LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 DDQ]ibfl3ba25 
 
•>- % vow V" 
 
 
 °o 
 
 
 « : 
 
 
^ >, 
 
 o V • ^mntC/fl - ^ or 
 
 ^ -111"* V** 
 
 'V \ 
 
 W 
 
 
 *^cv 
 
 
 
 "W 
 
 ' *° °w '..•* A <. '..7* 
 
 «fev* 
 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter. Page. 
 
 I. Curing my Mother, when a child. 7 
 
 II. My Father's gift. Tests. Prediction of the 
 Cholera at Boston, and cures. 12 
 
 III. My School days. Falling down in Trances. 
 Writing in different Languages. 17 
 
 IV. Tests of the Dying. Shut up in a Tomb. 20 
 
 Y. Death of my Father, Mother and Sister, Spir- 
 itual appariton of my Sister. 22 
 
 VI. The Rochester Eappings. Investigating Spirit- 
 ualism. Being Tortured. Developed as a Test 
 Medium. My Husband a Spiritualist. 27 
 
 VII. Death of Annie, predicted. Entranced for forty 
 day3, and forty nights. Cured by the Spirits. 86 
 
 VIII. A Clairvoyant Physician. Looking for Fraud. 
 Trying to fool the Influence. 44 
 
 IX. Taking on Diseases. Magnetized Medicines. 
 
 Remarkable Cures,-metal poison, the lizard. 49 
 
 X. Rappings in Church. Our New Home. More 
 Cures. Death of my Husband. 59 
 
 XI. Death of Willie. Eddie at Sea -falling from the 
 Mast. 69 
 
 XI T. The Spiritual Hearse and Hacks. Death of 
 Eddie, predicted. 71 
 
 XIII. Materialization, my experiences. 7(> 
 
 XI V. Spiritualism— abridgment of a lecture given by 
 William Taylor, through my organism. 78 
 
MRS, DR. JANE B. PACKER. 
 
* 
 
 - • 
 
 LIFE 
 
 AND 
 
 SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, 
 
 — OF — 
 
 MRS. DR. JANE B. PACKER, 
 
 Clairvoyant Physician, 
 
 TAUNTON, MASS. 
 
 TAUNTON, MASS. 
 SWEET PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 
 1892. 
 
♦« €* 
 
 COPYRIGHTED BY 
 SWEET PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 — 1S'.)2. — 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In presenting this book to the public, I desire to 
 state that it is published at the earnest request of raj 
 many friends and acquaintances, and of my hundreds 
 of patients who are aware of my wonderful life. It 
 is published in part, for the benefit and uplifting of 
 humanity in general, and not only showing them what 
 a medium has to contend with in persecutions bodily, 
 as well as persecutions by those who sometimes speak 
 ill of mediums, but hope its readers will gain some- 
 thing from its pages that will assist them in showing re- 
 spect to these instruments which God has given them 
 and in helping them to seek the truth; and its con- 
 tents I hope will help in proving and extending the 
 Spiritual philosophy, hoping that those who have not 
 looked into this great truth "Spirit Communion," will 
 after reading this little volume, try and investigate this 
 subject and test its claims, the truth which cannot be 
 doubted, as has been acknowledged by the most intel- 
 igent minds in the world. Others may believe and 
 say as they like, but I know that Spirits do return un- 
 der proper conditions and converse with us. 
 
In this work I give my spiritual experiences and in- 
 cidents of my life from birth; my persecutions while a 
 Test medium and Clairvoyant Physician for the past 
 thirty-five years. I have not aspired to make this 
 book great, but truthful in all its chapters, giving in 
 its pages what actually transpired during my life. I 
 know that many will criticise its pages with doubts 
 as to its truthfulness, and to these I would say that it 
 all can be easily proven when desired. My life in all 
 probability is one of the most wonderful of any medi- 
 um living, at least not surpassed if ever equaled in its 
 peculiar incidents, and strange as it may seem to many 
 outside of those interested in this subject, I would say 
 that the experiences of my life as herein given, are 
 "facts" which of themselves are the most extraordina- 
 ry events ever presented in a volume in the life of a 
 medium; and now after years of usefulness in adminis- 
 tering to the sick and suffering, and relieving their dis- 
 jses by the great gift that was bestowed upon me, 
 I am ready when called by the Great Spirit above, to 
 leave this world for my spirit home where my dear 
 husband and children are waiting to greet me. 
 
 Mrs. Dr. Jane P. Packer. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 How do, brave! glad to see you! come to get 
 scratchums about my medie ? that's good ! I Lave come 
 from the hunting grounds in the spirit land to speak 
 to the pale faces in earth life, — to introduce myself (to 
 those who do not know me,) as the medie's spirit con- 
 trol, as her doctor and adviser, and to open the talkum 
 sheets with a short history of myself, and introduce 
 the medie, who has been my instrument to doctor 
 through for the past thirty-five years. It may seem 
 strange to those pale faces not yet interested in this 
 science — '■ spirit return," for an Indian to return to 
 earth through her organism, and give this introduction 
 to her remarkable life, as a medium, but as the pale- 
 faces are thinking, watching and investigating for them- 
 selves, into one of the Great Spirit's mysteries. — life, 
 they will soon find the light which others have, and 
 will soon be on their trail. I will say to those who do 
 not know me, that I was an Indian Chief of the Mo- 
 hawk tribe of red men, when in earth life, and my name 
 "Joe.Pickalo," can be found back in the early history 
 of this country; during my earth life, while wandering 
 through the forests alone, having strayed from my tribe 
 
I was suddenly attacked by a large rattle snake, and 
 was bitten on the arm, while killing it; I immediately 
 looked around in the forest, for an herb to apply to the 
 wound, but could not find what I was seeking after, and 
 turned my steps towards finding my tribe, but my arm 
 commenced to swell after a time, and I was overcome 
 by the poison, and fell to the ground, and death re- 
 leased me trom the body, and I was dead to this world 
 but alive in spirit, which is the real life principal of 
 nature; my body was afterwards found by my brothers; 
 after I saw that I was a spirit, I learned my mission 
 was to return and do good to the pale faces, by curing 
 the sick, and in my roamings in the spirit world, (which 
 is near and connected with your world,) I came in con- 
 tact with this squaw when a little papoose, (child,) and 
 I have followed her through life, intending to use her 
 for the good of humanity when the proper time came; 
 she was born a medie, and had a brain which could be 
 used when very young, and was used by us then, and 
 cured her mother. The masses of the people do not 
 know of the good this squaw has done in the world, 
 — curing the pale faces without wampum, (money) to 
 all who came to her, and these talkum sheets give but a 
 small idea of the wonderful cures she has made; she 
 is a christian in her works, although not a professed 
 one of your churches, but of the Great Spirit that per- 
 meates all space; I will now help the medie place her 
 life and experiences before you. Joe Dickalo. 
 
My Life, and Spiritual Experiences. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 CURING MY MOTHER, WHEN A CHILD. 
 
 In writing a history of my eventful life, it would be 
 essential to take the reader back with me to my start- 
 ing or beginning in life, as it were, in order to show 
 that the "spiritual gift" was born with me from the 
 first endowment of life, and to show that this gift was 
 to be used in the future, for the benefit and good of hu- 
 manity; also shown to exist to a certain degree in my 
 parents' organism, and also through my own fami- 
 ly in visions and predictions. Spirit gifts are born 
 with life naturally, and not acquired afterwards as many 
 people suppose; almost every family has some one a- 
 mong them, possessing mediumistic gifts in certain di- 
 rections, but have not the organization adapted for the 
 spirit world to immediately act and communicate 
 through, to give the truths of this great phenomena, 
 and the world the benefits that may be derived from 
 its use, — in solving the source, and close of this life — 
 
8 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 the mistery of death ; casting aside the doubts of the 
 mourners; and turning faith into knowledge, crowned 
 with facts, — but by being developed, the organization 
 by its sensitiveness, can then respond to the call of the 
 loved ones, and their message is received like the tel- 
 egraph with two operators, — one to send, the other to 
 receive. 
 
 In my own case the gift was of unusual power, and 
 my organism and brain when born was so sensitive, it 
 was adapted perfectly to its almost immediate use, and 
 at a very early age as will be seen, which is of very 
 exceptionable occurrence. My parents were born in 
 London, England; their names were Edward and Jo- 
 anna Knight; my mother was the seventh daughter of 
 her family, and possessed mediumistic gifts, but did 
 not understand it at that time. In the year 1818, my 
 parents moved to America and settled at St: Johns, N 
 B. After living here for about a year, a son was born 
 to them, in the year 1819, and was named John; and 
 about two years later 1821, a daughter was born, and 
 named Catherine; three years after, 1824, another 
 daughter was born, and named Jane, which is myself; 
 when I was about six months old, my parents moved 
 to Portland, Me., where another daughter was born in 
 the year 1827, and named Anna Maria, she being the 
 the last and youngest child. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 9 
 
 My sisters like myself, were thus daughters of the 
 seventh daughter, and while my sisters showed no unu- 
 sual incident at birth, or mediumistic gifts, I was born 
 with a veil which was tied at the throat in a bow-knot. 
 In Portland is where my spiritual gift, and mediumis- 
 tic r* owers were first forced to show themselves and my 
 brain and speech used by some invisible power, at the 
 age of only one year, the event being the giving of a 
 prescription, and saving my mother's life; at the time, 
 she was taken very sick, and attacked with inflamma- 
 tory rheumatism; the physicians who attended, could 
 do nothing for her, and gave her up, stating that she 
 must be sent to the hospital, which might save her life 
 
 One afternoon while the family were sitting in the 
 room where I was lying in my cradle, and my mother 
 in her sick bed, I was heard to speak in plain words— 
 in a man's voice which said: "get pencil and paper, and 
 I will cure her; no need of sending her to the hospital" 
 referring to my mother. My folks were of course sur- 
 
 I prised as well as alarmed, and did not know what to 
 make of such remarks from a child without speech, but 
 when the sentence was repeated by the invisible agency 
 with more firmness, the paper and pencil were brought 
 and a prescription taken down, given by the strange 
 voice, and then it was taken to the druggists and com- 
 pounded, and was given to my mother, perhaps out 
 
10 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 of curiosity, which in a short time cured her, and saved 
 her life, and the visit to the hospital was given up. 
 
 Neighbors and the physicians upon hearing of the 
 strange occurrence before my mother had been given 
 any medicine, came in, and many remarked that I had 
 been born idiotic, and that I would always be crazy and 
 intimated that I ought to be quietly put out of the way. 
 I continued to act strangely and the voice gave instrc- 
 tions occasionally during my mother's sickness, and af- 
 ter I had prescribed for her, but when a few weeks had 
 elapsed, and my mother arose from her sick bed entire- 
 ly cured, there was great curiosity among the physi- 
 cians to examine me, and I was taken from my cradle 
 and examined by them, and also by phrenologists, but 
 I was pronounced a perfectly healthy child, but they 
 could not account for the strange use of my speech and 
 my knowledge whereby I cured my mother of that 
 which baffled the physicians' skill, but pronounced it 
 a wonderful cure, and a puzzle to them— as it is to-day 
 with those where superstition exists, and the law of in- 
 vestigation is not used for the progress and develop- 
 ment of the forces of nature and the invisible power be- 
 hind it. The same invisible power or influence as I will 
 call it, came several times afterwards, and cured cases 
 of sickness in our family the s;une way —by prescrip- 
 tion. I was looked upon by friends and neighbors of 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 11 
 
 my parents as something they could not explain or ac- 
 count for, unless it was the devil, but my folks thought 
 it was certainly a beautiful devil to do the good he had 
 done for them and saved a life. 
 
