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 H. H. FURNESS, JR. 

1887, 1920

FOREWORD

Now, at the present time, when the attention of the public is turningtowards questions of Psychology and Psychiatry, it is most appropriatethat a volume such as the present _Report_ be again placed in the handsof the public. While it cannot be said that the conclusions reached bythe Seybert Commission were final, yet material for future investigationwas furnished and facts so clearly stated that the reader might form hisown conclusions. The purpose and intended scope of the Commission areplainly set forth in the Preliminary sections, and therefore need not beentered upon here. 

Of the members composing that Commission but one is now surviving, Dr. Calvin B. Knerr, who contributed an interesting report on theslate-writing medium, Mrs. Patterson. The sections by theActing-Chairman, Dr. Horace Howard Furness, on Mediumistic Development, Sealed Letters, and Materialization were the occasion of acrimonious andviolent attack on the whole work of the Commission by those periodicalsdevoted to spiritualism and its propaganda. Age cannot wither the charmof the good humoured satire with which the Acting-Chairman treated thesesubjects; and it was largely the spirit in which they were thusapproached that inspired the intense hostility on the part of thespiritual mediums and their many followers. 

It has been epigrammatically said that, Superstition is, in many cases, the cloak that keeps a man's religion from dying of cold; possibly thesame may be said of Spiritualism and Psychology. 

H. H. FURNESS, JR. 

February, 1920. 

PRELIMINARY REPORT

OF

The Seybert Commission for Investigating Modern Spiritualism. 

_To the Trustees of The University of Pennsylvania:_

'The Seybert Commission for Investigating Modern Spiritualism'respectfully present the following Preliminary Report, and request thatthe Commission be continued, on the following grounds:

The Commission is composed of men whose days are already filled withduties which cannot be laid aside, and who are able, therefore, todevote but a small portion of their time to these investigations. Theyare conscious that your honorable body look to them for a dueperformance of their task, and the only assurance which they can offerof their earnestness and zeal is in thus presenting to you, from time totime, such fragmentary Reports as the following, whereby they trust thatsuccessive steps in their progress may be marked. It is no small matterto be able to record any progress in a subject of so wide and deep aninterest as the present. It is not too much to say that the farther ourinvestigations extend the more imperative appears the demand for theseinvestigations. The belief in so-called Spiritualism is certainly notdecreasing. It has from the first assumed a religious tone, and nowclaims to be ranked among the denominational Faiths of the day. 

From the outset your Commission have been deeply impressed with theseriousness of their undertaking, and have fully recognized that meneminent in intelligence and attainments yield to Spiritualism an entirecredence, and who can fail to stand aside in tender reverence whencrushed and bleeding hearts are seen to seek it for consolation and forhope? They beg that nothing which they may say may be interpreted asindicating indifference or levity. Wherever fraud in Spiritualism befound, that it is, and not whatever of truth there may be therein, whichis denounced, and all Spiritualists who love the truth will join with usin condemnation of it. 

The admission of evidence concerning the so-called Spiritualmanifestations has been duly weighed. There is apparent force in theargument that our national histories are founded, accepted and trustedon evidence by no means as direct as that by which, it is claimed, theproofs of Spiritual miracles are accompanied. But it must be rememberedthat the facts of profane history are vouched for by evidence which isin accord with our present experience; they are in harmony with all thatis now going on in the light of day (that history repeats itself hasgrown into a commonplace), and we are justified in accepting them ontestimony, however indirect, which is nevertheless at one with theordinary course of events. But the phenomena of Spiritualism have nosuch support; they are commonly regarded as in contravention of theordinary experience of mankind (in that they are abnormal andextraordinary lies their very attractiveness to many people), and noindirect testimony concerning them can be admitted without the mostthorough, the most searching scrutiny. We doubt if any thoughtfulSpiritualist could be found to maintain that we should unquestioninglyaccept all the so-called 'facts' with which their annals teem. To siftthe evidence of merely half a dozen would require incalculable labor. Wherefore we decided that, as we shall be held responsible for ourconclusions, we must form those conclusions solely on our ownobservations; without at all imputing untrustworthiness to the testimonyof others we can really vouch only for facts which we have ourselvesobserved. 

The late Mr. Henry Seybert during his lifetime was known as anenthusiastic believer in Modern Spiritualism, and shortly before hisdeath presented to The University of Pennsylvania a sum of moneysufficient to found a chair of Philosophy, and to the gift added acondition that the University should appoint a Commission to investigate'all systems of Morals, Religion, or Philosophy which assume torepresent the Truth, and particularly of Modern Spiritualism. '

A Commission was accordingly appointed, composed as follows: Dr. WilliamPepper, Dr. Joseph Leidy, Dr. George A. Koenig, Professor Robert EllisThompson, Professor George S. Fullerton and Dr. Horace Howard Furness;to whom were afterwards added Mr. Coleman Sellers, Dr. James W. White, Dr. Calvin B. Knerr and Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. Of this Commission Dr. Pepper, as Provost of The University, was, _ex-officio_, Chairman, Dr. Furness, Acting Chairman, and Professor Fullerton, Secretary. 

As a befitting preliminary, at one of our earliest meetings each memberin turn expressed his entire freedom from all prejudices against thesubject to be investigated, and his readiness to accept any conclusionwarranted by facts; one of our number, the Acting Chairman, so far frombeing unprejudiced confessed to a leaning in favor of the substantialtruth of Spiritualism. 

We deemed ourselves fortunate at the outset in having as a counselorthe late Mr. Thos. R. Hazard, a personal friend of Mr. Seybert, andwidely known throughout the land as an uncompromising Spiritualist. 

By the advice of Mr. Hazard we addressed ourselves first to theinvestigation of Independent Slate Writing, and through his aid a séancefor this purpose was arranged with a noted Medium, Mrs. S. E. Patterson. 

This mode of manifesting Spiritualistic power, as far as it has comeunder our observation, is, concisely stated, the writing on theconcealed surface of a slate which is in contact with a Medium. In thepresent instance, between two slates fastened together by a hinge on oneside and a screw on the other, there was placed a small fragment ofslate pencil; when this fragment is bitten off by the Medium, itreceives, so Mr. Hazard assured us, additional Spiritualistic power. Assoon as a Spirit has finished writing its communication with the pencilon the inner surface of the slates, the completion of the task is madeknown by the appearance of the slate pencil on the outside, upon theslates. The slates are always held in concealment under the table, andnever has this remarkable passage of the pencil through the solidsubstance of the slate been witnessed by any one, not even by the Mediumherself, in all the years during which this wonderful phenomenon hasbeen a matter of daily, almost hourly, experience. 

Our first séance was held in the evening at the Medium's own home. Theslates were screwed together with the bit of slate pencil enclosed, andheld by the Medium between her open palms, in her lap, under the table. After waiting an hour and a half without the least response on theslates from the Spirits, the attempt was abandoned for that evening muchto the disappointment, not only of us all, but to the chagrin of Mr. Hazard, who could not understand 'what the deuce was in it, seeing thatthe Medium was one of the very best in the world, and on the precedingevening, when he was all alone with her, the messages from the spirit ofHenry Seybert came thick and fast. '

No better success attended our second séance with this Medium, althoughwe waited patiently an hour and twenty minutes, while the slates were inthe Medium's lap. 

By the advice of the Medium, in order to eliminate any possibleantagonism, we divided our numbers, and only one or two of us at a timesat with her. On one occasion writing did appear on the slates, afterthe slates had been held by both hands of the Medium for a long time inconcealment under the table, but to neither of the two sitters did thescrew appear to be by any means as tightly fastened after the writing asbefore; nor did the writing of two or three illegible words seem beyondthe resources of very humble legerdemain; in fact, no legerdemain wasneeded, after a surreptitious loosening of the screw which, consideringthe state of the frame of the slate, could have been readily effected. 

From some cause or other the atmosphere of Philadelphia is not favorableto this mode of Spiritual manifestation. With the exception of theMedium just alluded to, not a single Professional Independent SlateWriting Medium was known to us at that time in this city, nor is thereone resident here even at this present writing, as far as we know. 

We were, therefore, obliged to send for one to New York. With thisMedium, Dr. Henry Slade, we had a number of sittings, and, howeverwonderful may have been the manifestations of his Mediumship in thepast, or elsewhere, we were forced to the conclusion that the characterof those which passed under our observation was fraudulent throughout. There was really no need of any elaborate method of investigation; closeobservation was all that was required. 

At the risk of appearing inconsequent by mentioning that first which inpoint of time came last, we must premise that in our investigationswith this Medium we early discovered the character of the writing to betwofold, and the difference between the two styles to be striking. Inone case the communication written on the slate by the Spirits wasgeneral in its tone, legible in its chirography, and usually coveredmuch of the surface of the slate, punctuation being attended to, the_i's_ dotted, and the _t's_ crossed. In the second, when thecommunication was in answer to a question addressed to a Spirit thewriting was clumsy, rude, scarcely legible, abrupt in terms, andsometimes very vague in substance. In short, one bore the marks ofdeliberation and the other of haste. This difference we found to be dueto the different conditions under which the communications were written. The long messages are prepared by the Medium before the séance. Theshort ones, answers to questions asked during the séance, are writtenunder the table with what skill practice can confer. 

With this knowledge, it is clear that the investigator has to deal witha simple question of legerdemain. The slate, with its message alreadywritten, must in some way be substituted for one which the sitter knowsto be clean. The short answers must be written under tryingcircumstances, out of sight, under the table, with all motions of thearm or hand concealed. It is useless to attempt to limit the methodswhereby these two objects may be attained. All that we can do is todescribe the processes which we distinctly saw this Medium adopt. 

In its simplest form (and one which any person can try with astonishingresults upon an artless, unsuspicious sitter), a slate, on which, beforethe sitter's visit, a message has been written, is lying face downwardon the table when the séance begins. There are other slates on anadjoining table within easy reach of the Medium. In order that theMedium may be brought into Spiritual relationship with the sitters, contact with the Medium is necessary, and the sitters are thereforerequested to place their hands, palms downward, in the middle of thetable; on these hands the Medium places his own and the séance begins. Before long, the presence of Spiritual power becomes manifest by raps onthe table, or by vibratory movements of the table, more or less violent, and by spasmodic jerkings or twitching of the Medium's arms or body. When sufficient Spiritual power has been generated, the Medium takes upthe slate, and, still controlling with his left hand the hands of hissitters, places on it a minute fragment of slate pencil. No offer ismade to show both sides (the prepared message is on the hidden side), the side in full view is perfectly clean, and it is on that side thatthe Spirits are to write with the slate pencil; there is no need ofshowing the other side. With his right hand the Medium holds the slateunder the edge of the table, barely concealing it thereunder, anddrawing it forth every few seconds to see if any writing has appeared. After waiting in vain for five or ten minutes, the Medium's patiencebecomes exhausted, and he reaches for another slate from the table closebehind him, and, ostentatiously washing both sides of it, lays it on thetable in front of him (still controlling with his left hand the hands ofhis sitters), and removes the pencil from the first slate to the second, and on top of the second so places the first slate that the preparedmessage is underneath, on the inside and next to the other slate. Thetrick is done. All that now remains for the Medium to do is to hold thetwo slates under the table for awhile, or rest them on the shoulderclose to the ear of the sitter on the Medium's right, and, by scratchingwith the finger nail on the frame of the slate, to imitate the writingby the Spirits with the enclosed pencil. When there are two or moresitters it is only the one on the right of the Medium who is privilegedto hear the writing. To apply the slate to the ear of any other woulddisclose the way in which the sound of the writing is counterfeited. Tohim, therefore, who sits on the Medium's left, so that the Medium'shand, while holding the slates on the shoulder of the sitter on theright, is sharply outlined against the light, the motions of theMedium's fingers while the sound of writing is imitated by him may bedistinctly seen. 

By such elementary tricks of legerdemain as these are guileless, honestfolk deceived. 

Dr. Slade prefers to have only two sitters at a time, one on his rightand one opposite. The fourth side of the table he prefers to haveunoccupied; his manipulations of the slate can be from that side morereadily observed; moreover, strange Spiritual antics may be theremanifested, such as upsetting chairs which happen to be there, makingslates appear above the edge of the table, etc. These manifestations areexecuted by the Medium's foot, which, on one occasion, was distinctlyseen before it had time to get back into its slipper by one of ournumber, who stooped very quickly to pick up a slate which hadaccidentally fallen to the floor while the Spirits were trying to put itinto the lap of one of the sitters. 

At the first two séances an ordinary wooden table was used belonging tothe hotel where Dr. Slade lodged. At the third séance a similar butlarger table was used, somewhat the worse for wear, and the joints ofits leaves were far from fitting close. Every crack, however, and everychink had been carefully filled up with paper to prevent, so the Mediumsaid, 'the electricity from flowing through. '

The method of producing the long message which opened the séance hasbeen described above. Whenever we received other long messages, writtenwith some care and more or less filling the side of the slate, theagency employed was adroit substitution, generally effected when theMedium supposed that the attention of his sitters was engrossed with ananswer just received to a question addressed to the Spirits. Preparedslates resting against the leg of the table behind him were substitutedfor those which but a moment before he had ostentatiously washed onboth sides and laid on the table in front of him. The handwriting ofthese long messages bore an unmistakable similarity to the Medium's own. 

When a question is written on the slate by a sitter, equal dexterity tothat used in substituting the prepared slate, or even greater, isdemanded of the Medium, in reading the question and in writing theanswer. 

The question is written by the sitter out of sight of the Medium, towhom the slate, face downward, is handed over and a piece of pencilplaced on it. 

The task now before the Medium is first to secure the fragment of penciland to hold it while the slate is surreptitiously turned over and thequestion read, then the slate is turned back again and the answerwritten. 

Every step in the process we have distinctly seen. In order to seize thefragment of pencil without awakening suspicion, while holding the slateunder the table, the slate is constantly brought out to see whether ornot the Spirits have written an answer. By this manoeuvre a double endis attained: First, it creates an atmosphere of expectation, and thesitters grow accustomed to a good deal of motion in the Medium's armthat holds the slate; and secondly, by these repeated motions the pencil(which, having been cut out from a slate pencil enclosed in wood, issquare, and does not roll about awkwardly), is moved by the successivejerks toward the hand which holds the slate, and is gradually brought upto within grasping distance. The forefinger is then passed over theframe of the slate, and it and the thumb seize and hold the pencil, andunder cover of some violent convulsive spasms the slate is turned overand the question read. At this point it is that the Medium shows hisnerve: it is the critical instant, the only one when his eyes are notfastened on his visitors. On one occasion, when the question was writtensomewhat illegibly in a back hand, with a very light stroke, and closeto the upper edge of the slate, the Medium had to look at it threeseveral times before he could make it out. 

After reading the question, it may be noticed that Dr. Slade winks threeor four times rapidly; this may have been partly to veil from hisvisitors the fact that he had been looking intently downward, and partlythrough mental abstraction in devising an answer. He evidently breathesfreer when this crisis is past. 

Convulsive spasms attend the reversing of the slate, which is thengenerally held between his knees; only once did we note that he placedit _on_ his knees, and once we believed that he supported it by pressingit against the leg of the table. The answer is written without lookingat the slate, in a coarse, large, sprawling hand, at times scarcelylegible. While writing he keeps his eyes steadily fixed on his visitors, and generally rests a minute or two after it is finished. Presently theslate is held near the edge of the table and close up to it, and atremulous motion imparted to it suggests that Spiritual power is then atwork and that the writing is in progress. 

Dr. Slade performed several little tricks which he imputed to Spiritualagency, but which were almost puerile in the simplicity of theirlegerdemain, and which have been repeated with perfect success by one ofour number; such as tossing a slate pencil on and sometimes over thetable from a slate held apparently under the table, or the playing of anaccordion when held with one hand under the table. This Medium's fingersare unusually long and strong, and the accordion, being quite small andwith only four bellows folds, can be readily manipulated with but onehand, and when under the table is held by the keys. 

Two compasses, which we placed on the table during one séance, remainedunaffected by Dr. Slade's presence. 

At our last séance with him we noticed two slates which were not withthe other slates on the small table behind him, but were on the floorresting against the leg of that table, and within easy reach of his handas he sat at the larger table. As we had previously seen prepared slatessimilarly placed we kept a sharp watch on these slates. Unfortunately, it was too sharp. Dr. Slade caught the look that was directed at them. That detected glance was sufficient to prevent the Spirits from sendingus the messages which they had so carefully prepared. The slates werenot produced during the séance, but when it was over one of our numbermanaged to strike them with his foot so as to displace them and revealthe writing. None of us present that day will be likely to forget thehurried way in which these slates were seized by the Medium and washed. 

We think it worthy to be recorded that, in reply to a question, Dr. Slade said that Professor Zoellner watched him closely only during thefirst three or four sittings, but that afterwards Professor Zoellner lethim do just as he pleased, fully and unreservedly submitting to all theconditions demanded by the Spirits. 

We received from Dr. Slade a written expression of his satisfaction withour treatment of him, which had been throughout, so he said, entirelyfair and courteous, and of his willingness at any time hereafter to sitwith us again, should we desire it and his engagements permit. 

It is a source of regret that, in our investigations, we have receivedno aid from unprofessional Mediums; and in dealing with professionalMediums we have been continually distracted by the conflicting estimatesin which these Mediums are held among the Spiritualists themselves. There are very, very few professional Mediums, as far as our experiencegoes, who are accepted by all Spiritualists as free from the reproach offraud. Indeed one Medium with whom, by the advice of Mr. Hazard, we hada séance, and for whom Mr. Hazard vouched as one of the best of hisclass, we have seen denounced as a 'liar and a thief. ' In theearnestness of our zeal we advertised in the local secular press, and inthe leading Spiritualist Journals both East and West, for IndependentSlate Writing Mediums, and to this widespread appeal there came butthree replies, and of these, two were so remote that the promise ofperformance held out by the respondents did not, in our opinion, justifyso large an outlay of money for traveling expenses as a journey acrossthe Continent involved. This noteworthy reluctance on the part ofMediums to come before us cannot be due to any harsh or antagonistictreatment received at our hands by any Medium. All Mediums have beentreated by us with uniform courtesy, and with every endeavor toacquiesce in the 'conditions' imposed or suggested by the Spirits. Andyet a well-known Medium in New York, Mrs. Thayer, to whom the ActingChairman was unknown, and with whom he was at the time having a séance, vehemently asserted that no member of the 'Seybert Commission' shouldever have a séance with her, that the whole Commission, one and all, were 'old scoundrels and should never darken her doors, ' etc. , etc. , andconfessed that the foundation of her belief was the warning (sent to herby an eminent Medium whose séances the Commission had attended) that sheshould have nothing to do with 'the Seybert men, that they would do herno good. ' Even in instances where Mediums have expressed theirwillingness to appear before us, we have been embarrassed by demands forcompensation which we could not but deem extortionate and, practically, prohibitory; as in the case of Mr. Keeler, the Spiritual Photographer, whose terms will be found in the Appendix, and in that of Dr. HenryRogers, whose terms were five hundred dollars if he should be successfulbefore us, and the half of that sum if he failed. 

Although the number of Mediums whose manifestations we have been able toexamine has been thus restricted, we feel ourselves justified in givingas a result of our examination of Independent Slate Writing that, whether the agency be Spiritual or Material, its mode of manifestationalmost wholly precludes any satisfactory investigation. 

There are not wanting eminent expounders of the Spiritualistic Faith whoassert that this is as it should be, and that if in the attempt to applythe laws of the material world to Spiritual manifestations we arebaffled, the fault lies in us, and not in the Mediums. If this be so, wemust accept our fate and enlarge the adage that 'poets are born, notmade, ' and include Spiritualists. 

Yet, as a rule, Mediums assert that they invite investigation. Ourexperience has been, as we have just said, that as soon as aninvestigation, worthy of the name, begins, all manifestations ofSpiritualist power cease. 

The bare statement of the conditions whereunder the Mediums maintainthat the manifestations of Independent Slate Writing are alone possible, involves the extreme difficulty, we might almost say the impossibility, of any genuine or rational investigation. Even the very spirit ofinvestigation, or of incredulity, seems to exercise a chilling effectand prevents a successful manifestation. Indeed Mr. Hazard once told usthat the true spirit in which to approach the study of Spiritualism is'an entire willingness to be deceived. ' In Independent Slate Writing, inour experience, there is a period, of longer or shorter duration, whenthe slate is concealed. During this period the investigator's eye mustnot watch it. When the slate is held under the table, knees and feetand clothing exert no deleterious effect, but the gaze of a human eye isfatal to all Spiritual manifestation; although to one of our number, onthree occasions, a pocket mirror, carefully adjusted, unknown to theMedium, gave back the reflection of fingers, which were clearly notSpiritual, opening the slates and writing the answer. 

There is really no step in the bare process of producing this writing, as we have observed it, which might not be accomplished by trickery orby legerdemain. Of course, therefore, we were sincerely anxious todisprove in these experiments the presence of those discreditableelements, not only for the credit of human nature, but for the sake ofthe great scientific interest involved. We are perfectly ready to acceptany fact of Spiritual power; and so far from flinching from an openavowal of our belief in this revelation of a novel force in Nature, wewould welcome it. But no one, not a Spiritualist, we should suppose, candemand of us that we should accept profound mysteries with our eyestight shut, and our hands fast closed, and with every avenue to ourreasoning faculties insurmountably barred. Yet this is precisely what isdemanded of us by Mediums in regard to Independent Slate Writing. Wemust sign a dispensation to forego the exercise of common sense, andaccept as 'fact' what they choose so to term. Few assertions by departedSpirits are more hacknied than, 'This is a great truth, ' and yet in anhonest endeavor to prove that it is a 'great truth;' and not a greatlie, the sincere and earnest seeker is at every turn baffled andthwarted. 

To eliminate from our investigations every element of distrust, orhostility, or suspicion, or chilling antagonism, we entrusted to Mr. Hazard's friend, Mrs. Patterson, vouched for by him as one of the verybest Mediums in the country, two carefully closed and sealed slates, enclosing, of course, the required piece of slate-pencil, with theearnest entreaty that the Spirits should write therein even if it werebut the merest mark, sign, or scratch, therewith we would be content, and be ready to accept Independent Slate Writing with its train ofconsequences. The Medium was fully impressed with the importance of thetrial, and with the fame which would thereby accrue from such awholesale conversion as that of the united Seybert Commission. 

Every Medium, it would appear, is under the special tutelage of adeparted Spirit; this Spirit is termed the 'Medium's control. ' In thepresent case, when the slates were delivered to Mrs. Patterson, her'control, ' one 'Thomas Lister, ' at once promised that Spirit handsshould shortly write within the sealed-up space. But no writing camethat day nor the next, nor the next, although the Medium protested thatevery attention should be bestowed on the refractory slates. In vain wasthe Medium again and again adjured to put forth every power. At the endof six months the slates were received again, without any writing, according to the confession of the Medium. 

So anxious, however, was our Acting Chairman that the experiment shouldprove successful, that, undeterred by this failure, he carefully sealedup a second slate, and placed it in the hands of the same Medium, withrenewed adjurations to put forth all her Spiritualistic strength. At theend of a fortnight or more, after redoubled exertions of Mediumisticpower, to which was added the combined Spiritualistic power of theMedium's entire family circle, the exciting announcement was made to usthat the fragment of slate pencil within the slates could no longer beheard to rattle, and that presumably the Spirits had written a messagefor us. 

Each Medium, generally, has some peculiar mode of manifestingSpiritualistic power; it is a peculiarity of this Medium, as has beenbefore stated, that the completion of the Spirit message within theslates is indicated not by raps, as is frequently the case with otherMediums, but by the sudden and marvelous appearance on the top of theslate of the little fragment of pencil, which had been securely fastenedup within. The fact, therefore, that the pencil was no longer inside ofour slates was presumptive evidence that the Medium's control had beentrue to his word, and had written us a message. The slates were receivedfrom the Medium most carefully, and a meeting of the Commission hastilycalled. It is scarcely worth while to enter here at length on thedetails of that session, of the careful scrutiny to which the slateswere subjected, of the unmutilated seals, of the untouched screws, etc. , etc. ; but it is worth while to record the feeling of graveresponsibility, almost akin to solemnity, with which we all approachedwhat, for aught we knew, might prove to be a revelation of a power aswonderful as any with which, as yet, we had ever been brought intoacquaintance. Just before we opened the slates it was noticed that atone corner, owing to the flexibility of the wooden frames, it was quitepossible to stretch the slates far enough apart to permit the insertionof the blade of a knife, and an examination of the edges at this pointrevealed only too plainly discolored abrasions. When the slates werefinally opened, not a stroke of writing nor a scratch was to be found, but at the suspected corner were the discolored marks, visible to thisday, of the knife which had been inserted to extract the pencil, which, in its enforced outward passage, had left behind, in its scratches onthe wood, a tell-tale trail of dust which the microscope revealed to beof the same substance as the pencil. The Spirits had not taken even theprecaution to wipe the broad knife clean from rust or dirt. The slatesare preserved in our sad museum of specimens of misdirected ingenuity. 

We are continually confronted with statements wherein the narratorclaims a Spiritual solution as the only possible one of the enigmainvolved in the phenomena, as he observed them. 

To all such statements we have, first, the plain and ready answer, thatwe do not attempt to pass judgment on manifestations which we ourselveshave not observed. All that we can vouch for is the result of our ownobservation. More cannot be demanded of us. 

Secondly, experience has shown us that with every possible desire on thepart of Spiritualists to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothingbut the truth, concerning marvelous phenomena, it is extremely difficultto do so. Be it distinctly understood that we do not for an instantimpute wilful perversion of the truth. All that we mean is that, for tworeasons, it is likely that the marvels of Spiritualism will be, bybelievers in them, incorrectly and insufficiently reported. 

The first reason is to be found in the mental condition of the observer;if he be excited or deeply moved his account cannot but be affected, andessential details will surely be distorted. 

For a second reason, note how hard it is to give a truthful account ofany common, everyday occurrence. The difficulty is increased ahundred-fold, when what we would tell, partakes of the wonderful. Whocan truthfully describe a juggler's trick? Who would hesitate to affirmthat a watch, which never left the eye-sight for an instant, was brokenby the juggler on an anvil; or that a handkerchief was burned before oureyes? We all know the juggler does not break the watch, and does notburn the handkerchief. We watched most closely the juggler's right hand, while the trick was done with his left. The one minute circumstance hasbeen omitted that would have converted the trick into no-trick. It islikely to be the same in the accounts of most of the wonderful phenomenaof Spiritualism. 

For these two reasons, we laid down for ourselves at the start that incases demanding close observation we would endeavor to have as manymembers as possible of the Commission present at every séance. Indealing with phenomena, where all ordinary methods of investigation areexcluded, we perceived clearly that our best resource lay in having thelargest possible number of observers. 

In dismissing this subject of Independent Slate Writing, we repeat, whatwe think Spiritualists will generally grant, that this phenomenon can beperformed by legerdemain. The burden of proof that it is not soperformed rests with the Mediums. This proof the Mediums will neitheroffer themselves, nor permit others to obtain. Investigators, therefore, are forced to bring to bear their own powers of close observation, sharpened and educated by experience. Be it remembered that what we havehere stated applies solely to the process whereby the communication iswritten on the slate; with the substance of the communication, whetherpertinent answers to questions or dreary platitudes, we are not nowdealing. Whether these answers be ascribed to Spirits, or to what istermed clairvoyance, they would be none the less true or false ifdelivered orally by the Medium; all that we are sure of is that thewriting down of these communications, be their substance what it may, isperformed in a manner so closely resembling fraud as to beindistinguishable from it. It would be a mere matter of opinion that allIndependent Slate Writing is fraudulent; what is not a matter of opinionis the conviction, which we have unanimously reached as a Commission, ofits non-spiritual character in every instance that has come before us. 

An eminent professional juggler performed, in the presence of three ofour Commission, some Independent Slate Writing far more remarkable thanany which we have witnessed with Mediums. In broad daylight, a slateperfectly clean on both sides was, with a small fragment of slatepencil, held under a leaf of a small ordinary table around which we wereseated; the fingers of the juggler's right hand pressed the slate tightagainst the underside of the leaf, while the thumb completed thepressure, and remained in full view while clasping the leaf of thetable. Our eyes never for a fraction of a second lost sight of thatthumb; it never moved; and yet in a few minutes the slate was produced, covered on both sides with writing. Messages were there, and still arethere, for we preserved the slate, written in French, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Gujerati, and ending with 'Ich bin ein Geist, undliebe mein Lagerbier. ' We were utterly baffled. For one of our numberthe juggler subsequently repeated the trick and revealed its everydetail. 

We request your honorable body to note that this Report is preliminaryand that we do not consider our investigations in this department asfinally closed, but hold ourselves ready to continue them wheneverfavorable circumstances arise. 

To the subject of 'Spirit-rappings' we have devoted some time andattention, but our investigations have not been sufficiently extensiveto warrant us at present in offering any positive conclusions. Thedifficulty attending the investigation of this mode of Spiritualisticmanifestation is increased by the fact, familiar to physiologists, thatsounds of varying intensity may be produced in almost any portion of thehuman body by voluntary muscular action. To determine the exact locationof this muscular activity is at times a matter of delicacy. 

What we can say, thus far, with assurance is that, in the cases whichhave come under our observation, the theory of the purely physiologicalorigin of the sounds has been sustained by the fact that the Mediumswere invariably, and confessedly, cognizant of the rappings wheneverthey occurred, and could at once detect any spurious rappings, howeverexact and indistinguishable to all other ears might be the imitation. For the details of the investigation which guided us to this conclusionwe refer to the Appendix. 

There are among Mediums certain Specialists, whose alleged Spiritualmanifestations we have endeavoured to investigate, not alwayssuccessfully, as, for instance, in the case of Mr. W. M. Keeler, throughwhose Mediumship 'Spiritual Photographs' are produced. The 'conditions'which this Medium demanded would have made any attempt at investigationa mere waste of time, and his terms of remuneration were, in addition, as we have before mentioned, prohibitory and suggestive of unwillingnessto come before the Commission. In these days of 'Composite Photography'it is worse than childish to claim a Spiritual source for results whichcan be obtained at any time by any tyro in the art. Mr. Keeler's letterwill be found in the Appendix. 

We were more successful in procuring a séance with Mr. Keeler's brother, whose Mediumship manifests itself by the materialization of a right handbehind a low screen, in front of which the Medium sits, with his facealone visible, his entire person being concealed by black muslin. Thescreen is stretched across a corner of a room to about the height of theback of the Medium's head, as he sits in front of it. The lights arelowered, and in a few minutes various instruments, musical andotherwise, which had been previously placed on a small table in thecorner enclosed by the screen, are heard to sound, a drum is beaten, aguitar is played, etc. The music is interspersed with flashes of handdarting and waving above the screen to the right of the Medium. Thehand, when shaken, was found to be a right one. As a proof that the handis Spiritual and not that of the Medium, the latter requests one of thevisitors at the séance to sit beside him on his right, and also to becovered to the chin with the same black muslin under which all theMedium, except his head, is concealed. This visitor's bare left forearmis grasped by the Medium, as he says, with both his hands, and thispressure of the Medium's two hands on the visitor's arm is neverrelaxed, as the visitor readily testifies. The proof seems, therefore, conclusive that the hand which plays the instruments behind the screenis not the Medium's, and hence must be a materialized Spirit. The trickis simple and highly deceptive, as any one can prove for himself byrequesting a blindfolded friend to bare the left arm to the elbow, thenlet the experimenter grasp this bared arm, near the wrist, with thethird and fourth fingers of his left hand, closing them around ittightly, and as he does so, asking the owner of the arm to note thatthis is his left hand, then let the experimenter, without relaxing thishold, stretch the remaining fingers and thumb up the arm as far as hecan, and while clasping it with his thumb and forefinger, remark thatthis second pressure comes from his other hand. The conviction iscomplete in the mind of the blindfolded friend that he feels the graspof two hands, whereas only the left hand of the experimenter has graspedhis arm, and the right hand is free to beat a drum or play a zither. After this test, which is patent to all, we can dismiss the theory of aSpiritual origin of the hand behind Mr. Keeler's screen. To forestallthe discovery by Mr. Keeler's companion of this trick, and to preventits detection by simply feeling with his free right hand after thesuppositious hands of the Medium, which are grasping his left forearm, a second visitor is requested to share the discomfort of the muslinenvelope, and to sit on the right of the first visitor and to hold thelatter's truant right hand with his left hand, while his right isexposed to view outside the curtain. Again we refer to the Appendix forthe minutes of our meeting. 

We had a séance also with Messrs. Rothermel and Powell, of whom theformer is the Medium, the latter, acting mainly as a reservoir ofpsychic force, guides and directs the séance. In this case the Medium'sSpiritual manifestations, as well as his material arrangements, aresimilar to those of Mr. Keeler, except that instead of having a visitorwhose arm may be grasped, Mr. Rothermel's hands are fastened in his lapby bands of tape passed around his legs and sewed to his clothes. Afterthe black curtain had hid the hands from our sight we were not againallowed to examine them except in the most hurried and superficial way, but, even in the brief inspection which was permitted, a glance wassufficient to show that the tape had been tampered with. The close ofthe séance was announced by the sound of clipping scissors, and by Mr. Rothermel's exclamation, while still concealed, that the Spirits werecutting him loose. We had no means of knowing whether the tape was cutat the beginning of the séance or not. When the muslin envelope wasremoved, Mr. Rothermel's hands were certainly free. The bands were cut, and we had no difficulty in believing that the hands which weredexterous enough to play the zither with very remarkable skill, undersuch conditions, behind the curtain, were deft enough to sever thecords. 

Our séances with Mrs. Maud E. Lord were acknowledged by the Mediumherself to be altogether unsatisfactory. This is much to be regretted. Mrs. Lord is one of the few professional Mediums whose excellence isacknowledged by all Spiritualists alike, and who, in her attitudetowards the Commission, displayed every desire to aid a full andcomplete investigation into the manifestations peculiar to herMediumship, and furthermore, without remuneration. 

In conclusion, we beg to express our regret that thus far we have notbeen cheered in our investigations by the discovery of a single novelfact; but, undeterred by this discouragement, we trust with yourpermission to continue them with what thoroughness our futureopportunities may allow, and with minds as sincerely and honestly open, as heretofore, to conviction. 

We desire to call especial attention to Professor Fullerton's Report inthe Appendix of his interviews with Professors Fechner, Scheibner andWeber, the surviving colleagues of Professor Zoellner in his experimentswith Dr. Henry Slade. 

And also to an investigation of the power of Mediums to answer thequestions contained in 'Sealed Envelopes. '

WILLIAM PEPPER, JOSEPH LEIDY, GEORGE A. KOENIG, GEORGE S. FULLERTON, ROBT. ELLIS THOMPSON, HORACE HOWARD FURNESS, COLEMAN SELLERS, JAMES W. WHITE, CALVIN B. KNERR, S. WEIR MITCHELL. 

_University of Pennsylvania_, May, 1887. 

APPENDIX. 

Soon after the appointment of the Seybert Commission, I as Secretary, was asked to make a collection of the best representative literature ofSpiritualism, and to prepare for the use of the Commission a sketch ofthe rise, progress, present condition, doctrines and alleged phenomenaof this belief, as well as an account of previous investigations, similar to the one contemplated by ourselves. For a number of months Ibusied myself diligently with this work, and finally read my sketchbefore the Commission, at a meeting at which Mr. Thomas R. Hazard, thewell-known Spiritualist, was present as our guest. I had at this timeseen scarcely anything of Spiritualism, but was much impressed with whatI had read, and certainly in a fully receptive attitude towardsphenomena supported by so much apparently strong testimony. Mr. Hazarddeclared himself quite satisfied with the tone of the paper, saying thathe had come expecting to hear something very different, but that it wasfair and unbiased. I mention these facts to show that my present opinionon the subject was not assumed at the outset, but has been arrived atgradually, and is based upon my own observations. 

I have been forced to the conclusion that Spiritualism, as far at leastas it has shown itself before me (and I give no opinion upon what hasnot fallen within my observation), presents the melancholy spectacle ofgross fraud, perpetrated upon an uncritical portion of the community;that the testimony of such persons as to what they see is almostvalueless, if they are habitually as inaccurate as they have been at theséances at which I have been present with them; and that there is anunwillingness on the part of Mediums to have their powers freely andthoroughly investigated--a fact which makes any investigation ofSpiritualism difficult and expensive. My opinions are not basedexclusively upon what I have seen and recorded in my work with mycolleagues, but also upon observations made at various times in aprivate capacity; and there is but one conclusion to be appended to themall. I subjoin notes of séances, recorded by myself as Secretary of theCommission. Their somewhat disjointed form arises from the fact that Ihave not thought it desirable to make changes in my notes, except suchas were necessary in taking the Records, which are of value as evidence, out of their contextual connection with records of business meetings andmatters of no interest to the public. Nothing which could be looked uponas evidence has been purposely suppressed. I have intentionally left outa description of several things which we have been unable to use, andwhich would have merely swelled our Records; as, for example, theaccount of our sealing slates for the experiments with Dr. Slade, heafterwards having refused to have anything to do with slates sealed byus. My notes were made during the séances, or as soon as possible afterthem. They were arranged and copied in no case later than two daysafter. Explanations and additions, which do not belong to the originalRecords, but have been inserted later, are put in brackets. 

