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STARTLING FACTS
IN
MODERN SPIRITUALISM.
BY
N. B. WOLFE, M. D.
" SUPPRESSIO VERI, SUGGESTIO FALSI."
SECOND  EDITION.
CH ICAGO:
RELIGIO-PHILOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE.
FOR SALE BY
COLBY & RICH, Boston; A. J. DAVIS & Co., New York; ROBERT CLARKE,
Cincinnati; H. SNOW, San Francisco. Foreign Agencies: J. BURNS,
London; VICTOR ALEXI, Paris; W. H. TERRY,
Melbourne, Australia.
1875



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873,
BY N. B. WOLFE,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.




INTRODUCTORY.
T HIS  book contains a record  of mental and
physical phenomnena witnessed by the author,
for which is claimed a supernatural origin.  It may
properly be called a Journal of his personal experience for twenty-five years, while investigating the
various phases of modern Spiritualism.
When making his researches in this department
of human  science, he neglected no fair opportunity for obtaining the most reliable information appertaiiing to the facts presented to his senses and
appealing to his judgment for indorsement.
His object has been to ascertain by indubitable
testimony whether "if a man die he can live again,"
and if so, is it possible for him to make the fact of
his existence known  to  those who dwell on the
earth?
When he began to pursue these inquiries he had
no reliable evidence that there was any life, after
death had fixed its seal upon the human form. To
his mind, all animal existence depended upon the




IV                    77UI  OD UCTORY.
presence of the " animating breath,"  and in its absence  the  heart stopped, consciousness  was  lost,
and the sun of life set, il an atheistic sky-a rayless and eternal night.
He was not ignorant of the Biblical and ecclesiastical assurances of the existence of an after-life; but
these were  so vague, contradictory, or fanitastically
stated, and  the  inheritance  of their Utopia subject to so many contingencies of "vicarious  atonements" and "plans of salvation," that they, instead
of  removing  his  doubts, confirmed  his  unbelief.
Writers and speakers there were in abundance, each
advocating some ildlividual "scheme" or "planl" for
securing the comforts of the after-life; yet in tleir
zeal to gain the "flesh pots" they neglected to present the "proof palpable" that an after-life really did
exist.  By this omission they leave a stumbling-block
in  the  pathway  of millions.   In  sensible  accord
with a German atheist it may be asked, " What's the
use of talking about'plans' and'schemes' to gain
the after-life, when there ain't no after-life?"  You
can not catch whales in a mill-pond, because there
are none there to be caught.  There is an old adage
which says, " You must never cook a lobster till you
catch himn."
No  manly  mind  can  believe  without evidence.
Immaterial failt  will not create material facts.  The




INT  RODUC TON  Y.                 v
fact must first exist, then you can have faith in it.  It
is useless to try  to terrify a fiee mind  with the
priestly penalty of unbelief-" damnation to the soul."
It will not be frightened into the admission  of'a
monstrous lie.  In  their frenzy priests may curse
the man who unflinchingly stands by the rectitude of
his own heart until their throats crack with profanity;
but they can not scorch one hair of his head, and the
maniacs know it.
The foregoing will show  the dark condition of
the author's mind when he began to study the alphabet of spiritual literature, consisting of " tabletipping"   and  "spirit-rapping."   Such  manifestations were of profound  interest to  him  until the
Buffalo  doctors  and  Rochester priests discovered
that the  "tips and  taps"  were produced by  the
double- ointed  toes of the Fox girls.  This learned
exposure of the impostors it was thought would be
fatal to Spiritualism, and so, after laying out its form
and sprinkling  holy water in its face, they "consigned it to the tomb of the Capulets," never again
to be resurrected.
In this exhibition of high farce and low comedy
we see in what manner science and religion greeted
spiritual manifestations twenty-five years ago in the
cities of Buffalo and Rochester, New York.
If these fellows had been competent to rightly




VI                 IN T ODUCTOR Y.
interpret "the  tips and  taps" of the invisibles,
instead  of indulging  in  such  silly  clap-trap  to
please  idiots  and  allay  the  ghosts, they  would
have addressed  their fellow-men with  candor and
told  them: frankly, for the sake of truth, to investigate these mysterious manifestations of power
and intelligence carefully and patiently, because if
they originate with spirits, as claimed, and declare the
verity of the after-life, nothing can prevent their
final recognition and universal acceptance.  Truth
is a positive principle, that pervades and sustains all
the phenomena of nature, and it is at once both the
endowment and the glory of the human soul.  The
mind, in the pursuit of truth, will rise to lofty pinnacles of thought, and find no resting-place but in the
bosom of eternal verities. It scales empyrean heights
to count the stars, and will not be satisfied until a
knowledge of the laws regulating their movements is
obtained; when left untrammeled by fear, and not
degraded by ignorance and superstition, it will create
forces which cause the human soul to develop in
beauty and grace, and grow  in intellectual strength
and moral grandeur, until qualified to take its position  in that celestial Valhalla where is held the
senate of the gods.
As already intimated, this book contains an account of startling and significant phenomena which




INTR ODUCTOR Y.                 VII
have occurred in the presence of the author.  To his
mind, these manifestations of the spirit-world proclaim  the dawn of a new  era in the history of the
human race, the importance of which to the best interests of men he does not pretend to estimate.
While making this record he has not paused to
consider the influence it may exert upon the minds of
men.  Truth has a good character for taking care of
itself.  It was enough for him  to know that he was
dealing with facts, and his business was simply to
arrange these facts for the critical inspection of the
mind's eye.  If he has failed to perform this service
well, no one will -more sincerely deplore the dereliction than himself; for the tribulation of the world's
great heart finds its source in perverted views of life,
and every successful effort to supplant ignorance with
knowledge saves mankind from  physical pain and
mental anguish.
It will be seen throughout the book that the
author has not hesitated to express fieely his personal opinions whenever occasion seemed to require.
He has done this with no view  of begging  favor
for the  facts  presented;  neither does  he  care
whether the reader likes them  or not.   He has
written  them   because  they  are  crystallized  convictions of his mind, and he makes no effort to disguise them in wordy superfluity.




VIII              INTR ODUCTORY
He asks the ingenuous reader to discriminate between the author's opinions of a fact and the fact
itself.  The first are of but little value, because
they  are personal, and may be swayed  from  the
plumb-line of rectitude by the common infirmities of
man's nature; but the latter are of paramount interest
to  all men, because  they  co-exist with  all tim.e,
seeking neither place nor applause, nor bowing at
any human shrine.  They should be espoused with
love and served with reverence.
146 SMITH STREET, 
CINCINNATI, 0., July, 875. J




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.                PAGE.
PAGE.                                furniture;  Dodging  the pieI-Personal recollection of witch-    pans.
craft.                           I3-Consultation of noodles; Is
— A  child's perplexities and im-    it Tom or the devil?
pressions;  Saving  power of  I4 —A  saddle that takes wings;
horse-shoes; Witches in Queen    A  stubborn trundle-bed; End
Elizabeth's time.                  of the witch-show.
3 —Sam  Wade's marvelous story  i5-Confuision  of  conclusions;
of old Bets Parks.                 Substitution  of  tenant;  All
4-Receil)t for killing a witch;    things governed by law.
