stale its variety4 ,the audiences are never wholly the same1 and every ,medium has her own peculiar method4 ,in the cities where the ,mediums reside1 and where they hold their sances on regular days throughout the winter1 the audiences are by no means composed only of those who go out of idle curiosity2 these form but a small segment of the 'circle1' the majority are regular attendants1 mostly those whose lives have been clouded by sorrow1 and who go thither as to a church or sanctuary1 and so serious and earnest is their deportment that ,i cannot imagine any temptation to open levity4 ,this unaffectedly religious character of these sances cannot fail1 ,i think1 to strike even the most indifferent4 ,the careful arrangement of the visitors who are to compose what is termed the 'circle2' the nice balancing of positive natures with negative natures1 wherein the ,medium is guided by her delicate spiritual insight2 the quiet hush2 the whispered conversation2 the darkened room2 the darker drapery of the mysterious ,cabinet1 with its untold possibilities2 the subdued chords of the dim melodeon2 the soothing tones of familiar hymns1 in which all voices join2 the words full of assurance of a deathless life1 of immortal love1 of reunion with earthly idols1 not lost1 but gone before only a very little distance1 and now present and impatient for the ,medium's trance to enable them to return radiant with love and joy--all these conspire to kindle emotions deeply religious in hearts that are breaking under blows of bereavement1 and of such1 as ,i have said1 the majority of the audiences are composed4 ,every effort is made by the ,mediums to heighten the effect4 ,before entering the ,cabinet to undergo her mysterious trance1 the ,medium generally makes a short address1 reminding the circle that this is a solemn hour1 that here is the forecourt of the world beyond1 thronged with living ,spirits1 eager to return1 bearing visible1 tangible assurance of immortality and of enduring love1 and that the mysterious agency1 whereby they return1 is greatly aided by a sympathetic harmony in the circle1 and so forth4 ,the ,medium then enters the ,cabinet2 the curtains close2 the light is lowered2 the organ sounds some solemn chords1 gliding into the hymn1 ',nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee1' which all join in singing4 ,at its close there is a hush of anticipation2 and that nature must be unimpressionable indeed1 that is not stirred when the dark1 heavy folds of the curtains of the ,cabinet are discerned to be tremulously moving2 and1 as they gently part1 disclose a figure veiled from head to foot in robes of white4 ,if the return of the heavenly visitant would but end here1 ,i think the impression would be deeper and more abiding4 ,the filmy1 vague outline of the white figure thoroughly harmonizes with all established1 orthodox notions of ghosts1 and if this were all of the apparition vouchsafed to us1 we might1 perhaps1 have a harder problem to deal with than when the ,spirit actually emerges from the ,cabinet with outstretched arms of greeting4 ,a substantial1 warm1 breathing1 flesh and blood ghost1 whose foot-falls jar the floor1 is slightly heterodox and taxes our credulity2 if hereunto be added an unmistakable likeness to the ,medium in form and feature1 many traces1 ,i am afraid1 of the supernatural and spiritual vanish4 ,mindful of our endeavour as a ,commission1 to have as many observers as possible in cases demanding close observation1 ,i never attended a ,materializing sance as a member of this ,commission4 ,whenever ,i happened to be personally known 7and my ear-trumpet soon makes me a marked man71 that official capacity was unavoidably imputed to me1 but ,i never announced it nor claimed it4 ,i was present merely as an observer on my own account1 with the intention of making arrangements1 if practicable1 for sances with the rest of the ,commission1 if what ,i saw seemed to me sufficiently remarkable to justify the expense1 which experience1 with other ,mediums in other lines1 had taught me would be very considerable4 ,i therefore took no notes1 and could at this late day only after much difficulty furnish