For a justification of the opinion of Spiritualism expressed above, Irefer to the Records which follow. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON. 

 * * * * *

March 13th, 1884. 

On Thursday, March 13th, 1884, the Commission met at 508 S. 16th Street, at 8 P. M. , for the examination of Mrs. S. E. Patterson, SpiritualisticMedium. 

For the first test, a small piece of slate pencil was placed within adouble slate, and the leaves fastened together with a screw, whichpassed through one wooden rim into the other. The Spirit-writing uponthe slate should be indicated by the pencil appearing upon the outsideof the slate. The slate was laid upon the Medium's lap for one hour anda-half without results. 

Meanwhile the Medium wrote what purported to be messages from severalSpirits upon slips of paper, the handwriting varying with each message. One message was signed Elias Hicks, another Lucretia Mott, anothersigned H. S. Was compared with a message from Mr. Henry Seybert to Mr. T. R. Hazard the day before. The initials were somewhat different. 

The Commission sat in a circle, the Medium at a small table with foldingleaves. 

One communication, signed E. H. , declared that the person sittingopposite Mr. Hazard (Mr. Furness) was endowed with great Mediumisticpowers. 

The writing failing to appear on the slate it was opened, and Dr. Leidy, having written upon a slip of paper a question, enclosed it in theslate, which was again fastened. 

After half an hour's waiting, no results being obtained, the Commissionaddressed some questions to the Medium and then adjourned. 

The Medium described her sensations during the automatic writing as aconstriction at the wrist. 

She declared that she had no knowledge of what she wrote, was notdistracted by noises, etc. 

(Mr. Furness and Mr. Fullerton, however, noticed that she, wheninterrupted, glanced back over what she had previously written beforecontinuing. )

She could not go into the trance state. Just before adjournment theMedium laid her hands upon the table and tried to produce "raps, " butdid not succeed. 

Has been a Spiritualist for nine or ten years, but has always beenpossessed of unusual powers. As a child saw visions, etc. 

Declares that she is most successful as a Slate Writer. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

Wednesday, March 19th, 1884. 

The Commission met at 508 S. 16th Street, at 8 P. M. 

Present: Dr. Leidy, Professor Koenig, Mr. Furness, Mr. Fullerton and Mr. Hazard. The Medium was Mrs. S. E. Patterson. 

Mr. Furness brought two new double slates, which could be fastened by ascrew. 

The Medium cut a small piece of slate pencil and enclosed it in a doubleslate (one of those brought by Mr. Furness), into which was also put apaper upon which Dr. Leidy had written a question. The slate was thenfastened with a screw. 

Dr. Koenig also wrote a question, which was enclosed in the other slate, the slate being screwed up by Mr. Furness. 

The Medium then placed both slates upon her lap, and partially under thetable. A portion of the time the upper slate was between the palms ofher hands, the back of the lower hand resting on the lower slate. Thenone hand was placed upon each slate, the two being placed together. 

No results having been obtained after waiting twenty minutes, one of thenew slates was laid aside, and the Medium's old slate, with a piece ofpencil in it, laid upon the remaining new slate in the Medium's lap. 

The Medium held from time to time a lead pencil in one hand, but was notmoved to write. 

The Medium declared that when writing appears upon the slate in her lapshe feels a shock, but no other sensation. 

Two Spirit Photographs were exhibited by the Medium. In one the Spiritwas her own mother. The Spirit in each appeared as a white apparitionbehind a person seated in the foreground. 

The slates remained in the lap of the Medium one hour and twentyminutes. No manifestations were produced during the evening. 

The Commission adjourned to a room at the Social Art Club forconference. 

The above notes of the evening's session were read by the Secretary andapproved. 

It was resolved to meet again on the evening of Wednesday, March 26th, for the next session. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

March 26th, 1884. 

The Commission met on Wednesday, March 26th, at 7. 30 P. M. , at 1117Callowhill Street. 

Present: Dr. Leidy, Mr. Furness, Mr. Fullerton and Mr. T. R. Hazard. TheMedium was Mr. Fred. Briggs. 

The Medium gave the following answers to Dr. Leidy's questions:

1. Has been a Medium since seven years of age. Now 22 years old. 

2. Before seven years of age could see visions, etc. , but did notcommunicate with Spirits. 

3. Was born in Boston. Lived there when not on journeys. 

4. His parents had no such powers. 

5. His grandfather was a West India importer, his father had nobusiness. 

6. Educated in Middleboro and Bridgewater, Mass. 

7. His family, Baptists. 

8. He can communicate with Spirits best

_a. _ At night, or in the evening. 

_b. _ In cold or snowy weather. 

_c. _ In dry weather. 

_d. _ When in a healthy condition. 

9. When in communication with Spirits feels _nervous_, but cannotdescribe the feeling. 

The Medium had on the table two single slates which could be laid uponeach other. The table was about three and a-half feet square, andcovered with a cloth. 

The light was kept rather dim. 

(The Medium explained later in the evening that writing is best producedin the dark, because dark is _negative_, light _positive_, and negativeconditions are most favorable to communication. )

Mr. Furness had brought two folding slates, which could be fastened witha screw. 

Dr. Leidy and Mr. Furness and the Medium each held a double slate underthe table. 

Mr. Fullerton asked a question as requested, but received no answer fromthe Spirits. 

Some scratching was now heard under the table. 

The Medium took the slate held by Mr. Furness (one not screwed orfastened by hinges), and it was held under the table by Mr. Furness, Mr. Hazard and Mr. Briggs. 

The Medium seemed much excited, spoke rapidly, etc. , and was so muchovercome that he dropped the slate (one brought by Mr. Furness) which hewas holding under the table with his left hand, and left it lying on thefloor under the table. 

At 8 o'clock Dr. Koenig came in. The slate held by the Medium, Mr. Furness and Mr. Hazard, was held in Mr. Hazard's lap, and some taps wereheard. (Mr. Furness afterwards produced taps precisely similar byrubbing the side of his finger slowly along the side of the slate. )

No writing having been obtained, the Medium declared that he alone wouldhold the slate, as the magnetism of Mr. Furness was injurious. 

Again we were invited to ask questions. Dr. Leidy asked: 'When and wheredid you die?' No answer. 

The Medium asked Mr. Furness if his name were not Furness. (Mr. Hazardhad seen the Medium before, and informed him that the Commission wascoming. )

Mr. Furness now put his hand under the table on the hand of the Medium, which was pressing the double slate (not the screwed one) up against thetable. 

Mr. Furness declared that he heard a certain buzzing noise. The slatebeing taken out, there was found written on the inside of the underslate:

I will help you all R. Dale Owen

and something that looked like "Henry Furness is here. "

The slate on the floor being examined, there was found on the _outside_(it was a screw-slate)

I am here with you I will help you R. Dale Owen. 

Some other illegible marks were found on the slate. 

Nothing was obtained on the inside of either screw-slate. 

The handwriting on the two slates, purporting to be from R. Dale Owen, was much alike. 

The Medium now took hold of Mr. Hazard's hand, and went into trance, personating Esther Hazard, a deceased daughter of Mr. Hazard. He (theMedium) made convulsive motions, trembled, etc. , and while in this statepredicted that Mr. Fullerton would receive a very pleasing letter onSaturday next--said that he should come to the Medium for advice. [Nosuch letter was received on that date by Mr. Fullerton. ]

He also declared that Dr. Koenig had brought with him a Spirit namedAugust. 

He declared Ponto, White-feather, Red Jacket and Thomas Paine to bepresent. 

(The Medium called "White-feather" _he_, Mr. Hazard objecting thatWhite-feather was a woman. )

The light was then turned out, and all hands laid upon the table. Mr. Furness laid one of his hands upon one of the Medium's and upon one ofMr. Hazard's. (The Medium afterwards asserted that Mr. Furness had heldboth his hands. But Mr. Furness was positive that he held only one. ) Mr. Hazard was touched several times about the face. Mr. Furness was touchedon the cheek and on his ear-trumpet and Mr. Fullerton was struck on thehead by a paper thrown from the other side of the table, and touchedonce on the back of his left hand by what felt like human fingers. 

There were no more manifestations. 

The Committee adjourned to Dr. Leidy's house for conference. The abovenotes were read and approved. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

April 8th, 1884. 

On Tuesday evening, April 8th, Dr. Leidy and Mr. Furness held anotherséance with the Medium formerly examined, Mrs. Patterson. The slatesused belonged to the Medium, and were, as she told them, in daily, almost hourly use; the frame of one of them was far from sound, and thehole which admitted the screw was more than well worn. Within theseslates, after being held for a long while by both hands of the Mediumunder the table, two or three barely legible words appeared. The screwwas, by no means, as tight after the writing as before. This fact, together with the prolonged concealment, rendered it impossible toattach any real importance to the attempt to write, as far as could bemade out, the name of Henry Seybert. 

Under the same conditions our colleague, Mr. Sellers, produced writingfor us very satisfactorily. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

April 17th, 1884. 

On Thursday evening, April 17th, 1884, a sitting was held by Mrs. Patterson with Dr. Koenig, Mr. Fullerton and Mr. Hazard. The Mediumdeclared herself unwell. No results were obtained. The session was inMrs. Patterson's room at No. 508 S. 16th Street. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

May 31st, 1884. 

On Saturday, May 31st, 1884, at 8 P. M. , the Commission met at the houseof the Provost, 1811 Spruce Street, for the purpose of sealing a slateto be left with the Medium, Mrs. Patterson, who was to try to procureindependent writing upon the inside surfaces. There were present Dr. Pepper, Mr. Furness, Professor Thompson and Mr. Fullerton. Mr. Furnessbrought the slate and seals. The slate was the double one used in ourformer tests, hinged, and fastening with a screw. A small piece ofpencil was enclosed in the slate, which was perfectly clean, and theslate was screwed up by Dr. Pepper. The direction of the cut in thescrew-head was marked by a scratch on the wood at the end of the slate. It was nearly parallel with the long diameter of the slate. Mr. Furnessthen tied the slate with red tape, passing the tape longitudinally andtransversely around the middle of the slates. 

The first seal (red wax) was on the knot, which was over the under endof the screw. The end of the screw projected a little through the wood, but was covered by the seal. The second seal was over the ends of thetape. The head of the screw was also covered by a seal, and three (3)additional seals were affixed on the outside edges of the slates, wherethey were crossed by the tape. 

One of the three impressions at the edges of the slates was made byProfessor Thompson's right thumb. [A test was then proposed by ProfessorThompson, which the Commission does not feel at liberty to make public, as it has not yet been carried out, and publicity may interfere with itssuccess. ]

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

November 5th, 1884. 

The Commission met at the house of Mr. Furness, 222 West WashingtonSquare, on November 5th, 1884, at 8 P. M. There were present Dr. Wm. Pepper and Mrs. Pepper, Dr. Leidy, Dr. Koenig, Prof. Thompson, Mr. Furness, Mr. George S. Pepper, Miss Logan, Mr. Fullerton, Mr. ColemanSellers, and the Medium, Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane, who was the guest ofMr. Furness at the time. 

Those present seated themselves around an oak dining table, some eightfeet by four and a-half feet and the usual height. Mrs. Kane was at oneend of the table and Mr. Sellers at the other. The Medium sat with herfeet partly under the table, and consequently concealed from most ofthose present--her feet were hidden also by her dress. 

Dr. Leidy asked the question: "Is any Spirit present?"

Ans. Three raps. 

Dr. Leidy: "Will you confer with the man to left of the Medium?"

Ans. Two raps. (No. )

Dr. Leidy: "To the right?"

Ans. Three raps. 

Professor Thompson (who was the person indicated): "Is the Spirit male?"

Ans. Three raps. 

"Will it answer to the alphabet?"

Three raps. The alphabet was called and "Henry Seybert" spelled out. 

Mr. Sellers: "Will Henry Seybert make the raps at this end of thetable?"

Ans. No. 

"Is he satisfied with the Commission?"

Five raps were given for the alphabet; Professor Thompson called it;raps spelled out:

"I will be satisfied before the investigation is through. "

Mr. Sellers: "Does Mr. Seybert know the names of the Commission?"

Ans. Three raps. 

"Does he know who is now speaking?"

Three raps. 

Mr. Sellers then pointed to the letters of the alphabet, which he hadwritten in order on a sheet of paper, and raps spelled out:

CHARLES CERI. 

Mrs. Kane then tried standing at some distance from the table, with herhands on the back of a chair; there were some raps seemingly near orunder the Medium. 

Raps were produced as members of the Committee stood with the Mediumaround the desk in the library, and close to a book-case. Raps wereproduced according to the Medium on the glass door of a book-case, uponwhich Mr. Sellers placed his hand. Mr. Sellers felt no vibration on theglass, but raps were heard somewhere in the vicinity. 

The Committee then returned to the dining-room and the Medium wrote upona sheet of paper the following:

"Friend Pepper: I am happy to meet you here to-night. I have notforgotten my promise to you, Henry Seybert. "

The paper had to be held to the light and read from the obverse side, asthe message was written from right to left. 

Mr. Geo. Pepper: "Do you remember the year in which you made thepromise?"

The answer given in same way was: "It was in the year in which my Spiritleft the body. H. S. Call the alphabet, H. S. "

Dr. Pepper called the alphabet--the sentence "Let Friend Pepper call thealphabet" was rapped out. Mr. Geo. Pepper called the alphabet: theletters HAND were rapped out, and the communication ceased. 

The Medium wrote then as before: "Friend Pepper, meet me again. "

It was asked whether Mr. Seybert would meet us on the next evening?

Ans. Three raps. 

The Committee adjourned at 9. 30 o'clock to meet again at 8 o'clock onthe next evening at the same place. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON. 

_Secretary_. 

The following stenographic report of the meeting of November 6th, 1884, has been read and approved by the Commission before being entered uponthis book. 

The few additions which were made when it was read, appear as footnotes. The report was approved as excellent. 

(A Record from the notes of the Stenographer--Mr. J. I. Gilbert. )

PHILADA. , November 6th, 1884. 

The Committee reconvened this day, at 8 o'clock P. M. , at the residenceof Mr. H. H. Furness, when the investigation of the Spirit Rappings, inthe presence of Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane as Medium, was resumed. 

The persons present were the following:

Of the Committee--Dr. Leidy, Mr. Furness, Dr. Koenig, Mr. Fullerton, Mr. Coleman Sellers, and by invitation of the Committee, Mr. Geo. S. Pepper. 

The Medium--Mrs. Kane. 

The Stenographer--Mr. Gilbert. 

The company promptly repaired to the dining-room, and there gatheredaround a common pine-wood table, consisting solely of its supports andtop, which had been specially provided, in compliance with the directionof the Medium. The dimensions of the table, approximately stated, are asfollows: height, three feet; length, four feet; width, two and a-halffeet. 

The 'Spirit Rappings' during the evening, aside from those heard duringthe test with the glass tumblers, were apparently confined to thefloor-space in the immediate vicinity of, and directly beneath the tabledescribed--around which the company were seated in the order herestated. Mr. Sellers (to whom had been deputed the duty of eliciting theresponses) occupied the chair at the end of the table more remote fromthe Stenographer. Next, upon Mr. Sellers' right and at the side of thetable, sat Mr. Pepper, and Mr. Furness in the adjoining seat. The firstchair on the side of the table to the left of Mr. Sellers was occupiedby the Medium, and the remaining chair on the same side by Mr. Fullerton. At the near end of the table, Dr. Leidy and Dr. Koenig wereseated. The Committee, with one exception, in accordance with arequirement imposed by the Medium, rested their hands upon the table andfixed their minds upon the subject of the rappings. The exception wasDr. Koenig, who, being seated at a distance of three feet from thetable, could not conveniently comply with the requirement. After theexpiration of some twenty minutes, the Medium requested Dr. Koenig toplace his hands upon the table, and he promptly complied with therequest and moved his chair closer to that of Dr. Leidy, thus deprivinghimself of any facilities of observation of the space beneath the table. 

The Stenographer was at a table about four feet from the circle of theCommittee. 

The lengths of the intervals between the questions addressed to theSpirits and the responses thereto, were computed by the audiblesecond-strokes of a clock in an adjoining apartment; the periods ofwaiting being necessarily brief in view of the assurance of the Medium(as set forth in its proper place in the Report) that "When the rapscome, they come right away. "

The "Spirit Rappings" varied materially in quality and character, beingat times faintly, and at other times distinctly audible. 

The record of the Investigation is as follows:

Mr. Sellers: Is any Spirit present now?

Three raps--faint and partly indistinct--are almost instantly audible. The raps apparently emanate from the floor-space directly beneath, or inthe immediate vicinity of the table. This remark is applicable to allthe rappings during the séance at the pine table. 

The Medium (interpreting the sounds): That was "Yes. "

Mr. Sellers (aside): They sounded like three. 

The raps are immediately repeated with more distinctness. 

Mr. Sellers (aside): There are three, and they are quite distinct. 

(Resuming): Is the Spirit the same one that was present last night?

Three raps, apparently identical with those last heard, are againaudible. 

Mr. Sellers (aside): It says it is the same Spirit. 

(Resuming): I presume then it is Henry Seybert?

(No response. ) Is it Henry Seybert?

Three raps--distinct and positive. 

Mr. Sellers: You promised last evening to give a communication to Mr. Pepper. Are you able to communicate with him now?

Two raps--comparatively feeble. 

The Medium (interpreting): One, two: that means "not now. "

Mr. Sellers (repeating): "Not now. "

The Medium (reflectively): But probably before he leaves. 

Three raps--quickly, distinctly and instantly given. 

The Medium: He said "Yes, " "before he leaves. " (To Mr. Sellers): Youasked that question, I think?

Mr. Sellers: Yes. (Resuming): Will you communicate with him before Mr. Pepper leaves to-night?

Three raps--instantaneous, quick and vigorous. The sounds in thisinstance are four times repeated, the repetitions being in quicksuccession and apparently without variation in quality or character. 

Mr. Sellers (addressing his associates): It has been very clearly shownto-night that certain sounds of greater or less volume have beenproduced. We have heard the sounds. We are conscious that they are raps. It is exceedingly important, in deference to the Medium herself, that weshould prove that she has nothing to do with the production of thesounds other than in a Spiritualistic capacity. I would like to ask herif there is any test that she herself can propose which would be capableof satisfying us that she does not produce the sounds. 

The Medium: I could name a great many tests, but they might not besatisfactory to you; for instance, the one of standing on glasstumblers, where the raps are produced on the floor. 

Mr. Sellers: Will the raps be produced under such circumstances?

The Medium: I cannot say that they will be, any more than I can say thatthey will be produced through the use of the table. In fact, they arenot so readily produced sometimes. 

Mr. Sellers: I understand your position. But you say that there arecases in which, when the Medium is standing upon glass, the sounds areproduced. 

The Medium: Oh, yes. I mention that--the producing through glass--as oneof the most difficult of tests. 

Mr. Sellers: Then the sounds will be just beneath your feet, will they?

The Medium: Well, they will seem to be. They may be on the side. 

After a brief interval, during which Mr. Furness absented himself toprocure glass tumblers, the colloquy with the Medium was resumed. 

Mr. Sellers: While we are waiting for those tumblers, will you repeatthe experiment of last night, that of standing near the table and nottouching it, to see if the same character of sounds then produced can beagain heard? Last evening we had a very satisfactory exhibition of that. 

The Medium: Yes. But we have to keep to a certain condition; that is, you are not to break. For instance, if you will all stand up and standtouching the table--all of us--until we get started, it will be someassistance. 

All of the gentlemen and the Medium rise and remain standing with theirhands in contact with the table. 

The Medium (continuing): This is a test, something that I have not gonethrough with since I was a little child almost. 

Mr. Sellers (after an interval of waiting): There seem to be no raps. (Another short interval. ) Now, Mr. Seybert, cannot you produce someraps?

Eighty seconds here elapsed with no response, when the Medium made anobservation which was partly inaudible at the Reporter's seat, thepurport of which was that the Spirit communications are sometimesretarded or facilitated by a compliance by the listeners with certainconditions. Another interval of probably two minutes elapsed, when theMedium suggested to Dr. Leidy to place his hands upon the table. Thesuggestion was complied with. 

Mr. Sellers inquires of the Medium whether a change in her position, with regard to the table, would do any good. 

The Medium: I will change positions with you. 

The change was made accordingly, but without result, and another periodof waiting followed. 

The Medium (to Dr. Leidy): Suppose you ask some questions. You may havesome friend who will respond. 

Dr. Leidy: Is any Spirit present whom I know, or who knows me?

After a pause of ten seconds, three light raps are heard. 

Dr. Leidy: Who am I?

The Medium explains that the responses by rappings are mainly indicativeonly of affirmation or negation. 

Dr. Leidy: Will you repeat your taps to indicate that you are presentyet?

Three taps are heard. 

Mr. Sellers: Those are very clearly heard. 

The Medium (to Dr. Leidy): Ask if that is Mr. Seybert?

Dr. Leidy: Is Mr. Seybert present?

Three raps--very feeble. 

Dr. Leidy (to Mr. Sellers): Was there an answer to that?

Mr. Sellers: There was. The answer was three raps. (After an interval, in which no response is received): There seem to be no furthercommunications. I suggest that the test with the glass tumblers be nowtried. 

Upon the suggestion of the Medium, the test referred to was momentarilydeferred, and Mr. Sellers made this inquiry:

It is proposed that the Medium shall stand upon tumblers. Are we likelyto have any demonstration?

Three raps--promptly given, though feeble in delivery and but faintlyaudible. 

The Medium: There were three--a kind of tardy assent. 

Mr. Sellers (to the Medium): As if the Spirits might or might notcommunicate?

The Medium: Well, that a trial might be made. 

Three raps are here again instantly heard--the characteristics of thesounds in this instance being rapidity and energy, or positiveness. 

The Medium: That is a quick answer. 

At this point attention is directed to the first of a series ofexperiments with four glass tumblers, which are placed together, withthe bottoms upward, on the carpeted floor, in the centre of a vacantspace. The Medium stands directly upon these, the heels of her shoesresting upon the rear tumblers and the soles upon the front tumblers. The Committee co-operate with the Medium, and, in conformity with hersuggestions, all the men clasp hands and form a semi-circle in front ofthe Medium, the hands of the latter being grasped by the gentlemennearest to her on either side. 

Mr. Sellers (after a notification from the Medium to proceed): Is Mr. Seybert still present?

No response. 

The Medium: It may be a few minutes before you will hear any rappingthrough these glasses. 

Ten seconds elapse. 

The Medium: This test is a very satisfactory one, if they do it. Andthey have done it a hundred times. 

Five seconds elapse. 

The Medium (to Mr. Furness): The glasses are not placed over marble, arethey?

Mr. Furness: No; the floor is of wood. 

Mr. Sellers (after another interval of waiting) informally remarked toMr. Furness: We will wait probably for another minute to see if anythingcomes. As you know, the Medium claims it is impossible for her tocontrol these things--that she is merely one who is operated through. 

Another interval expires. 

The Medium: That was a very faint rap. Suppose we change the position ofthe glasses. 

Note by the Stenographer. --No intimation is given that the rap herespoken of was heard by any one other than the Medium herself. Pursuantto the request just stated, the carpet is removed and the glass tumblersare located on the bare floor at a point about five feet distant fromthe place at which the first test was tried. The new location is in thecentre of a passage way, about three feet in width, between a side-boardon one side and a wall projection on the other. Its selection isapparently, though not specifically, dictated by the position andmovements of the Medium. The Medium and the Committee resume theirpositions, the former standing on the glasses and the gentlemen facingher in a group. 

The Medium: Now, Spirits, will you rap on the floor?

Thirty seconds here elapsed with no response, when one glass was heardto click against another, and the Medium exclaimed, "Oh. "

The Medium (repeating): Will you rap on the floor?

Thirty seconds now elapse without any demonstration. 

The Medium (aside): It seems to be a failure. They have done it. 

Another click of the glasses, which passes without comment. 

Mr. Sellers: We will have to set down the result of the experiment onglass tumblers as negative. It may be well to try it later. 

The Medium (evidently reluctant to abandon the test): Suppose now, as wehave gone so far, we kind of form a chain. 

The company retained their positions with hands joined, and the Spiritswere repeatedly requested to make their presence known--Mr. Pepper, atthe suggestion of the Medium, asking the Spirit of his friend, HenrySeybert, to manifest its presence by one rap--but all efforts to elicitsuch response proved ineffectual. The glasses were then removed and therequests were again reiterated, but with a like negative result. TheMedium finally remarked that she had rarely known of failures with theglass tumblers, but it had been a long time since she had tried them. She suggested that this branch of the investigation might be deferreduntil later. 

The Committee acquiesced in the suggestion and returned to the pinetable, where, with the Medium, they resume their original positions. TheStenographer is seated at the table in the rear of the company. 

Mr. Sellers: Now we have returned to the table. Can you indicate on thetable your presence, Mr. Seybert?

An interval of sixty-four seconds here followed. 

The Medium: Ask some questions that would interest him in life. 

As Mr. Sellers was repeating to Mr. Pepper the suggestion made by theMedium, three raps were heard. 

Mr. Sellers: There is now a communication that he is present. 

Mr. Pepper: Harry, would you like to know something about thisinvestigation of Spiritual manifestations, which you had so much atheart while living?

Three raps--prompt and decided. 

Mr. Sellers: Do you, Mr. Seybert, at the present time, see the personspresent? Are they visible before you?

Two raps--noticeably slow. 

Mr. Sellers (aside): He says "No, they are not. "

The Medium (interpreting): Well, that would be too--'partially. '

Dr. Koenig: What would that mean--that he only sees some of us, or thathe sees none of us entirely, but only partially?

The Medium: That he sees us, but not clearly. 

Mr. Sellers: Will you please rap the number of the members of theCommittee who are present at this time?

Three raps. 

Mr. Sellers: Now, say how many. 

Three raps. 

Mr. Sellers: Are there only three?

The Medium (to Mr. Sellers): That answer was 'Yes, ' I think. 

Mr. Sellers: Well, you say you can do it. Please count the number of themembers of the Committee who are present. 

[A]Seven raps--very slow, deliberate and distinct. 

[Footnote A: When, in answer to Mr. Sellers' question, the raps countedthe number of the Committee present, the number seven was indicated. _This counted in Mr. George S. Pepper and the Stenographer. _--G. S. F. ]

Mr. Sellers: Are there seven members of the Committee present?

Three raps. 

Mr. Sellers: Are they all seated around one table?

No response. About forty seconds elapse. 

Mr. Sellers: Are they seated at two tables?

[B]Three raps--quite feeble. 

[Footnote B: When the raps indicated that the members of the Commissionsat at _two_ tables, this expressly included in the number of theCommission the Stenographer, who sat at a different table from that atwhich the members of the Commission were seated at the time of askingthe question. --G. S. F. ]

Mr. Sellers (to his associates): We still must go back to the one thing. The information we receive through these responses is of littleimportance to us compared with the information which we must obtain asto whether these sounds are produced by a disembodied Spirit or by someliving person; that is, in deference to the Medium. (To Mr. Furness): Doyou not think so?

Mr. Furness is understood to assent. 

Mr. Sellers (continuing): We have tried the glass tumblers. We have thesounds here. I would ask Mrs. Kane if it is proper for us to look belowthe top of the table at the time the sounds are being produced, and insuch a way as to see her feet. 

The Medium: Yes, of course, you could do that, but it is not well tobreak, when you are standing, suddenly. As you know, you have to conformto the rules, else you will get no rappings. 

Mr. Sellers: What are the rules?

The Medium (disconnectedly): The rules are--every test condition, that Iam perfectly willing to go through, and have gone through a thousandtimes--at the same time, there are times when you can break the rules. So slight a thing as the disjoining of hands may break the rules. I donot think the standing on the glass has been fully tried. 

Mr. Sellers: We will try that later. 

Mr. Furness (to the Medium--informally): This investigation is one ofgreat importance to us. There is no question about it--we have heardthese curious sounds. Now, as to whether they come from Spirits ornot--that would seem to be the very next logical step in our inquiry. Ithink you are entirely at one with us in every possible desire to havethis phenomenon investigated. 

The Medium: Oh, certainly. But I pledge myself to conform to nothing, for--as I said in Europe--I do not even say the sounds are from Spirits;and, what is more, it is utterly beyond human power to detect them. I donot say they are the Spirits of our departed friends, but I leave othersto judge for themselves. 

Mr. Furness: Then you have come to the conclusion that they are entirelyindependent of yourself. 

The Medium: No, I do not know that they are entirely independent ofmyself. 

Mr. Furness: Under what conditions can you influence them?

The response, which was partly inaudible at the Reporter's seat, wasunderstood to be: "I cannot tell. "

Mr. Furness: You say that, in the generality of cases, they are beyondyour control?

The Medium: Yes. 

Mr. Furness: How in the world shall we test that?

The Medium: Well, by--

Mr. Furness: By--what? Isolating you from the table?

The Medium: Yes. 

Mr. Furness (applying his right hand, by her permission, to the Medium'shead): Are you ever conscious of any vibration in your bones?

The Medium: No; but sometimes it causes an exhaustion, that is, undercircumstances when the raps do not come freely. 

Mr. Furness: The freer the raps come, the better for you?

The Medium: Yes; the freer the better--the less exhaustion. 

Mr. Sellers: But do you feel now, to-night, any untoward influenceoperating against you?

The Medium: No, not to-night, for it takes quite a little while beforewe feel those things. 

Mr. Furness: Do these raps always have that vibratorysound--tr-rut--tr-rut--tr-rut?

The Medium: Sometimes they vary. 

Mr. Furness: As a general rule I have heard them sound so. 

The Medium: Every rap has a different sound. For instance, when theSpirit of Mr. Seybert rapped, if the sound was a good one, you wouldhave noticed that his rap was different from that of another. Every oneis entirely different from another. 

Mr. Furness: Do you suppose that the present conditions are such thatyou can throw the raps to a part of the room other than that in whichyou are?

The Medium: I do not pretend to do that, but I will try to do it. 

Mr. Furness and Dr. Leidy station themselves in the corner of the room, diagonally, and most remote from the pine table, at which theirassociates remain seated, with their hands upon the table, and 'theirminds intent on having the raps produced at the corner indicated, ' asrequested by the Medium, who also remains at the table. The Medium asks, 'Will the Spirit rap at the other side of the room, ' and, after twelveseconds, and again after forty-three seconds, repeats the inquiry. Noresponse is received. The experiment is repeated with Mr. Furness andDr. Koenig at the corner, but with a like negative result. 

At this point the attention of the Committee was again directed to theattempted production of the rappings with the Medium standing upon theglass tumblers. The lady proceeded to the space between the side-boardand the wall where the last preceding test had been made, and there thetumblers were again arranged. The Medium resumed her position upon them, with Doctors Leidy and Koenig, and Messrs. Sellers and Furness facingher. 

The Medium: Will the Spirit rap here?

Twenty-three seconds elapse. 

Dr. Leidy: Is any Spirit present?

An interval of thirty-nine seconds here followed, when the attention ofthe Committee was momentarily diverted by an inquiry addressed to Mr. Furness by Mr. Sellers, viz. : Whether a glass plate of sufficientstrength to bear the weight of the Medium was procurable. At this momentthe Medium suddenly exclaimed: 'I heard a rap. You said, "Get a glass, "and there was a rap. '[A]

[Footnote A: No one but the Medium heard this rap. --G. S. F. ]

The Medium (repeating for the information of Mr. Furness): Somebodyproposed a glass and there were three raps. 

Dr. Koenig inquires of the Medium whether the meaning intended to beconveyed by the sounds is that the Spirits desire to have the glassplate procured. 

The Medium: I do not know. I know there were raps. (Turning to Mr. Sellers, the Medium adds): They may have been made by your heel on thefloor but certainly there were sounds. 

Mr. Fullerton: Then it was not the regular triple rap?

The Medium: I could not tell. 

Just before calling attention to the alleged rap or raps the Mediumgrasped with her right hand the woodwork of the side-board as if forsupport. It was then that she stated she heard the sounds. They wereapparently not heard by any one but the Medium. 

Mr. Sellers (addressing the Spirit): Will you repeat the raps we heardjust now, assuming that there were some?

Ten minutes elapse without a response. 

The Medium: There is no use of my standing longer, for when they come atall they come right away. 

Mr. Sellers (after scrutinizing the position of one of the feet of theMedium, remarks): The edge of the heel of the shoe rests on the backtumbler. (Assuming a stooping posture for a more prolonged scrutiny, headds): We will see whether the raps will be produced now. 

The Medium now proposes that all members of the Committee shall stand upand join hands. 

Mr. Sellers and his associates accordingly stand, facing the Medium, with hands joined. Changes in their positions were made by some of thegentlemen from time to time, as suggested by the Medium, Mr. Pepper andDr. Koenig being the first to exchange places. This occurred after asilence of thirty seconds without any response. 

The Medium: Now, Mr. Seybert, if your Spirit is here, will you have thekindness--I knew Mr. Seybert well in life--to rap?

Fifteen seconds elapse. 

The Medium: No, he does not seem to respond. 

At the suggestion of Mr. Sellers, all the gentlemen approach the Mediumfor the purpose of inducing some acknowledgment by the Spirit, andinquiries similar to those already stated are repeated without result. The Committee then temporarily abandon this test. 

All present (except the Stenographer) having been seated at the largecircular table in the centre of the room, Mr. Pepper addressed theSpirit of Mr. Seybert, as follows: 'Harry, will you communicate with meas you promised to do?'

(Three raps--given slowly and deliberately--are heard. )

Mr. Sellers: Will you communicate with Mr. Pepper by raps or bywriting? (No response. ) Will you communicate by raps?

The Medium (to Mr. Sellers): Well, my hand does feel like writing. Willyou give me a piece of paper?--and maybe they will give me somedirections. 

Mr. Fullerton (to the Medium): How does your hand feel when affected inthat way?

The Medium: It is a peculiar feeling, like that from taking hold ofelectrical instruments. I do not know but that you might possibly feelit in my hand. 

The lady here extended her right hand upon the table toward Mr. Fullerton. The latter placed his left hand upon the extended hand of theMedium, and subsequently remarked that the pulsation of her wrist was alittle above the ordinary rate. 

The Medium, ostensibly under Spirit influence, with lead pencil in handproceeded to write two communications from the Spirit of the late HenrySeybert. The first of these covered two pages of paper of the size ofordinary foolscap. The Medium wrote in large characters, with remarkablerapidity, and in a direction from the right to the left, or the reverseof ordinary handwriting. The writing, consequently, could be read onlyfrom the reverse side of the paper and by being held up so as to permitthe gas-light to pass through it. 

The communications, as deciphered by Mr. Sellers, with the aid of Mr. Fullerton and the Medium, were as follows: "You must not expect that Ican satisfy you beyond all doubt in so short a time as you have yet had. I want to give you all in my power, and will do so if you will give me achance. You must commence right in the first place or you shall all bedisappointed for a much longer time. _Princiipis Obsta Sero MedicinaParatum. _

Henry Seybert. 

"Mend the fault in time or we will all be puzzled. 

Henry Seybert. "

The foregoing were understood to be directed to Mr. Pepper, inaccordance with the assurance given by the Spirit that it wouldcommunicate with him. 

Subsequently, when the trance condition had apparently disappeared, theMedium complied with a request to write, as it would be read to her, theLatin phrase at the end of the first communication. Using the pencil inher right hand, she transcribed slowly and in the usual direction fromleft to right. The style of her handwriting was small and comparativelyneat. Apparently in every particular her writing in this instance wasthe exact opposite of that made by her while in the alleged trancecondition. She here stated that, ordinarily, she wrote in the samemanner in which people generally write, with her right hand and fromleft to right. With respect to her inability to transcribe the Latinwords until these had been spelled for her, she explained that she wasnot at all familiar with Latin. [A]

[Footnote A: Mr. George S. Pepper, who was present, said that Mr. Seybert knew no Latin. --G. S. F. ]

A member of the Committee, commenting upon a defect in the spelling ofthe first of the Latin words in the Spirit communication, suggested thatthe error might be accounted for on the hypothesis that Mr. Seybert, inlife, was accustomed to the use of poor Latin. 

The Medium farther explained that her understanding of the secondcommunication was that it was a translation of the Latin contained inthe first. 