12 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 My parents lived in Portland for about three years,, 
 when they moved to Boston, Mass., where my fatl er 
 went into business for himself, making cork heel boots 
 which were worn in those days. My father was the 
 only one of our family through whom the Spiritual Gift 
 manifested bt sides myself; my father's gift was that of 
 v'clairordiance" or "eeeiLg," and he could see spirits, 
 but did not know what they were at that time, and 
 were called ghosts; he could see and describe them 
 perfectly, and seemed to converse with them and re- 
 ceive communications, and especially on his way home 
 from the shop at night, he would meet with many. 
 
 My own powers seemed to grow more prominent as 
 my age advanced and I began to give some remarkable 
 tests when I was about three years of age. One eve- 
 ning a Mr. Cumisky who lived down stairs in the same 
 house with us, came up stairs to see my father and 
 while conversing with him I suddenly asked him if he 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 13' 
 
 was going in the water? he said no, not as he knew of 
 I told him to be careful as I saw him in the water and 
 he was drown ding, and that he would be drowned the 
 next night in the river n^ar the bridge; this was not a 
 very pleasant thought for him and he passed it off joke 
 ingly it coming from a child, and thought no more a- 
 bout it, and after a while went down stairs. 
 
 The next night as my father was returning home 
 from his shop quite late, a ghost as they c.tlled them 
 appeared and glided along with him, and he soon rec- 
 ognized Mr. Cumisky who had called the night before, 
 who said, I was drowned to-night at the bridge, come 
 with me and I will show you where my body is; when 
 they came to the bridge which my father crossed on 
 his way home, the ghost said I was drowned here Mr. 
 Knight and after giving full particulars said, my body 
 lies there, pointing to a place in the water near the 
 bridge, your child was right, he then suddenly disolved 
 and was gone as quick as he had come. 
 
 My father immediately came home it being then a- 
 bout twelve o'clock, and was met at the door by Mrs. 
 Cumisky who said, have you seen Mr. Cumisky, Mr. 
 Kuigb f ? My father said yes, but — he then fainted 
 Miid fell to the floor and my folks knew that something 
 had happened; he was carried up stairs and after com- 
 ing too, he informed Mrs. Cumisky of the affair, which 
 
11 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 convinced her that her husband was dead. The next 
 morning my father and several neighbors went down to 
 the river and found the body which lay near the bridge 
 in the water ^here the ghost or spirit had pointed. 
 
 Another occasion of a ghost appearing and con vers 
 iDg with my father was while watching in the cemetary 
 In those days it was the custom to choose three men 
 to watch at the graves of the dead to prevent stealing 
 of the bodies; one night my father was appointed with 
 two others to watch at the grave of a gentleman who 
 had just died, and on the first night while watching, 
 the spirit of the gentleman suddenly appeared before 
 them and thanked them for their kindness, and said 
 his body would be of no use to the doctors after three 
 nights as the ground sweat would reach it; the spirit 
 appeared at intervals, and during the night the doc- 
 tors came to secure the body when the spirit again ap- 
 peared and frightened them from the grounds, and for 
 a time body stealing was given up by the doctors. 
 The above two instances shows that my father had the 
 gift of seeing spirits, and at times receive their mes- 
 sages, but not knowing their time character tiny were 
 called ghosts. 
 
 During my life as a child from three years of age, I 
 gave many wonderful tests similar to that of Mr. Cum- 
 isky's; I would keep track of my father's business 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. i5 
 
 when he was out of the city, without leaving the house 
 I would tell my mother where he was, who he was talk- 
 ing to, when he had finished his business and started 
 for home, and when he would arrive. I would look af- 
 ter his shop and upon his return, would tell him what 
 his help had been doing while he was away, and he 
 would take me on his knee and ask me to tell him all 
 about it. On one occasion I told him of one of the 
 men who had stolen some money from the drawer, the 
 amount taken, and described the man ; when my fath- 
 er went down to the shop the next morning upon ques- 
 tioning the party he owned up to it, and discharged. 
 
 When I was about five years of age, I predicted the 
 great cholera epidemic that visited Bostou about 1830 
 I predicted it a year in advance, and that hundreds of 
 people would die, and told my mother that hundreds 
 I would cure by a prescription which would be given 
 through my organism, and for her to be prepared to 
 visit the sick with this medicine which would cure them 
 when the disease came, the prescription was given and 
 my mother made the medicine and was out looking af- 
 ter the sick and instructing the nurses, night and day, 
 and she did not lose a case during the time the disease 
 lasted, but hundreds of cases were lost by the physi- 
 cians. Was a child of this age capable and skillful e- 
 noudi without education, to handle such a disease as 
 
16 Mt' LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 this ? Was there not an intelligence of greater power 
 working through this child's brain to handle this dis- 
 ease so successfully, and even to foretell its coming ? 
 There is no other reason for such knowledge but an in- 
 telligence working beyond the child; 
 
 My predictions proved so true that I gave at various 
 times, and my mother was so successful with the sick, 
 that I was called upon by a great many people to tell 
 them something of interest; among my callers was an 
 elderly gentleman then known as "Old Constable Reed" 
 of Boston, (whom many will remember) and taking me 
 on his knee, would ask me to tell him where he could 
 find prisoners he was looking after; he would give me 
 candy and pennies for the information, and would then 
 take me in his carriage for a ride and ask me to direct 
 him to the streets and buildings where his prisoners 
 were hiding, he would then come with policemen and 
 arrest them. I informed my mother about her folks 
 who lived in England years ago, and who had died be- 
 fore I was born ; I would give their full names, de- 
 scribe them perfectly, give the place where each were 
 born, and give the names of the parties who took care 
 of my mother when a child, after her parents died. I 
 would tell my mother when she would have company, 
 several days in advance, and give the names of those 
 who were coming. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 17 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 MY SCHOOL DAYS. 
 
 My gift progressed in this way until I was about sev- 
 en years old, when I was sent to school, but I could 
 not seem to learn anything by studying my books, I 
 would know my lessons without study; it seemed to 
 be repeated to me or spoken in my ears, sounding sim- 
 ilar to the present telephone, only not so distinct. I 
 would write compositions upon any subject given, and 
 would write in three different languages,, viz: French, 
 German, and Spanish, which, puzzled the teacher to 
 account for, and the people who had heard of my pe- 
 culiar ari ties. My teacher would punish me and box 
 my ears because I repeated my lessons without seem- 
 ing to study them, and for my strange conduct, which 
 I could not help; upon gaining the head of my class, 
 I would be sent back to the foot again, much to the 
 surprise of the other scholars; I was far in advance of 
 them or the teacher, and would tell some of them their 
 
18 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 lessons and to spell correctly. When writing compo 
 sitions several times, the influence that was at work 
 through me would call the teacher a fool for using me 
 so; I told her I heard voices which gave me my lesson 
 without studying, to which she would tell me to stop 
 such talk and attend to my books. 
 
 I would fall on the floor in school at times in what 
 they called fits, — but was simply trances which are so 
 common at the present day, and a large majority of the 
 cases the subjects are pronounced as dead, because no 
 trace of life is visable, as in my own case, which will 
 be found further on ; I would also be taken in these 
 tiances sometimes on the str( et when going home from 
 school, and would be taken home and would lay in 
 them from two to three days, and sometimes even a 
 week; after coming out of them I seemed real bright 
 and cheerful, and would remember everything as if 
 nolhing Lad happened to me; while in this state I left 
 my body aparently, in spirit, and would tell my par- 
 ents after coming out of the tiances, the visit I Lad 
 made to some place, and what I had seen and heard, 
 which invaribly proved correct, upon investigating the 
 affair and circumstances at the time of my entrancement 
 
 At school my teacher became so severe with me, I 
 complained to my parents and my fatlier Lad an inter- 
 view with her, after which sLe treated me somewhat 
 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, 19 
 
 better; she suggested to my father that I ought to be 
 examined by a physician and a phrenologist, and see 
 what the trouble was with my head, and to pacify her 
 he said she could do so if she desired to; one day a 
 physician was called into the school, and I was taken 
 out and obliged to go through another examination, 
 and then again by a phrenologist, but they could find 
 nothing the matter with my head, but they said I was 
 a queer subject and a peculiar child; I was made to 
 carry heavy boxes on my head, and many very amus 
 iug methods used to help their explanation as to the 
 cause of my peculiararities. 
 
 One day when the teacher was about to punish me 
 for something I did which displeased her, I fell into 
 one of my fits, (trances,) and upon coming out of it af- 
 ter a time I told her that her father was taken very sick 
 giving his full name and where he lived out of the city 
 and that he could not get well again, and would die; I 
 giving the day and time he would pass away, and that 
 she would receive word the next day to come home; 
 this vexed her so, that she boxed my ears and sent me 
 home ; the next day my words were proven to her, as 
 she received a letter of her father's sickness, and ask- 
 ing her to come home at once, and looking at me in 
 surprise, she dismissed the scholars and went home. 
 When she returned, she called on my parents, and ac- 
 
20 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 knowledged it all to be true, and that her father died 
 on the day and time I had informed her; my father 
 said: where did she get it ? she said I don't know, 
 but I am afraid of her and don't want her round; my 
 father then took me from school, and I helped my 
 mother at home. 
 
 CHAPTEB IV. 
 
 TESTS OF THE DYING. SHUT UP IN A TOMB. 
 
 As I grew older, more and startling were the mani- 
 festations through my organism ; I would tell of peo- 
 ple who were about to pass away, — giving their names 
 and would cry for them as I saw them dying; I would 
 tell immediately upon their death, no matter what the 
 distance was, it made no difference in my predictions 
 which were found perfectly true upon inquiry. 
 
 I would sometimes run away from home and attend 
 the funerals of many that had died, and at a distance of 
 several miles, and would stay away sometimes for two 
 or three days attending the funerals and staying with 
 some of the people in the vicinity at night; my parents 
 would have to procure the bell man to find me, which 
 was the custom in those days when anyone was lost. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 21 
 
 I was shut up one night in a tomb all alone with the 
 dead ; I attended a funeral one afternoon and followed 
 the carriages to the tomb, and during the services here, 
 I passed inside of the tomb unnoticed, and wandered 
 about among the coffins lifting up the lids and looking 
 at the people as I called them; I came to a coffin con- 
 taining the body of a little negro boy, who was known 
 as Little Jimmy Cutten, who had died several weeks 
 previous ; I raised up the lid, and put my hand on the 
 little negro's face, but as I looked at him the whites of 
 his eyes rather frightened me, and I dropped the lid 
 and started for the door to run out, but I found it clo- 
 sed, I had been shut in; the people had all gone away, 
 and T was alone with the dead; I then began to cry, 
 but was told by the influences I would be let out in the 
 morning, so I laid down on some boards and went to 
 sleep. In the morning I heard someone coming up 
 the wa^k towards the tomb, and I began to scream and 
 cry, and immediately the door was unlocked and open- 
 ed, and it proved to be the sexton who had charge of 
 the burying grounds, who was surprised to find a little 
 girl locked in there; I told him how I got shut in, and 
 then immediately started for home as fast as I could 
 run, and upon my arrival my parents said they had the 
 bell man out to find me; I told them of my visit to the 
 
22 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 tomb and being shut in, and they said it would be the 
 last time I should go away alone, and after this affair 
 I was watched more closely so that I could not run a- 
 way. My brother John left home about this time to 
 work on a farm for Mr. John B. Chace, in Phelham, 
 N. H., and never came home again, and never was 
 heard from, until the influences informed me he went 
 West, where he was killed in a railroad accident, 
 which proved to be so, a short time afterwards 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 DEATH OF MY FATHER, MOTHER, AND SISTER. 
 