dates4 ,wherefore all that ,i propose in this ,memorandum is to give my own private conclusion1 which is worth no more than the conclusion of any other private individual1 and to mention the test to which ,i subjected all the ,spirits whom ,i had the pleasure of specially 'interviewing'2 as this test can be applied by any one1 at any time1 at any sance1 it partakes of the nature of a general truth1 which does not need the support of dates1 or names1 or places to uphold it4 ,i suppose ,i have attended between twenty and thirty ,materializing sances4 ,i do not hesitate to acknowledge that ,i have been throughout sincerely and extremely anxious to become converted to ,spiritualism4 ,in whatever direction my judgment is warped1 it is warped in favor of that belief4 ,i cannot conceive of the texture of that mind which would not welcome such an indisputable proof of immortality as ,spiritualism professes to hold out4 ,in general1 then1 let me say at once and emphatically that ,i have never seen anything which1 in the smallest degree1 has led me to suppose that a ,spirit can be1 as it is termed1 materialized4 ,it is superfluous to add that ,i never recognized a materialized ,spirit2 in only two instances have any ,spirits professed to be members of my family1 and in one of those two instances1 as it happened1 that member was alive and in robust health1 and in the other a ,spirit claimed a fictitious relationship1 that of niece4 ,of course this assertion applies only to those ,spirits who materialized especially for me4 ,i do not pretend to answer for ,spirits who came to other people4 ,all that ,i am quite sure of is that all the ,spirits who singled me out from the circle1 and emerged from the ,cabinet for my benefit1 were not only abundantly 'padded round with flesh and fat1' but also failed utterly in any attempt to establish their individuality2 and moreover1 in the instances where ,i had seen the ,medium before she entered the ,cabinet1 so closely resembled the ,medium as1 in my eyes1 to be indistinguishable from her4 ,it is1 ,i confess1 a very puzzling problem 7it is1 in fact1 the problem to which ,i alluded above7 to account for the faith1 undoubtedly genuine1 which ,spiritualists have in the personal reappearance of their departed friends4 ,again and again have ,i asked those who have returned1 from an interview with a ,spirit at the ,cabinet1 to their seats beside me1 whether or not they had recognized their friends beyond a peradventure1 and have always received an affirmative reply1 sometimes strongly affirmative4 ,i was once taken to the ,cabinet by a woman and introduced to the ,shade of her dead husband4 ,when we resumed our seats1 ,i could not help asking her3 ',are you sure you recognized him8' ,whereupon she instantly retorted1 with much indignation1 ',do you mean to imply that ,i don't know my husband8' ,again1 at another sance1 a woman1 a visitor1 led from the ,cabinet to me a ,materialized ,spirit1 whom she introduced to me as 'her daughter1 her dear1 darling daughter1' while nothing could be clearer to me than the features of the ,medium in every line and lineament4 ,again and again1 men have led round the circles the ,materialized ,spirits of their wives1 and introduced them to each visitor in turn2 fathers have taken round their daughters1 and ,i have seen widows sob in the arms of their dead husbands4 ,testimony1 such as this1 staggers me4 ,have ,i been smitten with color-blindness8 ,before me1 as far as ,i can detect1 stands the very ,medium herself1 in shape1 size1 form1 and feature true to a line1 and yet1 one after another1 honest men and women at my side1 within ten minutes of each other1 assert that she is the absolute counterpart of their nearest and dearest friends1 nay1 that she is that friend4 ,it is as incomprehensible to me as the assertion that the heavens are green1 and the leaves of the trees deep blue4 ,can it be that the faculty of observation and comparison is rare1 and that our features are really vague and misty to our best friends8 ,is it that the ,medium exercises some mesmeric influence on her visitors1 who are thus made to accept the faces which she wills them to see8 ,or is it1 after all1 only the dim light and a fresh illustration of la nuit tous les chats sont gris8 ,the light1 be it remembered1 is always dim at these sances1 and it is often made especially dim when a ,spirit leaves the ,cabinet4 ,i think ,i have never been able at such times to read the ,arabic numerals on my watch1 which happen to be unusually large and pronounced4 ,unquestionably ,spiritualists will be at no loss to explain this puzzle2 possibly they would say that ,i have here unconsciously given one of the very best of proofs of the reality and genuineness of ,materialization1 and that my unbelief acts on the sensitive1 evanescent features of the ,spirit like a chemical reagent1 and that--but it is not worth while to weaken by anticipation their solacing arguments4 ,in any statement of this problem we should bear in mind all the attending circumstances3 the darkened room2 the music2 the singing2 the pervading hush of expectation2 the intensely concentrated attention2 the strained gaze at the dark ,cabinet and at its white robed apparitions2 and finally1 the presence of a number of sympathizing believers4 ,there is another fact about these sances which ,i think cannot fail to impress even the most casual observer1 and this is the attractive charms which the ,cabinet seems to possess for the aboriginal ,indian4 ,this child of nature appears to materialize with remarkable facility1 and1 having apparently doffed his characteristic phlegm in the happy hunting grounds1 enters with extreme zest on the lighter gambols which sometimes enliven the sombre monotony of a sance4 ,almost every ,medium keeps an ,indian 'brave' in her cohort of ,spirits2 in fact1 there is no ,cabinet1 howe'er so ill attended1 but has some ,indian there4 ,it is strange1 too1 that1 as far as ,i know1 departed black men1 who might be supposed to be quite as unsophisticated as departed red men1 have hitherto developed no such materializing proclivities4 ,it is1 perhaps1 even more strange that while1 in my experience1 ,italian ,spirits neither understand nor speak ,italian1 and ,french ,spirits can neither comprehend nor talk ,french1 and ,german ,spirits remain invincibly dumb in ,german1 it is reserved to ,indian 'braves' to be glibly and fluently voluble in the explosive gutturals of their own well-known tongue4 ,before a sance begins1 a thorough examination of the ,cabinet is always tendered1 a privilege of which ,i very seldom avail myself1 and hold to be always superfluous1 on the following grounds3 ,first1 if the ,spirits which come out of the ,cabinet be genuine1 it is of very small moment how they got in1 and no possible scrutiny of the material structure of the ,cabinet will disclose the process4 ,secondly1 if the ,spirits be fraudulent1 the ,mediums are too quick-witted and ingenious in their methods of introducing confederates into the ,cabinet not to conceal all traces of mechanical contrivance far too effectually to be detected in any cursory examination4 ,it is also to be borne in mind that much can be done under cover of the darkness1 which is sometimes total for a few minutes before the sance begins1 and also that the notes of the melodeon are sufficiently deep and loud to drown not a little rustling4 ,if the ,mediums are deceitful ,i have always felt that in any endeavor to unmask them the odds are heavily in their favor4 ,the methods are manifold whereby confederates may be introduced into the ,cabinet3 from above1 from below1 and1 enveloped in black stuff1 from back parlors1 rooms and closets4 ,it is not what goes into the ,cabinet which1 in my opinion1 demands our scrutiny but what comes out of it2 it is to the ,spirits to which all our tests should be applied1 the ,cabinet and the ,medium are quite secondary4 ,furthermore1 it should be remembered that those who sit nearest to the ,cabinet are always staunch friends of the ,medium1 or known by her to be perfectly safe and harmless4 ,not infrequently a ,materialized ,spirit is seen to subside into the floor between the folds of the curtains at the opening of the ,cabinet1 ,this is termed 'de-materialization1' and not a little mystery is ascribed to it4 ,the mystery vanishes