How Uncle Joe did it.            i6-Intelligence against supersti5-Salem   and  Hebrew   witch-    tion.
craft;  First experience  near
Ebensburg, Penn.                          CHAPTER  II.
6-How it happened; Tom Evans
accused of witchcraft.           I7-Columbia, Penn.; New York
7-Wit of a wizard; His appli-   Triibuneon Rochester Knockings.
cation of the black art to Lloyd's  I8-A  family resemblance to the
child,                             witchcraft in Cambria County;
8-A puzzled'squire; No law for    Table-tipping in Little York.
wizards.                          19-A circle improvised; A nim9-Volunteers to visit Lloyd; The    ble-footed  mahogany  on  the
sheriff and his posse; Lloyd's    "double quick."
house.                           20-Gets  the  sulks  "heavy;"
Io-Lloyd's family; The bewitched    But polite to Aunt.
girl.                            2I-Under the ban of suspicion;
Ii-Symptoms of trouble; A pail    Honored overmuch; A clerical
upsets itself; A chair takes a    invitation.
walk.                            22-And  what became of it; A
12-Antics of holy and  profane    double slander, the devil and
books; General jamboree of    myself the victims.
IX




X                          CONTENTS.
PAGE.                              PAGE.
23-A  lie hurts; Science and the 39-Meet J. V. Mansfield; Beimponderable forces.               come an inmate of his house.
24-The table in a new role; It 40-A  man's character best seen
"uttereth  speech;"  Definition    in his own housee; Watch him
of language.                       closely.
25-Table proclamation; Counts 4I-Speak of him as I know him;
a  hundred; "The  devil, a    A rebuke to  his revilers; Bepreacher was he."                  lieve him to be an honest man.
26-Charles Odell still lives; Un- 42-How to criticise; A drunken
settles my belief.                 tinker wants to explain; Sealed
27-A  spirit-world and an after-   letters.
life begin  to dawn;  A new  43-Spirit postmaster.
era; Spirit-raps in Harrisburg. 44 —How he answers letters; His
28-Legislators   consulting  the    cunning finger.
spirits; Wells Coverly a me- 45-Style of writing names; The
dium.                              writer nonplussed; How he ad29-A  visit to the Queen's Bush,    dresses letters.
Canada.                          46-An affecting incident; A let30-Surprised  by Mr. Burrows;    ter from  a  spirit-son  to his
A  spirit-medium  in the neigh-    widowed mother.
borhood~ 47 —Mansfield's anxiety; A letter
3I-A  huge story about St. Cris-   recalled; A pathetic statement.
pin; Writing  by the barrel- 48-How  influenced -to  write;
ful;  The  origin  of a  fire    Writes with  both  hands two
disclosed by a spirit.             letters, and  converses at the
32-The shoe-maker medium; My    same time.
uncle writes his name.           49-Writing with two hands, and
33-And identifies himself; Ex-    also clairvoyant; Utilizing the
plains his joke.                   medium.
34-And writes of family matters. 5o-Exhausting the medium; Feeling father Pierpont's presence
in the city; The poet comes in.
CHAPTER III.               5 I-Just from New York; Hunting
a medium by the name of Hyde.
35-The Pulpit and Press denounce  52-Finds Mrs. Hyde, and intermediums; Interest flags.           views his spirit-wife; Spiritual
36 —Spiritual literature; Standard    discernment limited to spiritual
works; Facts wanted.               relationship.
37-A great riddle to be solved;
Investigation must go on; Want            CHAPTER IV
knowledge of the after-life.
38-The Yankees recognize spirit 54-Spirits retain their personal
intercourse;  Have good  me-    characteristics; Teach what they
diums; Go to see them.             believe to be true; Liable to err.




CONTENTS.                               xl
PAGE.                              PAGE.
55-Spirits; Information limited  72-Power  as a speaker;  His
to personal experience.            shut-eye business a sham; Ex56-Do not limit knowledge; Be    planation.
calm, and not overcredulous;  73-A   splendid  memory,  and
Common sense  a good stan-    self-duped spiritualists.
dard; Who to address in the  74-Pardee  knows better; The
spirit-world.                      Nazarene not within a thousand
57-The effect of living in an at-    miles of him; A polar wave
mosphere of mediumship; How         not so cool as he.
I investigated; How my letters  75-No better than a preacher;
were answered.                     Distrust trance-speakers; Miss
58-Astonishing answers; A  let-    Emma  Hardinge  shams  enter to Robert Speer.               trancement, and assumes maid59-Who can answer it as he did?    enhood; Thomas  G. Forster
A pictorial reply.                 affects Dayton, with his eyes
6o-Startling tests given by pic-    shut.
tures.                           76-Chews tobacco  and quotes
6I-" Mother is here;" Explana-    Scripture; Miss Lizzie Doten
tions and personal history.        a stupid  imitator of shut-eye
62-No  theory yet given to ex-    mediums.
plain tlis phenomenon.           77-The suppression of truth the
63-Mother Speer identifies her-   suggestion of falsehood; Barself, though  not  called  for;    nacles to the ship; John M.
Writes a note.                     Speer.
64-Her great impartiality; Care  78-A   Modoc  trance-medium;
of buttons.                        A missionary rascal.
65-A  pleasant memory; Testi-  79-He  proposes a government,
mony in  favor of spirit inter-    himself the theocrat; How he
course.                            makes citizens while his eyes
66-Have seen a thousand  let-   are shut.
ters answered; Queer, cowardly  80-A  capital speech; Not repeople; Black veils and mufflers.    ported by Carrie.
67-My  hyena up; A  child re- 8S-A  man ruined  by the imbukes her parents; Gets their    postor; I try to arouse him, but
eyes open.                          too late.
68-Terminate  my investigation  82-A  soap-bath  and  hat-thief
with Mansfield; Theresult of it. 83-No  sympathy  with  tricksters; E. V. Wilson not reCHAPTER  V.                  liable.
69-Caution to investigators; Me- 84-Several of his mistakes;-Holt
diums not at all times reliable.    alive.
70o-L. Judd Pardee; Business;  85-An infatuated woman.
His oratory.                     86-Sam  Patch and she; She and
71-Peculiarities; Entranced.          Sam Patch.




XT                          CONTENTS.
PAGE.                               PAGI.
87 —A  trifle ambiguous; But up    of Tlomas Starr King; Colonel
and at it again.                    Baker in a vile place; Disgust
88-Samuel's faculties rather ob-   all round.
fiscated; Keep my own coun- io —The groundlings laugh while
sels until Mansfield speaks.        the judici.ous grieve; Spiritual89-Never trust a secret to a    ism  oppressed by such media;
married  man; I did, and  see    Tawdry plans of salvation at a
what follows!  Putty  waxeth    discount.
wroth.                            o02-Rebellion in the land; My
go9 Andrew  Jackson Davis in a    convictions of truth; Logic of
tight place; Go  to his relief;   the Oriental prince; A  long
The cop.de grace; "Nelly was   interval of rest.
a lady," and liandsome.           103-Death of mother; The law
9I-A  complicated case of pro-   of Change; No fear of death.
prietorship; Who was in? Who  0o4 —ler views of age; Visions
was out?                            and  clairaudience  its comple92-Her mission fulfilled.             ment; Her sister speaks.
i05 —The   senses  clarified  by
CHAPTER VI.                  age; Old  black Timothy sees
Jesus; Mother sees her brothers
93-Physical and  mental spirit-   and sisters; Selfishness destroys
ualism; How classified.            happiness.