The glass tumblers are here again produced and the Medium takes herposition upon them, with Mr. Fullerton standing next to her upon theright and Mr. Furness to the left. Mr. Sellers remains for some momentskneeling on the floor to enable himself better to hear any sounds thatmay be but faintly audible. The Spirits are repeatedly importuned by theMedium to produce the rappings, but no response is heard until thecompany is about to abandon the experiment. Three raps are then audible. The raps are very light but very distinct. 

Mr. Fullerton states that he heard the raps. 

Mr. Sellers: I heard a sound then, but it seemed as if it was aroundthere. (Indicating along the wall immediately in the rear of theMedium. )

The tumblers are here moved further away from the wall and the Mediumresumes her position upon them. 

Mr. Sellers: Will the Spirit rap again? (No response. )

The Medium: Were any of you gentlemen acquainted with Mr. Seybert in hislifetime?

Mr. Fullerton: I saw him several times before his death. If he can givean intimation now of anything he said at that time, it will indicatethat he remembers it. 

A very faint rap is heard. 

The Medium: There is a rap. It seems to be there again. (Indicating thespot to which attention was previously called by Mr. Sellers. )

The Medium again importunes, first, 'Mr. Seybert' and next 'the Spirits''to rap;' and the importunities are repeated. Three raps are distinctlybut faintly heard. 

Mr. Sellers: I heard them. They sounded somewhat like the others, notexactly. 

The Medium: I heard one rap, but it is nothing for me to hear them; Iwant you gentlemen to hear them. 

Mr. Sellers: Probably we will hear them again. 

While Mr. Sellers and Mr. Furness are conversing, several raps areheard, though less distinct than the preceding ones. 

The Medium: There they are as though right under the glass. (After asilence of forty seconds): Now I hear them again very light--oh, verylight. 

Mr. Furness, with the permission of the Medium, places his hand upon oneof her feet. 

The Medium: There are raps now, strong--yes, I hear them. 

Mr. Furness (to the Medium): This is the most wonderful thing of all, Mrs. Kane, I distinctly feel them in your foot. There is not a particleof motion in your foot, but there is an unusual pulsation. 

Mr. Sellers here made some inquiries of the Medium, concerning the shoesnow worn by her. The replies, which were not direct, are here given. 

Mr. Sellers: Are those the shoes which you usually wear?

The Medium: I wear all kinds of shoes. 

Mr. Sellers: Are the sounds sometimes produced in your room when youhave no shoes on. 

The Medium: More or less. They are produced under all circumstances. 

Following the suggestion of the Medium, all present proceed through anintervening apartment to the library where the Medium selects variouspositions--standing upon a lounge, then upon a cushioned chair, nextupon a step-ladder and finally upon the side of a book-case--but allwith a like unsuccessful result, no response by rappings being heard. 

Upon an intimation being given by a member of the Committee that theMedium may be wearied, the further prosecution of the Investigation istemporarily deferred. 

 * * * * *

After the examination of Mrs. Kane, and after the Stenographer had left, the Commission held a conference, and commissioned Mr. Furness to laybefore Mrs. Kane the question of continuing or closing theinvestigation, so far as she was concerned. If she were sanguine of moresatisfactory results at another séance, the Commission was willing toprolong the investigation. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

Below is given the letter from Mr. Furness, explaining why theinvestigation of Mrs. Kane was not continued. The decision todiscontinue it came from her. 

My Dear Fullerton:

You remember that the members of The Seybert Commission separated lastevening with the understanding that we should meet Mrs. Kane again thisevening, if Mrs. Kane desired it, and that they requested me to lay thequestion before her for her decision. 

Accordingly, I had an interview with her this morning, of which thefollowing is as accurate an account as I can remember. 

I told her that the Commission had now had two séances with her, andthat the conclusion to which they had come is that the so-called rapsare confined wholly to her person, whether produced by her voluntarilyor involuntarily they had not attempted to decide; furthermore, thatalthough thus satisfied in their own minds they were anxious to treather with all possible deference and consideration, and accordingly haddesired me to say to her that if she thought another séance with herwould or might modify or reverse their conclusion, they held themselvesready to meet her again this evening and renew the investigation of themanifestations; at the same time I felt it my duty to add that in thatcase the examination would necessarily be of the most searchingdescription. 

Mrs. Kane replied that the manifestations at both séances had been of anunsatisfactory nature, so unsatisfactory that she really could not blamethe Commission for arriving at their conclusion. In her present state ofhealth she doubted whether a third meeting would prove any better thanthe two already held. It might be even more unsatisfactory, and insteadof removing the present belief of the Commission it might addconfirmation of it. In view of these considerations, she decided not tohold another séance. 

Afterward, during the forenoon (you know she has been and still is myguest), she recurred to the subject, and added that if hereafter herhealth improved it would give her pleasure to make a free-will offeringto the Commission of a number of séances for further investigations. 

I forgot to tell you, when we last met, that yesterday morning, the 6thof November, I brought away from Mrs. Patterson our sealed slate. Itcontains no writing, so Mrs. Patterson says. During the many months thatit has been in this Medium's possession I have made to her the mosturgent appeals, both in person and by letter, to fulfill her promise ofcausing the writing to appear in it. Her invariable excuse has been herlack of time. 

I Remain Yours, HORACE HOWARD FURNESS, _Acting Chairman_. 

7th November, 1884. 

It will be seen from the last paragraph of the preceding letter that theattempt to produce 'independent writing' on the inside of the slatesealed by the Commission was without result. 

The slate was sealed on May 31st, 1884 (as described in the records ofthe meeting of that date), was placed in the hands of the Medium, Mrs. Patterson, the next day, where it remained until November 6th. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

January 16th, 1885. 

The Commission met on Friday evening, January 16th, 1885, for thepurpose of examining a second slate which had been sealed by Mr. Furnessand left with Mrs. Patterson, and was now returned to the Commission. 

The slate was screwed and sealed by Mr. Furness, just before Christmas, and was in the hands of the Medium until January 12th. 

[So importunate was the Acting Chairman in his entreaties to Mrs. Patterson to bring to bear on these slates all her Spiritual power, thatat last he induced her to name a certain afternoon that should bedevoted to the task. He went to her house on the day named, and satwith her while she held the slates in her lap. To increase to theutmost all available Spiritual force, Mrs. Patterson's two daughters andher brother-in-law, Mr. Winner, were called in and shared the session. After sitting for nearly two hours, the little pencil had not made itsappearance on the outside, but could still be heard rattling inside, andthe obdurate Spirits were abandoned for the day. --H. H. F. ]

The slate was secured as follows:

[Illustration]

The two leaves of the slate were fastened by four screws at 1, 2, 3 and4; one side of the slate was already secured by the hinges 8, 8; theslate had then been wrapped by the tape 9, 9, as indicated, the knotbeing at 4; seals had then been set over the heads of the screws, uponthe tape, at 1, 2, 3 and 4, and also over the ends of the screws, uponthe tape, on the other side of the slate; a seal was also placed uponthe ends of the tape at 5; and two seals at one corner, at the placesindicated by 6 and 7. The corner marked by the arrow (<--) was protectedonly by the screws and seals at 3 and 4. 

When the slate was shaken no sound of the rattling of the pencil washeard--a pencil-scrap having been enclosed as usual in the slate when itwas sealed. The Medium had declared that the pencil was gone, but saidshe did not know whether there was writing on the slate or not. 

The seals were first examined and declared intact. 

Then Dr. Leidy pushed a thin knife-blade between the slates at theunprotected corner, marked by the arrow on the sketch. 

Then Mr. Sellers pushed in a thick knife-blade a little to one side ofDr. Leidy's. (The exact place is marked on the rim of the slateitself. ) Both the blades were thrust straight in--Dr. Leidy's exactly atthe corner, and Mr. Sellers's at the point marked, and neither of themwas worked about between the slates. 

The slates were thus separated by the thick knife-blade about one-tenthof an inch. 

The seals were not broken by this. 

While the slates were thus separated, it was noticed that the wood wasdiscolored and rubbed glossy on the sides of the crack. 

Mr. Sellers then removed the tape, seals and screws. 

The slate being opened, no pencil was found and no pencil-marks appearedon the slate. 

The rims were worn smooth and blackened at the corner where the slatescould be separated; this was very distinct. 

Some soap-stone dust, which Dr. Koenig identified under a microscope asthe same with a remaining fragment of the pencil inserted (which Mr. Furness had preserved), was found rubbed into the same corner, showingthat _the slates had been separated and the piece of pencil worked out_. 

Mr. Furness then produced three slates of the same sort (with hinges, and about 8 in. By 6. ) to be used in the presence of Dr. Slade. 

They were screwed up with a bit of pencil inside, in the presence of theCommission. Each was marked on the inside by Mr. Sellers, with a scratchfrom a diamond. To Mr. Furness was delegated the work of sealing them. [As Dr. Slade, however, refused to use any of our sealed slates, ourlabor was wasted. ]

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

The following is a stenographic report of a meeting of the Commission, to consider the reports offered by several members of séances with Dr. Henry Slade, who came to Philadelphia to meet the Commission. As herefused to sit with more than three of the Commission at a time, it wasnecessary to visit him in sections. Arrangements had been made to haveall the members sit with him in turn, but it was soon decided thatcontinuity of observation was valuable, and certain members wereappointed to do the whole work. 

(A record from the notes of the Stenographer, Mr. J. I. Gilbert. )

PHILADA. , February 7th, 1885. 

A formal session of the Seybert Committee was held to-day at 8 o'clockP. M. , at the residence of Mr. Furness, No. 222 West Washington Square. 

The session was devoted to consideration of the séances held with Dr. Henry Slade, from January 21st to January 28th inclusive. 

The following is a compilation of written notes and verbal comments uponthe séances by members of the Committee:

Mr. Coleman Sellers (referring to notes):

The Committee met on January 21st, 1885, at the Girard House, Philadelphia, in Room 24. 

There were present: Messrs. Thompson, Sellers and Furness, of theCommittee, and the Medium, Dr. Henry Slade. 

The séance was conducted at a pine table prepared by the Medium, whichwas supplied with two falling leaves and stationed at a point remotefrom the centre of the room, and contiguous to a wall of the apartment. Upon the table were two ordinary writing slates and fragments of slatepencils. 

The relative positions of the Medium and the Committee were as follows:the Medium was seated in the space between the table and the wall. Professor Thompson occupied a chair at the side of the table to theright, and Mr. Furness one at the side to the left of the Medium. Mr. Sellers was seated at the side directly opposite to the Medium. 

After calling attention to the slates and the pencil pieces, the Mediumremarked that, as his baggage had not come to hand, he was apprehensivethat the sitting would not be a very good one. A brief, generalconversation followed, and then, complying with a direction of theMedium, all present joined hands upon the table. Thereupon the Mediumabruptly started back, and, remarking that he had received a very severeshock of some kind, inquired whether the gentlemen present had notexperienced a like sensation. The responses were in the negative. 

The Medium next proposed to give an exhibition of "Spiritism" throughthe agency of communications invisibly written upon the apparently blanksurface of one of the slates. At this point Mr. Sellers asked that thetable be examined, and, with the assent of the Medium, an examinationwas accordingly made by the Committee; the only noteworthy result ofwhich was the discovery immediately beneath the table-top of openingsor slots into which the bars supporting the table leaves entered whenturned to permit the lowering of the leaves. 

(Mr. Sellers here continued, without reference to notes):

These slots and the use to which I ascertained they might be applied areworthy of special comment, as they played a very important part in allthe expositions that were made of the Medium Slade's manifestations. Theslot under the table into which the vibrating bar passed when the leafwas lowered was an inch and a-quarter in depth. At a later period of themeeting, when the opportunity was afforded, I took the slate in my hand, and, from the table side at which I was seated (the one directlyopposite the Medium's position) passed it into the slot, allowing it torest there diagonally. Upon removing my hand the slate remainedsuspended in its place, and in a position in which it could convenientlybe written upon. I may add that this arrangement of the slate is said tobe an essential feature of Slade's favorite method of writing. TheMedium did not fail to notice my experiment of passing the slate intothe slot, and, upon the occasion of my second attendance at the"manifestations" (which was at the third meeting of the Committee), having dispensed with the table I have described and prepared another, he somewhat ostentatiously called attention to the fact that the tablethen produced contained no slots such as those of which I have spoken. Ihave a memorandum of the size of the slots. The dimensions of the tablelast referred to are given in Mr. Fullerton's report. 

(Mr. Sellers, referring again to his notes):

Taking a slate in his hand Slade held it beneath the table leaf to hisright, when almost immediately there was a succession of faintly audiblesounds such as would have been made by writing on the slate under thetable. A knock indicated that the writing had ceased. The Medium thenattempted to withdraw the slate, but in this encountered a seemingresistance, and only succeeded by a jerk, as if wrenching the slate fromthe grasp of a strong person who was below the table. Upon the slate, which was at once inspected, appeared in a fair, running handwriting, and as if written with a pencil held firmly in hand, the following:

"My friends, Look well to the truth and learn wisdom, I am truly

James Clark. "

(Continuing, without reference to notes):

This writing differed entirely, in general appearance, from thesubsequent writings upon the slate, having apparently been made with therounded point of a pencil held in an easy and natural position forwriting. In other instances the writings had a strained and artificialappearance, and had evidently been made with a pencil point which hadbeen flattened before being used. 

Professor Thompson (to Mr. Sellers): Do you remember that at the sessionof which you now speak the Medium denied having any knowledge of JamesClark, and afterwards said that he did know of him?

Mr. Sellers: I remember distinctly that he said he knew nothing of JamesClark's affairs, and that, on another day, he presented a communicationfrom a William Clark. 

(Mr. Sellers here resumed his reading from notes, as follows):

The writing was obliterated from it and the slate again held under thetable, when the question was asked, "Will you do more. " An interval ofperhaps one or two minutes elapsed when the slate was exhibited, andupon it appeared the word "Yes. " The word had been written with abroad-ended pencil, and neither in style nor character resembled thefirst writing. 

Mr. Sellers, complying with the Medium's request to write a question onthe back of the slate, wrote "Do you know the persons present?" Theresponse which was made to this was "Yes, we do. "

No additional manifestations by writings were made at the first meeting. During the sitting many raps were produced on the table through someinvisible agency, and as these sounds, in some instances, were such ascould be made by simple means and at the command of a person sitting atthe table, a member of the Committee reproduced the sounds. It was theconviction of the members of the Committee present that the sounds thusproduced were similar to the sounds said to have been made by Spirits. The Medium, however, professed his ability to distinguish between thetwo classes of sounds, and remarked that some of the sounds heard by himwere such as would be made by a person touching the table and causing itto make the raps; that such sounds were not from the Spirits; that whenthe raps were genuine they caused a peculiar sensation, a sort oftremor, in his breast, and, therefore, he could tell when the raps werespurious. 

(Mr. Sellers, aside): In other words, that none were genuine but thosemade by himself. 

(Resuming, from notes): The Medium, in answer to inquiries, gave adetailed description of the remarkable phenomena said to have beenproduced in the presence of Professor Zoellner--which, he said, were asunexpected to himself (Slade) as they were to any one; that they werebeyond his control, and evidently the work of Spirits under veryfavorable conditions. 

Mr. Sellers here read the minutes of the meeting of January 22d, 1885, as prepared by Professor Fullerton. 

(The minutes are as follows):

The Committee met on Thursday, January 22d, 1885, at 12 M. , in theGirard House, Philadelphia. 

Present: Messrs. Thompson, Furness, Fullerton and the Medium, HenrySlade. 

A table measuring five or four and a-half by three feet, was used by theMedium. It was an oval table with two leaves. The Medium sat at oneside, with Mr. Furness at the end of the table to his left, ProfessorThompson at the end to his right, and Mr. Fullerton opposite. A circlewas first formed by joining hands upon the table. 

A slate was passed to Mr. Fullerton by the Medium, with the request thatit be held by him under the table leaf to his (Mr. Fullerton's) left. The slate was held by Mr. Fullerton as requested, but at no time duringthe sitting was any writing produced on the slate. Toward the close ofthe séance the slate was held for some time under the opposite tableleaf by Messrs. Furness and Fullerton. 

Dr. Slade, after cleaning a slate, held it under the table-leaf to hisright, in the space between himself and Professor Thompson. The slatewas not held close to the table, but in a slanting position, so that aspace of perhaps four or five inches was left between the edge of theslate farthest removed from the table and the table itself. A piece ofpencil, broken from a small pencil--about 1-16th to 1-12th in. Crosssection, was laid on the slate. 

A series of questions were here propounded, in each instance the inquirybeing followed by a scratching sound, and the slate being then withdrawnfrom under the table and showing writing upon it. These writings wereconstrued as responses. 

The questions and answers were as follows:--

1. It was asked: Will the Spirits answer questions?

Ans. (as above). 'We will try, '

2. Is the gentleman opposite a Medium? (Mr. Fullerton. )

Ans. He has some power. 

3. Are there more Spirits than one present?

Ans. Yes, there is. 

4. Another communication which appeared on the slate was 'we will domore soon. '

5. Ques. Do you move this pencil?

Ans. We do, of course. 

6. Tell us if you will play the accordion, or try to to-day?

Ans. Yes. 

The accordion (a small one) was then held partly under the leaf of thetable, where the slates had been. It played a little. The members of theCommission could not see it when in that position, or at least could notsee the whole of it. Mr. Fullerton, by looking under ProfessorThompson's arm, over the table, could occasionally catch a glimpse of itas Dr. Slade moved it to and fro, but saw only one corner. 

Dr. Slade then marked a slate with a line, and laid one of the bits ofpencil upon the line. A large slate pencil was then laid along the edgeof the slate. The slate was placed below the edge of the table besideDr. Slade (to his right, as usual) when the large pencil was thrown upinto the air two and a-half or three feet above the table. 

When the slate was brought up into view again the small bit of pencilwas still in its place. This would, of course, be nothing remarkable ifthe Medium's finger were upon the small bit of pencil at the time of thejerk. 

Another slate was held by Dr. Slade on the same side of and below thetable (as far as I could judge from his arm it was nearly as low as Dr. Slade's knee), and it was suddenly broken into many pieces, the framebeing at once held up for inspection by Dr. Slade. It did not seem tohave been broken against the table, as there was no shock felt in thetable, nor did the sound indicate it. It might have been broken by asudden blow upon the knee, as Dr. Slade's knees were in close proximityto the place where the slate was held. 

[The following are Notes of points which Mr. Sellers asked meparticularly to observe. --G. S. F. ]

NOTE 1. --The bits of pencil placed upon the slates seemed to be used inwriting, for pieces with sharp edges were broken and put on the slatesand afterwards were found somewhat worn. 

NOTE 2. --They were apparently the same pieces, as the size was the same. 

NOTE 3. --The writing did not seem to have been done by drawing the slateover a pencil at the time that the scratching was heard, for the slatewas partly in view, and though it moved somewhat, it did not then moveenough to make, for example, a line the whole length of the slate, aswas done in one instance. 

NOTE 4. --The pencil was found where the writing ended, and in the caseof the line cited just above, the mark on the slate was just about aswide as the rubbed part of the pencil. The pencil was rubbed and the endhad been flat. 

NOTE 5. --I did not notice any difference in the fineness of the earlierand later writings. The first communication began and ended with astrong broad line. 

NOTE 6. --The accordion was a small one, and I cannot say whether itmight not have been played upon with one hand if grasped in the rightway. 

NOTE 7. --In every case, what was done was done out of our sight, Dr. Slade declaring that the object in concealing the slates, etc. , was toprevent our wills from having a negative effect upon the phenomena. Myown position opposite the Medium was a very bad one for observing whatwas going on on his side of the table. 

(Mr. Sellers here read, from notes taken by himself, the minutes of thethird of the series of Slade séances, as follows):

The Committee met on January 23d, 1885, at the Girard House, Philadelphia, in Room 24. 

There were present: Messrs. Thompson, Sellers and Furness, of theCommittee, and the Medium, Dr. Henry Slade. 

The Medium was seated in the space between the table and the wall. Professor Thompson occupied a chair at the side of the table to theright, and Mr. Furness one at the side to the left of the Medium. Mr. Sellers was seated at the side directly opposite to the Medium. 

The table made use of on this occasion was much larger than the one usedat the first meeting. Attention was called to the fact that there wereno slots under the middle leaf of the table as there were in the othertable. 

Between the leaf and the centre of the table paper had been introducedfor the purpose of stuffing the crack, a rather large one, and theexplanation of the Medium was, 'This is to stop a sort of draft thatcomes up through the crack and breaks the connection. ' The members ofthe Committee were inclined to think that the purpose was to preventthem from observing through the crack any manipulations of the slate ormotions by the Medium under the table. 

The first writing on the slate was, 'We will do all we can. '

By request of the Medium, a slate with a bit of pencil was then held byMr. Sellers under the table leaf next to him on his left, when thequestion was put, 'Will you try to write on the slate held by thegentleman opposite. ' The response, 'We will try, ' was written on theMedium's slate. After taking the slate in his hand and cleanly wipingit, the Medium passed it under the table leaf, when almost instantlysounds indicating writing, such as were audible at the first session, were repeated. Upon being exhibited the slate contained the following:

My friends, --

Paul's injunction was "add to your faith knowledge. " this knowledge, hasencouraged the desponding, and given comfort to the mourner, and giveshope to the Hopeless. I am truly

William Clark. 

The appearance of this writing was much the same as that of the firstday, when another long written communication was produced, but it boreno resemblance to the scrawls which were exhibited in answer toquestions. 

A special minute is here made of observations by members of theCommittee upon certain features of the Medium's operations, which tendedto discredit the assumption of a supernatural agency in the productionof the slate writings. In the above instance a slate which had beennoted as standing against a leg of the table and behind the chair of theMedium, but conveniently within his reach, was dexterously substitutedby the Medium for the slate taken from the table and the one upon whichostensibly writing was to appear. This was observed by one member. Inanother instance a member (Mr. Sellers) observed the same substitution, so far as the motion of the Medium's hand and arm was concerned. Bycertain private marks, adroitly applied, the same member noted the factthat the slate on which the writing was exhibited was not, as the Mediumrepresented it to be, the same slate which had been taken from thetable. 

[The foregoing note by the Stenographer is somewhat incoherent, owing tohis unfamiliarity with Slade's séances; yet we prefer to let it remainas it is. --G. S. F. ]

(Mr. Sellers adds, parenthetically): That is, I watched the Medium'soperations specially with a view of informing myself whether the slateused in both instances was the same. 

(Resuming, from notes): The Medium proposed that the Committee shouldretain the slate upon which the long message appeared. The slate wasaccordingly retained by the Committee. 

Professor Thompson (addressing Mr. Sellers): Was not that slate the onethat I held at the time referred to?

Mr. Sellers: It was. The slate was held by you at the same time that itwas held by the Medium. 

Professor Thompson: Then there is an additional fact to be noted inregard to it. That fact is this. When the sounds indicating the writingprocess had ceased, I endeavored to pull the slate away from under thetable, but the Medium resisted my effort, and by powerful exertionjerked the slate out toward himself. The substitution of one slate forthe other was probably made at this time, and the slate so substitutedwas then placed on the table. 

Mr. Sellers: That is true, most assuredly I saw the substitution, andMr. Furness also saw it very plainly. From his position Mr. Furness sawthe Medium take up the other slate. 

NOTE. --An explanation was here made by Mr. Furness to the effect thathis knowledge of the substitution here spoken of was inferential, butthat at another period of the séance he did distinctly see the Mediumgrasp an unused slate. 

Mr. Sellers here resumed, from his notes:

The Medium then proposed to attempt the experiment of causing the chairupon which Professor Thompson sat, to rise from the floor, withoutexternal agency other than that of the hand of the Medium on the back ofthe chair. In answer to the question, 'Will you try to lift the chair?'the response was 'Yes. ' Mr. Sellers, being requested to write a questionon the back of the slate near him, wrote the following, 'What is thetime?' After some little time, during which the Medium furtively glancedat the slate, the answer was given, 'A little after twelve. '

Upon being requested to open his left hand and hold it thus extended ina position beneath the top of the table to his left, Mr. Sellerscomplied with the request, when a slate, which had been held by theMedium under the opposite leaf, was passed across, and, after touchingMr. Sellers's hand, fell to the floor. After several repetitions, theslate was passed into Mr. Sellers's hand, but the experiment wasaccompanied by a motion of the Medium which was evidently such as wouldhave been made if the Medium had passed the slate across by his foot. [At his séances Dr. Slade wears slippers, into and out of which he canreadily slip his feet. --G. S. F. ]

In answer to the question, 'Are you ready to lift the gentleman?' theresponse, in writing, was given, 'Yes. ' Clasping the back of the chairfirmly with his right hand, and approaching it close enough to enablehim to place his knee under the seat of the chair, the Medium, aftervery considerable effort, caused the chair to rise from the floor aninch or two. The physical strain on the part of the Medium was evident. 

Professor Thompson, having obtained the permission of the Medium, wrotethe following upon the slate, 'Can a Spirit, still in the body, writewith a slate pencil without touching the pencil?' After some delay, andfrequent surreptitious glances at the slate by the Medium, the answerwas, 'Yes, we can tell. ' This trial not being satisfactory, the samequestion was repeated. The answer, which was longer delayed than the onepreceding it, was, 'We can do so, if the conditions are favorable. '

Professor Thompson (interposing): Do you remember the Medium's remarksabout the resistance of the Spirits?

Mr. Sellers: I do. 

Professor Thompson: When he was pushing and pulling the slate, andmeanwhile looking at it--while moving it backward and forward--theMedium remarked, 'There seems to be some kind of resistance; they don'tseem to know what to make of it'--meaning that the Spirits were makingsome resistance to his moving the slate. 

Mr. Sellers here resumed and completed the reading of his minutes, asfollows:

The experiment attempted on the second day, of causing a slate pencil tojump from a slate without any disturbance of the slate, was hererepeated. A line was drawn upon the slate, and upon this line a smallbit of pencil was placed, the success of the experiment depending uponthis small piece remaining immovable upon the line. After several trialsthis was accomplished. The experiment of playing an accordion beneaththe table was next made, and in one instance the top of the instrumentwas thrown upon the table. 

Mr. Sellers verbally made the following addition to his minutes:

The response to the question propounded by Professor Thompson wasattended with more than ordinary delay. Upon hearing the response, viz. :'We can do so if the conditions are favorable, ' Professor Thompsonremarked that this did not answer the question at all. 

Professor Thompson: I made that statement in regard to both of theresponses. 

Mr. Sellers: The statement, then, was, that neither of the responsesanswered the question. Whereupon the Medium at once obliterated thequestion from the slate, and remarked, 'Well, that is the best they cando, ' or something of that kind, or, 'They cannot understand that. ' Thefact was that the Medium did not understand the question himself, as itwas purposely a somewhat involved question. 

Professor Thompson: The fact appears to have been demonstrated that theMedium seemed to have no difficulty in catching the purport of questionsof simple construction at a glance, and that a question of more thanaverage length, which he could not perceive the sense of, or which wassomewhat misleading in its terms, was not answered intelligently. 

Professor Thompson here further explained that, when writing thequestion spoken of, he concealed his hand from the observation of theMedium. Mr. Sellers here imitated the motions of the body of the Mediumand the position of his hands at the time--the left resting on thetable, and the right hand beneath the table, near the slate--after whichthe writing was displayed. 

Mr. Sellers next presented the minutes of the meeting of January 24th, as follows:

The Committee met on January 24th, 1885, at the Girard House, Philadelphia, in Room 24. 

There were present: Dr. Leidy, Mr. H. H. Furness and Mr. Coleman Sellers, with the Medium, Dr. Henry Slade. Dr. Leidy occupied the positionpreviously held by Professor Thompson, to the right of the Medium;Messrs. Sellers and Furness were seated as at the former sittings. 

Slates were produced and held as at the previous séances. Upon one slatethe following interrogatories and responses were recorded:

'Spirits, are you ready to work?' Answer: 'Soon, '

'Will you write for the gentlemen?' Answer: 'We are trying to do so. '

At this point the Medium substituted another slate for the one which hehad held in his hand, and almost immediately thereafter, upon the newslate being placed under the table, the sound of writing began and wascarried on with little interruption. The writing continued for a verylong time, during which the Medium, removing his hand from the hands ofthe other gentlemen, said, 'You see that if I take my hand away from thecircle and thus break the circle, the sound of the writing ceases; if Iplace my hand back again, the writing is repeated. ' The sound of thewriting, which had been temporarily suspended, recommenced when the handof the Medium returned to its former position. The Medium furtherstated, by way of qualifying his statement on this point, 'If I do notjerk it away I can raise my hand a little. ' He illustrated his meaningby slightly elevating his hand and withdrawing it from the other hands, at the same time calling attention to the fact that the sounds of thewriting on the slate were continued. 

This modification by the Medium of his original statement was regardedas intended to cover instances in which the circle had beensurreptitiously broken by members of the Committee without any of theresults which, had been predicted. Several such breaks had been made bythe writer (Mr. Sellers) unknown to any one but himself; and the Medium, finally becoming aware of this fact, observed that the circle mightfrequently be broken a little without any effect being apparent. 

Professor Thompson: But did not the Medium make that statement at thevery first séance?

Mr. Sellers: He stated that at the first séance. 

(Resuming, from notes): The communication inscribed upon the slate whenbeneath the table was in the same handwriting as the other longcommunications, and was evidently written with a sharpened pencil underfavorable conditions. It was as follows:

'My friends:

I have been made happy by the advent of my dear wife into this land ofsouls. The name of my dear wife is Ann Louisa Tiers, of Germantown. Nowwe shall part no more by death, as there is no death in this life. 

My friends, never grieve because your friends meet the change calleddeath, as death is but the blooming of the soul. 

I am

John Tiers. '

Mr. Sellers, in reply to an inquiry by Dr. Leidy concerning the identityof the alleged author of the communication, here explained that anewspaper advertisement of even date set forth that Ann Louisa Tiers, widow of John Tiers, died on the day preceding the day of the meeting. The advertisement had been noticed by Mr. Furness, and it appeared tofurnish the foundation for what had been imposed upon the Committee. 

The slate used at the meeting here referred to was one which Mr. Furnesssaw substituted, and which the writer (Mr. Sellers) is confident wassubstituted. 

Dr. Leidy here stated that the communication now referred to, unlike allthe other communications of the Medium, which were miserable littlescrawls of a few words, was a lengthy one, which covered the entireslate. He felt convinced that the slate upon which it was contained wassubstituted for the other one which the Medium ostensibly continued touse. 

Mr. Sellers (resuming the reading of his minutes): Dr. Leidy then wroteon the slate the following question, 'Dr. Le Conte--are you engaged nowin the study of Coleoptera?' The slate was then placed below the table, and, after the Medium had been observed to glance at it repeatedly, asin the case of former exhibitions of this kind, the slate was finallyreproduced with this answer written upon it, 'Dr. L. C. Is not present. '

Then the experiment was repeated of drawing a line, laying a bit ofpencil on the line and then a pencil on the edge of the slate. 

The pencil on the edge of the slate was tossed violently over the table, passed over and fell on the other side of the table, while the piece ofpencil on the mark was not disturbed. 

Dr. Leidy: It should be borne in mind that that throw was not from underthe table, because when the pencil went over, the slate appeared on theoutside of the table. I sat near the Medium and saw that slate broughtout as the pencil went up. 

Professor Thompson: The Medium claimed that sometimes the pencilappeared on the side of the table opposite to that at which he wassitting, but no such thing occurred in our presence. Would not it beadvisable, when you say it was thrown up, to add that it was thrown fromthe side at which the Medium was sitting?

Mr. Sellers: In each and every case. 

Dr. Leidy (to Mr. Sellers): When the Medium gave you and me a slate tohold, he said the Spirits would make a communication. We held the slateaway from him and there was not at any time a communication. 

(Mr. Sellers here resumed, from his notes): The same experiment ofjerking the pencil over the table was repeated with another pencil. Then, at the suggestion of one of the gentlemen present, the Mediumrepeated the experiment made at a former session, in which a long linewas drawn on the slate while the slate was apparently held without anymotion. The Medium then took one of the slates in his hand and placed itbelow the table, when it was suddenly broken. As he produced it, hecalled attention to the fact that the slate seemed as if broken from thetop downwards. As he brought it out, the Medium turned the slate overand knocked it on his knee, and in that way crushed it to pieces. Hethen turned it over to show on which side the crushing took place. I sawthat as plainly as I saw anything. He then used a pencil and drew azig-zag line across the slate. The pencil was worn at one end. The sameexperiment, which was made when Professor Fullerton was present, wasrepeated, and it was noticed that the pencil used in drawing the linewas the identical one found on the slate. 

Dr. Leidy: In that part of the exhibition which purported to show how, through Spiritual influence, a slate pencil might remain in contact witha slate, the Medium took care not to elevate the slate to an angle offorty-five degrees. He merely raised it to the elevation which I nowindicate. If he had elevated it a little more the pencil would havefallen off. 

Mr. Sellers (resuming): An accordion was then played under themanipulations of the Medium, after which that gentleman told the writerthat he might look under the table and witness the performance of theinstrument. The writer availed himself of this permission, but, upon hislooking below the table, the musical sound ceased, and no such soundswere heard during the period in which these observations were continued. The Medium remarked, "That is unaccountable; there is no reason why youshould not see it. " Nevertheless, the accordion did not produce anysound while the writer was looking at it. 

Professor Thompson: There is one point which was suggested at an earlierstage of the minutes, and which is, perhaps, worthy of being recorded. It is this. At the time at which the slate was passed to the hand of Mr. Sellers, under the table, the Medium compelled me to sit around in aposition different from that which I had occupied, in order that, in hisoperations, he could move his arms and lower extremities as freely as hepleased. 

Dr. Leidy: My own supposition is that, when he played the accordionfreely, the Medium made use of a little wire attached to a hook orsomething of that kind, which he could hold by fastening it to hisclothing. 

Mr. Sellers: His method of manipulating the instrument was readilyobservable upon close attention. The accordion was a small one of thekind which is easily procurable in the market. 

(Resuming, from notes): The next meeting of the Committee, which washeld on January 26th, at the Girard House, was an exceedingly importantone, because its result was absolutely negative. There were present, with the Medium, Professor Thompson, Mr. Furness and Mr. Sellers. Twoslates were lying on the table behind him. The Medium brought forwardone of these, wiped it, laid a pencil on it, and placed it under thetable, but without any result. He said, "We must make a circle--thatwill have better effect. " He laid the slate back upon the table. We thenjoined hands, and, after a time, thinking that there was magneticinfluence enough at work, the Medium reached back and took the secondslate--not the first one--brought that forward and put it under thetable. Mr. Sellers asked the Medium, "Dr. Slade, will you allow me tosee that slate?" The reply was, "No, not now; the conditions are notfavorable. " The Medium seemed rather embarrassed, and apparentlyregretted his reply. He laid the second slate back upon the table, inits former position, but further back. We then again formed a circle, when he seemed to hesitate a moment as to the better course for him topursue. He then reached back, grasped the first slate, and with a spongewashed off both of its sides, though there had been no writing uponeither; and then he brought forward the second slate, with the top sideupward, and washed that side, though there was no occasion for thewashing, as there was no writing upon that side. Turning the slate over, he began washing the back of it without showing the face of the slate, and finally laid it down. 

Mr. Furness here stated that he observed, at the time, that the face ofthe slate contained writing. 

Professor Thompson here remarked that the Medium had evidentlyappreciated the fact that he had been caught. 

Mr. Sellers: That fact was plainly apparent. 

Mr. Fullerton here remarked that at the séance reported by him, soonafter the members were seated, the Medium reached behind his (theMedium's) position to get one of the slates placed near him, andaccidentally turned up one, the back of which was covered with writing, whereupon he coolly remarked, 'That is the wrong slate. ' Mr. Fullertonadded that he did not at the time think of connecting this accidentalexposure with what the Medium was then doing, and suggested thatpossibly this exposure prevented Dr. Slade's use of this method at theséance reported by him, as it would seem that none of the communicationsproduced on that occasion were of the sort produced by substitution ofslates. 

Mr. Sellers: The methods of this Medium's operations appear to me to beperfectly transparent, and I wish to say emphatically that I amastonished beyond expression at the confidence of this man in hisability to deceive, and at the recklessness of the risks which heassumes in his deceptions, which are practiced in the most barefacedmanner. The only reason of our having any so-called 'manifestations'under the circumstances was because of the fact that the Committee hadagreed in advance to be entirely passive, and to acquiesce in everycondition imposed. At the meeting here spoken of, I said to Dr. Slade, 'You see that we do not attempt to exercise any deleterious influence;what we want is the truth, the simple truth, and we try to exert noinfluence which would tend to impair the success of your operations. 'The reply of the Medium was, 'No, I know that you do not; but sometimesthe Spirits will work and sometimes they will not work. ' We had nowritings in any part of that sitting--everything failed. 