 "We lived in Boston for about eleven years. When 
 I was about fourteen years of age, my father died of 
 consumption, at the age of fifty-two years, leaving four 
 of us in the family. After living here for a short time, 
 we moved to New York City, where my mother helped 
 support us by dress-making; my sister Catherine open- 
 ed a millinery store and took my other sister Anna 
 Maria, in to work for her, while I helped my mother 
 with the house-work. My peculiarities, as they were 
 called, continued with me until I reached my fifteenth 
 year, when they suddenly left me, and I was not what 
 I had been, as to my trances, predictions, and tests. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 23 
 
 My mother s health gradually failed, and she predic- 
 ted her own death, and on July 5th, 1 843, she passed 
 away, of dropsy, at the age of fifty-two years. After 
 my mother's death, I looked around for something to 
 do to support myself, and after a while, decided to go 
 to Rairaton, N. J., to work in a screw factory, leaving 
 my two sisters in New York, engaged in their millin- 
 ery business ; I worked in the screw factory for about 
 a year, when I was married to Mr. James B. Packer, 
 of that place, and went to house-keeping, taking two 
 young lady boarders. Some little time after this I re- 
 ceived a letter from my sister Catherine, stating that 
 her health was breaking down, and asking me if she 
 and sister could come and board with me; I wrote her 
 they could come as soon as they desired to; about a 
 week before my sisters came to live with me, we were 
 awakened one night by hearing screams, and pounding 
 on the floor, which came from the room of our young 
 lady boarders up stairs, and calling for Mr. Packer to 
 come with a light at once; my husband dressed, and 
 taking a light ascended the stairs to their room, when 
 they informed him that a lady had appeared in their 
 room, wearing a shally-delane green dress with little 
 pink flowers on it, a lambs- wool shawl with red and 
 white border, and a bonnet of sprinkled green straw, 
 trimed with green ribbon, and seemed to be sitting on 
 
24 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 a trunk which she had brought with her; Mr. Packer 
 laughed, and told them that they must have been 
 dreaming, which worked strangely upon their imagina- 
 tion, and told them to go to sleep as there was nothing 
 to harm them; my husband returned down stairs, and 
 in a short time the screams were repeated, with knock- 
 ing on the floor again and calling for Mr, Packer again 
 to come up stairs; my husband once more dressed and 
 went up to their room, and the young ladies were so 
 terribly frightened, they could not sleep there, and a 
 bed was made up for them on the parlor floor where 
 they remained several nights; these young ladies were 
 gifted with clairvoyant sight, but it was not understood 
 by them at that time. In a few days after this occur- 
 rence, I saw the same apparition appear in the parlor, 
 sitting on the trunk as she had done upstairs; she ap- 
 peared so natural, I at first spoke to her and asked her 
 how she got into the house without my seeing her ? 
 when all at once the form vanished as quickly as it had 
 appeared, 
 
 About a week after this, I received a letter from 
 my sister, stating they were coming and would be with 
 us in a few days; when they arrived, I noticed that my 
 oldest sister Catherine was in very poor health, and al- 
 so that her shawl, dress, bonnet and trunk* were the 
 
 * The trunk I have now in my possession, which is over fifty years ohl. 
 
1 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 25 
 
 same as those in the apparition ; our young lady board- 
 ers were in the room at the time, and one of them came 
 to me and said: Oh! Mrs. Packer, that is the lady we 
 saw in our room ; I told them both to say nothing a- 
 bout it, as I felt that it was a warning of her death. 
 
 My sister continued to fail, and in twelve weeks from 
 the time of her arrival February 11th, 1845, she died 
 of consumption, at the age of twenty- seven years. 
 While she laid on her sick bed the day before her 
 death, she asked my husband if he would assist her up- 
 stairs, as her mother (spirit) had just come in and 
 gone up their; the poor girl was told she had lost the 
 use of her feet and could not walk, but she would be 
 carried up stairs; well! then never mind, she said 
 please open the door and let mother and the rest come 
 in here, as she, and father, and brother, and all my 
 dear friends are up stairs waiting for me; and is this 
 death ? how beautiful! The next day I spoke to her 
 and she said: please do not speak to me now Jane, I 
 am so busy in the other world. Tn the afternoon she 
 sang her favorite hymn: "Dearest Sister Mild and 
 Gentle" and then looking up tome she said: Jane! 
 you are all that this hymn says, you are so good and 
 kind. A short time after, my husband spoke to her, 
 and she said: do not call me back James, this is death 
 I shall soon be with them; why ! does my body lie 
 
26 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 here yet? how strange! well! I do not care for that 
 now, as I have another body, and she had passed out 
 to her spirit home ; we had not heard of Modern Spir- 
 itualism up to this time, but my sister's dying words, 
 gave us a knowledge as to our future existence, — resur- 
 rected through what is called death, with a Spiritual 
 body, and that future use for a Material body, was 
 unnecessary; the curious apparition of my sister, be- 
 forehand, was a warning of her approaching death, and 
 was a Spiritual manifestation under Material conditions 
 in connection with her death, between the Material and 
 Spiritual bodies, which we did not understand at that 
 time. 
 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 27 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 INVESTIGATING SPIRITUALISM. DEVELOPED AS A TEST 
 MEDIUM. MY HUSBAND A SPIRITUALIST. 
 
 We lived in Eairaton for a while, after my sister's 
 death, and then moved to New York City, where we 
 lived for nearly a year and then my husband's moth- 
 er's health failing, and being quite feeble, w^ returned 
 to Eairaton and moved upstairs in her house. In a- 
 bout two months after our return, February 23rd, 1846 
 my oldest son "William was born. At the time of the 
 Eochester rappings, 1848, my husband's father Mr. 
 William Packer came home one evening from class meet 
 ing at church, and said that the dead had returned, and 
 were rapping down at Eochester and it is the talk of 
 the town ; he spoke of it in such a frightful way at first, 
 that it rather startled me, and I went down stairs to 
 stay that night and to hear about the affair; I asked 
 
28 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 Mr. Packer if they would get down to New Jersey ? 
 and he said: yes ! and will rap you out of house and 
 home; his wife said: what do you want to tell such 
 foolishness for William ? he replied, that it was so, and 
 it had created quite an excitement; the rappings at 
 Rochester had indeed excited the people, and some of 
 the most intelligent minds, who looked for knowledge 
 as to their future or Spiritual existence, investigated 
 the rappings, which occured in the presence of the 
 Fox sisters, (who were mediums,) at their home, and 
 were satisfied of the reality of Spirit communion, and 
 thus God's ministering angels, found in these children, 
 leaders of the way in bringing light and joy to the 
 world, and which is known to-day as Modern Spirit- 
 ualism. 
 
 My youngest son Edward, was born April 11th, 1849 
 We lived in this place for about two years, when we 
 moved to Taunton, Mass., where my husband was call- 
 ed to set up and take charge of machinery, at the old 
 screw factory on Court street; we lived on School street 
 for about three years, when we moved to the Weir, in- 
 to the stone cottage on Plain street and after living on 
 this street for about. a year, we moved to Weir street, 
 in Judge Sanford's house, opposite Forrest street; from 
 this time niv mediumestic gifts were brought out in 
 their greatest power, through the investigate! of Spir- 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 29 
 
 itualism, which was being agitated at that time in this 
 town as well as throughout the country; while investi- 
 gating the phenomena with my husband and friends, 
 I was developed as a Test medium; I was at this time 
 about 27 years of age; my control or guide claimed to 
 be an Indian brave by the name of "Charlie," and I 
 held both private and public seances for my husband 
 and friends, and all who desired, to investigate the 
 phenomena and its cause for themselves; the Bible in 
 speaking of the past history of Spiritualism, says: "try 
 the spirits and see if they be of God or not;" we inves- 
 tigated, sought for truth, tried the spirits, and we 
 found — not that the spirits (our loved ones) were of 
 the devil, as people expressed themselves, — but of God 
 During the investigation I was obliged to go through 
 several severe ordeals, put upon me by those testing 
 the phenomena, to see if it was of physical or natural 
 origin, and get the truth of the matter; in my trances I 
 was unconscious, so I could not sense or feel the tort- 
 ures they applied to me, thus proving to them there 
 was a law and power beyond me, that had possession 
 of my entire organism; I was blind-folded hundreds of 
 times to satisfy them that my sight made no difference 
 in giving names of parties in other rooms in the house 
 and all strangers to me and the doors closed ; I then 
 went through a sealing process of my eyes, the lids be- 
 
30 MY LIFE AND SPTPITTJAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 ing covered and sealed down with red sealing-wax, cov- 
 ering ray eyes completely; it made me smile sometimes 
 before T had become entranced, to see the methods they 
 were to resort to, to test me while I knew I had noth- 
 ing to do with what transpired afterwards; matches 
 were the next test they put me to, lighting and hold- 
 ing them close to my nose while the brimstone was 
 burning, to see if I flinched from the terrible sensation; 
 pins were next brought into use, and stuck into my 
 flesh, and under my finger-nails without the least effect 
 whatever; this was all finally abandoned, and they 
 were satisfied that T had no sensation, and was entire- 
 ly unconscious during the speaking, tests that were 
 given, and messages that were received for friends 
 present; I would continue to give the tests when my 
 eyes were covered, giving names of people present and 
 T had no knowledge of their presence in the house; in 
 many cases, wrong names were given back in contra- 
 diction, but my influence held to his statements, and 
 the parties acknowledged he was correct. 
 
 I would find stolen property and lost articles; I was 
 taken in hacks blindfolded, at night to places and lo- 
 calities which I did not know of, being almost a strang- 
 er in the town, and would tell where I was, the streets 
 we were travelling, and other incidents on the way, 
 but never was I found incorrect in my statements; my 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 31 
 
 life as a Test medium has been phenomenal, and my 
 tests and prophesies have always been found truthful 
 and convincing, as all who have investigated them have 
 found, and even the most skeptical have acknowledged 
 the facts. About the time of our investigating this 
 subject, my husband's mother passed away and his fa- 
 ther came and lived with us for some time, and then re- 
 turned to Eairaton; my husband left the screw works, 
 and opened a harness shop on Second street. 
 
 We attended the Methodist church at the Weir, my 
 husband being a rigid believer in that doctrine, yet he 
 said he was always looking for knowledge, and willing 
 to accept truth wherever he found it, and was willing 
 to thoroughly investigate this phenomena before con- 
 demning it; he was attending services one Sunday af- 
 ternoon, with a friend Mr. F, at the Weir, who was al- 
 so investigating with him, and the pastor Rev. Mr. C. 
 during his sermon, brought up the subject of infidels 
 in religion, or those who were investigating Spiritual- 
 ism, the work of the devil, and remarked: "I thank 
 God that we have two in the audience, and I hope we 
 can convert them" — refering to my husband and his 
 friend, who both arose and left the church and never 
 attended services there afterwards. My husband after 
 this affair, gave his whole attention religiously, to his 
 investigation; he studied the phenomena carefully, as 
 
32 MY LIFE AND SPIEITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 he was a very skeptical person, and went cautiously at 
 such things to find the cause; he tested in every way, 
 and spent several hundred dollars to get at the truth 
 neighbors who were unwilling to join us in our endeav- 
 ors, pronounced it foolishness, and interfered some with 
 our meetings but we continued them without molesting 
 anybody and after a while, we heard no more in regard 
 to the matter. 
 