94 —Examine all testimony well; io6-God acts by general laws;
People  born  with   perverted    Lamentations at the  funeral;
judgments.                          Commanded  to  speak;  Cus95-Dig  deep  for  the  truth;   tomary suits  of  woe  disreThe grand possililities of man;   garded.
Distinguish between mental and  I07-A cheerful view  of death;
supersensuous phenomena.            Its natural law a door through
96 —Mixed  mediimship; Davis    which we enter; Mr. Davis's
and Harris pure mediums.            description of a spirit leaving
97-Fair  dealing;  Facts   will   the body.
outlive sophistries; Fancies of Io-T'l'he composition of a body.
no value.                         II4-Lieblig's Chemical Analysis
98-Thought is the standard of    of a Body.
Manhood;  The   thoughtless II5 —His remarks; It is gabble
thing; Bigots and  dogmatists   to talk of resurrection; Physical
curse the world with organiza-    dissolution is eternal.
tion; Spiritualism a science.    iI6 —Spiritual life eternal; Mother
99-No priestllood; Majorities not   lives; In retirement.
always  right; Believe  or be  I17 —A   lady's  letter, with  a
damned; Death to manhood.           postscript; Mrs. Hollis's name;
Ioo-Accept the priest, and be a    First time.
slave for life; A Dutch edition




CONTENTS.                              XiII
PAGE.
CHAPTER VII.                136 —Embarrassment and fiddlePAGR.                                 sticks; Close  reading; SlateI8S-The  ladies did  not  keep    writing.
their promise; Come at tea-  137-Another   putty   medium;
time; Mrs. Wood explains.            Hospitality
II9-Introduces Mrs. Hollis; A             Bais  s willi'; A misapo38-Barkis is willin'; A misapold  citizen; By   accident a    prehension; Spirits write.
prehension; Spirits wr-ite..H oosier.                         I39-A   question of hands and
120-Dedicated  to the workl  of
wings; Mrs. Hollis do n't touch
the spirit-world; Personal ap-e m ifestation
the pencil; The manifestation
~)eara'ce.                          speaks for itself.
I2I-How she appears to several  s40-Waing  i  a  it room
e40-Writing  in a  light room;
~~~~editors.  ~All fair.
122-A   dark  circle  proposed; Ie   wr tin. /..,I4-1~ear  the   writing;  The
Davis's opinions of dark circles.    niediu'.     co     r         he
niedium's  composure;'he
I23-Do n't like  dark   circles        w    g...i-iting for me.
Go in iunder mental protest.
I42-From  Emma Francis; Mrs.
I24-Prejudice; Churlishness.           Woo  qizzical..Wood quizzical.
125-Suslpicions of the trumpet.
143~Whiat  is  it?  Badinage;
126-Rayless majesty; Mrs. Hol-                          i 
Miuch.
lis sees sick spirits; A spirit            d 
I44-I don't know; The thing;
physician.
p, ysici'a'      A      Another   experiment;   Slate
127-Mrs. Hollis in  terror; Ant;   Sl
marked.
explanation; Spirit magnetism.
2-Spirits i a  or; Ms. Ho-   45-Scanning the situation; Writing heard; Shlawl removed belis explains.
]is^ expla~ins.          fiore thle slate is withdrawn.
129-Confab; Object of the horn.    fo         e       slate is 
3o-A  giant Iia    eaks loud   146-A  remarkable  communica130oA giant Indian speaks loud;.             
tion fi'om  Nolan; An array of
Taking notes; He assists others.           om  Na;     array of
r,3I   SKWAU}KEEt iS h.is lla   names given; A dilemma.
131~SKIWAUKEEK is his name; 
3-Darkcirclei is. a his  name I 147-Mrs. Wood in a finny mood;
Dark  circle in another roomto send for Barnum.,le Frech doctor agai * Ti,le    Wants to send for Barnum.'Ihe French  doctor again; The
effect of disease ol the 1spi     I48-Cowardice; Bravado; Fear;
effect of disease on the spirit..
Gutter-snipes.
I32-A  new  theory  of disease;            ri         -,'32-A pewtieo            of l disease 1. I49-Stick  to  a  lie; Fashion;
And positive and negative re-    Mission     siritualism.
latiolls~~.   ~           Mission of spiritualism.
lations.
I5o. -Turn the argument; James
133-A  spirit-bull; 0, but you're;   eo
-m"" t!                     Nolan not a Frenchman; Second
smart'^i~~~         ~ r    "dark circle.
134-Tlhe seance a failure; The    dar 
3..15,                       i5I~Music and worship.
conditions were too bad.           15I-Music and  worship.
152-Hear sonmething; A racket;
Apprehension;  Mrs.  Wood's
~CHAPTER VIII.         little boy calls his pet dog.
i35-Conceit; A  question to ask  I53-Mother  and   child  talk;
a lady; Taken to task.               Both speaking at once; Decep



xlv                          CONTENTS.
PAGE.                                PAGE.
tion  impossible; My  mother    ship; A  spectral man; Spirits
speaks.                              talk in her presence.
I54-Can  not  continue;  Jim  17I-Pink-root and  senna; The
Nolan speaks for her; Try the    father murdered; An Episcopal
spirits; Gives her full name.        bishop's views of the Fox girls;
I55-Curious  statement of her    Bad spirits.
age; Names all her brothers  I72-A table circle; Her father's
and sisters; Her two children    name given; Sees her father's
in spirit-life.                      face.
156-Her chidlren living in the  173-A   preacher's  devil-work;
order of their birth; The "big"    Speaking the truth; Decline of
Indian " whoops."                    health.
I57-Calls me "old chief," and  174-Spirits repeat the Episcopal
surprises me with  a test; A         funeral service; Was it a warncurious reminiscence of family    ing? Sudden death of her sister;
history.                             A needed physician.
I58-How I received my name.    I75-He  discovereth Dr. Franklin's letter.
CHAPTER IX.                 I76 —Absurd; A zany bishop.
I77-The doctor a trifle befogged;
I6o-Confusion of ideas; Shilly-    God is impersonal and can not
shally.                              be worshiped; Spiritualism  is
i62-The eye and ear attest; No    the  religion  of science; Has
motive  for deception; Could    many preachers.
not deceive if they had.           I78-Teachings of Nature; ReI63-Mediums should have better    spectability; Mrs. Hollis has it
characters than preachers; Visit    bad.
Louisville.                        I79-Consents to visit a spiritI64-The medium at home; Slate-    medium; Old gray-beard; Dewriting to strangers; They weep.    livers a spirit-message; How
I65-A   disguised  preacher and    it affects Mrs. HIollis.
his wife; Mrs. Hollis expresses  I8o-Visits a medium; Entranced;
herself.                             A message fiom her father.
I66-Preachers and editors led by  I8I-Holds circles at home; Her
the nose; Shams.                     sister's face in a spirit-light.
I67-The medium a trifle excited;  I82-Loses the fear of  death;
Do n't love her defamers.            Friends  turn  away;  Taken
I68-No  charge  for manifesta-    spirit-vows; Her metal.
tions; Falsehood.                 I83-A dark circle; Spirits sing a
i69-Ask to be informed how Mrs.    German song.