Mr. Furness: We did not have even raps. 

Mr. Sellers: We did not have even raps. There was no sound of anycharacter; the day was absolutely fruitless of any result. Disgustedwith this evident failure, the Medium decided to close the séance. Hewas asked, among other things, if he would write on double closed-upslates. He replied that he would not write upon them for the reason thatthe Spirits had forbidden him to do so; that they had said they wouldnot write on sealed slates, because many tricks had been played on them, one of which was the writing in advance of foolish and obscene matter, which, when the slates were opened, was attributed to the Spirits. Isaid to him, 'Would there be any objection by the Spirits to the use ofthe slates if these are brought here, opened and exhibited before youprior to their being used?' He replied, 'I have been forbidden to writeupon sealed slates; the Spirits tell me that if I disobey them they willnot write for me any more. '

Professor Thompson: Yes, I heard that statement, that it was forbiddento bring them or to offer the sealed slates to the Spirits. 

Mr. Sellers (resuming from notes): As I have stated, the result of themeeting of the 26th inst. Was entirely negative. That on the 27th wasthe last sitting. There were then present: Dr. Pepper, Mr. Furness andMr. Sellers--Dr. Pepper occupying the seat originally occupied byProfessor Thompson, to the right of the Medium. All the manifestationsthat were made on that day were so similar, as far as writings andquestions were concerned, to those that preceded them that it isscarcely necessary to make notes of them. Two or three rather remarkablethings occurred. For instance, almost at the beginning of the sitting, Dr. Slade exhibited both sides of two slates to show that neither sidecontained any writing, and then placed a piece of pencil on one slate, and, covering it with the other one, held the two together between thethumb and finger of his right hand, and placed them upon Dr. Pepper'sshoulder near the back of that gentleman's head. The covering of slateanswered the same purpose which a table would have answered, andprevented those present from observing the operation. He frequentlyrepeated the words, 'The Spirits will write upon the slate. ' He held theslate in this position for some time, but there was no writing upon it. He then placed both slates upon the table before him, side by side. Taking in his right hand the slate which was towards his left hand, heplaced a bit of pencil upon it, held it under the table, and said, 'Willthe Spirits write upon this slate?' He then added, 'I feel a sort ofdrawing, a something which seems to pull the slate down underneath thetable. That often occurs. '

I may here remark that, at the other sittings, the same expression wasmade use of at times, accompanied by the thrusting of the slate somedistance under the table. The statement was that the slate seemed to bedrawn some distance over to the person opposite the Medium. 

A sound was heard, and upon the Medium bringing the slate out from underthe table, a zig-zag line appeared upon the slate with the pencil at theend of the line. The Medium remarked, 'That is something. ' Then layingthe slate upon the slate to his right hand, with a sponge wiped off thetop of it, but did not show what was on the underside of it. He thenplaced his thumb beneath the slates, and turned them in such a way thatthe left hand, or top slate, came to be the one furthest from him as itwas held behind Dr. Pepper's head. When holding it in that position fora moment, a scratching sound was heard in answer to the question, 'Willthe Spirits endeavor to write on the slate thus held?' A rap followedthe sound of the writing. The slates were then taken down, and the topslate taken off. Upon what had previously been the top slate was writtenthe words, 'Yes, we will try. '

Mr. Furness (interposing): That was one of the neatest things he did. 

Mr. Sellers: My habits of observation have been trained in this kind ofwork, and I watched the slates intently during the process. 

Subsequently certain raps were audible, when the Medium called theattention of Dr. Pepper to the fact that some of the raps were made uponthe chair on which the Doctor was seated. It was very evident that theraps were, in fact, made on that chair; there was no doubt about that atall. 

Throughout this entire sitting the Medium complained sadly of hisphysical disability. He said that he was afraid that he was going tolose the power of his right side, that he was becoming numb all over. The peculiar symptoms which he described will be reported upon in theobservations of Dr. Pepper, by whom they were noted. 

(Mr. Furness here stated that the notes of Dr. Pepper would be readlater in the evening. )

Mr. Sellers (continuing): The Medium did very little more in the way ofwriting. He repeated some few of the experiments previously made, suchas the throwing off of the pencil. He declined to play upon theaccordion, as the instrument had been broken. 

At this meeting two pocket compasses, one brought by Mr. Furness and theother by Mr. Sellers, were placed at a point near the circle of thehands in order to observe whether any deflection from the magneticcourse occurred. No such result was noted. No change whatsoever in theneedles was observed other than that which was caused by a vibration dueto shakings of the table. From time to time the Medium would callattention to one of the needles with the remark, 'There, one of thoseneedles is moving now. ' In point of fact, the needle at the time wouldshow no motion other than that caused by the jarring of the table. TheMedium went on to say that frequently, under like circumstances, whenplaced close together, he had seen two needles point around in oppositedirections. This might have been true, in the present instance, if theMedium had placed a magnet attached to his foot at a point at which itwould have been between the two needles. Its effect would have been justthe one which he has described. No such result was noticeable during ourobservations. 

A large part of the sitting was devoted to the discussion of theZoellner experiments, the Medium narrating some of the phenomena thathad been witnessed in the presence of Dr. Zoellner. He said, however, that Zoellner was a peculiarly impressible person, and one who hadentire confidence in his (the Medium's) ability. 

Before the conclusion of the séance, the writer (Mr. Sellers) asked theMedium if he was acquainted with the methods of operation of anyconjurors. The Medium replied that he did not know many of them, but healways liked to have conjurors at his sittings, as they produced a verygood influence upon him. At this point the following colloquy ensued:

Mr. Sellers: Do you know a man named Kellar, who is exhibiting in thiscity?

Dr. Slade: I do not. I never knew him. 

Mr. Sellers: You may, however, be able to explain to me a veryremarkable slate-writing experiment which Kellar has performed. I willstate the details of it. [Mr. Sellers here described at length Mr. Kellar's trick with the fastened slates, and in concluding, asked:] Howdid Mr. Kellar do that?

Dr. Slade: He is a Medium. He does that work precisely as I do it. 

Mr. Sellers: But can he not do it by trickery?

Dr. Slade: No it is impossible. He is a Medium, and a powerful Medium. 

(Mr. Sellers continued the reading of his transcript, as follows):

Then I described to the Medium an experiment by Kellar in lifting atable ostensibly merely by laying his hands upon it, and I detailed hisexplanation of how deceptions might occur, his custom of pulling up hissleeves and exhibiting his hands to the audience. I added, that he haddone the same thing with a chair. 

Dr. Slade: I do that thing, too. I will show you how I do it the nexttime. He does it as I do it. He is a Medium. 

(Mr. Sellers here paused to make the following verbal explanation):

I pause here for the express purpose of having the fact noted that, being thoroughly familiar with the details of the methods of theseexperiments, I can positively assure the Committee that there is noMediumistic power in Mr. Kellar, so far as his methods are concerned, that those methods are as easy of solution as are any other physicalproblems. 

(Resuming, from notes):

The inquiry was then addressed to Dr. Slade, 'Do you know a man namedGuernella who, with his wife, gave séances?' 'Yes, ' he replied, 'I knowhim very well. ' 'Well, how does he perform his wonderful exploits inrappings, etc. ?' 'He is a Medium, a powerful Medium. I know him verywell indeed. I can assure you that all that he does is done solely bymeans of his Mediumistic powers. '

I now state to the Committee that the Guernellas exhibited inPhiladelphia some years ago as exposers of Spiritualism. They did notexpose it, but they performed experiments which, prior to that time, were said to have been accomplished by the aid of Spirits. Guernellahimself, at my house, in my presence, in broad daylight, performed allthe feats and exhibited the phenomena that were produced at the dark andother séances, and he repeated them until I myself became as expert ashe in performing them; for which I paid him a consideration. So much forthe Mediumistic power. 

(Resuming, from notes):

Before the close of this last séance, a letter was read to Dr. Slade byMr. Furness, to which the Medium was requested to make reply at hisconvenience; the object was to preserve evidence of the fact that theMedium had stated that all the séances must be held under hisconditions--that if the Committee deviated in the slightestdegree from the conditions imposed by him (Dr. Slade) he would 'pack uphis traps and clear out. ' [The letter and reply will be found annexed tothis Record. ]

At the end of this séance, the sum agreed upon, three hundred dollars, was paid to the Medium in three one-hundred-dollar bills. He was askedto sign a receipt for that amount, but his nervousness was such as tomake this a task of some difficulty. He made many attempts to grasp thepen presented to him, but his hand shrank from it. At last, by a violenteffort, and conquering the emotions that overcame him, the Mediumgrasped the pen and wrote the receipt. The extreme trepidation of Dr. Slade was possibly due to the unexpected displacement of two coveredslates which he had left standing on the floor, resting against the legof the small table at his back, and which Mr. Furness had overturnedwith his foot, the result being that at least two of the members of theCommittee were apprised, by the quantity of writing on one of theslates, that it was ready for immediate use. 

Mr. Sellers (aside): I saw the writing on the slates. It had manifestlybeen prepared for use by the Medium, and up to the moment of itsdiscovery had been carefully kept completely covered. 

Mr. Furness here read to the Committee the following:

Before Dr. Slade came to Philadelphia to meet this Commission, I wastold by a valued Correspondent, an eminent Spiritualist, that much ofDr. Slade's success in Spiritual manifestations would depend on the wayin which he was treated, and that he should be met in a cordial, friendly spirit. As this was but natural, and as Dr. Slade's life hasbeen passed among extraordinary scenes the world over, which makes himan entertaining companion, it gave me pleasure to extend to him whatlittle courtesies lay in my power, asking him to dine with me during hisvisit, and to spend the evenings at my house, if the time hung heavy onhis hands at his hotel. He dined with me several times, and Iconsequently saw more of him than did the other Commissioners. I toldhim more than once that, as a Commissioner, I should watch him with lynxeyes, and he always gave a laughing assent. I furthermore neverconcealed from him that he had, by no means, converted me toSpiritualism. [I last saw him in Boston, when, as I was passing alongShawmut Avenue, I caught sight of him at a window; he eagerly beckonedme to come in, and, as I settled myself in a chair, I said to him, 'Well, and how are the old Spirits coming on?' Whereupon he laughed andreplied, 'Oh, pshaw! you never believed in them, did you?'--April, 1887. ]

I had several séances with him in afternoons after the séances with theCommission, when I was accompanied by my mother, my sister, and byseveral friends; of course, only by one or two others at a time. 

It would be superfluous to rehearse here at length what Mr. Sellers hasset before you much better than I can, the steps to the conclusion towhich we all arrived: that the long messages were written beforehand. The difference between them and the short answers to questions asked atthe séance, in the character of the handwriting, is too manifest and tooobtrusively patent to be disregarded. In the long message from 'WilliamClark' on the slate which we have preserved and had photographed, 'Paul's injunction' is carefully included within quotation marks. Theshort answers to questions were scarcely legible, and at times could bedeciphered only by help of the Medium himself. (This illegiblehandwriting is not without its use; it engrosses the attention of thesitters. )

It follows, therefore, that, if prepared slates are to be used, theymust be adroitly substituted for others, which the sitters know to beclean. The question is thus narrowed to one of pure legerdemain, and theMedium must necessarily have several slates at hand. 

When two slates only are used, the prepared slate is usually lying onthe table when the sitters take their seats. No attention is called toit, and some little time is taken in conversation, and in the spasmodicjerking caused by 'electric currents'; in a few minutes the slate pencilis placed on the slate; no offer is made of showing both sides, whichwould be quite needless, since the side which is exposed is perfectlyclean, and it is on that side which the Spirits are expected to write;the slate is kept almost constantly and wholly in full view and but veryslightly inserted beneath the table. After an interval of waiting, during which, by constantly looking at the slate as though impatient forthe writing to begin, whereby his sitters become accustomed to theappearance and disappearance of the slate, the Medium reaches for asecond slate, ostentatiously washes both sides, lays it on the table, removes the pencil from the first slate to the second, and places overit the first slate with its prepared message, face downward, and thetrick is done. The two slates are held for a minute under the table, andare then held to the ear or on the shoulder of the sitter on theMedium's right hand--never to any other sitter, since to do so wouldreveal the scratching of the Medium's finger-nail on the rim of theslate, whereby the writing of the pencil within the slates iscounterfeited. I have distinctly, three or four times, watched themotion of the Medium's finger while thus scratching; as I sat facing thewindow the fingers which held the slate and made the fictitious writingwere sharply outlined against the light. And here let me say that he whosits on the Medium's left hand, the side to which he turns almost hisfull back, has the best position for observation. He told me many timesthat he did not like to have three sitters, but much preferred only two;at the third side, when unoccupied, wonderful manifestations occur, such as a chair's elevation, or being thrown down, or the appearance ofthe unsupported slate, etc. These manifestations are executed by theMedium's foot, and lest its motions under the table should be detected, the longitudinal cracks where the two table-leaves join, were carefullystuffed with paper, although, to be sure, he once explained to me thepresence of this paper as necessary to keep 'the electricity fromflowing through. '

Although Dr. Slade had agreed verbally in New York that the last séanceof the series should be in the presence of all the Commission, he flatlyrefused, when in Philadelphia, to hold any in the presence of more thanthree at a time. 

On one occasion, when the Medium was very sure of his sitters, he placedthe prepared slate, face downwards, on the table, with his fingersresting on the upper surface, then in a few minutes the slate was liftedup and the writing displayed, as though just made by Spiritual agency. Generally, however, when the writing is thus exhibited, it is in answerto a spoken question, and the reply is written by the Medium in his lapand the slate turned over before it is placed on the table. Manifestlyit cannot occur as an answer to a written question, unless the writtenquestion is exposed on the upper side of the slate. 

How the scratching of the slate pencil is produced when the slate islying on the table (I have been told that the sound is heard then) Icannot possibly explain, for the plain reason that I am too deaf to hearit, and I was, therefore, never on the watch for anything unusual. (Nordid I ever hear the sound of writing when the slate was held on theshoulder of my opposite neighbor, but I could see, and I knew what wasgoing on, for the slate had once been placed on my own shoulder. )

When three slates are used, the third, and prepared, slate, is either onthe little table behind him or on the floor resting against the supportsof this little table. In either case he seizes the opportunity when hissitters are engrossed with an answer just given to a question, tosubstitute one of the slates which he has been using, and which he hasjust before ostentatiously washed on both sides, for the prepared slate. This I have distinctly seen him do twice, and once when I had arisenfrom my seat to read an answer on the slate, held by Mr. Sellers, Inoticed when I resumed my seat that a certain slate which I had beenwatching was gone from where it had been resting against the leg of thelittle table, and we then immediately had the long message betweenclosed slates. [This was the 'inferential' substitution referred to onpage 59 of this Appendix. ] The slate which we have preserved and hadphotographed I saw him take from the table at his back. 

Next, as to his answers to questions. I became so familiar with hismethods in this department that I could have told at almost any instantwhat he was doing. 

After the question has been written the slate is handed to him facedownward. A piece of pencil is then placed on the slate near the edge ofthe slate farthest from the Medium's hand as it holds the slate; ofcourse, as the writing is to be done under cover of the table, and asthe Medium's hand or wrist is supposed to be always visible, the pencilmust be far under the table. The awkwardness, therefore, must beovercome of having to reach or grope after it before the slate can beturned over, which it must be in order to enable the Medium to read thequestion on the under side. This difficulty is surmounted by constantlybringing out the slate and looking at it to see if any answer hasappeared. By this manoeuvre a double end is attained; first, it createsan atmosphere of expectation, and the sitters grow accustomed to a gooddeal of motion in the arm that holds the slate; and secondly, byconstantly moving the slate the fragment of pencil (which, be it noted, having been extracted from those slate pencils which are enclosed inwood, like lead pencils, is square in shape and remains stationary onthe spot to which it is moved), this pencil, I repeat, is moved up tothe side of the slate within reach of a thumb and finger; when this isdone, it is dexterously seized by the Medium, who is in turn at thatinstant seized by violent 'electric shocks, ' under cover of which theslate is turned and generally placed between his knees, only once Ithink did he rest it _on_ his knee, and once I think he pressed itagainst the table; then he reads the question. And here he shows hisnerve. It is the critical instant of the sitting, it is the only instantwhen his eyes are not fastened on his sitters, and I confess that hiscoolness won my admiration. On one occasion, when the question waswritten in a back-hand with a very light stroke and close to the upperedge of the slate, he looked at it three several times before he couldread it. Moreover, it was a question out of the common, relating to thespecies of a hawk and not to a Spirit, and required an intelligent anddefinite answer. The hastiness of his reading may be inferred by thefrequency with which merely the initials of the Spirit friend are givenin the answer. After reading the question, I noticed that Dr. Sladewinks rapidly three or four times in a sort of mental abstraction, Isuppose, while thinking out an answer, but he always breathes freer whenthis crisis is passed, and the violent convulsions are over, whichattend his hurried writing and the re-turning of the slate. His eyes cannow be fixed in turn on each of his sitters, and he can rest a minute ortwo. (One one occasion I saw the slate as he held it between his indexand second finger, his index-finger and thumb held the slate pencil. )Presently, the slate is held near to the edge of the table, and atremulous motion is given to it as though the writing were then goingon. 

On one occasion, when I knew he was about to use the prepared slate(Professor Thompson will remember what I am about to relate), Isuggested that we should use a perfectly fresh pencil, so that we couldbe sure that that very pencil had done the writing. I was very curiousto know how he would evade the test. The slate was held close to theunder side of the table (the new pencil debarred him from using thedouble slate); when the writing was finished the slate was slappedviolently against the table, and was drawn from underneathit--apparently with very great difficulty, and almostperpendicularly--and the little pencil, of course, slipped off, and inthe excitement of reading the message from the 'Summer-land, ' who wouldthink of looking for the pencil? It was so clever I wanted to applaudhim on the spot. 

The other tricks, such as tossing the pencil from the slate and playingthe accordion, can be perfectly explained and repeated by Mr. Sellers. Dr. Slade's fingers are unusually long and strong, and the accordion, which has but four bellows-folds, can be readily manipulated with onehand. 

At our last séance I noticed what were evidently two prepared slatesresting against the support of the table behind him, where his preparedslates usually stood. I inferred that he would like to have someextraordinary slate writing on this occasion, and, therefore, kept asharp watch on these slates. Unfortunately it was too sharp, for onesecond the Medium saw me looking at them. It was enough. That detectedlook prevented the revelation of those elaborate Spirit messages. Butwhen the séance was over and he was signing the receipt for his money, Ipassed round behind his chair and pushed these slates with my foot so asto make them fall over, whereupon the writing on one of them wasdistinctly revealed. 

I think Dr. Pepper and Mr. Sellers will recall how the Medium instantlypushed his chair back until it was fairly over the slates and thensnatched them up, and in the most hurried manner washed them both whileturning his back to us. 

Two compasses, which we placed on the table during our séance, remainedunaffected by the Medium's presence. 

During one sitting, when the Spirits conveyed the slates from theMedium's hand under the table to the hand of the opposite sitter, thelatter failed twice to grasp the slate in time, and it fell to thefloor with a crash. Each time it behoved me to pick up the slate (boththe other sitters were women), but the second time I stooped with thegreatest alacrity and looked not at the slate but at the Medium's foot, which I saw just entering his slipper, into which it most hastilysettled. 

I think Dr. Slade's personal appearance noteworthy, and shall endeavorto obtain a photograph of him for preservation in our Records. He isprobably six feet in height, with a figure of unusual symmetry, hishands are large but shapely, the nail of the second finger of his righthand is rather longer than the others, and appeared in the centre to beslightly split and worn. His face would, I think, attract noticeanywhere for its uncommon beauty. He has a small, curling, darkmoustache, and short, crisp, iron-grey hair, of a texture exceeding infineness any that I have ever seen on a man's head. His eyes are dark, and the circles around them very dark, but their expression is painful. I could not divest myself of the feeling that it was that of a huntedanimal or of a haunted man. The color on his cheeks is very bright, butit is said to be artificial. He complained bitterly of ill-health and ofwater around his heart, which he said at times he could hear and feel"swashing about. "

A noteworthy man in every aspect. 

Mr. Furness then read to the Committee the following:

Memorandum by Dr. Wm. Pepper of an interview with Dr. Slade on themorning of the 27th January, with Mr. Furness and Mr. Sellers. 

1811 Spruce Street, Philadelphia. 

He complained immediately and very frequently of his right side, sayingit felt weak and numb, and he was sure he was going to be paralyzed. Careful observation showed that the right side was fully developed, thecolor of the right hand normal and the same as that of the left, andthat the right arm, foot and leg were unusually supple and moveable. During the sitting I saw him deliberately kick my chair three (3) timeswith the side of his right foot, while attracting my attention to thescraping noises of the slate he was holding to my left ear; and again, when soft raps were heard and felt under the table, just beneath one ofmy hands, and at about the distance from him to which his leg wouldreach, I saw distinct movements of rotation of his thigh, as though hewere producing these sounds by the ball of the toe striking under thetable at that point. 

_February 6th_, 1885. 

Mr. Sellers offered the following resolution, which was adoptedunanimously:

_Resolved_, That the reports of the Slade séances held in Philadelphia, as described by Messrs. Fullerton, Furness, Pepper and Sellers, are inaccordance with the observations of each of the members of theCommission who were present. 

After a short Business Meeting the Commission adjourned. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

The following correspondence explains itself:

PHILADELPHIA, January 26th, 1885. 

DEAR DR. SLADE:--I think you need no assurance that the SeybertInvestigating Committee have been anxious to deal with you in thefairest spirit of impartial, unbiased, scientific investigation, and Ithink you will bear witness to their uniformly considerate courtesythroughout our intercourse. 

You know how very deaf I am, and do not therefore need to be remindedthat one should trust scarcely more to what a deaf man hears than towhat a blind man sees. 

Wherefore, I want you, for my sake, and that the Committee may feel sureof their ground, to confirm in writing what you have more than once saidto me, namely, that the Committee must conform to the conditions whichthe Spirits impose; that you cannot consent to submit to any tests, andthat rather than do so you will return at once to New York; that we mustaccept the manifestations as given by the Spirits; and that, since thesemanifestations are the result of a gradual growth, it is impossible, inthe space of six séances, to repeat or to verify Professor Zoellner'sexperiments; and, lastly, that, if on your return to New York, theSpirits so authorize it, you will be willing, if desired, to makearrangements for another series of séances with us of a higher order ofmanifestations. 

I remain respectfully, Your obedient servant, HORACE HOWARD FURNESS, _Acting Chairman Seybert Commission_. 

No. 11 E. 13th Street, N. Y. , February 4th, 1885. 

DEAR MR. FURNESS:--I take this opportunity to express to you, andthrough you to the other members of the Seybert Commission, my heartyapproval of the course pursued by them in their investigation ofphenomena occurring in my presence. Fully realizing that I am only theinstrument or channel through which these manifestations are produced, it would be presumption on my part to undertake to lay down a line to befollowed by the unseen intelligences, whose servant I am. Hence, I didsay their conditions must be acceded to or I would return to New York. That they did so, is evident to my mind from the results obtained, whichI regard as a necessary preliminary to a continuation, when otherexperiments may be introduced with better prospects of success. It maybe well not to insist on following the exact course pursued by ProfessorZoellner, but leave it open to original or impromptu suggestions thatmay be adopted without previous consideration, which, if successful, would be of equal value as evidence of its genuineness, at the same timegive greater breadth to the experiments. In conclusion, allow me to saythat in the event of the Committee desiring to continue theseexperiments through another series of sittings with me, it will give mepleasure to enter into arrangements for that purpose. 

Very truly yours, HENRY SLADE. 

 * * * * *

February 13th, 1885. 

On February 13th, 1885, Mr. Furness, Professor Thompson and Mr. Fullerton, on the part of the Commission, met Mr. Harry Kellar, aprofessional conjurer, at Egyptian Hall. 

The men seated themselves at a common pine table, 5 ft. X 3 ft. , withleaves. 

Mr. Kellar sat at one side of the table, Mr. Furness at one end to hisleft, Professor Thompson at one corner to Mr. Furness's left, and Mr. Fullerton opposite Mr. Kellar. The end of the table to Mr. Kellar'sright was unoccupied. 

Nine slates were found lying on a small stand about six feet from thetable. 

These slates were washed one by one on the stand, and laid in a pile onthe table at Mr. Kellar's right. 

A slate was taken from the pile, both sides washed, another slateplaced upon it, and both held together under the edge of the table. Along communication appeared upon one of them (or what seemed to be oneof them), purporting to come from the Spirits. 

Two more slates were taken and apparently both sides washed. One wasplaced on the other and both laid upon the table in front of ProfessorThompson, one end of the slates being held by him and the other by Mr. Kellar. When the upper slate was removed the under side of it wascovered with writing. 

Professor Thompson then changed his position to that which he held whenwith Dr. Slade--to the end of the table opposite Mr. Furness, and to Mr. Kellar's right. 

Writing was produced in similar manner on two other slates without theCommittee detecting the manner in which it was produced. 

One of these slates was covered on both sides with the followingmessages: On voyage tout éveillé dans le royaume des rêves et desillusions; l'esprit se refuse à admettre les merveilles executées dansune salle éclairé devant un public incrédule qui cherche à s'expliquerles trucs employés à deviner les--

Kellar huye del espiritismo porque ya pasó la época de ella, y solo dáel ejercicio carácter de prestidigitacion. 

Het blyfft onbegrypelyk hoe de heer Kellar die door twee personen uithet publiek stevigwordt vast gebonden, zich in een oogwenk wist los temaken

[Here follow, in eight lines, sentences for which we have no types, inChinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Gujerati. This remarkable feat closeswith the following in German script:] Ich bin ein Geist und ich liebemein Lagerbier--Hans Schneider. 

Von Moltke. 

One slate was broken in a similar way to that broken by Dr. Slade. 

Professor Thompson was asked to write a question, which he did while theside of the slate on which he wrote was turned away from Mr. Kellar. Theslate was not turned over, the written question remaining on the underside, and it was held at the usual place under the table, Mr. Kellar'sthumb remaining above the table in full view, while the fingers held theslate up under the table. 

A moment after the placing of the slate under the table, it waswithdrawn to admit of a small pencil being placed upon it, Mr. Furnesshaving remarked the absence of the pencil. 

The slate was not otherwise withdrawn from under the table above twoinches until its final withdrawal, and the question was always, seemingly, on the under side. 

When the slate was brought out a communication was found upon it inanswer to Professor Thompson's question. 

The answer was on the upper side of the slate. [April, 1887: Mr. Kellarafterwards revealed his methods to our colleague, Mr. Furness. ]

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

February 19th, 1885. 

The Commission met on Thursday, February 19th, 1885, at 8 P. M. , at thehouse of Mr. Furness, to attend a séance in the presence of Mrs. Maud E. Lord. 

All of the Commission were present, and there were present also, at therequest of the Medium, several friends of members of the Commission, both men and women. 

There were in all eighteen persons present beside the Medium; theseseated themselves, as directed by the Medium, in a circle, which wasabout six or seven feet in diameter; the Medium took her seat in thecentre. 

The lights having been put out, the Medium drew her chair to one side ofthe circle, placing her feet in contact with those of one of the personsin the circle. Those composing the circle linked hands, while the Mediumhad her hands free. 

The Medium described a number of Spirit forms as coming to thosepresent--to one a little child, to another an old man with white hair, etc. The descriptions were in general vague and indefinite, and mighthave applied to many persons. Nevertheless, they were in very many caseswide of the mark. Sometimes a father, a mother, or other relation wasdescribed as present. In some cases the death of such relations wasacknowledged by the person to whom the Medium addressed herself, but inother cases the relation in question had not died, or, as in the case ofa child or brother--had not existed. To give an instance of the Medium'sinaccuracy: Mr. Fullerton's grandfather was described as coming to him, and the Medium, describing the form, added that Mr. Fullerton was notfamiliar with it, as his grandfather had died while he was a young man, and had had but little intercourse with him. Both Mr. Fullerton'sgrandfathers died some years before he was born. Many other descriptionswere quite as erroneous. 

Sometimes a form was described as coming to one person in the circleand not being recognized by that one, was referred to the next;described as standing between them, etc. The number of successes, compared with the number of failures, was not striking. 

Whispers were heard--_one at a time_--always at a point in the circle ata distance from that at which the Medium was just after the whisperheard to speak to some one in her natural voice. The whispers _werenever simultaneous_ with the remark afterward made by the Medium. 

In the short interval between the whisper and the succeeding remark bythe Medium, I distinctly heard, on many occasions, a rustle of clothing, and once or twice a slight creak of the chair, as though the Medium hadmoved her body from one side to the other, which she could easily havedone without taking her feet away from those of the person she faced. 

Upon one of those present inquiring why the whisper always sounded as ifmade by the same voice, the Medium stated that the whisper did alwayssound the same, and that she was sorry to have to add, that it alwayssounded as if made by the voice of the Medium. 

Upon one occasion a light appeared and reappeared two or three times infront of the Medium, passing from near her knee up for a foot or two. The light was indistinct, apparently phosphorescent, and passed soquickly that it could not be examined. It was described by the Medium, however, as a form of a child from the Spirit world. 

Those present changed their seats during the séance, as suggested, butwithout producing more satisfactory results. The séance lasted about twohours. 

At Mrs. Lord's own suggestion before the séance, two women present tookthe Medium into another room, and searched her clothes. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

February 20th, 1885. 

The Commission met on Friday, February 20th, 1885, at 8 P. M. , again atthe house of Mr. Furness, to attend a second séance in the presence ofMrs. Lord. 

On the part of the Commission were present Mr. Furness, Mr. Sellers andMr. Fullerton. There were also present several women and men, some ofwhom had been present at the previous sitting. The circle, when formed, was about six feet in diameter. 

A ring was given by the Medium to Mr. Sellers and another to Miss Loganto wear during the evening, with the expectation that they might betaken by the Spirits and passed to another person in the circle, inaccordance with the unexpressed wish of the one holding the ring. Thiswas not done during the evening. 

A small musical-box was also given to one of the women to hold, and azither placed upon the lap of a man. The former was, during the séance, taken from the woman holding it, and passed to another person in thecircle. The Medium sat as before, with her hands free, while those inthe circle clasped hands, as was done on the former evening, each onehaving his left wrist grasped by the right hand of his neighbor, or_vice versa_. 

The zither was undisturbed during the evening. 

Touches were felt here and there on the knees of those in the circle, and whispers were again heard from time to time. 

The whispers were, as before, _never simultaneous_ with the speeches ofthe Medium, which were heard just after in another part of the circle. 

I distinctly noticed, on several occasions, the same rustle, as of achange of position on the part of the Medium, between the whisper andthe remark by the Medium. 

Many Spirit forms were described by the Medium as coming to thosepresent, with about the same proportion of success as on the formerevening. 

At various times during the sitting, lights were seen, which appearedand disappeared rapidly. They were indistinct and phosphorescent--suchas can be produced in a dark room by rubbing a match-head, or byexhibiting an object rubbed with a match. 

The lights--at least all that were clearly seen by several persons--werewithin the circle and about the Medium. 

Occasionally the Medium spoke of lights as without the circle, and oneor two of those present (not members of the Commission) assented. But, as on two such occasions, when those opposite myself described the lightas above and behind me, I saw it above and in front of me, or between meand the Medium; there is no reason to believe that they were notdeceived by the difficulty of judging of the distance of an indistinctand evanescent appearance in a quite dark place. The direction, but notthe distance, can in such a case be readily known. 

After a sitting of about two hours, the attempt to produce more strikingphenomena was abandoned. 

During both séances Mrs. Lord kept up an almost continuous clapping ofhands--the noise was not loud, but sufficient to aid in hiding anyrustle of the Medium's dress, or creaking of a chair. The Medium alsotalked constantly. 

At the suggestion of the Medium those present joined in singing on twooccasions. 

The whisper heard in the circle was uniformly hoarse. 

A list of those present at these séances and the names of the ladies whosearched the Medium, are appended:

Those present at Mrs. Lord's séance on Thursday were: Dr. And Mrs. Pepper, Professor and Mrs. Fullerton, Mr. And Mrs. Sellers, Professorand Mrs. Thompson, Geo. S. Pepper, Mr. Leonard, Miss M. M. Logan, Dr. Leidy, Mrs. A. L. Wister, Miss Agnes Irwin, Walter R. Furness, Dr. C. B. Knerr, Dr. Koenig, Dr. H. H. Furness. 

Those present at Friday's séance were: Professor Fullerton, Miss Smith, Mr. And Mrs. Sellers, Dr. Leidy, Mr. Leonard, Mr. And Mrs. F. Furness, Mrs. A. L. Wister, Miss Irwin and Miss Sophie Irwin, Miss Logan, Mr. AndMrs. F. M. Dick, Mrs. J. E. Carpenter, H. H. Furness. Mrs. A. L. Wister, Mrs. Dr. Pepper, Women Searchers. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

May 27th, 1885. 

On May 27th, The Seybert Commission held a meeting at the house of Mr. Furness, at 8 P. M. , to examine the phenomena occurring in the presenceof Mr. Pierre L. O. A. Keeler, a professional Medium. 

There were present on the part of the Commission, Dr. Pepper, Mr. Furness, Dr. Koenig, Dr. White, Dr. Knerr, Mr. Sellers and Mr. Fullerton. The following friends of the Commission were also present:

Mr. F. Furness, Mr. W. R. Furness, Mr. J. Foster Kirk, Mr. Yost, Mrs. E. D. Gillespie, Miss Gillespie, Mrs. Dr. Mitchell, Mrs. C. B. Rossell, Mrs. Dr. Pepper, Mrs. Sellers, Mrs. A. L. Wister, Mrs. Dr. Knerr, MissAgnes Irwin, Miss M. M. Logan. 

There were also present, as introduced by the Medium, the Medium's wife, Mrs. Keeler; Col. S. P. Kase and Mrs. Kase, and Dr. Annie D. Ramburger. 

The Medium, Mr. Keeler, is a young man, apparently about thirty years ofage, with well cut features, curly, brown hair, a small, sandymoustache, and rather worn and anxious expression; he is stronglybuilt, about five feet eight inches high, and with rather short, quitebroad, and very muscular hands and strong wrists. The hands wereexamined by Dr. Pepper and Mr. Fullerton after the séance. 

The séance was held in Mr. Furness's drawing-room, and a space wascurtained off by the Medium in the north-east corner, thus:

[Illustration]

The curtain is represented by _a_, _b_; _c_, _d_ and _e_ are threechairs placed in front of the curtain by the Medium, in one of which(_e_) he afterwards sat; _g_ denotes the position of Mrs. Keeler; _f_ isa small table, placed within the curtain, and upon which were atambourine, a guitar, two bells, a hammer, a metallic ring; theasterisks show the positions of the spectators, who sat in a doublerow--the two marked (1) and (2) indicate the positions taken by Mrs. Kase and Col. Kase, according to the directions of the Medium. 

The curtain, or rather curtains, were of black muslin, and arranged asfollows: There was a plain black curtain, which was stretched across thecorner, falling to the floor. Its height, when in position, was 53inches; it was made thus:

[Illustration]

The cord which held the curtain was 1, 2, and the flaps which arerepresented as standing above it (_a_, _b_, _c_, etc. ), fell down over_a'_, _b'_, _c'_, etc. , and could be made to cover the shoulders of onesitting with his back against the curtain. A black curtain was alsopinned against the wall, in the space curtained off, partly covering it. Another curtain was added to the one pictured, as will be describedlater. 

The Medium then asked Col. Kase to say a few words as to the necessityof observing the conditions, need of harmony, etc. And then the Mediumhimself spoke a few words of similar import. He then drew the curtain(shown on the preceding page) along the cord (1, 2) and fastened it;placed three wooden chairs in front of the curtain, as indicated in thecut, and saying he needed to form a battery, asked Miss Agnes Irwin tosit in chair (_d_), and Mr. Yost in chair (_c_), the Medium himselfsitting in chair (_e_). A black curtain was then passed by Mrs. Keelerover Mr. Keeler, Miss Irwin and Mr. Yost, being fastened at _g_, between_e_ and _d_, between _d_ and _c_, and beyond _a_: thus entirely coveringthe three sitting in front of the stretched curtain up to their necks;and when the flaps before mentioned were pulled down over theirshoulders, nothing could be seen but the head of each. 

Before this last curtain was fastened over them, the Medium placed bothhis hands upon the forearm and wrist of Miss Irwin, the sleeve beingpulled up for the purpose, and Miss Irwin grasped with her right handthe left wrist of Mr. Yost; his right hand being in sight to the rightof the curtain. 

After some piano-music, the Medium said he felt no power from this'battery, ' and asked Mrs. E. D. Gillespie to take Miss Irwin's place. Hands and curtain were arranged as before. 