 I was sent once to find a set of furs and a robe 
 which had been stolen from a well known party in this 
 city, Mr. D. which the influence found; the party was 
 somewhat surprised where the constable was told to 
 look for them, and were well satisfied and pleased with 
 finding the articles so easily; the party is living to ver- 
 ify this test. My husband was given a test and a state- 
 ment by a spirit who had died in the state of New Jer- 
 sey, since we came from there, whom neither of us 
 knew, giving name, place of residence, and other im- 
 portant matters, and to test its truth personally, my 
 husband started the next day for the place where the 
 spirit had claimed he died; he was gone several days, 
 and upon his return, he informed me it was perfectly 
 satisfactory; he had found the relatives of the spirit, 
 and everything was correctly given, and they were 
 pleased to receive the message; my husband then said: 
 mother! 1 will doubt you no more, you are what you 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 33 
 
 purport to be, — an instrument for the Spirit World to 
 be in communion with this World, and Spiritualism is 
 indeed true. 
 
 This was the last and final test with the exception of 
 one, that convinced him of its truthfulness and its real- 
 ity; on this occasion, my Indian control "Charlie" in- 
 formed my husband one evening, as a convincing test, 
 to meet him in Providence, E. L, at the residence of 
 Mrs. R, a well known and reliable medium, and he 
 would be there to meet him, and prove to his satisfac 
 tion he was the same spirit, by an interview with him 
 through this medium, an entire stranger to him; he 
 said he would go the next day, and conversation was 
 agreed upon which would be discussed there. The 
 next morning my husband started for Providence, 
 which he said was his last investigation, as he was satis- 
 fied himself of the reliability of the phenomena, and of 
 myself. Upon arriving in Providence he went directly 
 to Mrs. R's residence, and asking for a sitting, was ush- 
 ered into the parlor; Mrs. E upon being entranced, 
 was controlled immediately by an Indian, with the 
 words: "and I am here to meet you my friend," giving 
 his name as "Charlie," as we had known him through 
 me, and stating that at his house in Taunton, was where 
 they had arranged this meeting as a test; the inter- 
 view was perfectly satisfactory to my husband, and he 
 
34 MY LITE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, 
 
 came home highly pleased with the test, and said he 
 was done investigating; he was a Methodist relying on 
 faith, but he was now a Spiritualist relying on knowl- 
 edge for a fact, which every one would be if they look- 
 ed into, and use their reason, before condemning it. 
 
 My husband and friends were at last convinced and 
 satisfied that this phenomena was not produced by 
 myself, as I had no object in so doing, and they knew 
 I was a very domestic woman and above deceiving 
 them, or myself, on such a divine subject, and they 
 thought more of it, by its coming to me so unexpect- 
 edly ; this was simply my old gifts suddenly broken 
 forth again by being developed, after lying dormant 
 for about ten years. I was a Test medium for about 
 five years, and my tests of spirits, have convinced hun- 
 dreds of people of the reality of life beyond the grave. 
 
 While living here, my daughter Annie was born, on 
 August 12th, 1854. About six months after this, I 
 was taken very sick, and one day while I was asleep, 
 a gentleman called at the door giving his name as Dr. 
 R of No. Easton, Mass., and said the spirits had sent 
 him to cure me, and upon my husband inviting him in- 
 to the house he said: I enquired at the depot upon my 
 arrival here, where Mrs. Packer lived, and was told 
 by the party he thought she had died about two or 
 thr< e weeks ago; I told him she was not dead but 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 35 
 
 very sick, and I come to cure her; her husband is a 
 harness maker, I see it on a sign over a shop door, I 
 can find her,— and I am here. He was a great healer, 
 and raised me from my bed of sickness and entirely 
 cured me, and would accept no fee for his services; he 
 also cured several other people afterwards at the Weir, 
 including a child, which was almost dead, and saved 
 its life, and he is living to prove the cure, and also his 
 friends. A short time after this, we received word of 
 the death of my husband's father, Mr. William Packer, 
 and we went to Rairaton to attend the funeral. 
 
36 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 CHAPTEK VII. 
 
 DEATH OF ANNIE, -PREDICTED. ENTRANCED FOR FORTY 
 DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS. CURED BY THE SPIRITS. 
 
 After living on Weir street for about two years, we 
 moved into Mr. James Briggs' house on Second street 
 where my husband carried on his business for twenty- 
 two years. In this house is where I was entranced for 
 forty days and forty nights. As my daughter Annie 
 grew older, she seemed to show signs of mediumestic 
 gifts, and when she was about two and one-half years 
 old, she had wonderful visions, and would see and de- 
 scribe spirits perfectly; when playing with other chil- 
 dren, she would preach to them as she called it, about 
 God and about being good; she was called "Petty" by 
 the children, and they thought everything of her as she 
 was so smart, and good to them, and many people 
 will remember her, and every-one loved her she was so 
 good and spiritual. On one occasion she said to me: 
 mamma ! I saw Jesus, and he said: "suffer little chil- 
 dren to come to me;" our family and friends were sur- 
 prised at the time, to hear snch language from a child 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 37 
 
 so young, — not quite three years old. 
 
 When three years of age, she predicted her own 
 death, two months in advance. I was making her some 
 new clothes, and was at work on them one day, the lat- 
 ter part of August, when she came to me, and looking 
 up to me she said: mamma ! please not make me any- 
 thing more, as T shall not wear them, and am going to 
 heaven on Wednesday the second day of November, 
 and will take a ride in the burying- ground; I was sur- 
 prised, it come so sudden upon me. and I said: no ! T 
 guess not Annie; and yet I was impressed that.it 
 would be so; she said she would not live to wear them 
 but I worked on them leisurely as if I took no notice of 
 it. Her prediction proved true to the day; she was 
 taken sick with membrain croup, the last week in Octo- 
 ber, and the physician, Dr. N, could not relieve her, 
 and the influence could give us no hope, and we saw 
 we could do nothing to save her, and she died as she 
 predicted, the second day of November, 1857. 
 
 After the death of my daughter, the loss seemed to 
 affect my health, and I began to fail, and in about five 
 months, T was taken with a sudden and violent sickness 
 I was attended by two of the best physicians here at 
 that time, Dr. N, and Dr. D; both pronounced my 
 disease as consumption; I was raising blood in large 
 quantities, and had lost the use of my right arm and 
 
38 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 hand; both physicians said they could do nothing for 
 mo, as the disease had gone too far, but they could 
 keep me comfortable, but I could not live two months, 
 but the spirits thought different, and brought me back 
 to health and strength, and I have lived to see bofch of 
 these physicians laid away, and pass to spirit life and 
 I am in good health at the age of sixty- nine years. 
 
 One morning a few days after the physicians had 
 consulted to-gether on my sickness, my husband spoke 
 to me, and noticed I made no reply, neither could he 
 awake me, or see that I breathed, and he supposed I 
 was dead; he sent at once for Br. N, who pronounced 
 me dead, and preparations were made for my funeral; 
 in the meantime my husband had gone to a medium to 
 consult with the spirits in regard to my case, and was 
 told I was not dead, but in a deep trance, and I would 
 be brought out of it all right and in my former good 
 health. My husband came home, and told the family 
 and our nearest friends what the influence had said, 
 and the funeral services were postponed. The next 
 day Dr. N called in and he was told what was said by 
 the spirits, of the case; the Dr. immediately made a- 
 n other examination, and found a bright streak on my 
 back, following the spine to the base of the brain, and 
 said: there is some life here yet; the Dr. then said: I 
 have been investigating Spiritualism some myself with 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 39 
 
 another party, and he would like to test this case him- 
 self; his principal phase at this time, was the rappings 
 "by alphabet, starting at the beginning as he termed it 
 he said he would procure a slate, and see if they could 
 get any message; upon his return, they retired to a 
 darkened room by them -selves and sat down to a table 
 with the slate; after awhile, the raps began to come up- 
 on the slate, and after the correct letters were found, 
 they were written down, and in a short time the com- 
 munication was given — the rappings had ceased; the 
 doctor then separated the letters into words, and after 
 reading it said: see what we have received Mr. Packer 
 perhaps they have taken her as they say. My hus- 
 band then read the message, which was from his fath- 
 er Mr. William Packer, and read as follows: "James, 
 my son ! your wife is not dead, but lays in a trance, 
 and no one can bring her- out but us; keep her warm, 
 and comfortable, and we will bring her out all right; 
 do not fear ! we are fitting her for a great work; your 
 father, William." The message was accepted by them 
 and they waited results; the doctor said he would call 
 every day to examine me, and see what changes there 
 would be. 
 
 I laid in this trance state, from that time, for forty 
 days and forty nights, — a fact which can be proven ; 
 I was examined every day by the doctor, but showed 
 
40 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 no signs of life, except the small bright streak on my 
 back, and after a time, that began to disappear, when 
 he began to lose all hopes. After I had laid for this 
 length of time, the doctor gave me up as on his last ex- 
 amination, he said their was not a particle of life in my 
 body, but how the body was preserved so, he could 
 not account for; my ears and hands had turned, and 
 he said I was dead as he could find nothing what- ever, 
 to prove otherwise, and Dr. D upon being called, said 
 the same. Again arrangements were made for my fu 
 neral, but my husband having so much confidence in 
 his spirit friends and the control, that he had services 
 arranged with burial at the convenience of the family. 
 While in this state, it seemed similar to a dream at 
 first, and then I realized I was out of and away from 
 my body, yet connected to it, which brobably is why 
 part of the life or spiritual element remained with the 
 body, which preserved it; while in this condition, I 
 saw that heaven was not so far off as many people be 
 lieve, and I saw, and was with my spirit friends, who 
 informed me my work was not finished in this world 
 yet; this is my experience while partially away from 
 my body, and if this is death, it is certainly beautiful ; 
 fill I saw in my visit I will call it, to the spiritual realm 
 I could not remember entirely at the present time to re- 
 late, it was strange yet beautiful. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 41 
 
 The next day after the doctors had given me up, the 
 trance took another form ; I was drawn to my body as 
 if by magnetic force, and I began to have a queer sen- 
 sation upon entering my body again, and then came 
 the feeling as if in a dream, and somewhat bewildered; 
 J laid in this state until the next morning, when I be 
 came partly conscious, though my head was dizzy, but 
 I could not move a muscle, not even my eyes; my 
 brain slowly grew clearer, and then sensed being lifted 
 and laid down again; in a short time I heard murmur- 
 ing as of people talking, and then became more con- 
 scious of my surroundings, but could not move or 
 sppak, and I then realized that my funeral services were 
 being held; what my thoughts were, no one can im- 
 magine as I laid there and listened to my own funeral 
 sermon, under great mental strain, when I was not 
 dead; the services were conducted by the Rev. C. T. 
 During the services, Mr. M. H, (who was then a me- 
 dium) son of Mr. E. H, at the weir, came to the back 
 door, and said he had come to do an errand for the 
 spirits, and that I was not dead, and would come out 
 of my trance that day; my husband told him he intend- 
 ed to have no mistake, and would keep me until he 
 was satisfied of my death. 
 