Hollis became a spiritualist and  I84-"Kukuk;" Kukuk.
medium; Advise her to charge  I85-Spirits sing with Dr. Preissfor her time.                        ler;  Jim   Nolan  speaks; A
I70-An account of her medium-    message from my mother.




CONATENTS.                             xv
PAGE.                              PAGE.
I86-Spirits not capable of ad-    siveness the best mental condivising; A mother's weakness;    tion.
Ney and Josephine announced; 202-Holding the  slate myself;
Nolan on the stand; Wicked    My hand touched and caressed.
saints.                          203-A message in French; CritiI88-Job's sores; A bad case of    cism on Ney's grammar.
scrofula; Tell the truth.         204-Is an error proof of imposI89-The Rosicrucians; St. Hog;    ture? The fact of writing the
Purpose of life.                    important thing; Test by writing
I90-Spirit-lights; Spirit-hand; A     in a carriage.
spirit-face.                     205-Slate-writing under a linenduster;  Writing   in  Spring
CHAPTER X.                   Grove on a tombstone; MesI9I-Desire for more information;    sage fi-o   old Ski; "No spirEngagement with Mrs. Hollis.    Us here!"
192-Her conditions; A'estum   of  206-Writings  by six  different
all her engagements  at Cin-    spirits; A gentleman surprised;
cinnati.                            A message from his daughter.
I93-Thirty weeks of investiga- 207-Peremptory order from old
tion; Beginning  a  record of    Skii; "Mejum  hungry!" Best
marvelous incidents.                time for writing; The need of
I94-Mrs. Hollis's  first  visit;   darkless.
Health of the medium; Impor-  208-Messages  from  Ney; His
tance of good  mental condi-   views of Europe in 1871; Spirittions.                              hands shown at the table.
i95-Drives  about  Cincinnati; 209-More   marvelous   experiMedium  reinvigorated; Mate-    ments; A porle-mous aie taken
rialization; Exhaustion of me-    under the table; Bills taken out
diumistic power.                    and replaced.
I96-Possible  fatal  exhaustion; 2Io-Spirits delighted with their
Deductions of the stupid and ig-    success;  Looking  under the
norant; Manly criticism wanted.    table; Mrs. Iollis's hand and
197-Forms   of  manifestation;    three hands seen; Description
Slate-writing described.           of them.
I98-First communication; Who  211-Whose  hands were  they?
is Isaac Pusey?                     Was it illusion? The questions
igg-Isaac's memory tested; Was    considered.
it Isaac's writing?              212-A   doubter's  question  an200oo-New   hand  at the  slate;   swered; Stubbornness of facts.
Messages from old friends; "All
here!"  Something  about  my             CHAPTER XI.
nephew.
20-o-The writing not Mrs. Hol- 213-Spirit-writing on paper; Its
lis's; Better tests coming; Pas.   value.




xvi                         CONTENTS.
PAGE.                                PAGE.
214 —The method explained; First 229-Fifth letter from  Josephine;
experiment; Letters written for    The  mission  of  spiritualism;
distant friends.                     Their  instrumentalities;  Few
2I5-Resemblances  in  writing;    qualified for the work.
Why not always individualized; 230-Spirit detectives; Possible
Spirit amanuensis.                   exposure of crime; An illustra216-A  spirit's X  mark; Letter    tive case.
from Marshal Ney.                 23I-A  scandalous missive; The
217-Far7c-sirniie of his signature;    annoyance it caused.
Ney's French and English.         232-Spirits consulted; Skiwaukee
2I8-Verses in Spanish; Trans-    called in; The rascal detected.
lation into English.              233-A shell-polisher polished.
219-Sp)eculations as to  the au- 234-Josephiiie's sixth letter; Nathor;  Object of  giving  the    poleon's executive abilities.
writing.
22o-'The  hypercritic's  theory;             CHAPTE    XII.
Fac-simnile of an  unexplained
communiication;  Communica- 235-Seventh letter from  Josephtions in various languages.          ile; Life's lessons.
22I-Letter from Nolan; Iis an- 236-Progress here progress herenouncement of Josephine Bona-    after; No eternal separatiol;
parte's presence.                    Listen to the spirit-voices.
222-Flc-simlile of an autograph  237-Faith  without knowledge;
note from  her; Prediction of    Dogmatic theology; Eiglith letNapoleon's reincarnation.            ter fiom Josephine.
223-A fezu de joie of spirit-raps; 238-Of spirit manifestation; ReA  chair gets excited; Meaning    suit of hard work; Nothing to
of the demonstration.               stand  in the way;  The new
224-A  chair chases Mrs. Hollis;   gospel.
First letter from Josephine; Na- 239-Why Church members do not
poleon's sympathy for France.       develop into  good  mediums;
225-Second letter from  Joseph-    Ninth letter from Josephine.
ile; Home-life in the  spirit- 240-Reincarnation; Tenth letter;
land; Josephine's  sorrow  for    The grand laws of Nature.
France.                           241 -Remiarkable cabinet serance;
226-Third letter from Josephine;   French   spirits  materialized;
Her ideas for the book.             Hortense Bonaparte.
227 —The letter continued; Why  242-Her affection for Napoleon;
spirits visit earth; The beauty    Her marriage; Ney's  revelaof death; Object of the spirits.   tion;  The first emperor the
228-Fourth letter fiom  Joseph-    father of the third.
ine; Spirit intercourse no new  243-The law of geniture; Condithing; Law of cause and effect   tions needed to reproduce paunchangeable.                       rental likenesses.




CONTENTS                              xvII
PAGE.                              PAGE.
244-The intimacies of Napoleon  256-Chance for a small fortune;
and Hortense; Ney too com-    Jimmy Nolan's opinion of spirit
municative.                        telegraphy.
245-Josephine's  letter on  the  257-What the spirits need; A
subject; Louis Napoleon not    spirit telegraph company to be
an entire success; The reason    organized; All invention from
for it.                            the spirit-world.
246 —lTwelfth letter from Joseph-  258-Telegraphing without wires
ine; Longing for immortality;   in  the spirit-land; Mode  of
Secret disbelief in Church dog-    operating by electric currents.
mas; Sin to be atoned for.       259-The  celestial system  to be
made terrestrial; Telegraphing
CHAPTER XIII.                 between the two worlds.
260-Metaphysical discussion with
247-First sounds of spirit tele-    Jimmy Nolan; The suspensiongraphing; Record of the fact.      bridge; Was it Roebling's in248-Talk with Jimmy Nolan on    vention?
the subject;  A  spirit's  tele-  26I-Mind and body; Mind's regraphic instrument; An experi-   lation to matter.
ment only; Reflections.          262-The bridge an  expression
249-Spiritual communication with    of a pre-existing idea; Roebling
other worlds than ours.            the medium  of its expression;
250-Suggestions of a telegraph    All men mediums of spiritual
operator; The spirits try his in-   impressions.
strument; Partial success; Re-  263-Jimmy rhapsodizes; A plain
turn of Mrs. Hollis to Louis-    question; Could the bridge have
ville;  Experiments  continued    been  built without Roebling's
by correspondence.                 superintendence?