when we reflect how easy it is for a lithe and active young woman so to bow down quickly1 even to the very ground1 as to convey the impression1 when her white garments are alone visible against a black background1 that she has sunk into the floor4 ,i have at times distinctly felt the faint jar caused by the ,medium's falling backward within the dark curtains a little too hastily4 ,at times1 when the ,spirit is wholly within the ,cabinet1 and visible only through the parted folds of the curtain1 the semblance of a gradual sinking is obtained by simply uniting slowly the two folds of the black curtain1 beginning at the head and gradually closing them down to the feet2 the room is generally so dark that the dark curtain is indistinguishable at a little distance1 and the effect of slowly falling is admirably conveyed4 ,in one instance1 where the ,spiritual garments were not white1 but particolored 7the ,spirit was a ,scotch girl and wore the tartan71 the effect of de-materializing was capitally given by the ,spirit's standing just inside the slightly parted curtains1 and then allowing the whole outer costume1 even to the head-dress1 to fall swiftly to the floor4 ,perhaps the best effect in this line1 that ,i have seen1 was on one occasion when a ,spirit had retired within the folds of the curtain1 but apparently immediately reappeared again at the opening2 she had been habited somewhat like a nun with white bands and fillets around the head and face2 thus1 too1 was she clad at her reappearance1 but1 as ,i sat quite close to the ,cabinet1 ,i perceived that the figure was composed merely of the garments of the former ,spirit1 and that there was no face at all within the head-gear4 ,i am sure the omission could not have been detected at the distance at which the rest of the circle sat4 ,this snow-white figure was allowed to sink very1 very slowly1 the dark curtains uniting above it as it gradually sank1 until only the oval white head-dress around what should have been a face rested for a few seconds on the very floor1 and then suddenly collapsed4 ,it was in the highest degree ingeniously devised and artistically executed4 ,there are also various styles of appearing as well as of disappearing4 ,i think the very best and most effective of them all is where a ,spirit gradually materializes before our very eyes1 outside of the ,cabinet1 far enough1 indeed1 outside to give the appearance to a visitor directly in front of rising up from the very centre of the room4 ,a minute spot of white1 no larger than a dollar1 is first noticed on the floor2 this gradually increases in size1 until there is a filmy1 gauzy mass which rises fold on fold like a fountain1 and then1 when it is about a foot and a-half high1 out of it rises a ,spirit to her full height1 and either swiftly glides to greet a loved one in the circle1 or as swiftly retires to the ,cabinet4 ,it is really beautiful1 and its charm is not diminished by a knowledge of the simplicity of the process1 which1 as ,i have sat more than once when the ,cabinet was almost in profile1 ,i soon detected4 ,the room is very dark1 the outline of the black muslin ,cabinet can only with difficulty be distinguished even to one sitting within six feet of it2 a fold of black cloth1 perhaps five feet long and four feet wide1 is thrown from the ,cabinet forward into the room1 one end is held within the ,cabinet at about two or three feet above the floor1 and from under the extreme opposite edge1 where it rests on the floor1 some white tulle is slowly protruded1 a very little at first1 but gradually more and more is thrust out1 until there is enough there to permit the ,spirit1 who has crept out from the ,cabinet under the black cloth and has been busy pushing out the white tulle1 to get her head and shoulders well within the mass1 when she rises swiftly and gracefully1 and the dark cloth is drawn back into the ,cabinet4 ,i always want to applaud it2 it is charming4 ,on one occasion1 a ,spirit tried this pretty mode of materialization1 not directly in front of the ,cabinet1 but at the side quite close to where ,i sat4 ,the ,cabinet was merely a frame to which were attached black muslin or