The lights were turned down until the room was quite dim. Those presentsang. 

During the singing, the Medium turned to speak to Mr. Yost, and hisbody, which had before faced rather away from the two other persons ofthe 'battery' (which position would have brought his right arm out infront of the stretched curtain)--his body was now turned the other way, so that, had he released his grasp upon Mrs. Gillespie's arm, his ownright arm could have had free play in the curtained space behind him. His left knee also no longer stood out under the curtain in front, butshowed a change of position. 

At this time Mrs. Gillespie declared she felt a touch, and soon after sodid Mr. Yost. The Medium's body was distinctly inclined toward Mr. Yostat the time. Mrs. Gillespie said she felt taps, but declared that, tothe best of her knowledge, she still felt the Medium's two hands uponher arm. 

Raps indicated that the Spirit, George Christy, was present. As one ofthose present played on the piano, the tambourine was played in thecurtained space and thrown over the curtain; bells were rung; the guitarwas thrummed a little. At this time the Medium's face was toward Mrs. Gillespie, and his right side toward the curtain. His body was furtherin against the curtain than either of the others. Upon being asked, Mrs. Gillespie again said she thought she still felt two hands upon her arm. 

The guitar was then thrust out, at least the end of it was, at thebottom of the curtain, between Mrs. Gillespie and the Medium. Mrs. Keeler drew away the curtain from over the toes of the Medium's boots, to show where his feet were; the guitar was thrummed a little. Had theMedium's right arm been free, the thrumming could have been done quiteeasily with one hand. 

Afterwards the guitar was elevated above the curtain; the tambourine, which was by Mrs. Keeler placed upon a stick held up within theenclosure, was made to whirl by the motion of the stick. The phenomenaoccurred successively, not simultaneously. 

When the guitar was held up, and when the tambourine was made to whirl, both of these were to the right of the Medium, chiefly behind Mrs. Gillespie; they were just where they might have been produced by theright arm of the Medium, had it been free. 

Two clothes-pins were then passed over the curtain, and they were usedin drumming to piano-music. They could easily be used in drumming by onehand alone, the fingers being thrust into them. 

The pins were afterwards thrown out over the curtain. Mr. Sellers pickedone up as soon as it fell, and found it warm in the split, as though ithad been worn. The drumming was probably upon the tambourine. 

A hand was seen moving rapidly with a trembling motion--which preventedit from being clearly observed--above the back curtain between Mr. Yostand Mrs. Gillespie. Paper was passed over the curtain into the Cabinetand notes were soon thrown out. The notes could have been written uponthe small table within the enclosure by the right hand of the Medium, had it been free. Mrs. Keeler then passed a coat over the curtain, andan arm was passed through the sleeve, fingers, with the cuff aroundthem, being shown over the curtain. They were kept moving, and a closescrutiny was not possible. 

Mr. Furness was then invited to hold a writing-tablet in front of thecurtain, when the hand, almost concealed by the coat-sleeve and theflaps mentioned as attached to the curtain, wrote with a pencil on thetablet. The writing was rapid, and the hand, when not writing, was keptin constant tremulous motion. The hand was put forth in this case notover the top curtain, but came from under the flap, and could easilyhave been the Medium's right hand were it disengaged, for it was abouton a level with his shoulder and to his right, between him and Mrs. Gillespie. Mr. Furness was allowed to pass his hand close to the curtainand grasp the hand for a moment. It was a _right_ hand. 

Soon after the Medium complained of fatigue, and the sitting wasdiscontinued. It was declared by the Spiritualists present to be afairly successful séance. When the curtains were removed, the smalltable in the enclosure was found to be overturned, and the bells, hammer, etc. , on the floor. 

It is interesting to note the space within which all the manifestationsoccurred. They were, without exception, where they would have been hadthey been produced by the Medium's right arm. Nothing happened to theleft of the Medium, nor very far over to the right. The sphere ofactivity was between the Medium and Mr. Yost, and most of the phenomenaoccurred, as, for example, the whirling of the tambourine, behind Mrs. Gillespie. 

The front curtain--_i. E. _, the main curtain which hung across thecorner--was 85 inches in length, and the cord which supported it, 53inches from the floor. The three chairs which were placed in front of itwere side by side, and it would not have been difficult for the Mediumto reach across and touch Mr. Yost. When Mrs. Keeler passed objects overthe curtain, she invariably passed them to the right of the Medium, although her position was on his left; and the clothes-pins, paper, pencil, etc. , were all passed over at a point where the Medium's righthand could easily have reached them. 

To have produced the phenomena by using his right hand, the Medium wouldhave to have passed it under the curtain at his back. This curtain wasnot quite hidden by the front one at the end near the Medium, and thisend both Mr. Sellers and Dr. Pepper saw rise at the beginning of theséance. 

The only thing worthy of consideration, as opposed to a naturalexplanation of the phenomena, was the grasp of the Medium's hands onMrs. Gillespie's arm. 

The grasp was evidently a tight one above the wrist, for the arm wasbruised for about four inches. There was no evidence of a similarpressure above that, as the marks on the arm extended in all about fiveor six inches only. The pressure was sufficient to destroy thesensibility of the forearm, and it is doubtful whether Mrs. Gillespiewith her arm in such a condition could distinguish between the grasp ofone hand, with a divided pressure (applied by the two last fingers andthe thumb and index) and a double grip by two hands. Three of ournumber, Mr. Sellers, Mr. Furness and Dr. White, can, with one hand, perfectly simulate the double grip. 

It is specially worthy of note that Mrs. Gillespie declared that, whenthe Medium first laid hold of her arm with his right hand before thecurtain was put over them, it was with an under grip, and she _felt hisright arm under her left_. But when the Medium asked her if she feltboth his hands upon her arm, and she said yes, she could feel the grasp, but no arm under hers, though she moved her elbow around to find it--shefelt a hand, but not an arm, and at no time during the séance did shefind that arm. 

(Taken from notes made during the séance and immediately after it. )

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

N. B. --It should be noted that both the Medium and Mr. Yost took offtheir coats before being covered with the curtain. It was suggested byDr. Pepper that this might have been required by the Medium as aprecaution against movements on the part of Mr. Yost. The whiteshirt-sleeves would have shown against the black background. 

G. S. F. 

 * * * * *

December 29th, 1885. 

There was a meeting of The Seybert Commission this evening, at the houseof Mr. Furness, on Washington Square, to investigate someMaterializations promised by the Mediums, Dr. Rothermel and Mr. Powell. 

There were present Mr. Furness, Dr. Leidy, Professor Thompson, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, Dr. White, Dr. Knerr, Mr. Fullerton, Colonel Kase, Mr. Frank Furness, Mrs. J. Dundas Lippincott, Mrs. Dr. Pepper, Mrs. A. L. Wister, and a number of others. 

The Mediums arrived with quite a bundle of apparatus, and stretchedtheir curtain where Mr. Keeler had his, across the corner of the parlor, from the door leading into the hall to the edge of the window. Thecurtain was similar to that of Mr. Keeler in its general character, and, as in that case, the whole corner was draped in black. The shape of theCabinet was triangular. 

The Mediums said it was impossible to produce materialized forms as theyhad expected, and proceeded to give much the same sort of a séance asMr. Keeler's--in this case, however, the hands of the Medium covered bythe curtain being fastened with tape, instead of being held. 

The arrangement of the curtain, positions of the Mediums, and thepositions of the spectators were as indicated. 

[Illustration:

X Dr. Rothermel--a curtain at his back and one in front of him, his headthrough a hole in the upper part of the outer flap of the doublecurtain. 

Y Mr. Powell. 

* * * Spectators. 

On table (2) was a music-box, and on table (1), within the Cabinet, bells, a zither, etc. ]

The lights were all extinguished but one, and that one was preventedfrom throwing light on the Medium by a shade placed upon one side ofit--it was turned low. The light was not so good as during Mr. Keeler'sséance. 

Before the lights were put out, Dr. White was asked to tie the Medium, and Mrs. Lippincott to sew the ends of the ribbon and tape with which hewas tied. 

A ribbon was tied around each leg above the knee, and the ends sewed tohis trowsers. A bit of black tape was then passed under the ribbon andtied around the wrist, the ends being knotted and sewed together by Mrs. Lippincott. His right hand was thus fastened to his right leg, and hisleft hand to his left leg; though he still had some freedom of motion, and could easily reach one hand with the other. 

Dr. Rothermel was then placed as indicated, behind the outer curtain, and the lights extinguished as described. 

He asked for a drink of water, which was given him by Mr. Powell, whostood directly in front of him while he drank it, and hid him from theaudience. 

Then the zither played, a cap was thrown out over the curtain, a hand(to the right of the Medium) was shown over the curtain. 

Bells were rung, papers thrown out, a drum accompaniment to the pianoplayed, as by Mr. Keeler, and the drumsticks thrown out. 

Mr. Powell wet in a glass some handkerchiefs with water, and passed themover the curtain, they were passed out with a message written on them inindelible ink. This could easily have been done with an indeliblepencil. (The small table within the curtain was within easy reach of theright hand of the Medium, had it been free, and could have been used forsuch work. )

The music-box on table (2) was set off--was rattled several times. (Itcould have been done by the Medium's left hand if it were free. )

The person, to whom each of the above-mentioned handkerchiefs was to bereturned, was indicated by raps from the Spirit. (The Spirit was inerror in returning handkerchiefs to Dr. Mitchell and Mr. Fullerton. )

The zither was put out at the right and left hand lower corners of thecurtain. (It could have been done by the Medium, were his hands free. )

The Medium professed to be then controlled by the Spirit of a younggirl--Emma Hirsch. He spoke in an unnatural and squeaky voice, butoccasionally lapsed into his natural voice. The Spirit declared theMedium unconscious, but refused to allow any medical examination of hiscondition. 

The Mediums were then asked to allow Dr. Rothermel's hands to beexamined. After a little delay, the curtain was folded back and thehands exposed. 

Mr. Fullerton was permitted to examine them by the light of a matchonly, and very hastily. They did not allow a candle, which had beenlighted, to be brought near. As Mr. Fullerton approached to examine theknots, Mr. Powell came close and seemed very much afraid they would betouched. He kept reiterating, "Don't touch them!" "Don't touch them!""It would be very dangerous!" The examination was hasty andunsatisfactory, as Mr. Powell and Dr. Rothermel both said that he (thelatter) could endure it only a moment. Hasty as it was, it showed thatthe knots, which had been on top of the wrists, were now underneath; thetapes, as is mentioned later, were, at the end of the séance, found cutclose to the knots. 

Whether the tapes were really in their former state, and not alreadycut, could only be known by examining them all around, and such anexamination was not allowed. 

It should be stated that before this, and after some of themanifestations, the Medium, with some convulsive movement, as if pulledand pushed by Spirits, came out from under the curtain, and stood withhis hands on his legs, as if tied there, but it was too dark to seewhether he was really tied, or merely held his hands there, and noexamination was made. 

Soon after, the Medium declared that the Spirits were cutting him loose, and when the curtain was removed and lights brought, the tapes which hadbound his wrists were found to be cut through close to the knots. Whether this was done at the beginning of the séance, leaving theMedium's hands free from the beginning, or at the time indicated by theMedium, there was no means of proving. The cutting of the tapes made thetying and sewing tests quite valueless. 

(Taken from notes made during the séance and immediately after. )

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

The following advertisement was, in March, 1885, inserted in _TheReligio-Philosophical Journal_, of Chicago, _The Banner of Light_, inBoston, and _The Public Ledger_, in Philadelphia:

"THE SEYBERT COMMISSION FOR INVESTIGATING MODERN SPIRITUALISM, " of theUniversity of Pennsylvania, hereby requests all Mediums for IndependentSlate Writing, and no other at present, who are willing to submit theirmanifestations to the examination of this Commission, to communicatewith the undersigned, stating terms, etc. 

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS, _Acting Chairman_, Philadelphia, Pa. 

 * * * * *

SPIRITUAL PHOTOGRAPHY. 

When Mr. Keeler, a well-known "Spiritual Photographer, " was in the city, the Acting Chairman called on him, and requested from him in writing astatement of his terms and the conditions under which an investigationby this Commission could be held. The following reply was received fromhim:

1614 Green Street, _Philadelphia_, November 6th, 1885. 

MR. FURNESS. 

Dear Sir:--In regard to giving the Photographic Séances I feel that I amobliged to ask an observance of the following conditions: That there bethree Séances, for which I shall expect the sum of $300. I desire onlythe regularly appointed members of the Commission on your side to bepresent, I to have the privilege to invite an equal number of persons, if necessary, to harmonize the antagonistic element which might beproduced by those persons not in perfect sympathy with the cause. 

I must have the right to demand, if conditions make it necessary, theexclusive use of the dark room and my own instrument. 

The Séances to be given at your own residence. 

As I cannot guard against the influences which others may bring, I shallexpect to be paid the afore-named sum whether my efforts provesatisfactory or not, although I hope for the most favorable results, andto this end I would urge the members of the Commission to surround mewith the most congenial and harmonious conditions possible. 

These Séances to begin on the 12th inst. 

If this meets with your approval an early answer is solicited. 

Very respectfully, W. M. KEELER. 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SEYBERT COMMISSION. 

I called this morning (Saturday, 14th November, 1885), on Mr. W. M. Keeler, and told him, in effect, in the very words as well as I canremember, as follows: that I had received his letter of the 6th inst. , containing his terms, and had consulted the Commission in regard tothem; and that our conclusion had been quickly reached. He must know howvery simple a process this 'composite photography' is, and that amongphotographers there is no mystery whatever in it. For his own process heclaimed a Spiritual Agency--this agency we were willing to accept (inmy own case I was anxious to accept it) if, after a thoroughinvestigation, his process could not be explained by well-known physicallaws. The conditions he demanded were such as to render anyinvestigation simply silly. His exclusive use of the dark room, whichcould have nothing to do with Spiritual forces, for the Spirits hadalready done their work in the Camera, utterly precluded us fromdiscovering whether his processes were in anywise different fromordinary photography. He wished to know in what way this prevented usfrom detecting fraud if the operations took place in a private housewhere he was a stranger. I replied that without for a moment impugninghis honesty, he must know that unless we were present with him in thedark room, we could not affirm that our marks had not been duplicated onsubstituted plates. 

Furthermore, that we had regarded his terms as intentionallyprohibitory. The demand for three hundred dollars was so extraordinarythat we could regard it in no other light than as a desire to avoid aninvestigation altogether. I asked him what his ordinary charge was, andhe replied two dollars for each sitting, and that he made from twenty toforty dollars a day, when he settled down to work. 

That there might be no misunderstanding, I repeated my reply to hiswife: that we were ready to investigate, if we could be allowed to watchthe very points where material agency ceases and spiritual begins, butthese very points Mr. Keeler forbade us to examine, and that the failurerested with him. 

At one time his vexation (which was manifest) a little ran away with hisdiscretion. He asked, with somewhat of a sneer, 'How did you expect toinvestigate it?' I replied that 'I could not answer for others, but formyself I should have liked to have him say, when we of the Commissionmet him, The Spirits are present, through my Mediumship, here is myCamera in which the Spirits will manifest themselves on the sensitizedplates, take it, and so long as I am present with my influence, do whatyou please. ' He laughed outright and said 'That would be a good thing. '

I endeavored throughout the interview to impress him with our utterincredulity in the spiritual nature of his photographs, and yet to givehim no loop to hang a charge of discourteous or illiberal treatment on. I asked him to give me, in my private capacity, a sitting at hisearliest convenience, and that I should not be satisfied with less thana cherub on my head, one on each shoulder, and a full-blown angel on mybreast. He laughingly assented. 

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS, _Acting Chairman Seybert Commission_. 

I ought, perhaps, to add that I showed to Mr. Keeler a compositephotograph taken by one of my sons, wherein a Spirit quite as etherealas any of Mr. Keeler's, appears in the background. He looked at it, andreturned it to me without remark. 

H. H. F. 

 * * * * *

March 30th, 1886. 

The Seybert Commission met this evening at the house of Dr. Pepper, toinvestigate Spiritistic phenomena produced through the Mediumship of Mr. Briggs (for an account of Mr. Briggs see a previous report). 

There were present, Dr. Pepper, Dr. Leidy, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, Professor Koenig, Dr. White, Dr. Knerr, Mr. Fullerton and two friends ofDr. Pepper, Mr. Charles G. Smith and Mr. Robert S. Davis; also theMedium, Mr. Fred. Briggs. 

The séance was in Dr. Pepper's office; a square table (about 3-1/2 feetsquare) was placed in the room near the centre, and was supplemented byan oblong table (about 4 feet by 3) placed with one end touching theside of the former, upon the Medium's declaring the former too small. Seats were taken around the tables. 

A banjo, a musical box, a zither, a couple of slates and a fan were onthe tables. 

The Medium insisted that there should be total darkness, and a shawl washung over the window to exclude all light. 

At first hands were joined around the table. Then the Medium suggestedbreaking the circle. His hands were then quite free. Draughts of airwere felt (possibly the fan); the Medium kept making noises, blowing andbreathing hard, talking, etc. ; the slates on the table were moved, theguitar was twanged, the music-box played. During all this the Mediumasked that the hands of all present be kept on the table. 

The Medium stated that Mr. Seybert was present. He declared that Mr. Seybert expressed himself as satisfied with the efforts of theCommission to make a fair investigation. 

When the Medium stated that some message had been written on one of theslates by Mr. Seybert, the gas was lit, and we found on one slate "I amhere. " No one present was able to declare it Mr. Seybert's handwriting, as none were familiar with his writing. 

The light was then turned low. Mr. Smith was asked to sit in the placeof Dr. Mitchell. He held, as directed, one slate up under the table, and the Medium held the other under the table over his own knee. Aftersome conversation the Medium drew out his slate, and the light beingturned up we found on it:

"I am with you. 

John Pepper. "

It was too dark to watch the Medium during this last occurrence. Theconversation, which was general, would have prevented writing from beingheard. 

Light turned up--both slates held by the Medium under the table--noresult. 

The light was then turned low. Dr. Leidy was asked to sit next theMedium. Some noise and confusion resulted from making the change. Thenthe Medium asked Dr. Leidy to put his hand also upon a slate which theMedium was holding up under the table. Attention was then called to ascratching sound, which might have been writing. The slate was taken outby Dr. Leidy, and the light turned up. The following was written on it:

"John Smith is with you like a young son. 

John Lydy. "

It was, of course, possible that the writing was done before Dr. Leidyput his hand on it, as the slate was not then examined. 

The Medium suggested that we ask mental questions; several did so, without result. 

The light was then turned up. Hands were joined. Some feeble raps wereheard; they apparently issued from under the table. 

Slates were held under the table, but without result. 

The light was then turned low. A slate was held under the table by theMedium. He breathed hard, and made no little noise for some time. ThenDr. Koenig was asked to put his hand on the slate. A scratching washeard. When the light was turned up the slate contained the message:

"I will help you all. 

Dr. Benj. Rush. "

With this the séance ended. 

(Copied from notes taken during the séance. Written out the day after. )

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

April 11th, 1886. 

I attended a séance at the house of Colonel Kase, 1601 North 15thStreet, Philadelphia, on April 11th, at 8. 10 P. M. The Medium was Mrs. Best. 

There were about a dozen persons present; at least two of them, besidesMrs. Best, claimed to be Mediums. 

The séance was in Colonel Kase's sitting-room. The "Cabinet" was made bystretching a curtain, suspended to a curved rod, across one corner. Itcould hold a chair, and was perhaps four feet across, or more. TheMedium, Mrs. Best, took her seat in the chair and drew the curtain. Theroom was made _totally_ dark--a cloth being used to cover the crack ofthe door. The spectators, who were arranged in a deep curve facing thecabinet, were asked to sing a hymn. 

As we sang, a voice from the Cabinet, a deep contralto, joined in, loudly. Soon something resembling in outline a human form covered withdrapery appeared at the Cabinet. It was indistinctly luminous. No facewas visible; nor could the face of any other Spirit, which appearedduring the evening, be discerned even in faintest outline. The lightseemed to belong entirely to the drapery. The Spirit was declared to beApollonius, and made a speech in a loud, harsh voice. Other similarforms appeared one after the other, and spoke in different tones--allthe voices, however, with the exception of Apollonius's and that ofanother speaker, were more or less like hoarse whispers. When the Spiritof Mr. T. R. Hazard appeared, his voice was by no means natural, andsounded like a bad imitation. 

A form calling itself "Lottie" appeared, kissed a Medium present, and atmy request passed its hands over my head and face. Its hands werecovered with luminous drapery which hung down perhaps a foot. I wasallowed to touch it. It felt like soft tulle. A very strong odor ofsandal-wood prevailed, and the smell of phosphorus, even if it had beenused, could not easily, at a little distance, have been discerned. Theluminous appearance of the drapery did not seem to be due tophosphorus--it did not fume. It seemed rather such as might have beenproduced by luminous paint--a mixture luminous in the dark afterexposure to the light. I noticed on the hand, or what, from position, Iinferred to be the hand, of the form, a distinctly phosphorescentappearance; it was on this account I asked it to touch me. As it passedits hand over my face I distinctly smelt phosphorus. 

At one time two forms appeared near each other and near the Cabinet. They might easily have been produced by holding up luminous drapery. Tall and then short forms then appeared one at a time. If the draperywere raised or lowered the appearance could readily have been produced, and the person holding it would have been quite invisible. 

The different voices that spoke _never_ spoke simultaneously. A largerug on the floor in front of the Cabinet would have prevented steps frombeing heard, had the form been the Medium. On two occasions, when Isuggested that I recognized the form by asking, "Is it ----?" the Spiritassented, and assumed the character. Both the persons I mentioned arestill alive. 

The séance began at 8. 10 P. M. , and lasted two hours and a-half. Therewas much singing. 

The séance was regarded by several Spiritualists who were present as avery satisfactory one. I expressly asked for their opinion. 

(Written out on April 13th, from notes made in the car, on my way homefrom the séance. )

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

 * * * * *

January 30th, 1887. 

Yesterday I visited Mrs. M. B. Thayer, an Independent Slate WritingMedium, at 1601 North 15th Street, Philadelphia, in hopes of arrangingfor a séance at that time. I had a conversation of about half an hourwith Mrs. Thayer, who asked what I had seen before, and with whatMediums I had sat; but I was not able to get a sitting at once, Mrs. Thayer declaring "the conditions" unsatisfactory. She made anappointment, however, for to-day at 4 P. M. In the hall I met, on mydeparture, Mrs. Kase, the hostess of the Medium, to whom I am personallyknown, and who told me in an 'aside' that she would not reveal myidentity to the Medium. This might readily have been overheard by theMedium, who was standing close by. [I visited Mrs. Thayer alone, becauseshe had expressed an unwillingness to appear before the Commission, andwe found it necessary to visit her as private persons. ]

Upon calling to-day, I was ushered into Mrs. Thayer's room, in whichstood a small wooden table covered with a red cloth (which hung down, perhaps a foot, on all sides from the edges of the table), ready for theséance. Ten or twelve plain single slates lay in a pile on a piece offurniture near the table. 

Mrs. Thayer handed me two of these slates, which I cleaned and examined. I then marked them on the inside, or what became, when I laid themtogether, the inside, and held them while she tied them together with apiece of white tape. After they were tied they could be separated aneighth of an inch without difficulty. Holding the slates in my hand, Iexamined the table and the furniture near it, and then took my seat atthe table, Mrs. Thayer sitting opposite me. The table was about 2-1/2 x1-1/2 feet. At the suggestion of Mrs. Thayer, I placed the tied slatesupon the table under the cloth, and we both placed our hands upon thecloth above them. After waiting for some time for indications ofwriting, I withdrew the slates from under the cloth, and, as directed, held them, with my right hand up against the under surface of the table, Mrs. Thayer placing her left hand upon my right as I held the slates. After holding them thus for some time I was told to withdraw them, andhold them against my forehead. Then I was told to open them and toscrape some pencil-dust over the inner surfaces. This I did, againclosing the slates, which Mrs. Thayer tied as before. I was againdirected to hold them up against the under surface of the table, and theMedium again placed her hand upon the hand with which I held them. Herhand was not wholly upon mine, but projected beyond it upon my wrist andtowards my edge of the slates. After my holding the slates in thisposition, seemingly without result, until I was very wearied, the Mediumsuggested my laying them upon my lap and covering them with the tablecover, which hung down more on my side than on hers. She said it wasnecessary that the slates should be concealed. When they were in thisposition we joined hands upon the table, and she placed her feet uponmine under the table, thus making, as she said, a strong "battery. " Thisseeming to be inefficacious, I was directed to wrap the slates in acloth given me for the purpose (apparently a small table cover) and tolay them on the floor under the table, placing my left foot upon them. This I did, and the Medium placed one of her feet upon my left foot, taking my hands upon the table, and again forming the "battery. " Aftersome waiting, much calling upon the Spirit of Foster to write (this shedid at intervals during the séance) and several requests for raps (whichdid not come), the Medium decided that we should get nothing during thesitting, and it was discontinued. I took up the slates from the floor, took off the cloth and untied the tape; no mark had been made upon them. There had been much conversation during the sitting, the Medium tellingme not to keep my mind on the slates, but to put myself into a conditionof "passivity. " She declared me mediumistic, and said that she doubtedwhether she would ever be able to get results with me. She stated two orthree times that she saw three forms behind me, but dimly, and couldnot describe them. One was a "mild and gentle lady, with a beautifulhand. " To the only person whom I can remember with a markedly beautifulhand, no one would have applied these adjectives. The sitting was aboutan hour long. 

(Copied and arranged the same evening from notes made in the car on theway home from the séance. )

GEO. S. FULLERTON. 

[I arranged for another séance with Mrs. Thayer, to be held some dayslater, but at the time appointed she refused to see me, giving as excuseindisposition. 

G. S. F. --April, 1887. ]

 * * * * *

On the evening of January 29th, 1887, in company with Dr. J. W. White, Icalled on Mrs. Thayer, at No. 1601 North 15th Street. 

The lady seemed not to be pleased with our visit, and declared that wewere no Spiritualists. She reluctantly agreed to give us a séance on thefollowing Sunday, and on parting the gentleman of the house politelyinvited us to attend a flower séance to be held by the same lady on thefollowing Thursday. 

Calling on Sunday, Mrs. Thayer excused herself on account ofindisposition. 

The next Thursday we attended the flower séance, in which I felt muchcuriosity from the wonderful story that had been told to me by aSpiritualist friend, who had seen one by the same Medium several yearsbefore. 

The séance was held in the second story of the back building, in a roomwhich the proprietor of the house informed me he had devoted to thepurpose of Spiritualist séances. About thirty persons were assembled, and, without any examination of the premises, they were seated around along dining-table. In the company Dr. Koenig was the only other memberof the Seybert Commission present. The séance was opened with an'invocation' by a lady, and during the 'manifestations' the company sangpopular airs, such as 'Sweet by-and-bye, ' etc. The doors and windowswere all securely closed and the lights extinguished. Sounds were heardof objects dropping on the table, and from time to time matches were litand exposed, strewed before the company, cut plants and flowers. Therewere all of the kind sold at this season by the florists, consisting ofa pine bough, fronds of ferns, roses, pinks, tulips, lilies, callas(Richardia) and smilax (Myrsiphyllum). At one time there fell on thetable a heavy body, which proved to be a living terrapin; at anothertime there appeared a pigeon which flew about the room. The flowermanifestation ceased, and the gas was re-lit. A lady then made someremarks on the wonderful phenomena exhibited in evidence of the truth ofSpiritualism, and another followed with some sentimentalities on thesubject. The proprietor of the house declared that the flowers and otherobjects brought to view in the séance were not previously in the room, and their appearance could not be explained unless through Spiritualagency. He said that in former years, at similar séances, flowers hadappeared in much greater quantities. The Medium, Mrs. Thayer, said shehad not before served in a flower séance for several years. 

At the next act of the séance, as I understood it, a 'test' was calledfor. A young man, whose name I did not distinctly hear, now took thechair of the former Medium. He promptly announced the appearance of theSpirit of an Indian girl, and then personified her by assuming a sillyaddress in broken English. In this manner he expressed himself as seeingvarious Spirits of friends and relatives of the company hovering amongthem. They were announced by the first name in a rather uncertain andexpectant manner, and in a few instances they were supposed to berecognized by some of the company, but mostly did not accord with theirknowledge. As an example, the Medium informed Dr. Koenig that a tall mannamed Charley was holding something over his head and encouraging him insome great enterprise. Dr. Koenig did not recognize the man, nor couldhe be made to comprehend anything of the subjects of which he wasinformed by the materialized Indian girl. During this second act of theséance, I could detect nothing that could be attributed to other thanordinary human agency. The Indian girl retired, and the séance closed. 

JOSEPH LEIDY. 

 * * * * *

February 10th, 1887. 

I enter Col. Kase's house, 1601 North 15th Street, in company of Drs. Leidy, White and Mr. Sommerville, a friend of the first. We are receivedby the Colonel and pass scrutiny. The séance takes place in the secondstory sitting-room. This is furnished with a large oak table, a squarepiano, and one corner is made into an alcove, the curtains of which arethrown back and reveal several drawings in black and white--one of theyoung Raphael. Over the mantlepiece a painting representing theapparition of a Spirit-form, to a young lady sitting in front of afire-place. On entering this room find the Medium, Mrs. Thayer, engagedin seating the audience. She is a middle-aged lady of good proportions, hair black, color flushed, the light eyes look weary, the lower facerather square, deep lines around the mouth. She is evidently not in verygood humor. After a while the company, between twenty and thirtypersons, mostly women, get seated. 

Owing to the many people present I could not see what preparations hadbeen made. Medium requests that the piano be moved against the door (tokeep off illicit Spirits?). Chair placed against the door. Light turnedout completely. Singing of "Sweet by-and-bye. " Medium requests a lady toinvoke Divine blessing. Disgusting cant. More singing. Darknessimpenetrable. Sudden bumping noise on the table. Match struck by theColonel just as something crawls over my hand and falls to the floor. Itis a red-bellied terrapin. Some ferns appear neatly arranged on thetable in front and to the left of the Medium. Expressions ofgratification. Dark. Singing. A pine-bough is thrown against me. Screaming on account of terrapin. Match. Several parties have largelilies in front of them. My neighbor a lily of the valley (he statesthat his wife said before he left: "I wish you would get a lily of thevalley"). Dark. Singing. Match. Dr. Leidy has some red lilies; somesmilax and a wreath are on the table. Great astonishment. Colonel Kasesays it is wonderful, but during the Centennial year they got tablesloaded with flowers (the Medium has not given a flower séance for someyears, she says, hence the rather meagre supply. ) A lady points out thefact that the flowers are quite cold and have a sort of dew on them. ButI found those before me quite dry, as if they had been in the room forsome time. The Medium is tired and retires. Mrs. X. Is requested to comeunder the influence of her Spirit-guides, and she does. She puts herselfin an oratorical posture, eyes closed, and reels off the common-placesof the _Banner of Light_: the Spirits are eager for investigation, butbenighted men in the flesh cannot make the conditions, and thus continueto wallow in darkness. The Spirits are kind. They do not damn those poorbenighted ones, but still hold out, in beautiful optimism, the hope thatall those who do want to know the truth will find it!

Another lady, Mrs. Y. , is now called upon to put herself underSpirit-guidance, and she thereupon proceeds to enlighten the sheep-foldhow it is possible that these flowers and branches and turtles can comethrough solid walls and closed windows. "It is all awfully simple; it isnothing but PROJECTION! The Spirits understand the laws of electricprojection; even the electric forces themselves understand the laws ofnature and the currents. The electric force snatches the flower, orplant, and propels it along invisible wires. There is no such thing assolid substance, matter is permeable to these forces, and, therefore, itis easy to see how a terrapin can come quick as lightning through awall. " (Verbatim. )

Mr. Copeland is now called upon to give the audience some tests, arather inoffensive looking young man with hair standing up. The light isturned down; he jerks his head and body, passes his hand over his eyesand begins to talk in broken, childish sentences. A little Indian maidnow controls him. The maid describes a tall, bony, black-hairedgentleman standing near _me_, with a fatherly look; he is Charley, andholds something, as if I were undertaking some grand enterprise. But asI do not know Charley, Charley disappears, and the spirit of a Quakergentleman comes to a lady not far from me--all right. Soon, however, themaid is at me again. This time it is William. He has something chemical, like a discovery. Have I not been across the water where people had thecholera and turned black and died? Did I not very much disappoint ayoung lady over there? Did I give her a ring? Margaret, or some namelike that, now comes around. Have I never seen the Medium before? No. Then I should pay him a visit. Wants to talk with me about my past andfuture. Has much to say; and so on. Do I not go often into a buildingwhere many persons work at chemistry? Am I not sceptical?--rather. Wantsto cure my scepticism, and so on, _ad nauseam_. Me is tired, me wantsgo. Again the jerks, the rubbing of the eyes, and the Indian maid isonce more Mr. Copeland. 

Séance terminates with the payment of one dollar, cash, at 9. 30 P. M. 

Stifling atmosphere breathed for 1-1/2 hours, for what? _Quelle bêtise!_

GEO. A. KOENIG. 

 * * * * *

Saturday, March 26th, 1887. 

I attended a séance at the house of Col. Kase, 1601 North 15th Street, on Thursday evening, March 24th, Mrs. Wells acting as Medium. There wereabout thirty persons present, of whom several seemed to be Mediums. Theséance was held in the sitting-room in the second story--a roomseparated by double doors from a smaller room behind. The back room, used as a Cabinet, was shut off by portières, and the persons werearranged in front of the curtains, in the form of a deep curve, Dr. Leidy, Dr. Knerr and myself being put in the second row. Mrs. Thayerdirected us where to sit. The room in which we sat was lighted by asingle gas-jet, situated some distance behind the spectators; a piece ofmusic was placed before this to prevent any direct light from falling onthe curtains, and the gas was turned very low. Mrs. Wells entered theroom used as a Cabinet, and took her seat in a chair opposite thecurtains. Mrs. Thayer closed the curtains. 

After some time Spirits began to show themselves one by one between thecurtains, and to whisper. Mrs. Thayer stepped forward and interpretedfor them, calling up persons in the circle to receive communications. The forms were very indistinct from the circle, and apparently not verydistinct to those called up, as they expressed some dissatisfaction. Oneman called up to speak with his daughter (one of the better forms)remarked that he "saw her putty good, but not very. " One or two of theforms stepped out in front of the curtains (one was dressed as a man, one purported to be Mary, Queen of Scots), but they did not advance tothe circle, and the light was so dim that they could not be seen at allclearly. Only on one or two occasions two forms appeared at once, andthen not in front of the curtains, but one on each side of one of thecurtains--this curtain being pulled together, as though some one werereaching around behind it. The appearance could very readily have beenmade by the Medium's appearing between the two curtains, and holding upa bit of drapery at the side of one of them. The audience was evidentlyan uncritical one. When a Spirit called for her husband, Mrs. Thayer, the interpreter, asked, "Has anyone here a wife on the other side?" Anold man present stated that his had died two years before. He asked ifthe Spirit's name were _May_. When he came back to his seat, I heard himremark to his neighbor that that "must have been her, but she had moreflesh on than when I knew her. " No examination was made before or afterthe séance of either room or Medium, and no tests of any sort wereapplied. The séance lasted about an hour and a-half. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON, _Secretary_. 

(Copied and arranged from notes made in the car on the way home fromthis séance--Saturday evening, March 26th, 1887. )

N. B. --I have neglected to state (though it is mentioned in my notes)that the séance was commenced by an "invocation" from Mrs. Coleman, whosat near the curtains. It was in no wise remarkable. 

G. S. F. 

 * * * * *

DR. LEIDY. 

The undersigned, a member of The Seybert Commission, appointed by theUniversity, in company with one or more of the other members, atdifferent times, from March, 1884, to April, 1887, attended twelveséances with reputed Spiritualist Mediums. Led to view Spiritualism withthe respect due to its importance, based on the reflection that many ofthe most intelligent and honorable of the community had become convincedof its truth, I undertook the investigation of the subject free fromconscious prejudice, and with a desire to observe with unbiased judgmentthe phenomena which might be presented to me in the séances ofSpiritualist Mediums. Of the dozen séances attended in company withother members of the Commission, five were held with three Slate-writingMediums, two with as many Rapping Mediums, and five with fourMaterializing Mediums. All the Mediums possessed more or less celebrityas such among the advocates of Spiritualism. I further attended, unaccompanied by members of the Commission, three séances, of which onewas held with one of the former Materializing Mediums, and two withother Rapping Mediums. 

The reputed phenomena or manifestations were carefully observed, as faras circumstances would permit, _i. E. _, under the conditions ordinarilyexacted by Mediums. 