25-IJosephine's letter on the sub-  264-Nolan's reply; Brain theory
ject; Her talk with Franklin    verszus mind theory.
and Morse; First communica- 265-Descartes's hypothesis; The
tion by telegraph.                 center of mind.
252-The  message from   Frank  266-The  bridge the shadow of
Stevens; Am  invited to "come    an idea; The shadow perishaand see."                          ble, the idea eternal.
253-Visit to Louisville; Inter- 267-Chemical elements of bodies;
viewing the spirits.               What makes the difference be254-A  message  in  telegraphic   tween man and animals.
signs; Fac-simile of it.         268-All ideas inspirational; Law
255 —Translation of Frank Ste-    discovers man, not man law.
vens's dispatch fiom the spirit- 269-Value  of brave  thinkers;
land; Frank's determination to    What of the average man as a
persevere; A business proposi-   spirit.
tion to telegraphic operators.
2




XVIII                         CONTENTS.
PAGE.
CHAPTER  XIV.                   ginning of dark-circle manifes.
PAGE.                                    tations.
270-Good-bye to the spirits; A   286-Spirit-concerts; Twenty testhost of spirit-names.                  songs; Spirit-lights; Their ap27I-Fac-similes  of spirit signa-    pearance.
tures.                              287-Spirit touches and clapping
272-Private  communications  to    of hands.
Congressman Gofortli and Colo-  288-Spirit-raps in the dark circle;
nel l)onn Piatt.                       Their startling force; Old Ski's
273-Colonel Piatt's reply; Start-   lessons to rude visitors.
ling facts; Why spirits some-  289-Old Ski a  gentle  savage;
times fail to individualize them-    Anna  Hancock, a spirit-child,
selves.                                makes rosettes in the dark; Her
274-The subject continued.               doll-baby.
275-A   remarkable  expression; 2go-Feats  of  spir it-power;  A
" The white bread of life."           floating orchestra; Ski offended.
276-Mrs.  Ilollis's  vision; An  29I- Iis love for red colors; Ilis
Oriental picture.                      blanket missing; lie ransacks
277-'l'le voice out of the vision;    wardrobe  and  bureau  fir it;
Import of the vision; An inter-    Things lying around loose.
pl-etation asked.                   292-A   family  sea(nce;   Love278-8Fac-simile of an extraordinary    feast  of   celestial   melody;
communlicatioln; Josephllie's in-   6Chanting the Episcopal service;
terlpretation of the vision; Mo-    Mrs.  Iollis floated  along the
halmmled renounces his errors.    ceiling.
279~-CMi /wo? Facts recocrded; 293-lHer  pleading  to   be  let
Others left to  explain  them;    down; Her fiight; Spilrit reasPromised manifestations.               surances; One in a million of
280-'l'Testimony  on  compulsion;    women.
Moral cowards.                      294-Cause of her terror; Magnetic relation of the body and
brain.
CHAPTER XV.                     brai
295-Mrs. HIollis again lifted to
28r-The dark circle; Sitting  in    thie  ceiling;  Pencil-marks  of
the dark; Acuteness of hearing.    her aerial movements; Seeing
282-Character in tone of voice;    clairvoyantly in the dark.
The real man  evoked in spirit  296-Anatomical construction of
presence.                              the eye.
283-A    deceiver   undeceived; 297-Effect upon it of long sitting
Intelligent people preferred.          in the dark.:84-ATMsic in Chur-ch w-orship; 298-Tests of spirit clairvoyant
Its use in tle dark circle.           )power; Ski liolds a lady to her
285-My investment in  a music-    promise.
box; The spirits satisfied; Be-  299-The  red  feather; Ski dis



CONTEN TS.                             XIX
PAG!E.  PAGE.
appointed; "Em  old chicken-      possible?"  Spoke  my name;
feather!"                          Presented her left-hand for rec300-Ney's drawing in the dark;    ognition.
Unsuccessftul efforts; The final 313-Peculiarity of her fore-finger;
result;  Difficulties  of spirit    Proof positive;  Respect  my
manifestations.                     own judgment; Josephine will
301-Ftac-simile of Ney's drawing.    salute.
302-Mrs.  Iollis's  spirit-band; 314-Swings a spirit-halndkerchief;
Jim Nolan's vocal power.            Presents flowers; Writes a communication; Ney pats my hand.
CHAPTER XVI.                315-Josephine's  face  materialized:  Phantom   flowers; A
303-About a cabinet; Divided    bearded  face at the aperture
opinions  among  the  spirits;    playing a French harp; Ney in
Orders to John H. Brown.           regimentals materialized.
304-Diagram   of cabinet-room; 3 6 —Seen  for an  instant, and
Description of cabinet.            melted into air.
305-Mrs. Hollis in the cabinet;
Music called for; Racket among          CHAPTER XVII.
the invisibles.
306-Spirits look like shadows; 3I7-New cabinet and new  proSecond  endeavor of the  me-   gramme; My published statedium; Sand-paper sounds.            ment; Newspaper  unfriendli307-A  brown hand at the aper-    ness.
ture; The medium's sight im- 3I8-Other' witnesses   wanted;
perfect; Two little  hands; A       Mrs. Hollis's fourth  engageriub-a-dlb; Carpet thrown out.  nment; The new cabinet.
308-A  man's  arm  through the  319 —First manifestations in it;
aperture; The condition of the    Spirit-hands; My mother's face
medium explained by Jim Nolan.    materialized and recognized.
309-Could  the spirits write in  320-Invitation  to  the  public;
the  light? Slate  and  pencil    The conditions.
fixed for them; Order in War- 32I-Character of the responses;
saw.                                The witnesses wanted.
310-Spirits write in the light; 322-Visit Mr. Charles Reemelin;
Marshal Ney on the situation;    The subject opened.
The cross of honor.              323-A  German philosopher who
31I-Three spirit-hands; A gold    knows all about it.
ring; Communication from Ney; 324-Personal antagonism; CirAgain  in  the  cabinet; Ten    cumstances under which Purcell
hands in ten minutes; Two,    and Mansfield would be of one
threes, and fives.                 mind.
312-A  recess; See my mother's  325-A  cabinet seance; Faces of
face;  "Why, mother!  is it   friends and relatives recognized.




XX                         CONTENTS.
PAGE.                              PAGE.
326-A second seance; A mother's   ham, Katie Kerns, and Celia
heart to be made glad.             Rix, materialized.
327-The shining visitors; Chil- 344-Spirit-portrait of Napoleon
dren's faces and  voices;  A    Bonaparte; Smiling Anna; The
warning; Beware of the wine-   negro servant Caroline; Josephcup.                               ine  Bonaparte  displays  her
328-Interview with F. B. Plimp-   pearls; Buchanan and Douglas.
tonl; The proposition to inves- 345-Nolan speaks at the apertigate.                            ture; The spirit-handkerchief;
329-His  report in the Cincin-   Materialization of flowers.
nati Commercial; "The border- 346-More  faces at the cabinet
land."                             aperture; Elwood Fisher's face.
330-Mr. Plimpton's report con- 347-Mr. Buchanan inspects his
tinned.                            own autograph letter, and an33I-Slate-writing.                   nounces its character audibly.
332-Mr. Plimpton's conclusions. 348-A   family cabinet  seance;
333-His cabinet experiences.         Impression of Marshal Ney's
334 —ie  recognizes the faces of   hand in flour.