cloth curtains1 and a ,spirit can emerge at the side quite as conveniently as in front4 ,unfortunately this time1 through some heedlessness1 the ,spirit did not creep out of the frame-work with sufficient care1 and some portion of her garments must have caught when she was only on her knees4 ,i never shall forget the half-comic1 half-appealing1 feminine glance as her eyes looked up into mine1 when she was only partially materialized and some plaguey nail had caught her angel robe4 ,it was very hard not to spring to her assistance2 but such gallantry would have been excessively ill-timed1 so ,i was forced to sit still while the poor animula1 vagula1 blandula1 worked herself free and arose unfettered by my side4 ,perhaps this is as fitting a place as any to mention the test whereby ,i have tried the ,spirits who have come to me4 ,as this same lovely ,spirit arose and looked graciously down on me and held out her hands in welcome1 ,i arose also to my feet1 and peering anxiously into her face1 asked1 ',is this ,olivia8' ',yes1' she softly murmured in reply4 ,then ensued the following conversation which ,i reproduce as faithfully as ,i can4 ,it was broken off once by the ,spirit's retiring into the ,cabinet1 but resumed when she again appeared to me4 ',ah1 ,olive dear1 how lovely of you to materialize6 ,did you really want to come back8' ',very much1 of course1' she answered4 ',and do you remember the sweet years of old8' ',all of them1' she whispered4 ',do you remember1' ,i continued1 'the old oak near ,sumner-place8' ,a happy hit1 in the longitude of ,boston6 ',yes1 indeed1 ,i do1' was the low reply1 as her head fell gently on my shoulder4 ',and do you remember1 ,olive dear1 whose names were carved on it8' ',yes2 ah1 yes6' ',oh1 ,olive1 there's one thing ,i want so much to ask you about4 ,tell me1 dear1 if ,i speak of anything you don't remember4 ,what was the matter with you that afternoon1 one summer1 when your father rode his hunter to the town1 and ,albert followed after upon his2 and then your mother trundled to the gate behind the dappled grays4 ,do you remember it1 dear8' ',perfectly4' ',well1 don't you remember1 nothing seemed to please you that afternoon1 you left the novel all uncut upon the rosewood shelf1 you left your new piano shut1 something seemed to worry you4 ,do you remember it1 dear one8' ',all of it1 yes1 yes4' ',then you came singing down to that old oak1 and kissed the place where ,i had carved our names with many vows4 ,tell me1 you little witch1 who were you thinking of all that time8' ',all the while of you1' she sighed4 ',and do you1 oh1 do you remember that you fell asleep under the oak1 and that a little acorn fell into your bosom and you tossed it out in a pet8 ,ah1 ,olive dear1 ,i found that acorn1 and kissed it twice1 and kissed it thrice for thee6 ,and do you know that it has grown into a fine young oak8' ',i know it1' she answered softly and sadly1 ',i often go to it6' ,this was almost too much for me1 and as my memory1 on the spur of the moment1 of ,tennyson's ,talking ,oak was growing misty1 ,i was afraid the interview might become embarrassing for lack of reminiscences1 so ,i said1 ',dearest ,olivia1 that is so lovely of you4 ,there1 be a good girl1 good-bye now4 ,you'll surely come and see me again the next time ,i come here1 won't you8' ',yes1 indeed1 ,i will4' ,i released my arm from encircling a very human waist1 and ,olive lifted her head from my shoulder1 where she had been speaking close to my ear1 and de-materialized4 ,marie ,st4 ,clair1 who1 on ,spiritual authority as ,i have shown above1 shares the ownership with ,sister ,belle of ',yorick's' skull in my possession1 has never failed to assent whenever ,i ask a ,spirit if it be she4 ,to be sure1 she varies with every different ,medium1 but that is only one of her piquant little ways1 which ,i early learned to overlook and at last grew to like4 ,she is both short and tall1 lean and plump1 with straight hair and with curls1 young and middle-aged1 so that now it affords me real pleasure to meet a new variety of her2 but in all her varieties she never fails to express her delight over my guarding with care that which was 'the