 The services continued, and as the minister was 
 nearly through, and had just finishd the words: "the 
 
42 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away," my middle 
 finger moved, and then my right hand, — which held a 
 small bouquet of flowers, which was immediately seen 
 by my husband, who sat where he could notice the 
 least movement of my body and he at once came to the 
 bedside, followed by Dr. IN", and they saw there was 
 some life; my hand was raised, and I opened my eyes, 
 but could not speak; the services were over, and my 
 friends came to the bedside, but I was not entirely 
 conscious, so as to notice them ; I gradually came out 
 of the trance, and seemed but a short time to me that 
 I had been entranced, and I asked my husband what 
 time it was. Dr. N came to me and said: you have 
 had quite a sleep Mrs. Packer ! I replied: yes! I feel 
 quite refreshed. My brain gradually became clearer, 
 and the next morning I was taken possession of by an 
 Indian spirit, who warned them to give me nothing to 
 eat for several days, but a table-spoonful of weak beef 
 tea, several times a day, until my stomach regained its 
 strength, and he would doctor and bring me out in 
 good health, he said he would be my principal guide, 
 and I would now be a "Clairvoyant Physician," under 
 his control; he said his name was "Joe Dickalo," and 
 he was once chief of the Mohawk tribo of red men. 
 After the influence had gone, my husband said: Jane ! 
 you have had a long sleep ! do you know how long you 
 
MT LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 43 
 
 have been entranced ? I said: only a few hours I guess ! 
 he then informed me, and I could not believe it, and 
 did not for a long time, till the doctor and my friends 
 convinced me; I grew stronger day after day, and in a 
 short time was up and about the house, and I found I 
 was stronger and better then I had been for several 
 years, and I also had the use of my right arm and 
 hand, which I had lost the use of before; I took no 
 medicine of any kind, but while I was about the house 
 my mouth at times would have a very bitter taste, and 
 so strong sometimes, that I would resort to sugar to al- 
 lay the taste, and rinse my mouth with water; the in 
 fluence informed us they were doctoring me them- 
 selves with chemical medicines, which caused the bit- 
 ter taste in my mouth regularly each day; I continued 
 to improve and in a few weeks, I was in perfect health 
 
4:4: MY LIFE AND SPIEITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A CLAIRVOYANT PHYSICIAN. LOOKING FOR FRAUD. 
 TRYING TO FOOL THE INFLUENCE. 
 
 I was now developed as a physician, and this Indian 
 influence has had exclusive control of me for doctoring, 
 for the past thirty-five years; I have doctored people 
 in all parts of the World by lock of hair, of almost every 
 known disease, and hundreds of my patients who are 
 living to-day, will remember the wonderful cures made 
 by me in cases where they were given up by their phy- 
 sicians as incurable; I have taken hundreds of poor 
 suffering people almost from their graves, not for com- 
 pensation always, but without consideration in hun- 
 dreds of cases, and in many cases given them the mon 
 ey to pay for their medicine; during my thirty- five 
 years practice, I have never lost a case under my care, 
 that was pronounced curable by my influence, and his 
 instructions were followed— a reputation seldom equal- 
 ed by physicians outside of clairvoyance. I give some 
 of my remarkable cures, through the remainder of the 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 45 
 
 book; my cures and remarkable tests, gave me a wide 
 reputation, and I was called upon by many out of cu- 
 riosity, and by those who thought they knew it all, but 
 they found and met with someone who knew more then 
 they had calculated on. 
 
 One very stormy night about eleven o'clock, two 
 gentlemen called, and upon my husband going to the 
 door was asked if they could have a sitting ? they said 
 it was for sickness, and they had come a long distance 
 I had just retired, but consented to give them a sitting 
 and they were ushered into the parlor; I dressed, and 
 stepping into the parlor, closed the door, leaving my 
 husband in the other room; upon the influence taking 
 me he said: the best thing for them to do, was to turn 
 their horse's head towards home, but in regard to the 
 horse hair one had in his pocket, he could examing his 
 horse with it there without taking it out; you came in 
 here to see if you could fool the medie, in the shape of 
 some horse-hair cut from your horse's mane, to exam- 
 ine your wife and so catch her, and call her a fraud, 
 but you cannot do it, as she has been tried and tested 
 and cannot be deceived; I will though examine your 
 horse first, which he did, giving his lameness, and oth- 
 er difficulties, which they said was correct; he then ex- 
 amined the wife of one of the gentlemen, giving her 
 complaints, which was also acknowledged by the gen- 
 
46 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 tleman; now if you wish to bring your wife to be doc- 
 tore* 1, I can do her good if she follows my trail; and 
 now that you have come here at this time of night and 
 taken the squaw from her bed, expecting to have a lit- 
 tle fun with her, you have been mistaken, and I de- 
 mand the sum of five dollars for her, for this sitting; 
 they both laughed, and said that they would not listen 
 to such a price; the influence said: you will pay that 
 price, or y6u will not leave this house until you do, and 
 backed me against the door; if you had come in here 
 as gentlemen seeking for truth honestly, as she expect- 
 ed, instead of looking upon her as a fraud, you would 
 have had the sitting at the usual price, and when peo- 
 try to fool her, or are looking for fraud, they will find 
 they are deceiving themselves, and should be in better 
 business. My husband thinking it about time to stop 
 proceedings^ came into the room and ii ormed them 
 it was no use for them to deceive the influence, as they 
 could not do it, as he knew whereof he spoke, and they 
 hid better settle as he desired them to, or they would 
 have to take a regular Indian thrashing; when people 
 come here honestly, for truth, they will receive it every 
 time. The gentlemen at last acknowledged their er- 
 ror, and that they had been used justly and were sat- 
 isfied, and the money was paid. Upon their departure 
 my husband told the gentleman whose wife was sick, 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 47 
 
 to come and get a prescription the next day, or bring 
 his wife with him, and there would be no charge ; the 
 next day the gentleman called with his wife, whose case 
 I took, and entirely cured her of ailments she had been 
 suffering with for years, and could find no relief; these 
 parties are living to verify this affair. 
 
 One evening about nine o'clock, I was called to the 
 door, and a gentleman (Rev. Mr. E. ) asked if he could 
 have a sitting? I replied that he could, ushering him 
 into the parlor ; I noticed he wore a butcher's frock and 
 of course supposed he was connected with the meat 
 business, and had come for a sitting for sickness, or 
 on business; the influence upon coming said: how do 
 you do Reverend Divine ? your butcher's frock which 
 you wear as a blind, is very good for the night, as it is 
 quite cool out, and you are rather frail and delicate be- 
 ing shut up so much; you are only fit for a travelling 
 man, as being in the open air will do you good, and 
 build you up, and you ought to give up your preach- 
 ing and take an outside position, and you will live very 
 much longer; you are no butcher or any way connect- 
 ed with that business; this frock is only a blind, but 
 no blind to me. The Reverend gentleman then said: 
 how do you know I am a minister ? the influence said: 
 how do I know ? I can see same as you can, but I 
 have the advantage of you, as you cannot see me; I am 
 
48 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 a spirit the same as you are, only you are in the ma- 
 terial body the same as I was once, and I can see as 
 well as I ever could and there was a bet made by parties 
 connected with you, that this squaw was a fraud, and 
 you came to investigate for them; he then owned and 
 acknowledged it, and received some advice which he 
 accepted and followed, and is living to-day, but is not 
 following his profession as a minister. These two in- 
 stances are taken from several hundred similar, to show 
 where parties have come to try to fool me, and looking 
 for fraud, but they received their lesson and ample evi- 
 dence that they were not so smart, but what there was 
 others equal to them although unseen. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 49 
 
 CHAPTEK IX. 
 
 TAKING ON DISEASES. MAGNETIZED MEDICINES. REMARK- 
 ABLE CURES, -METAL POISONING-THE LIZARD. 
 
 After liviug in this locality for about six years, we 
 moved into Mr. Church's house on Somerset Avenue, 
 where we lived for ten years, and I devoted all my time 
 outside of my household duties, to doctoring, curing 
 hundreds of people in all parts of this country and For- 
 eign countries, and restoring them to health and hap- 
 piness after failing in all other methods, and given up 
 by physicians. I continued my free meetings to all 
 who desired to investigate, and my services always at 
 the disposal of the sick; my power over diseases was 
 so strong, and I so sensitive, and in sympathy with 
 my patients, that I would take the disease of my pa- 
 tients when they were to call on me; their name would 
 be given to me, and when they were coming, (same as 
 when a child,) and would have the disease when they 
 arrived whatever it might be ; I would be taken with 
 cramps in the stomach, would be lame, would be taken 
 
50 MY LIFE AND SPIKITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 with a violent cough, have the rheumatism, swelling of 
 the face and limbs, pains in my chest or back, sick 
 headache, and every disease that any of my patients 
 had when coming to me; the disease would stay with 
 me until the patient had been examined and then it 
 would gradually leave me until it had entirely disap- 
 peared 
 
 For about five years in connection with my root and 
 herb prescriptions, the influence would make through 
 me, magnetized or chemical medicines for some pa- 
 tients, out of pure cold water by holding one finger in 
 the glass containing the water, or covering it with my 
 hand, each medicine for different diseases, would be 
 entirely different in taste and smell, and adapted to 
 each disease it was made for. I will now give a brief 
 account of some of my remarkable cures, which are 
 taken from hundreds of similar ones, and most of the 
 cases I give, are at home or immediate vicinity, where 
 they can be easily investigated by any desiring to do so. 
 
 The first case I will relate is that of Mr. G, of Rayn- 
 ham, Mass. A gentleman called on me one evening, 
 and desired me to go with him to examine a very sick 
 man at Raynham, and that he had a hack at the door 
 to convey me their; after riding for a distance of about 
 three miles we reached our destination and I was taken 
 into the presence of the sick man, supposing of course 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 51 
 
 there would be no other physician present, but [ was 
 surprised to find two hiding in the house to hear my 
 examination, and as they thought, without my know- 
 ing they were there, but my influence could not be de- 
 ceived as will be seen ; after I bad got myself sufficient- • 
 ly rested, I took a seat at the bedside and was shortly 
 entranced, and upon the influence taking possession, 
 the first thing he desired, was for the two physicians 
 Drs. B, and S, who were secreted in an adjoining room 
 to come into the room and listen to what he had to say 
 as he would give no examination until they did; after 
 seeing that no diagnosis would be given, they came 
 into the room, and no doubt was surprised at the re- 
 verse of affairs, but if they had had the least idea of 
 the science of clairvoyance, they would have known it 
 was impossible to have been in the house without de- 
 tection. Upon their taking seats, my influence inform- 
 ed them they had a very wrong idea of the case before 
 them; the patient he said had what he called "pepper 
 bags" or commonly called "gall-stones" on the liver, 
 and four of them laid there, and must be removed at 
 once to save his life; the physicians laughed at the ex- 
 amination, and the influence informed them that he 
 intended to remove and show them, as proof of his 
 statement before the medium started for home ; he then 
 gave a prescription for the ingredients he desired, and 
 
52 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 a person sent to the city for them, and on his return, 
 the influence took the herbs, and prepared his own 
 medicine — while I was entraced, and unconscious, and 
 administered it to the patient at intervals, and they 
 waited results, which was to satisfy them, and before 
 I come out of my trance, the influence had his four 
 1 'pepper bags" in a bowl, and the physicians had the 
 proof; he then gave instructions in regard to the med- 
 icine and nourishment, and said in four days, he would 
 be out hoeing in his garden, which proved to be so; I 
 was then carried home, and in a few days received a 
 call from my patient. 
 