I have kept a record of my observations of the Spiritualist séances, butit is unnecessary to relate them here. As the result of my experiencethus far, I must confess that I have witnessed no extraordinarymanifestation, such as we ordinarily hear described as evidence ofcommunication between this and the Spirit world. On the contrary, allthe exhibitions I have seen have been complete failures in what wasattempted or expected, or they have proved to be deceptions and tricksof jugglery. Sometimes accompanied by buffoonery, I never saw in themanything solemn or impressive, and never did they give the slightestpositive information of interest. Having thus far failed to discoveranything in evidence of the truth of Spiritualism, I yet remain ready toreceive such evidence from an honest Medium. 

One of the Slate-writing Mediums, with whom we held several séances, relieved the tedium of waiting for a slate-communication by writing inpencil on slips of paper, under Spirit control, as we were assured, communications from a succession of Spirits. The hand of thesecommunications was good, and in each one different as it would appearfrom different individuals. There was, however, in all a similarity ofexpression and grammatical construction, which indicated a want ofentire Spirit control. One of these communications, in my possession, reads literally thus:

"People have thought my manner and habit very strange indeed regardingthe Truth of Spirit control There has been many things practiced which Isee now was wrong and foolish yet the Truth stills exist that we cancome back and make ourselves felt you ask if I am pleased with whatThomas [probably Thomas R. Hazard, who was with us at the time] is doingI am in many respects though there are things best left undone andunsaid You are perfectly aware of my past feelings also of my desire tohave the truth properly investigated which I feel it will be and theTruth and Truth only sought after by the Committee I am more conciousnow than a time back Henry Seybert"

Another communication in my possession, obtained by a friend from thesame Medium, at another séance, is in an equally good and strikinglydifferent hand from the former, and reads thus: "Yes both of thoseSpirits were there and were plainly seen There was others there thatwere imperceptable Alice Cary"

As examples of communications, in irregular scrawls on slips of paper, in my possession, thrown from behind a screen by a Materialized Spirit, at a séance of Mr. Keeler, are the following: "Hello folks" "Oh I am abig slugger" "How is your nose Doc" "I am seeing the sad result of mywork. H. Seibert" [_sic_]. The punctuation and spelling are carefullycopied. 

JOSEPH LEIDY. 

 * * * * *

THE SLADE-ZOELLNER INVESTIGATION. 

Perhaps no other investigation of Spiritistic phenomena has exercised sostrong an influence upon the public mind in America, at least, as thatconducted by Professor J. C. F. Zoellner and his colleagues in Leipsic in1877 and 1878. In November and December of the year 1877 and in May of1878, Professor Zoellner had a number of séances with Dr. Henry Slade, the American Medium, in Leipsic, the results of which he has narrated inhis "Scientific Treatises, " and which he finds of special interest inconnection with certain physical speculations with which he was beforethis time occupied. He declares himself specially authorized to mentionby name as present at some of his investigations his colleagues, Professors Fechner and Scheibner, of the University of Leipsic, andProfessor Weber of Goettingen. These three, he states, were perfectlyconvinced of the reality of the observed facts, and that they were notto be attributed to imposture or prestidigitation. He also mentions thepresence of Professor Wundt at at least one of the sittings. 

The phenomena narrated by Zoellner--the bursting of the wooden screen, the passages of coins out of closed boxes, the abnormal actions of thesolid wooden rings, the tying of knots in the endless cord, the printsmade upon smoked paper by the feet of four-dimentional beings--all thesehave become classic in Spiritistic literature, and the accounts may beobtained in convenient form collected, arranged and translated intoEnglish by Mr. C. C. Massey, of Lincoln's Inn, London. 

Of these phenomena themselves, verification is, at this late date, manifestly out of the question. The only published accounts are thosemade by Zoellner, and in the absence of notes made at the time, alldescriptions of phenomena given now by the other persons present wouldbe valueless, except as indicating the impression made upon them at thetime by the occurrences. 

But, though the phenomena themselves cannot be satisfactorily sifted, the men who were engaged in the investigation are, with the exception ofZoellner himself, still living, and it occurred to me when in Germanyduring the past summer, that a conference with each of these men, and aninquiry into their qualifications for making such an investigation intothe phenomena of Spiritism, might be of no small value. These men are:_William Wundt_, Professor of Philosophy in the University of Leipsic;_Gustav Theodore Fechner_, now Professor Emeritus of Physics in theUniversity of Leipsic; _W. Scheibner_, Professor of Mathematics in theUniversity of Leipsic; and _Wilhelm Weber_, Professor Emeritus ofPhysics in the University of Goettingen--all of them men of eminence intheir respective lines of scholarship. 

On Saturday, June 19th, I called upon Professor Wundt at his home inLeipsic; with respect to the investigation of 1877-78 he gave me thefollowing information, which I noted down during my conversation withhim, asking him to repeat the points mentioned as I noted them, so as toavoid any error or misunderstanding, and which I copied out, with merelyverbal changes, two days later. 

Professor Wundt said:

1. That at the séances at which he himself was present (and he waspresent at two or three of them) the conditions of observation were veryunsatisfactory. All hands had to be kept on the table, and no one wasallowed to look under it. 

2. That all that he saw done looked as if it might have been done byjugglery. 

3. That the writing on slates was very suspicious--the German was bad, just such German as Slade spoke. 

4. That Professor Weber, who was present at the sittings, was a very oldman at the time, and presumably not an acute observer. 

5. That Professor Fechner, another of those present, was afflicted withan incipient cataract, and could see very little. 

6. That Professor Zoellner himself was at the time decidedly not in hisright mind; his abnormal mental condition being clearly indicated in hisletters and in his intercourse with his family. 

7. That he (Professor Wundt) had not a high respect for the scientificjudgment of Professor Ulrici, of Halle, who had been so much impressedby the report made by Professor Zoellner; Professor Ulrici he thoughtliterary and poetical, but not scientific. 

It will be seen that some of the points mentioned by Professor Wundt aresuggestive; but I will postpone an examination of his statements, as ofthose of each of the others, until they have all been given and can becompared. 

On the same day (June 19th) I called upon Professor Fechner, also at hishome in Leipsic. Professor Fechner, who no longer lectures, being oldand feeble, and suffering from cataract of the eyes, made the followingstatements, each of which I translated to him for his approval, after Ihad set it down:

1. That he himself was present at but two sittings, and that these werenot very decisive. 

2. That he did not look upon Slade as a juggler, but accepted theobjective reality of the facts; that he did this, however, not on thestrength of his own observations, for these were unsatisfactory, butbecause he had faith in Professor Zoellner's powers of observation. 

3. That what he saw might have been produced by juggling. 

4. That the sittings at which he was present were held at night, andthat he could not remember what sort of a light they had. 

5. That Zoellner's mental derangement came on very gradually, so that itwould be difficult to say when it began; but that from the time of hisexperiments with Slade it was more pronounced. He (Fechner) did notthink, however, that it incapacitated Zoellner as an observer, thederangement being emotional; but, such as it was, it was clearly shownin his family and in his intercourse with friends. 

6. Professor Fechner referred me to Professors Scheibner and Weber forinformation, saying that these two were present at most of the sittings. 

I failed at this time to meet Professor Scheibner, who, though residentin Leipsic, happened to be away from home on a visit; but, having madean appointment with him by letter, I returned to Leipsic on July 3d, andcalled upon him at his home; upon this occasion he gave me more full andsatisfactory details concerning Professor Zoellner's investigation thanI succeeded in obtaining from any of the others. The notes which I madeduring my conversation with him I translated to him, and corrected inaccordance with his suggestions before leaving his house. After myreturn to Halle I copied my notes out in full, and sent them by mail toProfessor Scheibner, with the request that he correct them and returnthem to me at Berlin, signing his name to them if they correctlyrepresented his opinions. In answer he enclosed me the copy which I hadsent him, corrected where he thought the notes inexact, and anaccompanying letter, stating that he did not forbid me to use thematerial which he had given me, but that he did not wish to set his nameto any publication, if only for the reason that he was not sufficientlyfamiliar with the English to judge accurately as to the shades ofmeaning, and thus could not say whether he accurately agreed with thenotes as they stand, or not. 

The copy which he corrected and returned to me I place at length in thisReport, merely translating his corrections (very literally), andinserting them at the points indicated by himself. They are enclosed inquotation marks. In some instances, my desire for exactitude in thetranslations has resulted in very bad English; the shape of my ownparagraphs is due to the time and manner of their framing, and to areluctance to making any changes in their form afterwards. 

The copy reads as follows:

On July 3d, 1886, I visited Professor W. Scheibner, at his rooms, inLeipsic, and obtained from him the following information concerningProfessor Zoellner's Spiritistic experiments with Dr. Henry Slade, theAmerican Medium:

1. Professor Scheibner thinks that he was present at three or four ofthe regular séances with Slade. Slade came to Professor Zoellner'srooms; they sat around a table for perhaps half an hour, and then, afterthe séance was over, they spent an hour or two sitting informally in thesame room, or in the next room, and talking. During these informalconversations surprising things would occur. Raps would now and then beheard, and objects would unexpectedly be thrown about the room. In theseconversations Professor Scheibner was present perhaps five or six times. Some of these took place during the day, and some in the evening. 

2. Professor Scheibner said that each single thing that he saw mightpossibly have been jugglery, "although he perceived nothing that raiseda direct suspicion. "

The whole number of incidents taken together, however, surprised him, and seemed scarcely explicable as jugglery, for there did not seem to bethe necessary time or means for preparing so many tricks, "which oftenconnected themselves surprisingly with desires casually expressed inmomentary conversations. "

Professor Scheibner said, however, that he did not regard himself ascompetent to form an opinion which should have scientific weight, because:

(_a_) He knows nothing about jugglery;

(_b_) He was merely a passive spectator, and could not, properlyspeaking, make observations--could not suggest conditions, "or gain thecontrol which seemed necessary;" and

(_c_) He is short-sighted, "and might easily have left unnoticedsomething essential. "

He says merely, that to him, _subjectively_, jugglery did not seem agood "or sufficient" explanation of the phenomena. 

3. Professor Scheibner said that he had never seen anything of the kindbefore. He had never even, since his childhood, seen any exhibitions ofjugglery; he does not go to see such things, because he is soshort-sighted that if he went he would see nothing. In this connectionhe repeated his statement that from this, among other causes, he did notregard himself as competent to give an opinion. He said that manypersons in Germany had demanded his opinion, but that he had refused itbecause he regarded his subjective impression, without objective proofs, as scientifically valueless. 

4. Professor Scheibner said that he did not believe in these thingsbefore. He came to the séances because Professor Zoellner was a personalfriend. He has seen very little of the sort since. 

That little has been in the presence of a lady in Leipsic through whomraps occurred, and psychography. This last phenomenon consisted incommunication through a little contrivance, furnished with an index orpointer, which answered questions by pointing to letters laid out beforeit. This it did when the lady placed her hand on the machine. Thequestions were "usually" not asked mentally, but spoken out. There wereno tests applied to these phenomena, no conditions of exactinvestigation. Professor Scheibner "holds suspicion of consciousdeception to be out of the question. "

5. Professor Zoellner was, said Professor Scheibner, a man of keenmind, but in his investigations apt to see "by preference" what lay inthe path of his theory. He could "less easily" see what was against histheory. He was childlike and trustful in character, and might easilyhave been deceived by an impostor. He expected everyone to be honest andfrank as he was. He started with the assumption that Slade meant to behonest with him. He would have thought it wrong to doubt Slade'shonesty. Professor Zoellner, said Professor Scheibner, set out to findproof for four-dimentional space, in which he was already inclined tobelieve. His whole thought was directed to that point. 

6. Professor Scheibner thinks that the mental disturbance under whichZoellner suffered later, might be regarded as, at this time, incipient. He became more and more given to fixing his attention on a few ideas, and incapable of seeing what was against them. Towards the last he waspassionate when criticized. Professor Scheibner would not say thatProfessor Zoellner's mental disturbance was pronounced and full-formed, so to speak, but that it was incipient, and, if Zoellner had livedlonger, would have fully developed. Zoellner himself, "whose brothersand sisters frequently[A] suffered from mental disease, often fearedlest a similar fate should come upon him. "

[Footnote A: "Dessen Geschwister mehrfach" etc. --the words may be takenin two senses. ]

7. Professor Scheibner gives no opinion on Spiritism. He can only saythat he cannot explain the phenomena that he saw. 

8. Professor Weber, said Professor Scheibner, "attended theZoellner-Slade experiments under the same circumstances as he(Scheibner) himself. "

9. Professor Zoellner's book, said Professor Scheibner, would create theimpression that Weber and Fechner and he agreed with Zoellner throughoutin his opinion of the phenomena "and their interpretation;" but this, hesaid, is not the case. 

HALLE a. S. , _July 5th_, 1886. 

So much for the information given by Professor Scheibner. It nowremained to see Professor Wilhelm Weber, and on the evening of July 12thI called upon him at his house in Goettingen. Of his statements I tooknotes during my conversation with him, as in the former instances, andcopied and arranged them the same evening at my hotel. Professor Weberis now eighty-three years old, and does not lecture. He is extremelyexcitable and somewhat incoherent when excited. I found it difficult toinduce him to talk slowly enough, and systematically enough, for me tomake my notes. Professor Weber said:

1. That he thought the things he saw in the séances with Slade weredifferent from jugglery. 

2. That he did not think there was time or opportunity for Slade toprepare deceptions. 

3. That he himself knew nothing of jugglery, nor did Professor Zoellner. 

4. That he can testify to the _facts_ as described by Zoellner, and thathe could not himself have described the occurrences better than they aredescribed in Zoellner's book:--to the _facts_ he is willing to testify, the _means_ he declares unknown to him, but does not regard jugglery asa sufficient explanation. If another can understand, he said, howjugglery can explain the facts, well and good--he can not. 

5. That he had never seen anything of the kind before, and has notsince; it being his only experience of Spiritualism. 

6. That he had the greatest freedom to experiment and set conditions, and that the conditions were favorable to observation. 

7. That he regarded Professor Fechner as one of the best observers inthe world, and Professor Scheibner as an excellent observer. 

8. That Professor Zoellner _was not_ at that time, in any sense, in anabnormal mental condition. 

Professor Weber seemed unwilling to speak decidedly on the subject, butshowed that he leaned to the Spiritistic interpretation of the facts. Hesaid that the things done indicated intelligence on the part of thedoer. 

Having now before us the testimony given by these survivors of thefamous investigation, I will collect briefly the facts relating to eachof those concerned--adding in one or two cases from other sources--andpoint out the nature and value of their testimony to the occurrencesrecorded by Professor Zoellner. 

1. As to Professor Wundt, who is by profession an experimentalpsychologist, and an observer. Professor Wundt did not regard theinvestigation, so far as he participated, as in any respect thorough orsatisfactory. The conditions of observation were not present. Whencalled upon by Professor Ulrici to describe the occurrences as he sawthem, he said he would not willingly describe what he had not hadopportunity to observe. 

2. As to Professor Zoellner, the chief witness and author of the bookpublished, a number of points are worthy of note. 

(1. ) The question of his mental condition at the time of theinvestigation. It is asserted by Baron Hellenbach (see _Geburt und Tod_etc. , Wien, 1885, S. 96) that Zoellner was of sound mind up to hisdeath. The statement should have due weight, but the author's generalattitude towards Spiritism should not be overlooked. I do not considerhis testimony for Zoellner's sanity as good as that of Fechner orScheibner against. Of the four men mentioned as connected with him, Wundt, Weber, Fechner and Scheibner, three (all except Weber) aredecidedly of the opinion that his mental condition was not normal. Theopinion of Wundt, as of a man whose profession would not permit him tospeak hastily upon this topic, I would regard as of special value; butif we rule that out upon the ground that Wundt was not impressed by theinvestigation, and might naturally be inclined to underrate Zoellner, who was, we have left the opinions of Fechner and Scheibner, bothZoellner's colleagues at Leipsic, both particular friends of Zoellner, and both inclined to agree with him as to the reality of the facts hedescribes. Both of them regarded Zoellner at the time as of more or lessunsound mind. His disease, as described by them, seems to have beenchiefly emotional, showing itself in a passionate dislike ofcontradiction, and a tendency to overlook any evidence contrary to acherished theory. 

To the general change in his nature due to his disease ProfessorScheibner testifies; and Professor Fechner's belief as to his mentalcondition is specially worthy of note from the fact that, althoughrecognizing it to be abnormal, he still holds his powers of observationto be sound, and upon this ground is inclined to assent to the factsdescribed. If anyone could be tempted to make Zoellner as sane aspossible, it would be one in the position of Professor Fechner. Professor Weber's testimony I will examine later. Upon the questionwhether the peculiar form of Zoellner's disease would be likely toaffect his powers of observation, the following points may throw somelight. 

(2. ) It is evident, both from what Zoellner has himself printed and fromwhat Professor Scheibner has said, that Zoellner's interest in theinvestigation centered in his attempt to prove experimentally what healready held to be speculatively true as to a fourth dimension of space. In a paper published in the _Quarterly Journal of Science_, for April, 1878, he says:

"At the end of my first treatise, already finished in manuscript in thecourse of August, 1877, I called attention to the circumstance that acertain number of physical phenomena, which, by 'synthetical conclusions_à priori_' might be explained through the generalized conception ofspace and the platonic hypothesis of projection, coincided withso-called Spiritualistic phenomena. Cautiously, however, I said:--'Tothose of my readers who are inclined to see in Spiritualistic phenomenaan _empirical_ confirmation of those phenomena above deduced in regardto their _theoretical_ possibility, I beg to observe that from the pointof view of idealism there must first be given a precise definition andcriticism of _objective reality_'" etc. Now this reference toSpiritualistic phenomena was made before Zoellner had seen anything ofthe kind, and his attitude was evidently a receptive one. Moreover, wehave Professor Scheibner's testimony to the fact that during the wholeinvestigation his attention was entirely directed towards the subject ofthe fourth dimension, and an experimental demonstration of itsexistence. Bearing in mind, therefore, the mental attitude in which, andthe object with which, Zoellner approached this investigation, we cannotlook upon any subjective, or emotional, mental disturbance, whichresults, as described, in making him narrow his attention more and moreupon a few ideas, and disregard or find it difficult to observe whatseems contrary to them, as without objective significance, particularlywhere we know the man to be a total stranger to investigations of such anature as this one, and not only quite ignorant as to possible methodsof deception, but unwilling to doubt the integrity of the Medium. 

(3. ) There are things in Zoellner's own accounts which indicate acertain lack of caution and accuracy on his part, and tend to lessenone's confidence in his statements. As an instance of inaccuracy, I maymention the statement he makes in his article in the _Quarterly Journalof Science_ as to the opinions of his colleagues. Professor Zoellnersays:

"I reserve to later publication, in my own treatises, the description offurther experiments obtained by me in twelve séances with Mr. Slade, and, as I am expressly authorized to mention, in the presence of myfriends and colleagues, Professor Fechner, Professor Wilhelm Weber, thecelebrated electrician from Goettingen, and Herr Scheibner, Professor ofMathematics in the University of Leipsic, who are _perfectly_ convincedof the reality of the observed facts, altogether excluding imposture orprestidigitation. "

Here the attitude of the four men is not correctly described, andProfessor Zoellner's statement does them injustice, as ProfessorScheibner remarked. At least two of the men were merely _inclined_ toaccept the facts, and to these two the words "_perfectly_ convinced"will not apply. 

As one out of numerous instances of lack of caution, I may refer toZoellner's statements, that at certain times writing was heard upon theslates, giving no proof whatever to show that the writing was reallydone at the time of hearing the sounds, and apparently quite ignorantof the fact that deception may readily be practiced on this point. 

3. As to Professor Fechner. The fact is admitted that he was, at thetime of the investigation, suffering from cataract, which made allobservation extremely defective. Moreover, he was present at but two ofthe sittings, and has stated that he did not regard these as verydecisive. His attitude towards the phenomena described is based on hisfaith in Professor Zoellner's powers of observation, and not on what hesaw himself. He does not, therefore, as an independent witness would, add anything to the force of Professor Zoellner's testimony. 

4. As to Professor Scheibner. His position is simply that he cannot seehow the whole series of phenomena can reasonably be attributed tojugglery, though he admits that each single thing he saw, aloneconsidered, might possibly be. He does not regard himself, however, asable to give an opinion which should have objective value; because hewas merely a passive spectator, and could not, properly speaking, makeobservations--could not suggest conditions, --because he knows absolutelynothing about jugglery, and the possibilities of deception, and becausehe is so short-sighted that he may easily have overlooked something ofimportance--so short-sighted that he never goes to see a juggler, because he sees nothing. 

5. As to the last witness, Professor Weber, his testimony agrees moredecidedly with that of Professor Zoellner. He was present at eightséances, declares the occurrences to have been as represented byProfessor Zoellner, and denies that Zoellner was in any sense insane. But Professor Weber is from Goettingen, and was at the time of theinvestigation in Leipsic on a visit; it is not improbable that those ofProfessor Zoellner's colleagues, who lived and worked at the sameUniversity with him, may have had better opportunities for judging as tohis mental condition than one who only saw him occasionally. Moreover, Professor Weber's opinion as to the qualifications of the men with whomhe was associated does not seem to have been always sound. One who couldlook upon Professor Fechner as one of the best observers in the world, and Professor Scheibner, as for the purpose in hand, an excellentobserver, neglecting entirely to note that one was partly blind and thatthe other could not see well, might readily overlook the fact of a notvery pronounced mental aberration on the part of a third person. And asto Professor Weber's opinion of the phenomena, it is well to note thatProfessor Weber was seventy-four years old at the time, had had noprevious experience in investigations of this kind and was quiteignorant of the arts of the juggler. Whatever may be a man's powers ofreflection at seventy-four, it is natural to suppose that his powers ofperception, especially when exercised in a quite new field, are not atthat age what they were some years previously. 

SUMMARY. 

Thus it would appear that of the four eminent men whose names have madefamous the investigation, there is reason to believe one, _Zoellner_, was of unsound mind at the time, and anxious for experimentalverification of an already accepted hypothesis; another, _Fechner_, waspartly blind, and believed because of Zoellner's observations; a third, _Scheibner_, was also afflicted with defective vision, and not entirelysatisfied in his own mind as to the phenomena; and a fourth, _Weber_, was advanced in age, and did not even recognize the disabilities of hisassociates. No one of these men had ever had experiences of this sortbefore, nor was any one of them acquainted with the ordinarypossibilities of deception. The experience of our Commission with Dr. Slade would suggest, that the lack of such knowledge on their part wasunfortunate. 

A consideration of all these circumstances places, it seems to me, thisfamous investigation in a somewhat new light, and any estimate ofZoellner's testimony, based merely upon the eminence in science of hisname and those of his collaborateurs, neglecting to give attention totheir disqualifications for this kind of work, cannot be a fair or atrue estimate. 

In concluding this Report, I give sincere thanks to all of thesegentlemen for their courtesy and frankness--a frankness which has alonemade it possible for me to collect this evidence; and which, consideringthe nature of the evidence, must be regarded as most generous. ToProfessor Scheibner, especially, my thanks are due for the trouble hehas taken in helping me to make my notes exact and truthful. 

GEO. S. FULLERTON. 

 * * * * *

DR. KNERR. 

In 1884 rumors reached me of remarkable Spiritual communications from arevered friend and relative, Dr. Hering. These communications had comethrough a slate-writing Medium by the name of Patterson, and werereceived by two gentlemen whose names I am not at liberty to mention, but whom I will call A. And B. Both were prominent men, and both hadbecome thorough believers in Spiritualism after several sittings withMrs. Patterson. A. Claimed to have received personal benefit frommedicines thus prescribed, and learned the circumstances of his son'sdeath which had occurred in some mysterious manner far away from home. B. Has since died, and communications under his signature have comethrough this same Medium. 

The manifestations in this province of Spiritualism, IndependentSlate-Writing, would seem to be of a nature more tangible and directthan those of so-called Materializing or Trance Mediums, and, therefore, in this instance I determined to test to the utmost what had beenreported to me concerning communications from one who stood so near inlife. 

Although I received a number of messages at my first visit, written inpencil, in many different handwritings, which the Medium alleged werewritten by Spirit-control of her hand, I received but one or two in theslate. The slate was a small double slate, joined together with hinges, about 10 inches by 12 inches in dimension. Inside of the slates, writtenon a slip of paper, carefully folded, I placed the question "Can Iobtain a communication from Dr. Hering which will be characteristic ofhimself?" A small piece of slate pencil chipped from an ordinary pencil, perhaps an eighth of an inch long, was placed within the slates, together with the written question. The slates were then tightly screwedtogether at the open end, by myself, with the blade of an old knifewhich was at hand to serve the purpose of a screwdriver. It was thenplaced by the Medium in her lap, under the table, one hand, the left, resting upon the slate, the other hand remaining on top of the table, writing, with a lead pencil, messages in different handwritings, onpaper. 

These messages came in characters bold as John Hancock's, and inchirography as small and neat as the writing of Charlotte Bronté, whosemanuscript the compositor is said to have deciphered with the aid of amagnifying glass; and between these extremes were a dozen or more stylesas varied and marked as one could wish. The purport of these messages, which were written rather quickly, and without perceptible thought orhesitation, changing from one handwriting to another without the leastapparent difficulty, was in some instances the veriest twaddle, whileothers contained tolerably good sense, even in language rather above theMedium, unless appearances were misleading, for she looked theembodiment of ignorant simplicity, and spoke far from grammatically. 

The table at which we sat was a very ordinary little sewing-table, without any drawer or compartment, and before sitting down I examined ittop and bottom, a privilege freely accorded. We had sat about tenminutes when the Medium brought up the slate with the little piece ofpencil, which I had scratched with a knife for identification, lying ontop of the slate. The screw was in its place, seemingly as I had put it. I was requested to remove the screw, which I did, and found writtenacross the inside surface of one of the slates the words "I will try toaccede to your wish, " signed with the initials of my departed friend, towhose handwriting it was not dissimilar. I was much puzzled by thisanswer, I confess, and immediately placed within the slates anotherquestion, this time addressed to the name of another deceased friend. Again I screwed up the slates with my own hand, and kept my eyes rivetedon the hands of the Medium as well as my position would permit, withoutgetting up and bending over the table. I did not have long to waitbefore an answer came as before, again signed with the initials of theperson addressed. How the writing came in the slate I could not surmise. 

The following are specimens of the communications which were written bythe Medium's controlled, possibly self-controlled, free, right hand, atmy first visit:--

(In a fine, light, legible hand. )

Cannot say wether we can control the slate or no. Will do our utmost todo so there are times when we cannot get the proper influences nor findthe right conditions. C HERING

(In a close, heavy hand. )

we have quite as much power over you as over any other medium, mediumistic forces are not confined to a few, but exist to some extentin all. Be patient we will do what we can. H

(In a sprawling back hand, the same as a subsequent one, signed ThomasLister. )

The friend you have asked for is here and will do what he can to complywith your wish it is not necessary that you should sit with any mediumto convince yourself of this truth you have enough of this power to getalmost any sort of manifestations you should ask for they will developewithout any effort on your part but you can materially assist them

TL

(In a neat and precise feminine hand. )

There stands by thy chair a venerable man who had passed through manyyears of work in his profession on the earth plane he is one that dothinfluence and impress thee to do many things when in the body was aphisician of the homeopathic school he sayeth that he doth feel the sameinterest in the progruss of the medical fraternity as when in the body. Appeareth to be one of strict integrity and ranked high as a thinkerthou hast many years to stay in the form and through thee a work will becompleted that none other can do

L MOTT

(In a small, rather indistinct feminine hand. )

I dont think the doctors knew what my trouble was. I know if doctorHering or Raue had treated my case I would still be in my body but itsno difference as far as I am concerned I have found this life far thebest leaving my mother was hard, but now I know how to get back to her Iam content

CS

Clara Swencke

(In a plain masculine hand. )

if you prepare a slate the doctor will give you a message on it in hisown handwrite and one characteristic of him

ESW

(In a small, rather illegible hand. )

My friend Tiedemann made a mistake in the medicine he prepared for me henever for a moment thought it would prove anything but a help but it hadthe effect of sending me to the higher life

W MORWITZER

(In a large, generous, open hand. )

Yea if thee dost fix a slate so as to satisfy thyself thy friend willwrite on it and give thee a description of his birth into everlastinglife

ELIAS HICKS

(In a very indistinct feminine hand. )

cannot say wether we can procure the presence of any one just now thatcan write music were it possible to have any one conversant with it theycould not only write one but many notes for you

(Signature indistinct. )

(In a small, cramped hand of almost microscopic fineness supposed to beCharlotte Bronté, and occupying but very little more space than on thisprinted page. )

The future holds much for you of success, the later portion of this andthe whole of the next will be filled with prosperity you have a band ofthe more advanced spirits about you and were you to follow your firstimpressions you would never fail in your judgment

CB

(In a clear scholarly hand. )

a man of few words when in the body I still have the same peculiaritieswill with your permission become one of your guiding band

ABERNETHY

(In a bold masculine hand). 

Sit for ten or fifteen minuets two evenings in the week and thus helpperfect the powerful gifts you have, through them you can do much goodboth for others and yourself

TN

(In the same hand as a preceding communication signed TL)

Be patient; the party that wrote on the slate before is trying to do itover we sometimes have a difficulty in doing this

T LISTER

(In a slow, labored, uncouth hand. )

I know one thing and that is that they didn't make any headway inkilling me when they hung me nor even when they scooped my brains outafterward--damn the doctors--damn the preachers--I hate them all theylied to me preachers priests and all they told me it was all right but Ihave found out its all wrong. I havent seen Mrs Reed nor do I want to Inever was sorry that I killed her, it don't make a saint out of a man tosend him out the way I had to go--its only killing--they were as bad asI was--I cant see--its dark

MC GINNIS. [A]

[Footnote A: McGinnis was a murderer recently hung for the brutalkilling of his mother-in-law. Particulars of the murder, execution andautopsy were in all the local papers. ]

(In an ordinary feminine hand. )

Put a piece of paper on a stand place a pencil on it and I will try tomake the scale for you at home there is a power that is growing on youthat will enable me to do this in a few times of trying I could write myown hand this is my first time of coming here so that makes it harderfor me to get control

B

(This doggerel came in answer to a question whether the Spirits couldwrite poetry, and is in a hand not dissimilar to the precedingcommunication, although the signatures differ. )

 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

(In a sprawling hand. )

Your friend has lost the Control I cannot say wether it will be possibleto regain it now or no I find it hard work to get any hold at all. 

AM

(Each letter distinct, as a child would print the alphabet. )

Chief there cant come any answer the magnetic current is broken for wantof power we go now but will come in your own wigwam

HOWONDO

 * * * * *

At the following séances I received slate writings repeatedly. Sometimesthe slate would scarcely be in the Medium's hands before a messageappeared, each time with the little pencil on top. I was told that I wasan excellent Medium, that, if I cultivated the faculty, would soonmyself be able to obtain these slate writings. I was also asked toprepare a slate secured in any way I wished, and had the promise that amessage would be written within it. I acceded to the request and took aslate of my own, tied it up in every direction with twine, and put myprivate seal upon it in several places where I had knotted the string. This slate the Spirits could not overcome. I never received the promisedmessage. I never even had the slate returned to me. After remaining inthe Medium's possession for several months, she having changed herresidence in the meantime, she told me the slate had disappeared andsomehow must have gotten lost in moving. At any rate the slate had beenspirited away somehow. I will here mention that at about the third orfourth sitting I asked permission to watch the slate while it was underthe table, which was freely granted, but on this occasion, and wheneverI did so, there were no results. 

On one occasion we took the trouble to bring Mrs. Patterson to a room inthe house of our departed friend. She was here among a small circle ofintimate friends and members of the family, some inclined to belief andothers skeptics. She failed utterly to obtain as much as even a scratchinside of the slates, although communications on paper came thick andfast. I may mention that on this occasion several persons sat with theslate continually in full view. 

I had almost decided to drop Mrs. Patterson and her slate writing, although reluctant to do so, because I had no certain and positiveevidence of fraud with which to confront my friend, who was gettingimpatient at my slowness in accepting all I had seen, when I resolved topush my investigations to a point of certainty, one way or another, andhit upon the little scheme of going prepared, at my next visit to Mrs. Patterson, with a mirror in my pocket which I could hold under the tableat an angle that would reflect whatever occurred on the other side ofthe table, in the Medium's lap, the accustomed position of themysterious slate. The sitting was held in broad daylight, and the tablewas so placed that the Medium was seated with her back to a window, affording sufficient light for the experiment. I purposely avoidedremoving my overcoat on this day, because I wished to hide my movementsas much as possible, and sat down at my side of the table withconsiderable misgiving as to the result of taking liberties with theSpirits. The Medium this time had on her table a new slate, a largerone, one which she said had belonged to the celebrated Slade who hadhimself received messages on it. She said her old slate was broken, which was probably true; when I had last seen it it was in a batteredcondition. She asked if it would make any difference to me if she usedthe new slate. The only apparent difference between the slates was thatthis one was larger and did not close with a screw, therefore, thoughtI, more easily manipulated; consequently I did not withhold my consent. I wrote upon a slip of paper my question, "Will Dr. H. Advise me whatto do for Juliet (an old colored patient)?" I folded over the slip ofpaper five times, put it in the slate with a small stub of pencil, anddown the slates went into the lap of the Medium where I could see them, lying plainly reflected in my little mirror which I had slipped out ofmy pocket and laid across my knees at the proper angle of reflection. 

Mrs. Patterson first wrote a letter-sheet full of alleged Spiritcommunications, and handed them to me across the table for perusal. Itook the sheet with one hand and while ostensibly scanning the writtenpage, with the other hand I carefully adjusted my little mirror, onwhich my downcast and watchful eyes were fixed, when lo! in the mirror_I beheld a hand_, closely resembling that of the Medium, _stealthilyinsert its fingers between the leaves of the slate, take out the littleslip, unfold and again fold it, grasp the little pencil_, which hadrolled to the front while the slate was tilted that way, _and with rapidbut noiseless motion_ (had there been the least noise from the pencil, it would have been drowned by the fit of coughing, which, at thatinstant, seized the Medium) _write across the slate from left to right, a few lines; then the leaves of the slate were closed, the little pencillaid on the top_, and, over all, two hands were folded as if inbenediction. The woman opposite me, to whom the hands belonged (unlessthey were Spirit hands) sat with uplifted eyes, a calm expression ofinnocence upon her face. After holding the slates so for a moment ortwo, and after calling to the Spirit friends "to come and _please_ writein the slate, " she produced them, saying, "It has come!"

Of course, I did all I could to master my indignation, which, at thatmoment, was extreme, and quietly opening the slates, I read the messagepretending to have come from high authority, "The channels areobstructed, give Arsenic, Bryonia and Pulsatilla in succeeding doses, anhour apart!" The last words were somewhat illegible, and Mrs. Pattersonsuggested another trial; she thought the Spirits would write it plainer. Again the slates went down; _again I saw the hand at work as before_. This second time the hurriedly written message was not much plainer thanthe first. Mrs. Patterson, who was better versed in deciphering Spiritdispatches than I, offered to read it for me, but remembering that "allgood things are three, " I requested a third trial. After this lastexperiment, in which again, _for the third time, in my little mirror, Isaw the stealthy fingers write on the slate_, I told the Medium I wassatisfied, smothered my indignant anger, and left the house as quicklyas I could. For the larger part of a year I had investigated in goodfaith this department of Spiritualism, which, in this Medium's case, hadturned out a downright fraud. 

Not long after my last interview with Mrs. Patterson it was my goodfortune to meet with an _unprofessional_ Medium, a young gentleman ofreputed honor and veracity, to whom I was introduced by a friend who hadknown him from childhood, and vouched for his honesty. This young man'sMediumistic abilities had begun to develop with the planchette, and hadreached the stage in which a drum and sundry musical instruments wereplayed behind a curtain where he sat entranced, with his hands tightlybound together by a handkerchief or cord. These séances were continuedwith regularity on certain nights in the week, and were confinedstrictly to the family circle and to a few privileged friends. Therewas, therefore, no temptation to deceive for gain. I came into thecircle as an observer, not as believer, but was impressed by thephenomena witnessed at the first séance in which the Medium was underIndian control. There were strange sounds, guttural tones and whoopswhich really might have emanated from a wild son of the forest. A drum, an accordion, a zither, a mouth-organ were all played upon. Thedrumsticks kept time to music, rapped on the wall, appeared above theedge of the curtain several times, brightly illuminated, as if dipped inelectric light or some phosphorescent substance. As I have said, I wasimpressed, and might have ended in complete conversion, bymanifestations from so trustworthy a source, and vouched for in suchperfect sincerity, had it not, in an unlucky moment, occurred to me toapply a little harmless test. 