last thing on her neck before she passed over4' ,i was extremely anxious to obtain a written acknowledgment of this pleasure from ,marie1 and accordingly ,i took with me to one of the sances a little trinket1 and told the ,spirit that ,i would give it to her if she would just write down for me a few words expressive of this pleasure1 and1 as she was disappearing into the ,cabinet1 ,i thrust a writing-tablet and a pencil into her hand4 ,before the sance closed1 she reappeared to me1 and handing me a paper claimed my promise4 ,in full faith ,i gave her the little breast-pin1 and after the sance1 to my chagrin1 ,i found the writing on the paper was not from her1 but a message from my 'father1' announcing that he had 'found the next life a great truth1' which was1 certainly1 cheering1 in view of the fact that he was enjoying the present in so remarkably hearty and healthy a manner4 ,for the next sance ,i provided an amber necklace1 on whose clasp ,i had ',marie' engraved1 and when the ,spirit of the fair ,french girl appeared1 ,i taxed her with her naughty1 deceitful ways1 and told her that ,i would not give her the necklace1 which ,i had brought for her1 until she gave me what ,i asked for1 in her own writing4 ,in a very few minutes she reappeared and handed me a paper1 whereon she had written3 ',i am so glad you have kept them so nicely1 ,your ,marie4' 7,as her skull was shared by ,sister ,belle1 ,i suppose ,marie was strictly logical1 if ungrammatical1 in referring to it as 'them4'7 ,it was enough2 in a few minutes after1 ,marie reappeared wearing the amber beads glistening round her neck4 ,no sooner had ,i given the necklace than occurred another illustration of the remarkable and amiable pliancy with which ,materialized ,spirits will answer to any name with which they are addressed4 ,the ,medium who conducted the sance came to me and said1 ',there's a ,spirit in the ,cabinet who says she's your niece4' ,very thoughtlessly ,i replied1 ',but ,i haven't any niece in the ,spirit world4' ,the instant after ,i had spoken1 ,i felt my mistake4 ,you must never repel any ,spirit that comes to you4 ,it throws a coolness over your whole intercourse with that particular ,spirit-band2 no ,spirit from it will be likely to come to you again4 ,no surface of madrepores is more sensitive to a touch than a ,cabinet full of ,spirits to a chilling syllable of failure4 ,to regain my lost position1 therefore1 ,i said hastily1 ',but can it be ,effie8' 7,it was a mere hap-hazard name2 ,i know no ',effie4'7 ,the ,medium went to the ,cabinet and returned with the answer1 ',she says she's ,effie1 and she wants to see you4' ,of course1 ,i went with alacrity to where the curtains of the ,cabinet stood open1 and there1 just within it1 saw a ,spirit whom ,i recognized as having appeared once before during the evening with ,marie1 when the latter had materialized as a sailor-boy1 and the two had danced a ,spiritualist horn-pipe to the tune of ',a ,life on the ,ocean ,wave4' ',oh1 ,effie dear1' ,i said1 'is that you8' ',yes1 dear ,uncle1 ,i wanted so much to see you4' ',forgive me1 dear1' ,i pleaded1 'for having forgotten you4' ',certainly ,i will1 dear ,uncle1 and won't you bring me a necklace1 too8' ',certainly1 dear1' ,i replied1 'when ,i come here again4' ,i have never been there since4 ,thus is illustrated what will be1 ,i think1 the experience of every one who cares to apply this test to ,materialized ,spirits4 ,when the investigator is unknown to the ,medium1 a ,spirit materialized through that ,medium will confess to any name in the heavens above or the earth beneath1 in the world of fiction or the world of reality4 ,of course1 it would not do to ask a ,spirit whether or not it were some well-known public1 or equally well-known fictitious1 character4 ,you would be repelled if you should ask a ,spirit if it were ',yankee ,doodle1' but ,i am by no means sure that it would not confess to being ',cap'en ,good'in1' who accompanied ,yankee ,doodle and his father on their trip to town1 and whose name is less familiar in men's mouths4 ,all the good1 earnest1 simple-hearted folk who attend these sances ask the ,spirits1 when they appear to them