 One night about twelve o'clock, I arose from bed 
 and dressed myself while entranced, and leaving the 
 house, started for the road to Berkley below the Weir 
 and called to the residence of Mr. M, where a child lay 
 very sick and almost dead, (which I knew nothing a- 
 bout,) and the influence asked for admittance, and in- 
 forming them lie had come to cure their child, and 
 they immediately opened the door thinking it was the 
 doctor, but was surprised when they saw who it was; 
 the influence went to the cradle where the child laid, 
 and took it up by the loot, head down, and after hold- 
 ing it in that position several minutes and rubbing it 
 towards the head, laid it down again and after making 
 passes over it and more rubbing, he informed them the 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 53 
 
 child would live, and the trouble was, the disease had 
 gone to the brain and wanted more blood to circulate 
 through, and nourish it, and at the same time he had 
 given vitality and strength to the blood, and the child 
 would improve at once, and bidding them good night, 
 started for home; my husband had started after me and 
 caught sight of me near the Weir bridge, and followed 
 me until I came to several cross roads where he lost 
 sight of me. I went over the ground so swiftly, and he 
 then went back to the bridge and waited for my return 
 where he met me still under control and returned home ; 
 this child is now living. 
 
 One. of greatest cures by lock of hair, was that of a 
 Priest in Dublin, Ireland, after having been given up 
 by his physicians and pronounced incurable; he was 
 informed of me by Mr. R, of this city, who went on a 
 voyage to Ireland for his health, and the Priest wrote 
 to me, enclosing a lock of his hair for examination, and 
 asking if I was white or colored ; I sent him an exami- 
 nation and also a prescription, and wrote him that I 
 was white, but my doctor (influence) was an Indian, 
 but he did not understand this science then; he con- 
 tinued doctoring with me, and in due time I restored 
 him to perfect health again, for which he was ever 
 grateful for, and if he ever came to America, he would 
 call on the savior of his life. The gentleman who sailed 
 
54 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 to Ireland for his health, was advised by the influence 
 not to go, as he would not live to see this land again, 
 the journey would be too much for him in his state of 
 health, but he did not heed the advice, and died on his 
 return trip before reaching this country; he saved a life 
 but lost his own. 
 
 Another case is that of Mr. N, who was given up by 
 all the physicians who were called to his case, — to die, 
 pronouncing his disease as consumption; he had hem- 
 orrhages of blood, and was in a very critical condition, 
 and was advised to take a trip to Europe which was the 
 only way they saw to save his life. One day he inform- 
 ed his wife he was going to see Mrs. Packer at the 
 Weir, but he had no faith, or believed in clairvoyance, 
 but he had no means to go abroad, and he would go to 
 her as the last resort and out of curiosity, and see 
 what she would tell him. He called on me and asked 
 for a sitting; upon the influence coming he said: "well 
 brave ! the doctors have given you up, haven't they" ? 
 well I cannot cure you if you remain in the shop, to 
 work, as you would be adding to the disease, what 1 
 want to get out of your system, which is metal poison, 
 which you have taken into your system, working over 
 britannia and silver metals, and was not consumption, 
 as pronounced by the physicians; he informed him he 
 could cure him if he followed his instructions, which, 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 55 
 
 the gentleman promised to do, and the influence then 
 gave him a prescription with instructions, and some 
 other valuable infomation which surprised him, and he 
 was pleased with the examination, and the knowledge 
 he had gained, from his visit out of curiosity. The 
 influence informed him he had a rich uncle in Dorches- 
 ter, Mass. , who would pass away in a few years, and 
 leave his business to him; the gentleman was surprised 
 that he should take charge of the business, as he knew 
 nothing about it; he was told to go there on a visit with 
 his family, as soon as he had regained his strength 
 and his uncle would give him a situation in the busi- 
 ness, which would be left to him upon his uncle's death 
 After he had sufficiently regained his health, he went 
 with his family on a visit to his uncle's, who upon 
 learning the condition of his health, and not wishing 
 to work at his trade, took him into his business, as the 
 influence had stated ; the gentleman came home after 
 a short time to move his goods, and called on me for 
 further treatment, and to verify the tests given him, 
 and after a thorough course of medicine, the influence 
 pronounced him well and he was much pleased with his 
 visit to a clairvoyant physician. He moved to his new 
 place of residence, and upon the death of his uncle, 
 which occured two years after, the business was left to 
 him; he called on me a few years ago, and I did not 
 
56 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 recognize him. as he had improved so, from changing 
 his business, and in all probability clairvoyance saved 
 his life; he brought his child, two years old, with him 
 to be examined, being given up by other physicians 
 in Boston; the child was very low, the disease being 
 ''Cholera Infantum." I took the case and cured her, 
 and she is now a young lady, and the parties can be 
 found in Dorchester, Mass., if any one desires to inves- 
 tigate these cures, by calling on me and obtaining their 
 address, or any other cases given in this book, to test 
 the truth of them. 
 
 Another singular case I had, was that of a child 
 which was brought to me to be examined, by Mrs. C, 
 of New Bedford, Mass., who said the doctors could do 
 nothing for her, and I had been recommended to her 
 She said the doctors called it "spasms of the stomach" 
 but they did not seem to help her any ; she would have 
 lumps in her throat, and be very distressed at times in 
 the stomach, which would be relieved some by eating; 
 I went to sleep for the lady, and upon the influence 
 coming informed her that the child's stomach contained 
 a "lizard," which was of quite a large size, and must 
 be removed at once, before it grew any larger, or it 
 would kill her; when the stomach is empty, the lizard 
 comes up in the throat after something to eat, and the 
 only W}»y to remove it, is to starve the child as much 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 57 
 
 as possible, until it comes up and partly out of her 
 throat, when you can secure it; but it will choke her to 
 death said the lady; well! she cannot live very long 
 with it in her stomach, and that is the only chance you 
 have to save the child's life, said the influence; and do 
 you remember of taking the child to drink out of a 
 spring or brook in the fields, while you were in the 
 country a few years ago? she replied that she did; 
 well ! she swallowed this lizard in the water, when 
 it was very, very small, and it has lived upon what it 
 could get from the food and liquids she took; now you 
 will have to starve the child as near as you can, in or- 
 der to force the lizard up after food, then have some 
 milk in a bowl, which must be covered with black, or 
 some other dark cloth, also the hands, then hold the 
 bowl of milk close to the child's lips, standing behind 
 her, and it will lap at it with its tongue; when it has 
 forced itself into the throat so that it cannot get ba<k, 
 immediately catch hold of it with something, and draw 
 it out quickly. The lady seemed pleased with the ex- 
 amination, and perhaps doubted it some, but the in- 
 structions were followed, and I was informed after sev 
 eral days, that the lizard forced its way into the throat 
 until it almost choked the child, and laped at the bowl 
 when it was caught with a pair of nippers and quickly 
 drawn out, and was afterwards placed in a bottle of 
 
58 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 water to be seen by any who desired to examine it; it 
 was a surprise to the family, and to the physicians. 
 This is another case to prove that clairvoyance is su- 
 perior to symptoms to diagnos diseases, and if physi- 
 cians would be more liberal in clairvoyance, in many 
 critical cases they would positively know what disease 
 they were handling, and what progress it had made in 
 the system, and we would hear of less deaths, as there 
 would be more cures. I have examined a great many 
 severe cases for physicians and my influence has given 
 them information in a number of cases whereby they 
 have saved the lives of their patients by reversing the 
 medicines, which otherwise, I positively know they 
 would have lost. There are hundreds of people die 
 annually, whose lives I think could be saved, or length- 
 ened, by consultation through clairvoyance, but either 
 through ignorance of this wonderful agency, bigotry, 
 or superstition, this great power has not been openly 
 accepted in this class of profession, but it is fast pro- 
 gressing, and will force itself to be recognized univer- 
 sally. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 59 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 RAPPLNGS IN CHURCH. OUR NEW HOME. MORE CURES. 
 DEATH OF MY HUSBAND. 
 
 While residing here, an incident occured, which is 
 quite amusing: I attended a meeting one Sunday eve- 
 ning, at the old Baptist church, on Spring street; the 
 Rev/Mr. M, was then pastor of the society; during 
 the services, there was rapping on the pew near me, 
 and on my hat; the pastor stopped in his discourse and 
 said: if there are any of the boys in the audience making 
 mischief, I wish they would please leave the meeting; 
 after a few minutes he proceeded with his sermon, 
 and during his remarks some little time later, he spoke 
 in a way which the spirits that were present, did not 
 seem to take favorably to, as the rapping became very 
 loud in different parts of the church, on the pulpit and 
 pews, on the walls, and rapped out "Yankee Doodle" 
 on the top of my hat, very plainly; the pastor looked 
 rather surprised, and again stopping, asked the choir 
 to sing, which did not subdue the raps, which were 
 
¥ 
 
 MT LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 very prominent and plainly heard by all present ; after 
 the choir had finished singing, the pastor arose and 
 said, rather decidedly: if there is a medium present, I 
 wish she would withdraw from the meeting; I sat a 
 short time after he continued his sermon, when I was 
 suddenly entranced by an influence, who took me out 
 of the church, and to my house at the Weir by a dark 
 lonely road, and knew nothing of what transpired until 
 I come out of my trance, when I found myself in bed; 
 when my husband came home, I told him of my eve- 
 ning's experience; he said he called at the church for 
 me, and was told by someone who knew me, that I Lad 
 gone some time ago. 
 
 During the tenth year of our residing here, the influ- 
 ence informed my husband that our next move would 
 be into our own house, to which my husband laughed, 
 and said that he had no spare money to buUd a house , 
 much less to buy the land; the influence said: never 
 mind chief, you will move into your own house on the 
 fifteenth day of next June, — I shall send you a cus- 
 tomer, which will start your house; my husband did 
 not think anything more about it, but one day about 
 a week after this, Mr. C. S, called at my husband's 
 shop and asked him if he wanted to buy a lot, and build 
 a house of his own? my husband laughed, and said he 
 could not afford it ! yes you can said Mr. S, I want a 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 61 
 
 pair of nice harnesses made, and we will arrange things 
 satisfactory between us, and I have a lot that will just 
 suit you, come up with me and see it; my husband left 
 his work and went up with him to see the lot, and 
 on returning to the shop, they made a trade; when my 
 husband came home at noon, he said: mother ! I have 
 bought a house lot; what do you think of "Joe" now ? 
 he has got me into a scrape; I said: he will not get 
 you into any scrape but what he can get you out all 
 right. In two months from that time, he had the lot 
 paid for and the house started, which was completed on 
 the fourteenth of June, and we moved into it the next 
 day, the fifteenth, as the influence had stated. 
 