The test consisted simply in putting a dab of printer's ink on one ofthe drumsticks at the very last moment before the séance began. Theresult could not prove physically injurious to the Medium, who hadchallenged investigation, nor to any one in the circle. The result wasstartling. Being accorded the privilege of tying the Medium's hands, Iproceeded to do so with a stout cord, using a certain knot which Ibelieve has never been known to slip or come undone. This accomplished, and while some one else fastened the Medium securely to his chair, withhis back to the instruments on the table, the ink, concealed in apocket-handkerchief, was applied. In this position we left the Medium, the lights were lowered and the music began. Soon were heard the deepbreathings preceding the trance, then the 'Indian' began to manifest, atfirst somewhat sullenly, as if not pleased with the conditions, some ofthe instruments sounded, and at last the drumsticks began their tattoo. At the close of the séance, when the curtains were drawn and the lightsturned up, the Medium was found in his chair with his hands still tied, but great was the astonishment of everyone present at the marvelouscondition of the Medium's hands. How in the world printer's ink couldhave gotten smeared over them while under control of 'Deerfoot, theIndian, ' no one, not even the Medium, could fathom. 

I believe there is an explanation for these or similar phenomena, but Imust leave it to the ingenious and adroit expounders of Spiritualistphilosophy. 

CALVIN B. KNERR. 

 * * * * *

MEDIUMISTIC DEVELOPMENT. 

At my very first séance, as a member of this Commission, I was told bythe Spirit of Elias Hicks, through Mrs. Patterson, that I was gifted bynature with great Mediumistic power. Another Medium, with whom I had asession shortly afterwards (I cannot remember his name, but headvertised himself as a great 'Australian Medium'), professed himselfquite unable to exert any power in the presence of a Medium so much morepowerful than himself. 'Father Holland, ' the control of Mrs. Williams, in New York, assured me that I merely needed development to haveSpiritual manifestations at my own home; and Joseph Caffray was soemphatic in his assertions of my extraordinary Spiritual capabilities, that I began to think that it was my duty to quicken these dormantpowers and not to let them 'fust in me unused, ' and if successful, whenI had become fully 'developed, ' I could offer myself to my fellowCommissioners as a _corpus vile_ on which every experiment could bemade, and at a great saving of expense. 

Spiritualists constantly reproach investigators of Spiritualism withfaint-heartedness and lack of patience; they allege that at the veryfirst rebuff all investigating ardor cools, and that one failure isdeemed sufficient to condemn a whole system. 

If the case be really thus, the Spiritualists have a show of reason forthis objection, and it behooves the Seybert Commission to give no groundfor it. 

After much deliberation I decided to put myself in the hands of Caffrayfor 'development. ' I preferred this Medium, first, because he was themost emphatic of all in his assertion of my almost unrivaled Mediumisticpowers, and in his confidence that indications of Spiritual growth wouldbe manifest in three or four weeks, and at the end of six weeks or oftwo months I might celebrate my Spiritual majority by slatefuls ofmessages; and, secondly, Mr. Hazard assured me again and again thatCaffray was the 'greatest Medium in the country;' and did not Mr. Hazard, by way of proof, show me a stoppered vial containing a card, onwhich, through Caffray's Mediumship, a message had been written whilethe closed vial was fast held in his closed hand?

The first step was the purchase of two slates from Caffray, for which Igave him several dollars. They were common enough to look at, but ah!they had been for months in his Materializing Cabinet and had absorbedSpiritual power to the point of saturation, and fairly exuded it. Ibrought them carefully from New York, and folded them in black muslin, and laid them away in a dark drawer. 

Caffray told me that with a beginner the Spirits found it somewhateasier to write with French chalk than with slate pencil. So I bought abox of a dozen pieces, such as tailors use. 

The instructions which I received from Caffray were to keep these slatescarefully in the dark, and every evening at about the same hour to sitin total darkness, with my hands resting on them for about a half orthree-quarters of an hour; to maintain a calm, equable, passive state ofmind, even to think of any indifferent subject rather than toconcentrate my thoughts too intently on the slate-writing. There couldbe no question of the result. A Medium of my unusual and excessive powerwould find, at the end of three weeks, faint zig-zag scratches withinthe closed slates, and these scratches would gradually assume shape, until at last messages would be legible, probably at the end of sixweeks, or of three months at the very farthest. 

In addition to this, I must wear, night and day, a piece of magnetizedpaper, about six inches square, a fresh piece every night and morning;its magnetism was exhausted in about twelve hours. When I mentioned toMr. Hazard the proposed use of this magnetized paper, he assured me thatit was a capital idea--that he had himself used it for a headache, andwhen he put it on the top of his head 'it turned all his hair backward. 'I confess to dismay when I heard this; Caffray had told me that I mustwear this paper on the top of my head under my hat! But did it notbehoove the Acting Chairman of the Seybert Commission to yield himself awilling victim to the cause of Psychical Research? Was to be, or not tobe, a Medium so evenly balanced that the turning of a hair, or of awhole head of hair was to repel me? Perish the thought! That papershould be worn on the top of my head, under my hat, and that hat shouldbe worn all day long. I would eat my breakfast with that hat on, eat mydinner with that hat on, and sleep with that hat on, and that magnetizedpaper should remain on the top of my head, let it turn my hair to allthe points of the compass, if it would!

When I received the slates from Caffray he had no paper that wassufficiently magnetized just then; he had some sheets that were abouthalf done, and promised to send them to me as soon as the process wascomplete. 

In the meantime I began with the slates, sitting with them in totaldarkness from about a quarter past eight to nine o'clock every evening, with my hands resting on them lightly. 

In three or four days the paper arrived. I explained to my family thathereafter they must not infer, from the wearing of my hat indoors and atmeals, either that my wits had slipped, or that I had become convertedto Judaism, but that my conduct was to be viewed by the light of thepure flame of research. In my secret soul I resolved that I would go atonce, that very morning, to New York and plead with Caffray for someslight easing of my ordeal. The 'Spectre of the Threshold' appeared towear a silk hat, and I was afraid I never, never should pass him. 

The magnetized paper I handled with awe. It was, in outward semblance, ordinary white blotting paper, and, from some faint indications of inkhere and there, looked as though it might on occasion have served itsoriginal use; but had I not paid a dollar a sheet for it? It must begood. 

As I started for the train I put a piece on the top of my head, gave afond, farewell look at my hair, and planted my hat firmly on my brows. Ireached the train, and while looking for a seat caught sight of myfriend, Miss W----. Of course, I instantly bowed, and instantly therecame fluttering down before her astonished and bewildered eyes a pieceof blotting paper. I snatched it hastily, and in terror lest I hadalready broken the charm and forfeited all chance of Mediumship, retiredto the rear of the car and furtively replaced the precious pad. Decidedly I must see Caffray at once. 

Luckily, when I reached New York I found that eminent Medium at home, and, 'bonneted, ' rehearsed to him my dread anticipations. He could notrepress a grim laugh, and to my inexpressible relief gave me permissionto wear the paper suspended round my neck next the skin. 

With those precious slates I sat every night, at the same hour, indarkness. I allowed nothing to interfere with this duty; no call offamily, of friends, of society, was heeded. At the end of three weeks Isearched every molecule of the slate for the indication of a zig-zagline, but the surface was unsullied, and its black monotony returnedstare for stare. 

Still hopeful and trustful I continued, day by day and week by week. Thesix weeks expired. Not a zig, nor a zag. Caffray was kept busymagnetizing paper. I renewed my stock and determined to push on to twomonths. I moved to the country and carried my slates thither, wrapped indouble folds of black muslin. The days and weeks rolled on. Two monthspassed. The slates were as clean as when they came into my possession. Iwould go on to three months. Does not a hen sit for three weeks? Wherea hen gives a week, shall not I give a month? Is not a Medium worth morethan a chicken?

'Courage!' cried Caffray, with each batch of paper. I went to theseashore and my slates went with me. Not a single evening did I break myrule. 

And so it went on. The three months became four; became five; becamesix!

And there an end, with absolutely virgin slates. 

I had used enough blotting paper, it seemed to me, to absorb a spot onthe sun. I dare not calculate the number of hours I had spent indarkness. 

Let Spiritualistic reproaches of investigators for lack of zeal andpatience be heaped up hereafter till 'Ossa becomes a wart;' I care not;my withers are unwrung. 

_Punch_ gives a receipt for making 'Gooseberry Fool:' 'Carefully skinyour gooseberries, extract the seeds and wash the pulp in three watersfor six hours each. Having done this with the gooseberries, the Fool isperfect. '

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS. 

 * * * * *

SEALED LETTERS. 

Readers of the Spiritualistic literature of the present day cannot failto have their attention frequently called to the remarkable powerattributed to certain Mediums, not only of reading the contents ofenvelopes which are securely gummed and sealed, but of returning to thequestions therein contained pertinent answers from friends in the otherworld. It is far from uncommon to hear of conversions to faith inSpiritualism wrought by these remarkable proofs of Spiritual power. Atthis hour, in many a loving home, responses to letters, thus sealed andanswered through these Mediums, are treasured as tenderest, completestproofs that love survives the grave and still encircles the living andthe dead. 

Recognizing in this phase of Mediumship a department of Spiritualismcapable of plain, matter-of-fact investigation, which could be conductedin writing and demanding no special powers of observation, the duty ofinvestigation devolved mainly upon the Acting Chairman. 

There are only four of these special Mediums whose advertisements I haveseen in Spiritual papers. He who has probably the widest reputation isDr. James V. Mansfield, Boston. A second is Mr. R. W. Flint, New YorkCity. A third is Mrs. Dr. Eleanor Martin, Columbus, Ohio; and lastly, also of the same name, Mrs. Eliza A. Martin, of Oxford, Massachusetts. 

Through the Mediumship of the first, I have seen it stated that upwardof a hundred thousand securely sealed letters have been answered; andthe names of men high in our business and financial world have beencited to me as of those who had received proofs of his power which couldnot be questioned, nor explained on any other ground than that ofclairvoyance, or of Spirit communication. To him, therefore, I concludedto apply first. 

The choice of a subject whereon to communicate with a denizen of theother world is not easy. To follow in the well-trodden path and askafter the welfare of departed friends would only end, I well knew, inturning on that stream of generalities, not glittering, but very dull, in which a large experience had taught me that disembodied Spiritschiefly delight when expatiating on the conditions of their changedexistence. Furthermore, it was desirable that from the investigationshould be eliminated all elements of thought-transference or ofmind-reading. I must select a subject on which my own mind was a blank, and where the responses would have to be definite and unambiguous, andwithal quite within the scope of Spiritual knowledge. 

At last, as fulfilling, in all honesty and sincerity, the requisiteconditions, a skull in my possession was fixed on. 

This skull is a relic, interesting from its dramatic associations. Ithas been used for fifty or sixty years as a 'property' at the WalnutStreet Theatre, whenever 'Hamlet' has been performed, and as 'Yorick'sskull' has been handled in that play, from Edmund Kean down to HenryIrving and Edwin Booth. It is preserved with care, and mounted on apiece of polished black marble. Surely here is a skull whose experiencesare singular above all ordinary skulls, and in whose career its originalowner might be not unreasonably expected to cherish some interest or tohave followed its fortunes with some little attention. Untoldpossibilities for the vindication of Spiritualistic truth and power hangaround it, should there be an unwavering agreement by all Spiritualauthorities, as to the circumstances, when alive, of its original owner. Surely, I concluded, the translated inhabitants of the 'summer-land'cannot have doffed the homespun honesty of mortal life; all will eitherconfess ignorance with regard to this skull, or display theirtruthfulness by a substantial harmony in their reports, and therebyfurnish an indisputable, irrefragable proof of the truth ofSpiritualism. 

Sincere in this trust, I wrote on a small sheet of paper this question:"What was the name, age, sex, color or condition in life of the owner, when alive, of the skull here in my library? 28 February, 1885. " Thispaper was put in an envelope, whereof the flap was then gummed to withina small distance of the point, under this point some sealing-wax wasdropped, and enough was added above it to form a large, heavy, substantial impression. At the four corners additional seals, withdifferent impressions, were placed. Thus gummed, and sealed with fiveseals, the envelope was enclosed to Dr. J. V. Mansfield, with a requestthat it be subjected to his Mediumistic power. 

In a few days the following was received:

'Boston, March 2d, 1885. 

Dear Furness. --Your package came duly to hand most respectfully say Ihave given the package two sittings and re'd from two different spirits(purported) answer one coroberating [_sic_] the other statement One fromRobt Hair [_sic_] the other from Dr B. Rush for the two communicates mycharge is 5. 00 which if you will send me per registered mail I willremit you per return mail Respfy J. V. Mansfield I judge from the com. Itrelates to a skeleton. '

With this letter the sealed envelope was returned, apparently in exactlythe same state in which it had been sent; the seals were intact, withthe exception perhaps of a few trifling fractures, for which the transitto and from Boston, through the mail, would readily account. Upon closerinspection, however, and upon turning the envelope so as to catch thelight, I thought that a slight glazing of gum was discernible around thecentral seal, and from beneath its edge a minute bubble of mucilageprotruded. The fee demanded was at once forwarded, and by return of mailthe following 'communicates' were received, written in pencil on longstrips of common paper, and in two different hands:

Dear Furness. --Yours of 28 Feby before me--as to this matter underconsideration I have looked it over and over again Called my old friendGeo Combe and we are of the mind it is the skull of a female--Combe sayshe thinks it was that of a Colored woman--the age--about 40 to 44 thename of the one who inhabited it--it would not be possible for anyspirit but the one who the skull belonged to If it was colored--CorneliaWinnie might know. Respfy ROBT HARE Mch 2 '85. '

In a larger, bolder hand on the second slip was the following:

'My dear Townsman--pardon what may seem an intrusion--but seeing youranxiety to get the Aage [_sic_] sex--col and name of a skull in youroffice and seeing the conclusion that Dr. Hare and Proffr Combe havearrived at--I will say that I have looked the same over and fully concurin their conclusion save in the color of the one who once annimated[_sic_] that skull. Fowler Spurzeheim [_sic_] and Gall agree in sayingthat Hare and Combe have nothing to base an opinion upon, as to thecolor--yet in sex they agree Yours with Respect

BENJA RUSH M. D. 

Exact age could not be determined. Mch 2 '85'

These answers are certainly remarkable. The very words of the questioninside the sealed envelope are here openly repeated, and although thesix eminent, scientific ghosts, Hare, Combe, Fowler, Spurzheim, Gall, and Rush do not agree with each other on all points, yet a slightdivergence, or contrariety, in opinion is at times observable to thegrosser eyes of flesh among doctors upon earth; and then they were allin accord over the sex of the skull, in which problem, having onechance out of only two, they could not go very far afield. Moreover, thevery framing of the question as to sex might suggest female, and as tocolor might suggest black. 

But had not the envelope been opened?

It occurred to me to cut the edges of the sealed envelope carefully, whereby I could examine the flap, on the inside. It was done. The paperof the envelope under three of the seals was torn, and deception stoodrevealed. The seals had been cut out, and restored to their positionwith mucilage. 

Although, in legal phrase, I might rest my case here, yet I was anxiousso to seal an envelope that while its contents could not be extractedwithout the destruction of the envelope and a betrayal of any attemptedfraud, yet that an answer to the question enclosed should be quitewithin the clairvoyant power, so called, of the Medium, if he reallypossessed any, and as to the existence whereof I was sincerely anxiousto obtain some satisfactory proof. Animated with this desire, Iproceeded as follows:

In the 'communicate' from the Spirit of Dr. Hare, reference is made toCornelia Winnie's possible knowledge of the information which I wasseeking in regard to the skull. Could this have been a lure to tempt meto knock again at the Spiritual door of which Dr. Mansfield is theporter?

At any rate I accepted the suggestion. On a sheet of note-paper I wrote:

'Can Cornelia Winnie, or any other Spirit (Dr. Hare refers me to theformer), give me any particulars of the life or death of the coloredwoman who once animated this skull here in my Library. I am entirelyignorant myself on the subject. '

This was folded, placed in an envelope, gummed and sealed precisely as Ihad folded, gummed and sealed the previous letter. This I marked withink on the outside 'No. 1. '

On another sheet of similar note-paper I repeated word for word, andline for line, and dot for dot, the very same question. This paper wasalso folded and put into an envelope, BUT two or three stitches of redsilk were then passed through the flap of the envelope and the enclosedpaper, sewing the two securely together; these stitches were made at thepoint of the flap, and again at each of the four corners. Over thesestitches, and concealing them, seals of red sealing wax were affixed. Exteriorly the two envelopes were precisely alike. The stitched envelopewas marked on the outside 'No. 2. ' As the contents of both wereidentical, a clairvoyant Spirit that could answer No. 1 could answer No. 2, but nothing less than superhuman power could extract the paper fromNo. 2 without so tearing the envelope as to betray an un-Spiritualorigin. These two envelopes were enclosed to our Medium with thefollowing note:

'Dear Doctor Mansfield. The answers to my sealed letter were sosatisfactory and so very curious that I should like to follow up theinteresting subject, if I am not taxing your powers too heavily. Itherefore enclose two more sealed envelopes, marked No. 1 and No. 2. Ifit be possible, I should like to have you sit with No. 1 first. If theSpirits respond, pray send me word and let me know how much I amindebted to you. '

My object in asking the Medium to sit first with No. 1 was that, if hewere fraudulent, finding the ease with which No. 1 could be opened, hewould undertake the opening of No. 2 with such freedom and assurancethat the envelope would be torn beyond the healing power of mucilage, and a confession of failure would have to follow. 

In a few days the envelopes were returned with the following brief note:

'Dear Furness: Send you what came to your P K the 2d gave no response myterms are $3 for each trial--warrant nothing. 

Respectfully, J. V. M. '

The Spiritual communication enclosed reads as follows:

'I Bress de Lord for deh one mor to talk to de people of my ole home Ibeen 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 Colgal--_Hed_ I could not say--sure--but I think it Dinah Melish--she wholov de Lord too. I think it seem Dina top not. Will see Dina som timeand then i ask her--do you no Minister Du Cachet well he here--and wantthe [there here follows in the original a rude drawing of a decanter andwine glass. In this scandalous allusion there is no trace, it will beobserved, of phonetic spelling in the proper name] just de same. I Bressde Lor I don't want it. 

March 13, '85. 

Cornelia Winnie. '

An examination of the envelope marked No. 1, by cutting it open at theedges, revealed the same story of fraud: three of the seals had been cutout, and replaced. 

An examination of No. 2, in the same way, readily disclosed the reasonwhy the Spirits had failed to answer, although the question assuredlypresented no greater difficulties than in No. 1. An attempt had beenmade to start two of the seals, but meeting with unexpected resistancein the silk stitches, and finding that further effort would end intearing the envelope in a very palpable and mundane fashion, the Spiritshad grown disheartened and taciturn. 

We shall meet this Medium again, but for the present we will leave him, after pausing for a minute over his business card, which, after statinghis terms in prosaic dollars and cents, thus apostrophizes hisclientele:

 "From the bright stars, And viewless air Sweet Spirit, if thy home be there, Answer me. --Answer me. "

Happily my experience enables me to remove all doubt as to the localityof the Spirit's 'home, ' and to state with positiveness its exactlocation. But like the German philologist's example of the remarkableincongruity in English between spelling and pronunciation, that what waswritten 'Boz' was pronounced 'Charles Dickens, ' so I cheerfully add tothis list of incongruities that what is written 'bright stars' ispronounced 'Boston, ' and 'viewless air' is pronounced 'DartmouthStreet. '

I next turned my attention to Mr. R. W. Flint in New York. From him Ireceived the following circular in answer to my inquiries:

 "DEAR

 I am controlled by one spirit, purporting to be my guide who is the scribe for the spirits, delivering (in his own hand-writing) what is dictated to him by the spirit of communicating. 

 I am in a normal (not trance) state, but unconscious of the composition. 

 My hand is moved to write from right to left (backwards), independent of my will. 

 By holding the written side up to the light, the answer can be read. 

 The spirit-letters should be SECURELY sealed, addressed to the spirit, giving his or her name in full, and signed by the writer's name in full; but no address on the envelope. 

 When left open they cannot be answered, my agency being efficient only when my mind is passive, and blank to both questions and answers. 

 Put your questions clearly, directly, briefly. The mixed and many kinds defeat the object of the investigator. 

 I have my photograph for sale, exhibiting my Spirit Guide's hand and arm, or form of control; taken while answering a sealed letter. "

[The terms here follow, with honorable notification that the money isreturned in all cases when the letters are not answered. ]

It will be noted that this Medium's 'Spirit-guide' requires the names infull of both Spirit and writer; I was, therefore, forced to select aSpirit who knew not only me and my ways, but also the high value that isplaced on that skull. Mindful that eminent Spiritual authority hadpronounced this skull to be that of a colored woman, I decided, afterdeliberation, to address the Spirit of W---- H----, a colored servant, who had lived over forty years in one family a faithful, blameless life, and who, when he died, carried with him the respect and regards of theentire household, and whose widow and daughters still survive in honest, humble life, and to whose ears this apparent freedom with theirhusband's and father's name will never reach. Accordingly, the followingnote was addressed to the Spirit world:

'Dear W---- H----. Can you tell me anything about the owner, when alive, of the skull here in the Library? You remember how anxious I have alwaysbeen to have my ignorance on this score enlightened. Have you anymessage to send to your wife, M---- F----? Are you happy now? Your oldfriend, Horace Howard Furness. '

This letter was put in an envelope, which was gummed and sealed withfive simple seals, without the impenetrable stitches of silk, andenclosed with the fee to Mr. Flint. It was received again in a few dayswith this note:--'Dear Sir--I gave your sealed Spirit-letter threesittings and regret to state that I have been unable to get an answer. My Guide at each sitting wrote and said, the Spirit called upon is notpresent to dictate an answer. ' The fee was also returned. 

An examination of the envelope by cutting at the edges, as in theprevious experiment, showed that the 'Spirit arm' of the Guide of Mr. Flint had not the nerve of Dr. Mansfield. I was at a loss to know why itstopped; it was going along in the removal of the seals very nicely; tobe sure the paper was tearing perilously near where the rent could bedetected from the outside, but with only a little more of Dr. Mansfield's pluck, and the Spirit of W---- H---- would have beenpresent, and the fee pocketed. However, from whatever cause, whetherfright or repentance, the 'flighty purpose was o'ertook, ' and the Mediumsupposed that a little mucilage would 'clear him of the deed. '

Next I turned to Mrs. Eleanor Martin, in Columbus, Ohio. Without writinga fresh letter, I sent her the same letter to W---- H----, which hadbeen returned to me from Mr. Flint, and the envelope was sealed in thesimple easy way with five seals, but no silk stitches. 

To this came the following response:

'Columbus, Ohio, March 25th, '85. 

... Please find enclosed your sealed letter, also the messages, and myterms. I learn from the messages, your letter was written upon theSpiritual topic. My terms being $1. 00. But in your case I find themessages are at a greater length than many and according to request ofthe Spirit "Belle" I paint the little white rose as her nature. Mosttruly, Eleanor Martin. 

First message, written by one of my Guides in Spirit for the followingpersons:

 MESSAGE. 

 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 long. 

 Ah but many sad years ago My life was burdened with woe But the seens [_sic_] through which I passed Are now with gladness overcast. 

 I was born in your earth to await The coming of a cruel fate Yes, I a true and loving wife But mine was a sad darkened life. 

 Oh a life which seemed to last To me the future, as the past, And as the lone hours drifted by My only prayer, Oh could I die. 

 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 blood. 

 My own the pain, 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 stay. 

 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 skull. 

 I can cause you many bright hours Strew your path in purest flowers For your kindness tendered me I will _always_ guard and guide thee. 

 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 rest. 

 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 kind. 

 By Blind Harry for a beautiful lady who gives the name Belle. 

 SECOND MESSAGE. 

 To my Dear friend Horace

 Horace you wonder if all is well Yes, 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 May. 

 Dear M---- tell her, 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 before. 

 Oh! 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 along, to one and all Greeting old, and young, gay, and small. 

 The bright spirit world is everywhere And to each is appointed some care To guide earth's children on their way Amid the poor, as well as the gay We dwell in fields of labor and love Guiding thousands in true relms [_sic_] above. 

 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 dear. --

 By Blind Harry. 

 For a gentleman who gives his name W---- H----. '

The sealed envelope scarcely needed to be opened at the back forinterior inspection; its exterior bore ample and all-sufficing evidencethat the seals had been broken, and the gum softened; the fingers whichhad again pressed down the gummed edge were not as unsullied as 'SisterBelle's' white rose. 

This communication from the Spirit world gave me pause. Here was foodfor reflection. It settled many points in dispute among the scientificGhosts. First: they were all right on the question of sex; but Hare, Combe and Cornelia Winnie were wrong as to color. Sister Belle is not anegress, her hair is not black and in kinks, it is golden, and its curlsare three feet in length, moreover, a _white_ rose is her emblem. Andwhat a sad domestic tragedy have I not here unearthed. In readingbetween the lines of these verses we learn that what darkened the lifeof this true and loving woman was a mercenary husband, and that thishusband survived her, and in his unhallowed greed sold her body, andthis, too, at so exorbitant a price, that it required the united pursesof three doctors to induce him to close the bargain. 

Secondly: by the message from W---- H----, that most sedate andrespectful of all respectful colored servants, the moralist may learnanew the truth that Death is a leveller of all distinctions. Not evenwhen the Emperor Charlemagne appeared at a Materializing Séance in adress-coat and standing collar, and apologetically remarked that 'Kingsleave their ermine, sir, at the door of the tomb, ' not even then wasthis great truth driven so profoundly home as when W---- H---- greeted meby my Christian name, and hailed me 'brother. '

Need it be added that I gratefully remitted to Medium Number Three adouble fee, and do yet consider myself many times her debtor? Hergratitude to me found expression in another outburst of song. 

Had the identity of the original owner of the skull been my sole object, I might well have rested content. I had found the owner, and she hadclaimed her own. She was 'Sister Belle, ' and confessed to that rarecombination of golden hair with black eyes, like Lady Penelope Rich, SirPhilip Sydney's first love. But my duty as a member of this Commissioncompelled me to complete my investigations, and make application to thefourth and last Medium for answering Sealed Letters. 

As I have stated, this Medium is also a woman, and resides inMassachusetts. Her circular directs the sealed letters to be 'wellsealed or stitched, so that they may not be opened until returned. '

To this Medium, Mrs. Eliza A. Martin, Oxford, Mass. , was sent the sameletter to W---- H---- that had been sent to her predecessor, of the samename, in Columbus, and it was put in an envelope, merely gummed andsealed, without the silk stitches. 

Within a few days I received the following note, enclosing my sealedenvelope: 'A message awaits your order from W---- H----. Please state ifyou recognize Mrs. M. F. H. --Several friends came and that name wasmentioned.... There are some words in an unknown tongue. '

The minute that I looked at the returned envelope, I felt like standinguncovered, as in the presence of genius, a genius before which MediumsOne, Two and Three paled. Nothing could excel the unsullied virginity ofthe seals, or of the gummed spaces between them. I felt that I mustproceed with the utmost caution. With a very sharp penknife I then beganto cut the edge of the envelope at one end. Scarcely had the knife beendrawn very slowly more than the half of an inch before it becamemanifest that the edge of the envelope presented more resistance thanthe simple fold of paper would make. I stopped and examined the severededges. Very delicate but very distinct traces were visible of a thinmucilage, perhaps of rice-water or of diluted gum-tragacanth. Howexquisite and how light are the touches of ethereal, Spiritual fingers!After all the trouble with my seals, when, emulating Dr. Watt's _BusyBee_, so neat I spread my wax, ' it was beginning to dawn upon me thatclairvoyant eyes, quite as much as our own, require Heaven's broadsunshine on black ink and white paper. 

The transmission of the fee brought in a few days the following:

'Dictated by the Spirit of W---- H----. 

To H. H. Furness. I found things very different here from what Iexpected. I think that is almost the universal experience. The half hasnot been told, nor can it ever be, for no language known to humanity canconvey any definite knowledge of the mysteries of the Spiritual Life. 

I remain the same toward you and all my earthly friends. Am with youfrequently. Was present in your Library with you one day recently. Isend my love to M---- F---- and to all others who knew me in earth-life. 

A friend whom we both know and respect will pass over to this sidebefore long. 

Will come to you again. '

I cannot but think that all will agree in estimating this communication, with its adroit generalization, and in its general tone as superior toany thus far received. On another sheet of paper was written:

'There is a Spirit Friend present, who gives the name of Marie St. Clair. Earth-life had not much pleasure for her, and a course ofdissapation [_sic_] and sin resulted in an untimely death. Born ofFrench parentage, and inheriting some of the peculiar characteristics ofthat people might perhaps furnish some excuse. This Spirit saysfurthermore, you have something which once belonged to her in yourpossession. 

 "Behold this ruin, 'tis a skull Once of etherial spirit full--" "Par quel ordre du Ciel, que je ne puis compendre Vous dis-je plus que je ne dois?"

Here is evidently 'a spirit of no common rate, ' of whom we might welldesire further acquaintance, albeit at the cost of losing golden-haired, black-eyed Sister Belle. But why should we talk of 'loss?' If, as Banquosays, 'there's husbandry in Heaven, ' why should we not in the'Summer-land' find one and the same skull, with frugal economy, given totwo owners?

Desirous of submitting the mother-wit of this Medium to the test ofstitched envelopes, I wrote the following:--'Is Marie St. Clair pleasedin having her skull carefully treasured here in my Library? Does itgratify her, as a Spirit, that it is mounted on black marble? Does sheever hover over it?'

This was placed in an envelope, gummed, and sealed with five seals inthe ordinary, easy-going way, and marked No. 1. 

The very same questions were repeated on another piece of paper and putin an envelope, which was stitched securely with silk, the stitchespassing through both the envelope and the paper, and carefully concealedunder the sealing wax. This was marked No. 2, and in the noteaccompanying these two envelopes, the Medium was requested to sit withNo. 1 first. The Test was the same as that to which Dr. Mansfield hadbeen subjected, and to which he had succumbed. 

The mail soon returned both envelopes, with this note:--'The reply comesto us in the affirmative to both envelopes. There is quite acommunication for you from same Spirit Friend. '

A close examination of the edges of the envelopes soon revealed the edgeat which they had been opened and closed again. That edge has beenpreserved intact for future verification, if required, and the envelopeswere opened by cutting the other edges. The seals had not been removed;as, in fact, there was no need of removing them. The paper containingthe questions had not been extracted from No. 2; it still remainedfirmly stitched to the front of the envelope. Yet the Medium hadevidently read it. Her words are 'the reply comes in the affirmative toboth envelopes, ' which is a good, fair answer. I was puzzled, it must beconfessed. Suddenly it occurred to me to try how far one could look intothe contents of the paper, supposing the end of the envelope to be open. I tried it, and lo! enough can be easily read to make out that No. 2 isa repetition of No. 1. The needle had missed taking up all the folds ofthe paper!

The communication from Marie St. Clair, which accompanied theseenvelopes, runs thus:--'To H. H. Furness. Your kindly nature has oftendrawn the Spirit of Marie to your side. I consider myself indebted toyou for certain acts which you will understand. Not that the poorinanimate thing which you have so kindly treated, is of itself of muchaccount, but your kindness has often drawn me to your side in momentswhen you little dreamed I were near. Had I met in material existence onelike yourself my past might have been far different. In this beautifullife, the sources and courses of all earthly misfortunes and sins appearto us like a figure seen in a dream. The lowest plane of Spiritual lifeis as much superior to earthly existence as sunlight is superior tostarlight. From Marie St. Clair. Please inform Mrs. Martin why you socarefully preserved the skull, and where you obtained it, and all youknow about it, and oblige yours truly, E. A. Martin. There is an acrosticupon your name waiting for you here from Marie. '

If the fair and frail Marie appears somewhat cautious in directallusions to her skull, and to her 'earth-life, ' it is certainly to hercredit that she seems to have retained no taint of mercenary greed. Shemade no demand or reference to a fee, and a second letter had to be sentto her Medium to learn the amount of my debt. This is her reply:--'Yourkind favour came duly to me, and as your message to your Spirit Friendwas delivered previously, that is, as soon as it was written, I had nofurther effort to make than to convey the following to you:

'Amants, heureux amants, voulez-vous voyager! Que ce soit aux rivesprochaines. 

Patience, je n'en ai pas quand je suis si près et si loin de vous. 

Ah! tout ce qu'il y a dans le coeur de crainte, de douleur, dedesespoir, j'ai tout deviné; tout souffert, je puis tout exprimermaintenant surtout la joie. Adieu! Marie St. Clair. '

Here end my investigations into the power of Spirits to answer sealedquestions. 

In every instance the envelopes had been opened and reclosed; it istherefore scarcely necessary to add that every instance has borne thestamp of Fraud. 

There is yet one other dark chapter, perhaps the darkest of all, whichmy duty compelled me to read. 

I began with Dr. Mansfield, in Boston; let me end with him there. 

In addition to the answering of sealed letters sent to him by mail, thisMedium exercises his Mediumistic powers on questions propounded to him, or rather to the Spirits through him, at his own home. 

His method of work, as described by several highly intelligentobservers, is somewhat as follows:--There are two tables in the room ofséance, at one of which sits the Medium, at the other the visitor. Thevisitor at his table writes his question in pencil at the top of a longslip of paper, and, after folding over several times the portion of theslip on which his question is written, gums it down with mucilage andhands it to the Medium, who thereupon places on the folded and gummedportion his left hand, and in a few minutes with his right hand writesdown answers to the concealed questions; these answers are marvels ofpertinency, and prove beyond a cavil the Clairvoyant or Spiritual powersof the Medium. So remarkable are the results of this phase ofMediumship, that through them and through the high standing andintelligence of those who believe in him, this particular Medium is atower of Spiritualistic strength. Examine my informants as narrowly aspossible, there appeared to be no possibility of fraud. The impressionhad gradually deepened in my mind that here is an instance of genuineSpiritual power. But the fraudulent character of his dealings with thesealed letters made me fear that _falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus_. 

On the 14th of May, 1885, I called on Dr. Mansfield at his house, No. 28Dartmouth Street, and was ushered into the second story front room--abedroom. There were, I think, three front windows looking on the street;at the farthest was the Medium's table, so placed sideways to thewindow, and close to it, that the full light fell on the Medium's lefthand, as he sat at it, and faced the middle of the room. In front of theMedium, as he sat at the table with his back to the wall, were the usualwriting materials, lead pencils and mucilage bottle, and beyond them, onthe edge of the table farthest from the Medium, and between him and therest of the room, was a row of books, octavos, etc. , extending the wholelength of the table and terminating in a tin box, like a deed box, withpamphlets on it. When the Medium sits at his table, this row of books isbetween him and his visitor. The table for the visitor is a small one, near one of the other windows and six or seven feet from the Medium. Onthis table were a number of strips of paper and a pencil. 

The Medium, who did not ask my name, bade me take a seat at the smalltable and write my question on one of the strips of paper, and then tofold down the paper two or three times. 