for the first time1 if they are father1 mother1 brother1 husband1 wife1 or sister1 and the ,spirit will in every case confess the kinship asked for4 ,but1 as ,i have just said1 the investigator need not restrict himself to his family1 his friends1 or his acquaintances4 ,let him enter the world of fiction1 or of poetry1 or of history1 he has but to call for whomsoever he will1 and the ,materialized ,spirit will answer3 ',lo6 here am ,i6' ,let me strengthen this with the following additional illustration3 ,not long ago at a ,materializing sance where ,i was1 ,i think1 unknown to everyone1 certainly to the ,medium1 a ,spirit emerged from the ,cabinet1 clad in flowing white robes1 and advanced towards me with a wavering gait1 which could be readily converted into a tottering walk1 if ,i should perchance ask if it were my great-grandmother1 or could be interpreted as the feeble incertitude of a first materialization1 if ,i should perchance descend the family tree and ask for a more youthful scion4 ,i arose as it approached and asked3 ',is this ,rosamund8' ',yes6' replied the ,spirit1 still wobbling a little1 and in doubt whether to assume the role of youth or of old age4 ',what6 ,fair ,rosamund6' ,i exclaimed1 throwing into my voice all the joy and buoyancy ,i could master4 ,the hint to the ,spirit was enough4 ,all trace of senility vanished1 and with equal joyousness she responded ',yes1 it's indeed ,rosamund6' ,then ,i went on1 ',dearest ,rosamund1 there's something ,i want so much to ask you4 ,do you remember who gave you that bowl just before you died8' ,here ,fair ,rosamund nodded her head gaily and pointed her finger at me4 ',oh1 no1 no1 no1' ,i said1 'you forget1 ,fair ,rosamund1 ,i wasn't there then4 ,it was at ,woodstock4' ',oh1 yes1 yes1' she hastily rejoined1 'so it was2 it was at ,woodstock4' ',and it was ,eleanor who offered you that bowl4' ',to be sure1 ,i remember it now perfectly4 ,it was ,eleanor4' ',but ,rosamund1 ,fair ,rosamund1 what made you drink that bowl8 ,had you no suspicions8' ',no1 ,i had no suspicions4' ,and here she shook her head very sadly4 ',didn't you see what ,eleanor had in her other hand8' ',no4' ',ah1 ,fair ,rosamund1 ,i'm afraid she was a bad lot4' ',indeed she was6' 7with great emphasis74 ',what cruel eyes she had6' ',hadn't she1 though6' ',how did she find you out8' ',i haven't an idea4' ',ah1 ,fair ,rosamund1 do you remember how beautiful you were here the ,spirit simpered a little after you were dead1 and how the people came from far and near to look at you8' ',yes1' said ,fair ,rosamund1 ',i looked down on them all the while4' ,and here she glided back into the ,cabinet4 ,it is not impossible that a ,spiritualist might urge that the test which ,i apply is not a fair one--that guile will beget guile1 that the ,spirits meet me as ,i meet them4 ,but what other possible way have ,i of finding out who the ,spirits are1 when they do not tell me in advance1 but by asking them8 ,whenever they have been announced to me as this or that ,spirit1 ,i invariably treat them as the ,spirits of those whom they assert themselves to be1 and1 in my conclusions1 am guided only by the pertinency of their answers to my questions4 ,whenever ,william ,shakespeare appears to me 7and1 by the way1 let me here parenthetically note1 as throwing light on a vexed question1 that ,shakespeare in the ,spirit-world 'favors' the ,chandos ,portrait1 even to the two little white collar strings hanging down in front2 his ,spirit has visited me several times1 and such was his garb when ,i saw him most distinctly72 when1 ,i repeat1 ,shakespeare materializes in the ,cabinet for me1 do ,i not always most reverently salute him1 and does he not graciously nod to me--until ,i venture most humbly to ask him what the misprint1 ',vllorxa' in ,timon of ,athens stands for1 when he always slams the curtains in my face8 7,i meekly own that perhaps he is justified47 ,have ,i ever failed in respectful homage to ,general ,washington8 ,did ,i ever evince the slightest mistrust of ,indian 'braves8' ,when a ,spirit comes out of the ,cabinet especially to me1 how am ,i to know1 or to find out1 who it is but by asking8 ,if it be not