 In about two years, my youngest son, Edward went 
 to sea on a vessel from the Weir, under the command 
 t>f Captain P; while on the voyage, he fell on the deck 
 and injured his knee, and the doctor on the vessel said 
 it would cause a leakage of the knee-pan, and he did 
 not think he would ever get over it; Upon his arrival 
 at the Weir, when the vessel came in, he stopped at 
 Dr. S's, office on his way home, who after looking at 
 it, said it would result in a knee leakage, and he could 
 not do much for it; my son came home and asked me 
 to let "Joe" come; after the influence had taken me, 
 he examined the injured knee, and said it was bruised 
 blood between the first and second skins, and to tell 
 
62 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 the doctor to lance it only through the first skin, and 
 no further — or borrow the lance and I will do it myself 
 my husband with my son, called on Dr. S, and told 
 him what the influence said ; yes ! that is some of your 
 "go to sleep woman's'' talk, I don't believe in her, and 
 would not lance it under any consideration, — unless 
 you will guarantee to take all the responsibility; my 
 husband said he would take all the risk and chances 
 in lancing it, as he could rely on his informant's in- 
 structions, as he had tested him to his own satisfaction, 
 and that he had never failed him yet; upon my hus- 
 band taking the responsibility upon himself, the doctor 
 lanced it according to instructions, and about a teacup- 
 ful of bruised blood came from the wound, and the 
 doctor looked surprised, and said he was conquered ; 
 the wound commenced to heal at once, and in about 
 three weeks it was entirely well ; we never heard any- 
 thing more from the doctor, that he did not believe in 
 the "go to sleep woman," but when-ever he met my hus- 
 band, he would ask about the phenomena and was in- 
 terested in it after this case. 
 
 About this time, a lady Mrs. G, gave birth to twins, 
 a boy and girl, and soon after, they were both taken 
 with spasms; the attending physician, Dr. B, exhaust- 
 ed his skill, without being successful in stopping them 
 and I was called to go and look at them, and see if I 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 63 
 
 coulcl stop the spasms; I went to the house, and upon 
 being entranced, the influence immediately went to 
 work on them, taking each one and rubbing it, blowing 
 on its chest and bottom of the feet, and they were then 
 placed in quiet repose; these children never had an- 
 other spasm, and the doctor acknowledged afterwards 
 that it was nothing but a miracle; both of these chil- 
 dren are living, and also their parents, to verify this 
 case. 
 
 A physician of this City, Dr. A, attended a patient 
 who had a severe sore, and while dressing it, he inoc- 
 ulated his hand where he had a scratch, which worked 
 into his blood and caused "blood poisoning" and after 
 a time it settled in his eyes ; after trying to relieve 
 himself and not being successful, he called on Dr. 8, 
 who also could not seem to cure him, but said he knew 
 of a clairvoyant physician, Mrs. Packer, whom he 
 thought could cure his eyes; Dr. A said : T do not care 
 to go there myself, but she is a fine lady, and respect- 
 ed; would you procure a prescription for me ? Dr. S in- 
 formed him he would, and he came and had a sitting, 
 and took a prescription, and made the medicine, which 
 was given to Dr. A, and it helped him at once, and he 
 found relief at last; Dr. S informed rae who the pre- 
 scription was for, and I accepted no pay for the sitting. 
 Dr. A. has since died, (about four years ago,) and at a 
 
64 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 materializing seance in my own house, (Mrs. Fay of 
 Boston, Mass., being the medium,) the doctor appear- 
 ed and talked with me, and was also recognized by two 
 other gentlemen present, one being a physician; Dr. A 
 said: I have come to thank you ! do you know me ? I 
 replied that I thought I recognized his features some, 
 and had probably seen him somewhere when in the 
 body, but could not remember then; well ! I am Dr. A 
 and you sent me a prescription once, for my eyes, when 
 I had "blood poisoning," — and without charge; God 
 "bless you ! your worth is not known, — except by those 
 who patronize you, and they receive what they seek for 
 and if I knew then, what I know now, I should not 
 have been afraid to come and seen you myself, at the 
 time, and I wish all physicians could realize what a 
 great truth and knowledge they have in clairvoyance, 
 and spirit communion, to help them in their work of 
 curing the sick and suffering of earth, and with these 
 great powers they could prolong and save life. 
 You saw me in Rail Road Hall, at a meeting where I 
 was speaking, before you prescribed for me, and I was 
 speaking of infidels, and you left the hall; this was 
 true, I supposing he had reference also to spiritualists. 
 The doctor then walked out into the room, and was 
 recognized also by the above two gentlemen. 
 
 I will now relate a case which I could have cured, 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 65 
 
 but my influence gave it up, because be found a physi- 
 cian who knew more then he did, or thought he did, 
 but lost the case; my influence informing the physician 
 the day his patient would die, which proved to be so. 
 A lady Mrs. S, residing near us, called in one day, 
 and asked me to go to Somerville, Mass., with her and 
 examine her brother, who was very sick, and the doc- 
 tors could not seem to help him ; the next morning we 
 started for Somerville, and upon arriving at the house 
 we found a physician, Dr. C, there, and I was intro 
 duced to him, and after a while I gave way to my in- 
 fluence and upon his coming, he informed them that 
 what he had to say, would not do the patient any good 
 to hear, and he would give his examination in another 
 room ; the patient who had overheard the conversation, 
 there upon said: I will listen to whatever you have 
 to say, so please give your examination in the room 
 where you are— which was adjoining the one where the 
 sick man was; the influence then said to the physician: 
 do you know what you are doctoring ? he said he un- 
 derstood the case he thought; well ! what are you going 
 to do with that plaster you are making down stairs ? 
 the physician there upon took hold of my wrist to feel 
 of the pulse; did you expect to find a dead woman here 
 sir? said the influence, rather amused; you find we 
 keep up a good circulation, don't you ? now this patient 
 
66 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 has a cancer in his side; the physician began to laugh 
 and said I (my influence) was a fool, to tell him any 
 such nonsense, and knew nothing about the case; the 
 influence then asked the patient if he remembered of a 
 bad scratch he received on the leg, from a nail in a bar- 
 rel some time ago, which he was lifting at the store? 
 the patient replied that he did ; well ! that nail caused 
 a poisoning of the blood, to a certain degree, your blood 
 being in a weak state, and settled in the form of a can- 
 cer; the patent, and his friends there, did not believe 
 the examination, but took the physicians decisions from 
 symptoms, in preference to the influence's knowledge; 
 the physician also disbelieved in the theory of a cancer 
 and said that I did not understand the case any way, 
 and did not know enough to examine a sick person; 
 there-upon the influence feeling somewhat insulted, at 
 such talk, resented it, and said: you can keep along 
 with the case, I understand my business, and the case, 
 and can see internally, but you will lose this case, and 
 in six weeks from this time, the patient will be carried 
 out of this house in his coffin; the physician made fun 
 of the influence's prophecy, and after coming out of my 
 trance, he used me very coolly. My friend and myself 
 left for home, and on the way, conversed about the sick 
 man. and after arriving homo I thought no more about 
 the affair, until my friend called in one day, some time 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 67 
 
 afterwards, and said: you remember my brother we 
 went to see some time ago at Somerville, Mrs. Packer ? 
 I said yes, I had most forgotten it; well ! he is dead ! 
 he died yesterday, and I have reckoned up the time 
 pince we were there, and it is just six weeks yesterday, 
 and it was found that he had a cancer, as you said. 
 Some time after this, my friend's sister in-law came 
 out from Somerville, to make her a visit, and one day 
 while I was in the yard, my friend informed her sister 
 that I was the lady who examined her husband ; her 
 sister said: how true she told, I wish we had heard to 
 her, but we would not believe it. We were quite well 
 acquainted with each other afterwards, and the tests 
 she received, satisfied her of the truth of "spirit return." 
 
 While doctoring my patients, my prescriptions are 
 carefully watched over by this ennuence, and I know 
 at once if everything is not correct; In one of my pre- 
 scriptions to a lady, an herb was left out, when being 
 put up, and the patient was told of it when she came 
 again, and upon inquiry, proved to be so, the parties 
 being out of that herb. 
 
 After residing in our new home for about three years 
 my husband passed away; after being sick for nearly 
 three months, the influence informed him one day, that 
 he could not get well, and this was his last sickness, and 
 he would come to the spirit world on the twenty-ninth 
 
68 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 day of March ; he was taken sick in December and was 
 sick for four months; the day before he died, he asked 
 for "Joe" the influence, and when he came, he asked 
 him if he was sure he would pass out to-morrow ? the 
 ifluence said: yes chief, I will be with my canoe at 
 twenty minutes of four by the clock for you; my hus- 
 band said, is that so ? well ! I will take your word then ; 
 he thereupon made preparations for his funeral : in the 
 morning when the butcher came in, he paid him his bill 
 and bought the dinner for the friends who were to stay 
 at the house after the funeral; he then ordered the 
 hearse, hacks, etc., and counted out the money to pay 
 all of the expenses; he then selected his speaker, Miss 
 M. S., a spiritual lecturer, who was then in Philadelphia 
 at the anniversary of the spiritual society, and she was 
 telegraphed for, and to come the day after the anniver- 
 sary. In the fore part of the next day, my husband 
 asked me to light up the parlor, as all his spirit friends 
 were present waiting for him, and said: "spiritualism is 
 indeed true." In the afternoon, two of his old friends 
 Mr. F, and Mr. S, came in to see him, when he inform- 
 ed them he should pass out, as the influence had said ; 
 one of them thereupon remarked: Mr. Packer ! you are 
 dying a death that very few do; what is that, asked my 
 husband ? a perfectly honest man, was the reply; do I 
 owe either of you anything, he asked ? they said no. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 69 
 
 These were his last words, and he raised the curtain to 
 look out, and died. Mr. F looked at his watch, and 
 said: it is just twenty minutes of four. My husband 
 died on the day the influence informed him he would, 
 March 29th, 1876, at the age of fifty- two years, and 
 died a firm believer in spiritualism. 
 
 CHAPTEK XI. 
 
 DEATH OF WILLIE. EDDIE AT SEA,-FALLING 
 FROM THE MAST. 
 
 About three years after my husband's death, anoth- 
 er of my family passed away, my oldest son William, 
 December 13th, 1879, at the age of twenty-nine years; 
 a few days before he died, he said to me: mother! I 
 shall die a spiritualist the same as father, as a religion 
 and a science with teachings so beautiful, and that will 
 do so much good to the world through you, must be a 
 truth, which father proved for himself and was satisfied 
 and such a religious man as he was, who thought every- 
 thing of his church, would never have given up his doc- 
 trine, and accepted spiritualism, without a knowledge 
 that he was right, and in the path that leads to truth 
 
70 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 and progression. After my son's death, I continued 
 my meetings, and upon my youngest son going away 
 on another voyage to sea, I let one-half of my house. 
 Some time after my son had gone on his voyage, I 
 was lying sick in bed one day, while a friend, Mr. D 
 sat near the bedside, when I suddenly gave a scream, 
 and told my friend that my son Eddie, had just fallen 
 from the mast, into the hold of the vessel; my friend 
 tried to console me, and said perhaps it was not so, but 
 I knew that it had just happened, and I saw him fall 
 very distinctly, and my influence informed me about it 
 afterwards, and that he would live two years; in about 
 four days, I received a telegram from captain P, stat- 
 ing that my son had fell from the mast into the hold, 
 and had been unconscious for several days, but was 
 better, and would come home as soon as they arrived 
 at a port where he could take the cars; he came home 
 in about a week, and stayed until he had recovered 
 from his fall, and then on the arrival of the vessel, he 
 shipped again, and went on several short voyages, and 
 then joined the navy for a while, and then came home 
 to stay with me, as his health began to fail, and he se- 
 cured work with Mr. P, a mason. 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIEITUAL EXPERIENCES. 71 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 THE SPIRITUAL HEARSE AND HACKS. DEATH OF 
 EDDIE-PREDICTED. 
 