I sat down and wrote, "Has Marie St. Clair met Sister Belle in the otherworld?" I then folded that portion of the strip of paper down threetimes, and told the Medium that it was ready for the mucilage; he cameover from his table at once with a brush of mucilage, and spread itabundantly under the last fold. Then, taking the strip between his thumband forefinger, he walked with it back to his table, keeping it in mysight all the time. As soon as he took his seat and laid the strip onhis table before him, I rose and approached his table, so as to keep mypaper still in sight; _the row of books entirely intercepted my view ofit_. The Medium instantly motioned to me to return to my seat, and, Ithink, told me to do so. I obeyed, and as I did so could not repress aprofound sigh. Why had no one ever told me of that row of books? TheMedium did not sit in statue-like repose, but moved his body much, andhis arms frequently; his hands I could not see, hidden as they were, behind the row of books. After a minute or two the Medium looked up andsaid, 'I don't know whether I can get any communication from thisSpirit, ' a remark which a long experience with Slate-Writing Mediums hastaught me to regard as a highly favorable omen, and as an indicationthat they have read the question and are now about to begin the littlegame, in which I always take much interest, of experiencing greatdifficulty in obtaining the 'rapport, ' as they term it. Dr. Mansfieldfrowned, shook his head and assumed an air of great doubt andperplexity. I was certain that there would be now an ostentatiousdisplay of the strip of paper, and sure enough, in a minute more theMedium, strip in hand, came over to my table, and shook his headominously. He placed his left hand on the portion of the stripcontaining my question, and began tapping on it with his forefinger. 'Pray, tell me, ' I said, 'is that motion of your forefinger voluntary orinvoluntary?' 'It's my telegraph to 'em, ' he replied, 'getting 'em tocome. ' 'I don't want to weary you, ' I rejoined, 'but if that tappingwill bring them, _do_ keep it up! I cannot tell you how anxious I am tohear from this Spirit. ' He paused, and then made some marks, likecabalistic signs, which are still to be seen on the paper. Then thetapping was resumed. Then more cabalistic signs were made. At last hesaid, 'Put your left foot against mine, and your left knee against mine, and hook your forefinger into mine, and pull hard. ' I did so. 'Stop, ' hecried, 'is it Maria?' 'Yes, ' I replied, 'that's it, she is called"Marie. " It's Marie!' 'I have to go by the sound, ' he rejoined. We thenpulled forefingers again. 'Stop, ' he cried, 'is there a "Saint" aboutit?' 'Yes, ' I answered, 'St. Is the first part of the next name! I haveso longed to have her come to me. ' Dr. Mansfield arose, gathered up thestrip and returned to his table. I could go now unopposed and stand byhim while he wrote the following: 'I am with you my dear Bro but tooxcited to speak for a moment have patience brother and I will do thebest I can do to control. Your sister

Marie St. Clair. '

The change in kinship, and its novelty, staggered me somewhat; clearlythey manage things differently in the 'Summer-land. ' However, I masteredmy emotion. 'And now, ' I said, 'for the great question, ' and was goinghastily to my table to write it. 'Stop, ' said the Medium, 'you're tooexcited to ask that question now. Put some other questions first. Thenwhen you are calmer put the important question. ' (A clever stroke! Hedid not know enough of me or of Marie to answer _anything_ definitely--afew intermediate questions might furnish him with many a clue. ) 'But, mydear sir, ' I cried, 'what _can_ I ask about? I have but one thought inmy mind; _that_ engulfs all others. If I don't ask that, I shall have toask Marie if she minds this pouring rain, or some twaddle about theweather. ' 'Well, well, you'd better ask it then, and get it off yourmind, and we'll see how far Marie can answer it. ' (Here let me recallthat stanza in Sister Belle's communication wherein she says:

 "My form was sold to doctors three And you have all that's left of me, " etc. )

I sat down at my table and wrote: 'Is it really true that Sister Belle'sbody was sold to three doctors?' I folded it down, carried it to theMedium's table, watched him gum it, and still remained standing at histable, but he immediately and peremptorily waved me to my seat. Againwere his hands and my strip of paper, with its _freshly gummed_ fold, completely hidden from sight, behind the row of books. Again theMedium's arms moved. He turned to the window and hastily pulled down theshade. This puzzled me. There was no sunshine to be excluded, it wasraining fast outside, the day was unusually dark, and he needed all thelight he could get. I turned and looked out of my window, and there inthe house just across the narrow street, at a window on a level withours, and commanding a full view of the Medium's table, sat a womansewing, with another, I think, standing by her. 'Bravo!' I thought, 'arenot the four Cardinal virtues, Temperance, Justice, _Prudence_ andFortitude?' and then resumed my watch inside. Dr. Mansfield finishedwriting, and then held up the slip as though for a final revision beforehanding it to me. A toothpick which he had in his mouth workedenergetically from side to side, and he gravely shook his head as inperplexity. 'I don't like this, ' he ejaculated at last, 'I don't want togive it to you. There'll be trouble here. It's very serious. Better letme tear it up. ' 'Let me see it, ' I cried, 'I promise you I'll be calm, 'and I took the strip from his fingers and read:

'Dear Brother--I fear such was the case--but--I could not say who--Ihave consulted Dr. Hare--and the far famed Benja Rush, and they agreethat the body is not in the earth--I fear darling Belle's body--is inprocess of being--wired. Marie St. Clair. '

The last word was not, I thought, quite legible, so I appealed to theMedium, and when he solemnly said 'wired, ' the utterance with which Igreeted it he probably thought was a groan, and, indeed, from theborderland of laughter, I did try to push it over into the land oftears, as hard as I could. 

My third question immediately followed: "Can you give me any informationas to where even a portion of the body is?" Again I was waved to myseat, again my strip of paper and the hands were concealed, again thearms were nervously moved. This answer I awaited with not a littleanxiety. Surely, surely, Marie St. Clair and Sister Belle would rememberthat their joint skull was in my library. They had told me so, only afew weeks before, and as that skull was known to be fifty or sixty yearsold, and their united memory of it had lasted throughout those longyears, surely that memory would not desert them now. And Dr. 'Benja'Rush, who had recently greeted me as 'townsman, ' he was present andsurely he would come to the rescue of Spiritualism, and gladly seize thechance to settle the question which he had once discussed with Combe, and Gall, and Spurzheim by bringing forward the frail Marie and thegolden-haired, black-eyed Belle as tenants in common (and uncommon) ofthe same skull. Moreover, I thought, are there not to be found inAnatomical Museums skeletons of infants with one body and two heads? Whymay not this have been an instance of one head and two bodies? To besure, one of the bodies lived in Ohio and the other in Massachusetts, but then when we have once started on a journey through the marvels ofSpiritualism, as portrayed by these four Mediums, what does such atrifle as this amount to? I had, I reflected, in all seriousness, takenno single step in the investigation of these Mediums that was not fullyauthorized by the explicit statements received from the Mediumsthemselves. I had accepted as truth what they told me was truth. IfSpiritualism is hereby wounded, it is wounded in the house of its owndisciples. 

At last my answer came: 'I am not allowed to divulge what _I_think--much less what I know--it would be productive of more harm thangood--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_ wouldnot make any noise about it--but let it pass--as a discovery of it wouldgive you pain rather than otherwise--Belle says let it pass--the_triune_ that have it bought it without knowing whose it was, and suchcare as little as they know. 

Marie St. Clair. '

I felt that it was time that a conclusion should be put to this farce, so humiliating in the thought that honest, unsuspicious, gentle men andgentle women are daily deceived by it. Nevertheless, I wished to bringthe 'wheel full circle' to this Medium's Spiritual communications ofaforetime. I recalled that Cornelia Winnie's spirit had said that shethought the skull was Dina Melish's 'top not. ' My fourth, and last, question therefore ran: 'Do you think that by any chance Dina Melishwould know?' To which the answer came: 'Well Brother, as to that She mayknow more than She may be willing to divulge--you see, Brother, itplaces Dinah in a very unpleasant position, _i. E. _, should it be noisedabroad that she was in the secret. I do not by any means censure Dinahfor what she may know, if _know_ she does. You could xamine Dinah onthat point--carefully, not allowing her to suspect your object in sodoing. You might and might not elicit some light on the matter. 

Marie St. Clair. '

14 May, '85. 

After I had handed this last question to Dr. Mansfield a slight incidentenabled me, to my own satisfaction, to note the exact instant when heread my question (he would say, 'clairvoyantly') behind his row ofbooks. He once lifted his eyes to mine, and met them full for an instantin a piercing look. I do not think he suspected that I was his formercorrespondent (I would have told him willingly who I was if he had everasked me), but the name 'Dina Melish' seemed to come back to his memory, as one that he had heard but could not localize. Of course I knew thathe had just read my question. 

I told him that these were all the questions I desired to ask him. Heexhorted me to be calm, and told me a cheerful story of a young girl'shaving been recently buried alive, of which, I infer, the moral was, that she would have found it more comfortable all round to have beensold to the doctors. I paid him his fee and left. 

In conclusion, let me add that we have by no means exhausted the lessonswhich Spiritualism, in the hands of some of its votaries, can teach us. To our purblind vision the joint ownership of one skull by two differentpersons presents a physiological problem more or less difficult ofsolution. But all difficulty vanishes as soon as 'the river is crossed. 'I derived no little comfort and much light from a Materializing Séancewhich I attended shortly afterwards in Boston, where both Marie St. Clair and Sister Belle appeared together, at the same time, and greetedme with affectionate warmth. To my inexpressible relief they were eachwell provided with skulls. They were more mature and matronly, Iconfess, than my ardent fancy had painted them, and Sister Belle's'golden curls one yard long' were changed to very straight black hair;the golden hue which Sister Belle had herself ascribed to them must havebeen due to the light in which she saw them, 'the light that never wason sea or land. '

I was pleased to find that Marie's English was excellent, without atrace of foreign accent. But this, and the matronly appearance, Ilearned subsequently were presumably due to the age, shape and nativityof the Medium through whom she materialized. For when Marie afterwardsappeared to me, as she did many times at another Medium's séances, herappearance was quite youthful, with clustering brown curls low down onher forehead, which when I once attempted to stroke I found to be fullof sharp pins; and to my expressions of gratitude that she should sokindly appear to me, she lisped in broken English: 'I am viz youolvays. ' The present of an amber necklace, with the name 'Marie'engraved on the silver clasp, obtained for me from her the writtenexpression of her pleasure that I had carefully preserved what I assuredher was 'the last thing on her neck before she passed over. ' Need I saythat this document, in Marie's own handwriting, invests the skull witheven added interest?

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS. 

 * * * * *

MATERIALIZATION. 

I think it would be difficult to find a psychological study moreinteresting than that which is afforded by a Materializing séance. Ihave never attended one that did not yield abundant food for reflection, and present one problem, at least, too deep for any solution I candevise. Although, perhaps, our first experience in such séances makesthe deepest impression, yet the novelty never wears off, nor can customstale its variety. The audiences are never wholly the same, and everyMedium has her own peculiar method. 

In the cities where the Mediums reside, and where they hold theirséances on regular days throughout the winter, the audiences are by nomeans composed only of those who go out of idle curiosity; these formbut a small segment of the 'circle, ' the majority are regularattendants, mostly those whose lives have been clouded by sorrow, andwho go thither as to a church or sanctuary, and so serious and earnestis their deportment that I cannot imagine any temptation to open levity. This unaffectedly religious character of these séances cannot fail, Ithink, to strike even the most indifferent. The careful arrangement ofthe visitors who are to compose what is termed the 'circle;' the nicebalancing of positive natures with negative natures, wherein the Mediumis guided by her delicate spiritual insight; the quiet hush; thewhispered conversation; the darkened room; the darker drapery of themysterious Cabinet, with its untold possibilities; the subdued chords ofthe dim melodeon; the soothing tones of familiar hymns, in which allvoices join; the words full of assurance of a deathless life, ofimmortal love, of reunion with earthly idols, not lost, but gone beforeonly a very little distance, and now present and impatient for theMedium's trance to enable them to return radiant with love and joy--allthese conspire to kindle emotions deeply religious in hearts that arebreaking under blows of bereavement, and of such, as I have said, themajority of the audiences are composed. Every effort is made by theMediums to heighten the effect. Before entering the Cabinet to undergoher mysterious trance, the Medium generally makes a short address, reminding the circle that this is a solemn hour, that here is theforecourt of the world beyond, thronged with living Spirits, eager toreturn, bearing visible, tangible assurance of immortality and ofenduring love, and that the mysterious agency, whereby they return, isgreatly aided by a sympathetic harmony in the circle, and so forth. TheMedium then enters the Cabinet; the curtains close; the light islowered; the organ sounds some solemn chords, gliding into the hymn, 'Nearer, my God, to Thee, ' which all join in singing. At its close thereis a hush of anticipation; and that nature must be unimpressionableindeed, that is not stirred when the dark, heavy folds of the curtainsof the Cabinet are discerned to be tremulously moving; and, as theygently part, disclose a figure veiled from head to foot in robes ofwhite. 

If the return of the heavenly visitant would but end here, I think theimpression would be deeper and more abiding. The filmy, vague outline ofthe white figure thoroughly harmonizes with all established, orthodoxnotions of ghosts, and if this were all of the apparition vouchsafed tous, we might, perhaps, have a harder problem to deal with than when theSpirit actually emerges from the Cabinet with outstretched arms ofgreeting. A substantial, warm, breathing, flesh and blood ghost, whosefoot-falls jar the floor, is slightly heterodox and taxes our credulity;if hereunto be added an unmistakable likeness to the Medium in form andfeature, many traces, I am afraid, of the supernatural and spiritualvanish. 

Mindful of our endeavour as a Commission, to have as many observers aspossible in cases demanding close observation, I never attended aMaterializing séance as a member of this Commission. Whenever I happenedto be personally known (and my ear-trumpet soon makes me a marked man), that official capacity was unavoidably imputed to me, but I neverannounced it nor claimed it. I was present merely as an observer on myown account, with the intention of making arrangements, if practicable, for séances with the rest of the Commission, if what I saw seemed to mesufficiently remarkable to justify the expense, which experience, withother Mediums in other lines, had taught me would be very considerable. I therefore took no notes, and could at this late day only after muchdifficulty furnish dates. Wherefore all that I propose in thisMemorandum is to give my own private conclusion, which is worth no morethan the conclusion of any other private individual, and to mention thetest to which I subjected all the Spirits whom I had the pleasure ofspecially 'interviewing'; as this test can be applied by any one, at anytime, at any séance, it partakes of the nature of a general truth, whichdoes not need the support of dates, or names, or places to uphold it. Isuppose I have attended between twenty and thirty Materializing séances. 

I do not hesitate to acknowledge that I have been throughout sincerelyand extremely anxious to become converted to Spiritualism. In whateverdirection my judgment is warped, it is warped in favor of that belief. Icannot conceive of the texture of that mind which would not welcome suchan indisputable proof of immortality as Spiritualism professes to holdout. 

In general, then, let me say at once and emphatically that I have neverseen anything which, in the smallest degree, has led me to suppose thata Spirit can be, as it is termed, materialized. It is superfluous to addthat I never recognized a materialized Spirit; in only two instanceshave any Spirits professed to be members of my family, and in one ofthose two instances, as it happened, that member was alive and in robusthealth, and in the other a Spirit claimed a fictitious relationship, that of niece. 

Of course this assertion applies only to those Spirits who materializedespecially for me. I do not pretend to answer for Spirits who came toother people. All that I am quite sure of is that all the Spirits whosingled me out from the circle, and emerged from the Cabinet for mybenefit, were not only abundantly 'padded round with flesh and fat, ' butalso failed utterly in any attempt to establish their individuality; andmoreover, in the instances where I had seen the Medium before sheentered the Cabinet, so closely resembled the Medium as, in my eyes, tobe indistinguishable from her. 

It is, I confess, a very puzzling problem (it is, in fact, the problemto which I alluded above) to account for the faith, undoubtedly genuine, which Spiritualists have in the personal reappearance of their departedfriends. Again and again have I asked those who have returned, from aninterview with a Spirit at the Cabinet, to their seats beside me, whether or not they had recognized their friends beyond a peradventure, and have always received an affirmative reply, sometimes stronglyaffirmative. I was once taken to the Cabinet by a woman and introducedto the Shade of her dead husband. When we resumed our seats, I could nothelp asking her: 'Are you _sure_ you recognized him?' Whereupon sheinstantly retorted, with much indignation, 'Do you mean to imply that Idon't _know_ my _husband_?' Again, at another séance, a woman, avisitor, led from the Cabinet to me a Materialized Spirit, whom sheintroduced to me as 'her daughter, her dear, darling daughter, ' whilenothing could be clearer to me than the features of the Medium in everyline and lineament. Again and again, men have led round the circles theMaterialized Spirits of their wives, and introduced them to each visitorin turn; fathers have taken round their daughters, and I have seenwidows sob in the arms of their dead husbands. Testimony, such as this, staggers me. Have I been smitten with color-blindness? Before me, as faras I can detect, stands the very Medium herself, in shape, size, form, and feature true to a line, and yet, one after another, honest men andwomen at my side, within ten minutes of each other, assert that she isthe absolute counterpart of their nearest and dearest friends, nay, thatshe _is_ that friend. It is as incomprehensible to me as the assertionthat the heavens are green, and the leaves of the trees deep blue. Canit be that the faculty of observation and comparison is rare, and thatour features are really vague and misty to our best friends? Is it thatthe Medium exercises some mesmeric influence on her visitors, who arethus made to accept the faces which she wills them to see? Or is it, after all, only the dim light and a fresh illustration of _la nuit tousles chats sont gris_? The light, be it remembered, is always dim atthese séances, and it is often made especially dim when a Spirit leavesthe Cabinet. I think I have never been able at such times to read theArabic numerals on my watch, which happen to be unusually large andpronounced. Unquestionably Spiritualists will be at no loss to explainthis puzzle; possibly they would say that I have here unconsciouslygiven one of the very best of proofs of the reality and genuineness ofMaterialization, and that my unbelief acts on the sensitive, evanescentfeatures of the Spirit like a chemical reagent, and that--but it is notworth while to weaken by anticipation their solacing arguments. 

In any statement of this problem we should bear in mind all theattending circumstances: the darkened room; the music; the singing; thepervading hush of expectation; the intensely concentrated attention; thestrained gaze at the dark Cabinet and at its white robed apparitions;and finally, the presence of a number of sympathizing believers. 

There is another fact about these séances which I think cannot fail toimpress even the most casual observer, and this is the attractive charmswhich the Cabinet seems to possess for the aboriginal Indian. This childof nature appears to materialize with remarkable facility, and, havingapparently doffed his characteristic phlegm in the happy huntinggrounds, enters with extreme zest on the lighter gambols which sometimesenliven the sombre monotony of a séance. Almost every Medium keeps anIndian 'brave' in her cohort of Spirits; in fact, there is no Cabinet, howe'er so ill attended, but has some Indian there. It is strange, too, that, as far as I know, departed black men, who might be supposed to bequite as unsophisticated as departed red men, have hitherto developedno such materializing proclivities. It is, perhaps, even more strangethat while, in my experience, Italian Spirits neither understand norspeak Italian, and French Spirits can neither comprehend nor talkFrench, and German Spirits remain invincibly dumb in German, it isreserved to Indian 'braves' to be glibly and fluently voluble in theexplosive gutturals of their own well-known tongue. 

Before a séance begins, a thorough examination of the Cabinet is alwaystendered, a privilege of which I very seldom avail myself, and hold tobe always superfluous, on the following grounds: First, if the Spiritswhich come out of the Cabinet be genuine, it is of very small moment howthey got in, and no possible scrutiny of the material structure of theCabinet will disclose the process. Secondly, if the Spirits befraudulent, the Mediums are too quick-witted and ingenious in theirmethods of introducing confederates into the Cabinet not to conceal alltraces of mechanical contrivance far too effectually to be detected inany cursory examination. It is also to be borne in mind that much can bedone under cover of the darkness, which is sometimes total for a fewminutes before the séance begins, and also that the notes of themelodeon are sufficiently deep and loud to drown not a little rustling. If the Mediums are deceitful I have always felt that in any endeavor tounmask them the odds are heavily in their favor. The methods aremanifold whereby confederates may be introduced into the Cabinet: fromabove, from below, and, enveloped in black stuff, from back parlors, rooms and closets. It is not what goes into the Cabinet which, in myopinion, demands our scrutiny but what comes out of it; it is to theSpirits to which all our tests should be applied, the Cabinet and theMedium are quite secondary. Furthermore, it should be remembered thatthose who sit nearest to the Cabinet are always staunch friends of theMedium, or known by her to be perfectly safe and harmless. 

Not infrequently a Materialized Spirit is seen to subside into the floorbetween the folds of the curtains at the opening of the Cabinet, This istermed 'de-materialization, ' and not a little mystery is ascribed to it. The mystery vanishes when we reflect how easy it is for a lithe andactive young woman so to bow down quickly, even to the very ground, asto convey the impression, when her white garments are alone visibleagainst a black background, that she has sunk into the floor. I have attimes distinctly felt the faint jar caused by the Medium's fallingbackward within the dark curtains a little too hastily. At times, whenthe Spirit is wholly within the Cabinet, and visible only through theparted folds of the curtain, the semblance of a gradual sinking isobtained by simply uniting slowly the two folds of the black curtain, beginning at the head and gradually closing them down to the feet; theroom is generally so dark that the dark curtain is indistinguishable ata little distance, and the effect of slowly falling is admirablyconveyed. In one instance, where the Spiritual garments were not white, but particolored (the Spirit was a Scotch girl and wore the tartan), theeffect of de-materializing was capitally given by the Spirit's standingjust inside the slightly parted curtains, and then allowing the wholeouter costume, even to the head-dress, to fall swiftly to the floor. Perhaps the best effect in this line, that I have seen, was on oneoccasion when a Spirit had retired within the folds of the curtain, butapparently immediately reappeared again at the opening; she had beenhabited somewhat like a nun with white bands and fillets around the headand face; thus, too, was she clad at her reappearance, but, as I satquite close to the Cabinet, I perceived that the figure was composedmerely of the garments of the former Spirit, and that there was no faceat all within the head-gear. I am sure the omission could not have beendetected at the distance at which the rest of the circle sat. Thissnow-white figure was allowed to sink very, very slowly, the darkcurtains uniting above it as it gradually sank, until only the ovalwhite head-dress around what should have been a face rested for a fewseconds on the very floor, and then suddenly collapsed. It was in thehighest degree ingeniously devised and artistically executed. 

There are also various styles of appearing as well as of disappearing. Ithink the very best and most effective of them all is where a Spiritgradually materializes before our very eyes, outside of the Cabinet, farenough, indeed, outside to give the appearance to a visitor directly infront of rising up from the very centre of the room. A minute spot ofwhite, no larger than a dollar, is first noticed on the floor; thisgradually increases in size, until there is a filmy, gauzy mass whichrises fold on fold like a fountain, and then, when it is about a footand a-half high, out of it rises a Spirit to her full height, and eitherswiftly glides to greet a loved one in the circle, or as swiftly retiresto the Cabinet. It is really beautiful, and its charm is not diminishedby a knowledge of the simplicity of the process, which, as I have satmore than once when the Cabinet was almost in profile, I soon detected. The room is very dark, the outline of the black muslin Cabinet can onlywith difficulty be distinguished even to one sitting within six feet ofit; a fold of black cloth, perhaps five feet long and four feet wide, isthrown from the Cabinet forward into the room, one end is held withinthe Cabinet at about two or three feet above the floor, and from underthe extreme opposite edge, where it rests on the floor, some white tulleis slowly protruded, a very little at first, but gradually more and moreis thrust out, until there is enough there to permit the Spirit, who hascrept out from the Cabinet under the black cloth and has been busypushing out the white tulle, to get her head and shoulders well withinthe mass, when she rises swiftly and gracefully, and the dark cloth isdrawn back into the Cabinet. I always want to applaud it; it ischarming. 

On one occasion, a Spirit tried this pretty mode of materialization, notdirectly in front of the Cabinet, but at the side quite close to where Isat. The Cabinet was merely a frame to which were attached black muslinor cloth curtains, and a Spirit can emerge at the side quite asconveniently as in front. Unfortunately this time, through someheedlessness, the Spirit did not creep out of the frame-work withsufficient care, and some portion of her garments must have caught whenshe was only on her knees. I never shall forget the half-comic, half-appealing, feminine glance as her eyes looked up into mine, whenshe was only partially materialized and some plaguey nail had caught herangel robe. It was very hard not to spring to her assistance; but suchgallantry would have been excessively ill-timed, so I was forced to sitstill while the poor _animula, vagula, blandula_, worked herself freeand arose unfettered by my side. 

Perhaps this is as fitting a place as any to mention the test whereby Ihave tried the Spirits who have come to me. 

As this same lovely Spirit arose and looked graciously down on me andheld out her hands in welcome, I arose also to my feet, and peeringanxiously into her face, asked, 'Is this Olivia?' 'Yes, ' she softlymurmured in reply. Then ensued the following conversation which Ireproduce as faithfully as I can. It was broken off once by the Spirit'sretiring into the Cabinet, but resumed when she again appeared to me. 

'Ah, Olive dear, how lovely of you to materialize! Did you really wantto come back?' 'Very much, of course, ' she answered. 'And do youremember the sweet years of old?' 'All of them, ' she whispered. 'Do youremember, ' I continued, 'the old oak near Sumner-place?' [A happy hit, in the longitude of Boston!] 'Yes, indeed, I do, ' was the low reply, asher head fell gently on my shoulder. 'And do you remember, Olive dear, whose names were carved on it?' 'Yes; ah, yes!' 'Oh, Olive, there's onething I want so much to ask you about. Tell me, dear, if I speak ofanything you don't remember. What was the matter with you thatafternoon, one summer, when your father rode his hunter to the town, andAlbert followed after upon his; and then your mother trundled to thegate behind the dappled grays. Do you remember it, dear?' 'Perfectly. ''Well, don't you remember, nothing seemed to please you that afternoon, you left the novel all uncut upon the rosewood shelf, you left your newpiano shut, something seemed to worry you. Do you remember it, dearone?' 'All of it, yes, yes. ' 'Then you came singing down to that oldoak, and kissed the place where I had carved our names with many vows. Tell me, you little witch, who were you thinking of all that time?' 'Allthe while of you, ' she sighed. 'And do you, oh, do you remember that youfell asleep under the oak, and that a little acorn fell into your bosomand you tossed it out in a pet? Ah, Olive dear, I found that acorn, andkissed it twice, and kissed it thrice for thee! And do you know that ithas grown into a fine young oak?' 'I know it, ' she answered softly andsadly, 'I often go to it!' This was almost too much for me, and as mymemory, on the spur of the moment, of Tennyson's _Talking Oak_ wasgrowing misty, I was afraid the interview might become embarrassing forlack of reminiscences, so I said, 'Dearest Olivia, that is so lovely ofyou. There, be a good girl, good-bye now. You'll surely come and see meagain the next time I come here, won't you?' 'Yes, indeed, I will. ' Ireleased my arm from encircling a very human waist, and Olive lifted herhead from my shoulder, where she had been speaking close to my ear, andde-materialized. 

Marie St. Clair, who, on Spiritual authority as I have shown above, shares the ownership with Sister Belle of 'Yorick's' skull in mypossession, has never failed to assent whenever I ask a Spirit if it beshe. To be sure, she varies with every different Medium, but that isonly one of her piquant little ways, which I early learned to overlookand at last grew to like. She is both short and tall, lean and plump, with straight hair and with curls, young and middle-aged, so that now itaffords me real pleasure to meet a new variety of her; but in all hervarieties she never fails to express her delight over my guarding withcare that which was 'the last thing on her neck before she passed over. 'I was extremely anxious to obtain a written acknowledgment of thispleasure from Marie, and accordingly I took with me to one of theséances a little trinket, and told the Spirit that I would give it toher if she would just write down for me a few words expressive of thispleasure, and, as she was disappearing into the Cabinet, I thrust awriting-tablet and a pencil into her hand. Before the séance closed, shereappeared to me, and handing me a paper claimed my promise. In fullfaith I gave her the little breast-pin, and after the séance, to mychagrin, I found the writing on the paper was not from her, but amessage from my 'father, ' announcing that he had 'found the next life agreat truth, ' which was, certainly, cheering, in view of the fact thathe was enjoying the present in so remarkably hearty and healthy amanner. 

For the next séance I provided an amber necklace, on whose clasp I had'Marie' engraved, and when the Spirit of the fair French girl appeared, I taxed her with her naughty, deceitful ways, and told her that I wouldnot give her the necklace, which I had brought for her, until she gaveme what I asked for, in her own writing. In a very few minutes shereappeared and handed me a paper, whereon she had written: 'I am so gladyou have kept them so nicely, Your Marie. ' (As her skull was shared bySister Belle, I suppose Marie was strictly logical, if ungrammatical, inreferring to it as 'them. ') It was enough; in a few minutes after, Mariereappeared wearing the amber beads glistening round her neck. 

No sooner had I given the necklace than occurred another illustration ofthe remarkable and amiable pliancy with which Materialized Spirits willanswer to any name with which they are addressed. The Medium whoconducted the séance came to me and said, 'There's a Spirit in theCabinet who says she's your niece. ' Very thoughtlessly I replied, 'But Ihaven't any niece in the Spirit world. ' The instant after I had spoken, I felt my mistake. You must never repel any Spirit that comes to you. Itthrows a coolness over your whole intercourse with that particularSpirit-band; no Spirit from it will be likely to come to you again. Nosurface of madrepores is more sensitive to a touch than a Cabinet fullof Spirits to a chilling syllable of failure. To regain my lostposition, therefore, I said hastily, 'But can it be Effie?' (It was amere hap-hazard name; I know no 'Effie. ') The Medium went to the Cabinetand returned with the answer, 'She says she's Effie, and she wants tosee you. ' Of course, I went with alacrity to where the curtains of theCabinet stood open, and there, just within it, saw a Spirit whom Irecognized as having appeared once before during the evening with Marie, when the latter had materialized as a sailor-boy, and the two had danceda Spiritualist horn-pipe to the tune of 'A Life on the Ocean Wave. ' 'Oh, Effie dear, ' I said, 'is that you?' 'Yes, dear Uncle, I wanted so muchto see you. ' 'Forgive me, dear, ' I pleaded, 'for having forgotten you. ''Certainly I will, dear Uncle, and won't you bring me a necklace, too?''Certainly, dear, ' I replied, 'when I come here again. ' I have neverbeen there since. 

Thus is illustrated what will be, I think, the experience of every onewho cares to apply this test to Materialized Spirits. When theinvestigator is unknown to the Medium, a Spirit materialized throughthat Medium will confess to any name in the heavens above or the earthbeneath, in the world of fiction or the world of reality. Of course, itwould not do to ask a Spirit whether or not it were some well-knownpublic, or equally well-known fictitious, character. You would berepelled if you should ask a Spirit if it were 'Yankee Doodle, ' but I amby no means sure that it would not confess to being 'Cap'en Good'in, 'who accompanied Yankee Doodle and his father on their trip to town, andwhose name is less familiar in men's mouths. All the good, earnest, simple-hearted folk who attend these séances ask the Spirits, when theyappear to them for the first time, if they are father, mother, brother, husband, wife, or sister, and the Spirit will in every case confess thekinship asked for. But, as I have just said, the investigator need notrestrict himself to his family, his friends, or his acquaintances. Lethim enter the world of fiction, or of poetry, or of history, he has butto call for whomsoever he will, and the Materialized Spirit will answer:'Lo! here am I!'

Let me strengthen this with the following additional illustration: Notlong ago at a Materializing séance where I was, I think, unknown toeveryone, certainly to the Medium, a Spirit emerged from the Cabinet, clad in flowing white robes, and advanced towards me with a waveringgait, which could be readily converted into a tottering walk, if Ishould perchance ask if it were my great-grandmother, or could beinterpreted as the feeble incertitude of a first materialization, if Ishould perchance descend the family tree and ask for a more youthfulscion. I arose as it approached and asked: 'Is this Rosamund?' 'Yes!'replied the Spirit, still wobbling a little, and in doubt whether toassume the role of youth or of old age. 'What! Fair Rosamund!' Iexclaimed, throwing into my voice all the joy and buoyancy I couldmaster. The hint to the Spirit was enough. All trace of senilityvanished, and with equal joyousness she responded 'Yes, it's indeedRosamund!' Then I went on, 'Dearest Rosamund, there's something I wantso much to ask you. Do you remember who gave you that bowl just beforeyou died?' Here Fair Rosamund nodded her head gaily and pointed herfinger at me. 'Oh, no, no, no, ' I said, 'you forget, Fair Rosamund, Iwasn't there then. It was at Woodstock. ' 'Oh, yes, yes, ' she hastilyrejoined, 'so it was; it was at Woodstock. ' 'And it was Eleanor whooffered you that bowl. ' 'To be sure, I remember it now perfectly. It wasEleanor. ' 'But Rosamund, Fair Rosamund, what made you drink that bowl?Had you no suspicions?' 'No, I had no suspicions. ' And here she shookher head very sadly. 'Didn't you see what Eleanor had in her otherhand?' 'No. ' 'Ah, Fair Rosamund, I'm afraid she was a bad lot. ' 'Indeedshe was!' (with great emphasis). 'What cruel eyes she had!' 'Hadn't she, though!' 'How did she find you out?' 'I haven't an idea. ' 'Ah, FairRosamund, do you remember how beautiful you were [here the Spiritsimpered a little] after you were dead, and how the people came from farand near to look at you?' 'Yes, ' said Fair Rosamund, 'I looked down onthem all the while. ' And here she glided back into the Cabinet. 

It is not impossible that a Spiritualist might urge that the test whichI apply is not a fair one--that guile will beget guile, that the Spiritsmeet me as I meet them. 

But what other possible way have I of finding out who the Spirits are, when they do not tell me in advance, but by asking them? Whenever theyhave been announced to me as this or that Spirit, I invariably treatthem as the Spirits of those whom they assert themselves to be, and, inmy conclusions, am guided only by the pertinency of their answers to myquestions. Whenever William Shakespeare appears to me (and, by the way, let me here parenthetically note, as throwing light on a vexed question, that Shakespeare in the Spirit-world 'favors' the Chandos Portrait, evento the two little white collar strings hanging down in front; his Spirithas visited me several times, and such was his garb when I saw him mostdistinctly); when, I repeat, Shakespeare materializes in the Cabinet forme, do I not always most reverently salute him, and does he notgraciously nod to me--until I venture most humbly to ask him what themisprint, 'Vllorxa' in _Timon of Athens_ stands for, when he alwaysslams the curtains in my face? (I meekly own that perhaps he isjustified. ) Have I ever failed in respectful homage to GeneralWashington? Did I ever evince the slightest mistrust of Indian 'braves?'

When a Spirit comes out of the Cabinet especially to me, how am I toknow, or to find out, who it is but by asking? If it be not the Spiritthat I name, will it not, if it has a shred of honesty, set me right?What hinders it from telling me just who it is? If it be the Spirit ofmy great-grandmother, it can be surely no satisfaction to her, after allthe bother of materialization, to hold converse with me as the Spirit ofSally in our Alley; and if she be, in every sense of the word, a'spirity' old lady, she will instantly undeceive me, and 'let me knowwho I am talking to. ' But why should I anticipate deceit at Spiritualhands? If William Shakespeare can appear to me, why not Fair Rosamund?Hereupon a Spiritualist may maintain that if the Spirit said she wasFair Rosamund, and displayed a familiarity with the incidents of thatfrail woman's life and death, she probably was Fair Rosamund. So be it. I yield, and will go farther, and hereafter find no more difficulty, than in her case, in Tennyson's Olivia, Marie St. Clair, and in theheroes and heroines of Scheherezade's Thousand and One Nights. 

Although I have been thus thwarted at every turn in my investigations ofSpiritualism, and found fraud where I had looked for honesty, andemptiness where I had hoped for fulness, I cannot think it right to passa verdict, universal in its application, where far less than theuniverse of Spiritualism has been observed. My field of examination hasbeen limited. There is an outlying region claimed by Spiritualists whichI have not touched, and into which I would gladly enter, were there anyprospect that I should meet with more success. I am too deeply imbuedwith the belief that we are such stuff as dreams are made on, to beunwilling to accept a few more shadows in my sleep. Unfortunately, in myexperience, Dante's motto must be inscribed over an investigation ofSpiritualism, and all hope must be abandoned by those who enter on it. 

If the performances which I have witnessed are, after all, in theiressence Spiritual, their mode of manifestation certainly places themonly on the margin, the very outskirts of that realm of mystery whichSpiritualism claims as its own. Spiritualism, pure and undefiled, if itmean anything at all, must be something far better than Slate Writingand Raps. These grosser physical manifestations can be but the mere oozeand scum cast up by the waves on the idle pebble, the waters of aheaven-lit sea, if it exist, must lie far out beyond. 

The time is not far distant, I cannot but think, when the more elevatedclass of Spiritualists will cast loose from all these physicalmanifestations, which, even if they be proved genuine, are but littleremoved from Materialism, and eventually Materializing Séances, held onrecurrent days, and at fixed hours, will become unknown. 

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS. 

INDEX. 

Advertisement calling for mediumsAppendix

Briggs, Mr. Fred. , medium

Caffray, Mr. Joseph, medium

Flint, Mr. R. W. , mediumFullerton, Prof. G. S. , on the Slade-Zoellner investigationFurness, H. H. , on materialization On mediumistic development On Slade

Independent slate writing

Kane, Mrs. Margaret FoxKeeler, Mr. P. L. O. A. , mediumKeeler, Mr. W. M. , mediumKellar, Mr. HarryKnerr, Dr. , on slate writingKoenig, Prof. Geo. A. , about Mrs. Thayer

Leidy, Prof. Joseph, about Mrs. Thayer On mediumsLetter from Mrs. KaneLetters, sealedLord, Mrs. Maud E. , medium

Mansfield, Dr. JamesMartin, Mrs. Eliza A. , mediumMartin, Mrs. Dr. EleanorMaterializationMediumistic development

Names of commissioners

Patterson, Mrs. S. E. , mediumPhotographs, spiritualPowell, Mr. , mediumPreface to the Appendix

Rappings, spiritReport of commissionRothermel, Dr. 

Screen, use of by KeelerSealed lettersSlade, Dr. Henry, examined by Dr. Pepper letter from personal appearance examination of resolution of commission in regard toSlate writingSpirit rappingsSpiritual photographs

Thayer, Mrs. M. B. , mediumTricks of jugglers of Slade

Wells, Mrs. , medium

Zoellner, Slade-, report on calling attention to in report