the ,spirit that ,i name1 will it not1 if it has a shred of honesty1 set me right8 ,what hinders it from telling me just who it is8 ,if it be the ,spirit of my great-grandmother1 it can be surely no satisfaction to her1 after all the bother of materialization1 to hold converse with me as the ,spirit of ,sally in our ,alley2 and if she be1 in every sense of the word1 a 'spirity' old lady1 she will instantly undeceive me1 and 'let me know who ,i am talking to4' ,but why should ,i anticipate deceit at ,spiritual hands8 ,if ,william ,shakespeare can appear to me1 why not ,fair ,rosamund8 ,hereupon a ,spiritualist may maintain that if the ,spirit said she was ,fair ,rosamund1 and displayed a familiarity with the incidents of that frail woman's life and death1 she probably was ,fair ,rosamund4 ,so be it4 ,i yield1 and will go farther1 and hereafter find no more difficulty1 than in her case1 in ,tennyson's ,olivia1 ,marie ,st4 ,clair1 and in the heroes and heroines of ,scheherezade's ,thousand and ,one ,nights4 ,although ,i have been thus thwarted at every turn in my investigations of ,spiritualism1 and found fraud where ,i had looked for honesty1 and emptiness where ,i had hoped for fulness1 ,i cannot think it right to pass a verdict1 universal in its application1 where far less than the universe of ,spiritualism has been observed4 ,my field of examination has been limited4 ,there is an outlying region claimed by ,spiritualists which ,i have not touched1 and into which ,i would gladly enter1 were there any prospect that ,i should meet with more success4 ,i am too deeply imbued with the belief that we are such stuff as dreams are made on1 to be unwilling to accept a few more shadows in my sleep4 ,unfortunately1 in my experience1 ,dante's motto must be inscribed over an investigation of ,spiritualism1 and all hope must be abandoned by those who enter on it4 ,if the performances which ,i have witnessed are1 after all1 in their essence ,spiritual1 their mode of manifestation certainly places them only on the margin1 the very outskirts of that realm of mystery which ,spiritualism claims as its own4 ,spiritualism1 pure and undefiled1 if it mean anything at all1 must be something far better than ,slate ,writing and ,raps4 ,these grosser physical manifestations can be but the mere ooze and scum cast up by the waves on the idle pebble1 the waters of a heaven-lit sea1 if it exist1 must lie far out beyond4 ,the time is not far distant1 ,i cannot but think1 when the more elevated class of ,spiritualists will cast loose from all these physical manifestations1 which1 even if they be proved genuine1 are but little removed from ,materialism1 and eventually ,materializing ,sances1 held on recurrent days1 and at fixed hours1 will become unknown4 ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness4 ,,index4 ,advertisement calling for mediums ,appendix ,briggs1 ,mr4 ,fred41 medium ,caffray1 ,mr4 ,joseph1 medium ,flint1 ,mr4 ,r4,w41 medium ,fullerton1 ,prof4 ,g4,s41 on the ,slade-,zoellner investigation ,furness1 ,h4,h41 on materialization ,on mediumistic development ,on ,slade ,independent slate writing ,kane1 ,mrs4 ,margaret ,fox ,keeler1 ,mr4 ,p4,l4,o4,a41 medium ,keeler1 ,mr4 ,w4,m41 medium ,kellar1 ,mr4 ,harry ,knerr1 ,dr41 on slate writing ,koenig1 ,prof4 ,geo4 ,a41 about ,mrs4 ,thayer ,leidy1 ,prof4 ,joseph1 about ,mrs4 ,thayer ,on mediums ,letter from ,mrs4 ,kane ,letters1 sealed ,lord1 ,mrs4 ,maud ,e41 medium ,mansfield1 ,dr4 ,james ,martin1 ,mrs4 ,eliza ,a41 medium ,martin1 ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,eleanor ,materialization ,mediumistic development ,names of commissioners ,patterson1 ,mrs4 ,s4,e41 medium ,photographs1 spiritual ,powell1 ,mr41 medium ,preface to the ,appendix ,rappings1 spirit ,report of commission ,rothermel1 ,dr4 ,screen1 use of by ,keeler ,sealed letters ,slade1 ,dr4 ,henry1 examined by ,dr4 ,pepper letter from personal appearance examination of resolution of commission in regard to ,slate writing ,spirit rappings ,spiritual photographs ,thayer1 ,mrs4 ,m4,b41 medium ,tricks of jugglers of ,slade ,wells1 ,mrs41 medium ,zoellner1 ,slade-1 report on calling attention to in report