M. D. Potter and  his sister 349-Description of the process;
Mary.                              More faces; A spirit-halo.
335-Other faces and hands; Mr. 350-Conditions of good  maniPlimpton's peculiarities of the   festations; Emotional disturbmaterializations.                  ance; Why  Elwood  Fisher
336-Mr. Plimpton in the dark    could  not  materialize;  Too
circle,                            anxious.
337-He interviews JimmyNolan; 351-Wlat the spirits require of
Conditions of the spirit-world,   their medium; Repulsive and
338-Sympathies with their earth-    attractive magnetisms.
friends; Moral responsibility; 352-Many faces; Messages fiom
Nolan's account of  himself;   George D. Prentice; The land
Nolan's test.                      of peace.
339-Conclusion  of the report; 353-Colonel Piatt introduced.
Observations on the manifesta- 354-A journalistic trio; A beautions.                             tiful seance.
340-As an act of good faith.       355-A   spirit-arm    dressed  in
many styles;  The  phantom
CHAPTER XVIII.                handkerchief; A  strange hand
for a woman.
341-lion. Wm. M. Corry  in- 356-Materializations  of  many
vited; Joint investigation with   flowers;  A  huge  pond-lily;
Mr. Plimpton.                      Vase filled with flowers; Anna
342-Other seances.                    Hancock's  rosebuds;  More
343-Faces of Lizzie Odell, Mrs.   faces; Two at once illuminated.
Elizabeth Parker, Robert Gra- 357-Failure to detect fraud.




COATENTS.                             xxi
PAGE.
CHAPTER XIX.                366-Mr. Halstead  unavailable;
PAcG.                                 Piatt goes for the " brute."
358-Colonel Donn Piatt makes  367-And makes him roar.
his report; An awful mistake;
Why should I accept affronts?             CHAPTER XX
359-Commenced  his  investigation in a joke.                  368-Extraordinary   materializa360-A  rat-hole revelation; His   tion of Nolan; Medium not apdescription of Mrs. Hollis; Of    prised of his purpose.
the cabinet.                     369-Her complete  passiveness
36i-Sees  something;  A  hand    necessary; Jimmy gives orders,
writes a belligerent message;    and appears at the aperture.
Fun over it; A spirit-face dis- 370-" Doctor, do you see me?"
cerned; James Buchanan ap-    An interesting conversation in
pears.                             the light.
362-Stephen A. Douglas comes  37I-Influence of old earth conto the aperture; Colonel Piatt    ditions on materialized spirits.
shocked;  Stunned;  Startled  372-Nolan's physical manifestaout of his humor; The coffin-   tion; A poetical tribute to Nolan.
lid raised;  Seen  enough  to  373-Ney    announces   twelve
satisfy him  that the manifesta-    French spirits present.
tions were not fiaud;  I-is 374-Napoleon appears; Cardinal
materialism  first knocked  in    Richelieu at the aperture; Johis head; Now  knocked out   sephine, Hortense, Marie Anof it.                             toinette;  Charlotte   Corday;
363-The colonel preacheth about    Madame Lafayette, and others,
Christ and Franklin; A week's   follow.
investigation;  Convinced  that 375-Description of these spirit
he coh-imunicates with an  in-    materializations.
telligence  outside  humanity; 376-Are they genuine? ImpertiAt  the  writing-table;  Asks    nence of the question.
forty-one questions.             377 —ther  testimony  to  their
364-C d6  c  lu s iv e e v i de n c e;    genuineness; The witnesses on
Amazed; Writing with the slate   the stand.
against the table; Dark circle; 378-More testimony of the same
Mrs. Piatt speaks long  mes-   sort.
sages; Remarkable  interview  379-A cloud of witnesses.
between Elwood Fisher, a spirit, 380-And still they come.
and Mr. Corry.                   38I-More faces and messages;
365-Jesse  Judkins; Jim  Nolan    Spirit arms, flowers, and hands.
speaks; Colonel Piatt neither 382-Twenty-six faces at a single
ashamed  nor afraid  to bear    sitting; Rev. Thomas Vickers
testimony; Has no  suspicion    investigating.
of fraud.                        383-Conclusion of testimony.




XXII                         COVTENTS.
PAGK.
CHAPTER XXI.                 4co-Message  from   his father;
PAGc.                                  Sound advice.
384-Phonographic  reporting  in  4oi —Comm unications from Joseph
tie dark.                            Gest and Lafayette Neville.
385-Benn Pittman's verbal report 402 —Negro James; Dissected in
of dark seance.                      Corry's   house;  "Are   you
386-Elwood   Fisher  identifies    afraid of ghosts?"
himself to Friend Corry; Mrs. 403-Second  seance;   At  the
Hollis describes  spirits clair-    cabinet; A curious message.
voyantly.                          404-The   faces  seen  by  Mr.
387-A   remarkable conversation    Corry; Greeting from  Mr. Buwith Nolan.                          chanan.
388-He descriles his own death; 405-Message to Col. Piatt; CorWhat lie tlought of when dying.    rv's father renews his advice.
389 —Unconscious of the  transi-  406 —liird seatce in the dark cirtion; Meets old comrades; Sees    cle; Mrs. Iollis, Clairvoyant
his own body buried,                 describes  Dr. Jesse  Judkins;
390g-Reception in the spirit-land;    Messages from Piatt's friends.
Its reality; Its flowers, trees, 407 —Nolan's  conversation  with
birds,  houses,  books,  firni-    Mr. Corr.
ture, etc.                         408 —Remarkable  interview  with
39i-Thie spirit-land no place for    Elwood Fisher; His difficulty in
loafing; Spirit-bodies and spirit   speaking; Old times and old
manyatomly.                          fi-iends recalled.
392 —Iow  Jimmy found his me- 409-Fourth seance cabinet manidium; How he learned to ma-   festations.
terialize.                         4I —Fisher's theory of the seat of
393-Philosoplhyofmaterialization.    the soul; Music gives out; vo394-Slpirit cognition of Deity; No    cal melody; Partial materializaspecial manifestation to spirits.   tion of Fisher's face.
395-Spirit-spheres; Progress in  4I -More slate-writing.
spirit-life..   42-AAdjournment to the cabinet;
396-Nolan's views of marriage.    Fisher makes a great effort.
397-Spirit-language; No secrets  413-Farewell message from Fishin the spirit-life; Impressional    er; Conclusion of Corry's statediscernment of the medium.           ment.
398-A  new invention promised; 414-Some  observations on  the
The " Thought Indicator."            statement.
CAPTER                               CHAPTER XXI  CHAPER XXIII.
399-Statement of Hon. William   415-Rev. Thomas Vickers's inM. Corry; First seance; Slate-    vestigations; Unfavorable conwriting.                              ditions.




CONTENTS.                                xxiii
PAGE.                                  PAGE.
416-Mr. Vickers's statement.             Cincinnati; An entire room for
417-Slate-writings unsatisfactory;    a cabinet.
Messages in French and German.  432 —Doubts as to  the suitable4I8-'lhe writing itself very start-    ness; experiment on  Sunday
ling; Satisfied it is done without    morning.
fraud; No theory to explain it. 433-Ney harping on the reincar419-The dark circle; Dr. Lillien-    nation; What's the odds? Go
thal converses with a spirit in    ahead.