 One evening about two months after my son went to 
 work, we were returning home from the city quite late, 
 and on reaching what was then known as the back road 
 to the Weir, (now Somerset Avenue,) there suddenly 
 appeared, a little in advance of us, a hearse drawn by 
 two black horses, and two hacks, each drawn by two 
 white horses; the wheels seemed to be muffled and 
 glided along without noise, as if they floated over the 
 ground; I noticed the apparition first, and called my 
 son's attention to it, he seeing it as plainly as myself; 
 after it had been in sight for a few minutes, it sudden- 
 ly vanished, as quickly as it had appeared, and neither 
 of us saw it again for some time ; I said to my son: this 
 is a spiritual manifestation, and then I was impressed 
 that it was a warning of another death in my family ; 
 whatever my son's thoughts were, he kept to himself, 
 but no doubt took it as a warning of his own death, as 
 
72 MY LIFE AND 8PIKITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 he predicted it and engaged his speaker for the funer- 
 al, as will be seen. When we arrived at the corner of 
 Second street, the apparition again appeared, and si- 
 lently moved along in advance of us, turning down 
 Charles street, where we lived, and upon reaching our 
 house, it stopped, and then quickly vanished again ; 
 this was one of the most singular manifestations I ever 
 witnessed, it was so natural; the phenomena was also 
 witnessed at the time by several other persons, who 
 verified it the next day, and an account of it was pub- 
 lished in our city papers, the next day, and was known 
 as the "Spiritual Hearse and Hacks." 
 
 One day about two weeks after this affair, my son 
 came home from work, and said: mother! feel of my 
 ears and see if they are all right ! he then complained 
 of his hands being numb, and of his head feeling queer 
 and he looked rather purple in the face; he sat down 
 to dinner, but he could not hold on to his knife and 
 fork very well, hut before he had finished eating, he fell 
 out of Ins chair, under the table; I got him up and in- 
 to bed, and the next day he seemed better; and was up 
 about the house; the influence informed me that he had 
 a shock, and it proceeded from his fall, he striking part- 
 ly on his head, and he would live about two weeks; he 
 gradually grew better, and one Sunday evening he at- 
 tended a lecture with me, given by Miss. J. R., of Bos- 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 73 
 
 ton, Mass. After the lecture, my son went up to the 
 platform and spoke to the lady, and asked her if she 
 would conduct his funeral services the following Wed- 
 nesday; she was somewhat surprised, but informed 
 him she would do so; strange as it may seem, my son 
 died on Monday, March 21st, 1882, at the age of thirty 
 three years, his funeral was on the following Wednes- 
 day, and Miss R conducted the services, as promised, 
 assisted by another, Dr. R, whom my son (as a spirit) 
 engaged on the cars, under the following circumstances 
 
 On Tuesday evening, about seven o'clock, Dr. R of 
 Boston, Mass. , whom we were somewhat acquainted 
 with, called on me, and said: I was just going through 
 to Boston, from New Bedford where I lectured last 
 evening, when your son (spirit) came to me on the cars 
 and asked me if I would stop over and assist Miss R 
 at his funeral; I told him I would with pleasure, and 
 got off at the Taunton Branch Depot, and hear T am. 
 He stayed at my house over night, and assisted at the 
 funeral; when the hearse and hacks arrived at the 
 house, they were drawn by two black and four white 
 horses, respectively, as we had seen in the apparition, 
 and when the order was given, it was only stated that 
 a hearse and two hacks was wanted. 
 
 After being left alone, I let my tenement, and then 
 moved to Porter street, where I held my meetings to 
 
74 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 full rooms every Sunday evening. I was taken dan- 
 gerously sick the following winter, with congestion of 
 the lungs ; I was so weak that my influence could not 
 control, so as to treat me, and I sent for two kind 
 friends who sat on either side of the bed, and by tak- 
 ing hold of their hands I received strength through 
 their magnetism, so the influence could take possession 
 of me, when he manipulated my chest, by rubbing and 
 pounding it while I was unconscious; he then gave in- 
 structions as to nourishment and care, and gave me 
 a number of manipulations, and brought me out of my 
 sickness in about two weeks, with full strength, and 
 able to attend to my business ; I have been seriously 
 sick a number of times, and always relied upon my in- 
 fluence to cure me. In 1890, I purchased the house 
 where I now reside, 48 Porter street; I am now sixt} T - 
 nine years of age, and in very good health; I do all 
 my own work, besides my doctoring; I have been near- 
 ly blind for almost a year, but am regaining my sight 
 again. During my life, I have done more good to the 
 world and humanity then I have been given credit for; 
 I have been called "fraud" the same as other mediums 
 but always by a class of people who have little or no 
 knowledge upon the subject of "clairvoyance" or "spirit 
 return;" the truth and knowledge I receive, as a med- 
 ium, I consider myself above accepting pay^for my ser- 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 75 
 
 vices, unless I am "worthy of my hire," and when 
 people come to me honestly, — not looking after fraud, 
 but seeking after light and truth, they receive it. 
 
 I have endeavored to make the contents of this book 
 truthful, and so fear no criticisms; it shows my expe- 
 riences with this phenomena, and what I have passed 
 through from a child, and my mediumistic life; I have 
 traveled in most all parts of the world with my brain, 
 by my influence, visiting cities in this country and also 
 Foreign countries for people, describing their homes, 
 places of business, streets, buildings, business affairs 
 etc., perfectly, and after nearly forty years experience 
 with this phenomena, investigating it in my own home, 
 with my family and friends, and passing through the 
 severe ordeals I have in my life, I am what I must be, 
 a spiritualist, as others who have found the light of 
 truth, and a knowledge of the future existence of man- 
 kind. 
 
76 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 MATERIALIZATION. 
 
 In the summers of 1889-90, I visited Onset Bay, 
 Mass., and while there, I attended several materializ- 
 ing seances; the mediums being Dr. A. W. S. Rother- 
 mel, Mrs. C. B. Bliss, and Mrs. H. B. Fay; I have 
 seen enough of materialization, to satisfy myself of its 
 being a fact. In attending a seance at Dr. Rothermel's 
 my influence, the Indian Chief, materialized and came 
 from the cabinet and called me up to him; he then 
 turned up the light so the room was perfectly bright; 
 he then manipulated my arms, and at the time, I was 
 affected with neuralgia in them, and no one present 
 knew anything in regard to it. He called the other 
 people who were present, up to see him, and stated 
 that I was his medium, and that he had doctored 
 through me for thirty-five years; he then saw a lady 
 whom he said was one of his patients, and asked her to 
 come up; there were two ladies sitting together, and 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 77 
 
 one of them arose to come up, when my influence said: 
 no ! not you ! the other squaw is my patient, I have doc- 
 tored her from hair; he then told her who I was, and 
 she said she had been doctoring with me by mail, as 
 the influence had stated; I then asked the influence if 
 he could bring my family ? he replied, that they were 
 all there and he would try to help them; in a few min- 
 utes I saw a white place on the floor, which gradually 
 grew larger and higher, and then came the outlines of 
 forms, and then I saw my husband, both sons, and 
 daughter, and seemed covered with a large piece of 
 lace; they could not obtain strength enough to talk, ex- 
 cept my youngest son Eddie, who said: mother! they 
 gradually dissolved and disappeared the same way they 
 had come, and were soon gone. This manifestation 
 was a beautiful sight, and others that were wonderful. 
 Dr. Eothermel was a stranger to me, and knew noth- 
 ing of my family or my control, and during the seance, 
 the doctor was lying on the floor in the cabinet, under 
 influence. At Mrs. Bliss's seance, my husband, my 
 influence, and one son appeared; also Dr. N, who at- 
 tended me at the time of my entrance state. At Mrs. 
 H. B. Fay's seance, my husband, daughter, and son 
 Eddie materialized, the latter appearing in full sailor 
 costume, and went through the motion of pulling ropes 
 as on a vessel. I have had all of these r mediums at my 
 
78 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 own house, and I am perfectly satisfied with the man- 
 ifestations which took place, and can recommend them 
 to the public. This beautiful and wonderful phenom- 
 ena, is now engaging the attention of the scientific 
 world, which it deserves. 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 SPIRITUALISM. 
 
 Spiritualism is a mighty power in the world to-day ! 
 it is a demonstrated fact ! no person unacquainted with 
 its beautiful truths, and teachings, can condemn it, or 
 have any reason to do so; those who do refute its 
 claims, condemn their own foundation of religion, — the 
 Bible. Spiritualism is nothing new ! it has existed 
 almost since the world was inhabited; it is a religion 
 and a science, which demonstrates and proves for a fact 
 the future existence of humanity after this life, and the 
 communication between the two worlds with our spir- 
 itual friends, —the so called dead, and is worthy of the 
 closest investigation, which it solicits. Modern Spir- 
 itualism is only history repeating itself; spiritualism 
 gave knowledge to those who had the courage to inves- 
 tigate; they were from the church, and its millions of 
 adherents are from every denomination whose founda- 
 
MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 79 
 
 tion rested on creeds, — faith; spiritualism rests upon 
 a solid foundation— that of a knowledge of spiritual 
 life, and proofs of communication with your departed 
 friends; spiritualism cannot now be crushed, as it is 
 forcing itself to be accepted throughout the world, and 
 by the most learned men. and prominent ministers, be- 
 cause its truths presented to the world, cannot be re- 
 jected, and it is adding thousands of people every year 
 to its millions of happy souls. Those who have called 
 this the works of the devil, will see when they are edu- 
 cated to its facts, that it is the works or law of God, 
 and that he never gave the devil more power than he 
 gave himself, — that is if he ever created one, but in 
 this nineteenth century, the devil and his home is loos- 
 ing his hold upon the intelligent and thinking people. 
 Mediums are the instruments created for your use to 
 commune with your friends in spirit life, like the tele- 
 graph between two cities; these instruments lift the 
 thin veil for you, that separates the celestial city that 
 is .so closely connected with your world ; cast aside the 
 feeling of mourning for your friends, and seek to make 
 them and yourselves happier, by communing with 
 them, and investigating this phenomena individually; 
 ignorance and superstition is fast passing away; faith 
 does not satisfy, and is falling before the great army of 
 progression; the people are looking for knowledge on 
 
80 MY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES. 
 
 this great problem of life, and Modern Spiritualism is 
 here with you to stay, with its facts and proofs of im- 
 mortality; this philosophy simply invites your in- 
 vestigation, and holds out to the world, its beautiful 
 truths and reality of life beyond the grave ; seek and 
 you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you; 
 and those who have found the light, and the blessings 
 of "spirit communion," can happily ask: 
 
 "O death, where is thy sting; 
 
 O grave, where is thy victory ?" 
 
 RD-16 
 
LIFE 
 
 AND - 
 
 SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES, 
 
 — OF 
 
 TAUNTON, MASS. 
 SWEET PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 
 1892. 
 
 MRS. DR. JANE B. PACKER, 
 
 Clairvoyant Physician, 
 
 TAUNTON, MASS. 
 
 _; 
 


 
 
 gv *>, 
 
 lO 
 
 
 
 ^JU«* 
 
 "*0 
 
 ^°* 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ A*' 
 
 \ WW.* ^ 
 
 ' Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
 Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
 Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 
 
 PreservationTechnologies 
 
 A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
 
 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
 Cranberry Township. PA 1C066 
 (724)779-2111 
 
 ^ • • • , *r\ ^ 
 
 "r \jmi.rtn 
 

 DOBBSBROS. •jfSSftV- "Co-. 
 
 DEC 81 -^^KS; a<L 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE " ' ^oI/&S J^ , 
 
 ^3|\ FLA. > * • ' * * V?T 
 
Bill 
 
 mam 
 ■ 
 
 II 
 
 ■