German; A singllar caution.        434-Napoleon, the last edition of
420-Cabinet materializations and    Julius Caxsar; A  dark circle;
writings;  A   German  fable;    Mother and  son  conversing;
Many faces and hlands.                 A  startling  prediction  by Jim
42I-Further investigations.               Nolan.
422-Mr.Vickers's conclusion; Ef-  435-"Old  Ski;"  A  number of
forts to get the statements pub-    spirits speak;  Mrs. Hollis on
lisihed.                               Broadway.
423-Mr. ITalstead's reason for de-  436-A  dark  circle in a private
clinilng; Danger of makilg men    house;'The  loved  and  lost
too conspicuous; A menace, and    reunited; Fanny Wright sends
a rel)ly.                              messages to  her old  personal
424-A  few  mild observations onl   friends.
a newsmonger.                       437-Addresses Mrs. Nancy Martin; A remarkable and characterCHAPTER  XXIV.                    istic communication; Redeems
a p-romise made twenty  years
425-Representative men; Neither                                        
before.
fanatics nor fools.
438-. Recollections   of   Fanny
426-Skeptics with brains, skeptics  438-s.  rigllt; Mrs. Martin's anecdote;
without brains; Darwin's theory. a. a      439-.A circle get what they need,
with a new application; Dressed,          I..but not whllat thley want.
imbeciles stifle  spirits;  Aura                            
surrounding the spirit.
CHIAPTER XXV.
427-A  manikin  of fashion, and
Sam  Snigglefiitz's conversion to. 440-A   private  seatce; Mother
spiritualism,.                         and child converse.
428-A  trip South; Mental con- 44I-Several interviews; Faces
ditions to be changed; Manifes-    materialized; A spirit-arm varitations in Memplis.                    ously clad.
429-Excitement.                        442-A  doll-baby show; A young
430-A  spiritual picnic; Manifes-    womanl  fades at the aperture,
tation on  the  river; In New          and is materialized in the light;
Orleans.                               Interesting ceremnonv; The ex431 —Ol   the cars; Spirits propose      periment repealed six tinmes.
to take their mledium to Europe; 443-Tlie face familiar; Seen in a
A   final  engagement  to  visit    vision; The vision described.




xxIV                        CONTENTS.
PAGE.                              PAGE.
444-Continued solitude; Shadow    circles; How some people enter
on the lawn; a transformation.       spirit-life.
445-Thrilled with delight; a curi- 460-People with brute instincts;
ous explanation; You will see ime   Opinions of the spirits.
again; Who knows?               46I-Josephine's fourteenth letter;
446-Ney approves the room; A    A sharp criticism; Mental and
private circle; a number of spir-   spiritual conditions; How  reits announced.                     lated; Spirits feel degraded.
447-A thrilling incident; John W. 462-Spirits work on compulsion;
Cowen, the murderer, speaks.    Less worship and more work;
448 —Declares his wife's innocence;   A  number. of private circles;
Can now rise to higher spheres.   Knowledge is power.
449-A  large number of spirits 463-Private  circles;  Josephine
announced; A cabinet seance.       complains.
45o-Three spirits at once; Elec- 464-Bankers in a circle; Tricks
tric light.                        among them; Masons.
45 I-Six spirits in tableau; Joseph- 465-An astonishment; I'm  so
inespeaks;  Mineisz iesh and blood.   happy; A blind sister.
452-A number of citizens meet a 466-Lewis dazed; Ventriloquism
multitude of spirits; Hughes's   do n't divulge secrets; Recogmurderers.                       inition.
453-Let them  out of the "bad 467-Meets the old man, certain;
place;" Mrs. Hollis's mission to   Josephine's fifteenth letter; Likes
Europe; Excelsis Deo.              the bankers; Church people not
454-Thunder-storm  breaks up a    as good as they.
circle; Arose-bush; A nude baby. 468-Good seed in good ground;
455-A spirit speaks to Mrs. Mar-   Private circles.
tin; A spirit removes a veil to 469-Jim  Nolan speaks an hour;
show her face; Toying with the    Old people rarely return to earth;
baby.                              Changed magnetism the cause;
Curious theory.
CHAPTER  XXVL               4470-Old Ski deprecates the mur456-Jim  Nolan a Free-mason;   der of General Canby; SignificaMystical; Spirit-uncle to Alfied    tion of the word MAIadoc; Nackie
Gaither.                           Haynes; Private messages.
457-Mr. Rhodes and his son; 47I-Josephine's sixteenth letter;
Mr. \Vier and Frank Stevens        Sensitiveness of spirits; How
Sim  Reno, the express-rolbber;  ^noise affects them; A good circle.
Forty spirits announced.
458-A dark circle; Spirits talking.      CHAPTER XXVII.
459-A circle, and sultry evening;
Thoughts upon the formation of 472-Spirit-hands at the writingcircles; Josephine's thirteenth   table; Take a bank-bill under
letter; Discouraged  with bad    the table.




CONTENTS.                              xxv
PAGE.                               PAGE.
473-A pore-monnaie; And hand- 487-Animal life; Spirits obliged
kerchief perfumes obnoxious.        to work; Come back to reclaim
474-A  dark  circle; Josephine    wasted  time;  Josephine  in
sings in French; Explains her    France.
relation  to Napoleon; Napo- 488-Jim  Nolan writes on paper
leon's  mission;  Josephine  a    held in my hand; Drums the
spirit-medium; The  cause of    reveille and three cheers; DrumNapoleon's downfall.                sticks.
475-His work not finished; Val- 489-Shows them; Spirit takes a
ance to the table; The first mes-   ring off my finger; Puts it on
sage in the light.                  his own; Replaces it on mine.
476-The spirits brush my hair; 490-Josephine's twentieth letter;
A hand without an arm.              Remarks on fashion; Church at477-Two hands in the light han-   tendance; Death the liberator;
die drum-sticks; Uses of a dog's    Prepare for the spirit-life.
tail and a sow's ear; Anxiety
about the two hands.                   CHAP          XXVII
478-Five ounces of red apple disappear; Digested by chemistry. 49I-Mr. Plimpton as a witness of
479-'l'hirty spirits interviewed; A  manifestations at the table.
peculiar name announced; Jo- 492-The needle-test and watch.
sephine's seventeenth letter.       test repeated; A  spirit sings
480-Pleased with the circle; Sel-    alone; Aunt Betsy.
fishlness keeps off spirits; Spirits 493-Old Ski; Tells a story about
eat pound-cake; Are you thirsty?    till-money; Knows what he is
48I-Spirits drink a glass of wine;    talking about.
Two hands leave their impres- 494-What good in spiritualism;
sions in flour; Different in size;   Josephine's twenty-first letter;
Mrs. Hollis's hand did not fit    Spirits weeping for joy; A motheither.                             er's love is deathless.
482-Captain Air and Judge Berry  495-Josephine  devout; Nolan
try tle spirits;''lhread needles    calls for water.
under the table; Knot the thread  496-Give it to him; Aromatises
in the light.                       it; The room  filled with aro483-One hand could not do it;    matic odors; No sulphur smell;
Writing in the chair.               Precarious  condition  of coal
484-Josephine's eighteenth letter;    merchants; Spiced milk.
Disintegration; Death univer- 497-A  queer taste; A betweensal; Organization.                  ity fluid.
485-Old mother-tree; Spirits can  498-A  black circle; Nolan will
destroy life; The watch-test.       not speak to men under the in486-TIle time given; Josephine's   fluence of whisky.
nineteenth  letter; Jim  refuises  499-Josephine's  twenty-second
to meddle with family affairs.      letter; Whisky  and  tobacco
3




XXVI                         CONTENTS.
PAGE.  PAGE.
make unpleasant magnetisms;    banker; Holier than thou; A
Stifle inspiration.                  case of ostracism.
500-Wine experiment; Mrs. HIol-  513 —-Mediumshipl; The preacher
lis sick; Asphyxia; Hard work    and gambler contrasted.
to jpeiform a miracle; No go.     514-Great box-test; Spirit-lights.
50o-Another trial; The beverage  5S5-Luminous pests;  Spiritall right; Taste  it; Celestial    lights touch my hand; Brush
chemistry.                           my  hair  again;  Josephine's
502-Book-test; Spirits read  in    twenty-eighth letter.
the dark; Speech contemptible.  516-Compulsory  legislation; A
503 —Felicitating self; Josephine's    conflict imminernt; Spirits count
twenty-third letter; Weeds and    money.
brambles; Apostrophe to Wis-  517-Money of no value in spiritdom.                                 world;  Wisdom  at par;  A
504-The book-test repeated; Suc-    strange sight.
cess; A circle of outcasts.       518-A  spirit-hand festooned with
5o5 —Twelve  spirits  talked  to    pearls; Lay them in my hand;
them; Josephine's twenty-fourth    How they felt; Size; Quantity.
letter; Glad to bring sunshine  519 —Table and music-box lifted;
to these people.                     Interesting materializations.
5o6-Complimenlts on good con-  520-A p p 1 e-b I o s s o m s; Mary
ditions; The black circle dis-    Plimpton writes, and presents
mally  remembered;  the  con-    blossoms; Jim  Nolan's goodtrast.                               bye.
CHAPTER  XXIX.                52 —Josephine's valedictory letter,; Conditions; Good-bye.
507-Book tests by Mr. Plimpton;
A private seanice.                        CHAPTER  XXX.
5o8-Walter Smith a medium;
Tests; Josephine's twenty-fifth  522-Mr. Plimpton supplements
letter;  Good  circle;  Spirit-    his first report.
lights.                           523-Reaffirms the impossibility
5og-Spirit hand and flower; Mrs.    of fiaud in the manifestations.
H-ollis, for the first time, sees a  524-Confutes Faraday's theory;
materialization; An odorous cir-    Upsets Carpenter;  and  puts
cle no go.                           new eyes into Zschokke's head;
5io-Joselphine's twenty-sixth let-    The medium's private character.
ter; Review  of the week; Pa- 525-Something   very  affecting
gan and Christian acceptance;    about Dr. Wolfe; Two objects;
On the depravity of the times.       A trap-door not one of them.
511-Misery;  Superstition  will 526-Diagram  of room; Table
die; An alarmed Teuton.              and positions.
512-Josephine's  twenty-seventh  527-Thread  and  needle  test;
letter; A sprig of Elder and a    Comments; The watch-test.




CONTENTS.                           xxvII
PAGE.                              PAGE.
528-Comments; The book-test.   immortality of man; The case
529 —Iow  it was given; Fraud    submitted; Exeunt.
and collusion out of the question; Faraday's theory again at         CHAPTER XXXI
fault.
530-Spirits correct a mistake; 537-Have I been deluded a quar
"2Esop's Fables" in French;   ter of a century? Has my life
Does unconscious correct con-   been a lie? The facts witnessed
scious cerebration?               by others.
531-A   spirit-hand  and flower; 538-Frauds or facts; Painstaking
Drum-sticks;  Printing  their   to determine; Tear away the
hands in flour.                    disguises; Millions demand it.
532-The  box-test; "Yes, Mr. 539 —Spiritualism  a power; DisPlimpton, we can  do  this;"   turbers of the  rotten  peace;
Could swear to it in any court.    Aggressive; Distinguished mem533 —Something personal of Jim    bers of the mystic multitude.
Nolan; Cozup de grace to pseudo  540-The fardels of Faraday; Edcritics; Spirit-lights; Thought   ucated egotists; Conventional
to be electrical; A ring on the    great men made of poor stuff.
finger.                          54I-The opportunity of science;
534-No rilng; Spirit touches the    Its mission; The pulpit and the
back of Mr. Plimpton's hand;   press hostile; Who daire defy
Can not touch the nerve center;   the Omnipotent to arms?
Writes; Rings a bell; Brushes 542-The objects of spiritualism;
hair; Different hands; Wipes    Makes war on  sectarianism;
my hand with a spirit-handker-   Takes away the terror of deatl;
chief; The strings of pearls.       It teaches principles, laws, and
535-The scissors-test; Levitate   ideas.
the table; Apple-blossoms.       543 —Granite base for the construc536-Special pleading; Forced to   tion of an edifice; The Temple
believe; An innumerable cloud    of Truth; All nations worship
of witnesses testifying to  the    in it.








STARTLING FACTS
IN
MODERN SPIRITUALISM.
CHAPTER I.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF WIZARDS, WITCHES,
AND WITCHCRAFT.
A   BELIEF in the supernatural thrives best in an
atmosphere of ignorance.  It is peculiar to the
childish instincts of our nature, and never attains
sturdy growth and development when the lungs of
our manhood are fully expanded.  Indeed, there is no
power in such a belief; for all falsities tend to degrade
and enervate the soul.
My personal recollections of witches and witchcraft must therefore be associated with my childhood,
or childish instincts, and not with the maturer years
of life, when the thoughtful mind is sustained by its
judgments and held firmly by its convictions.
I remember, when a child, of having my curiosity
excited by seeirn' horse-shoes nailed over the doors of
several houses in my native town, and the perplexity
of my mind when trying to discover the purpose for!1




2                  STARTLING FACTS IN
which  they were  nailed  there.  Curiosity  in  a child
can  only  be sustained  during  the  period  of mental
adolescence; when the mind  begins to quicken  with
its new powers, it demands knowledge, as the unfolding  flower demands light and  heat.  So I began  to
ask questions of old people in regard to the horseshoes: what they were put up for; and  who nailed
them   there?   It was not long before I obtained the
desired  information; for almost every  body  I spoke
to  in regard  to  this matter, told  me they  were  put
there to " keep out the witches!"
"To  keep  out the witches?"  I said; "what are
witches?  what do they want to keep  them  out for?
what do  the witches want to  get in  for? what will
the)y do if they get in? can't they get in other houses
that have  no horse-shoes  over  the  doors?  how  do
the  horse-shoes  keep  them   out?"-and  a hundred
other questions to which my childish fancy gave birth.
Witches, I was informed, could put spells on people; could  make folks  sick  or well, as they  felt inclined;  that  they  could  assume  any   shape  they
pleased (sometimes they went into a black cat, or a
black dog); that they traveled through the air, riding
a broomstick; and if any body offended them, such
offender they would certainly destroy.*
*Could a more graceless exhibition of ignorance and prejudice be
given than is found in the oft-quoted discourse of Bishop Jewel, delivered in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, over three hundred years
ago (I558):  "It may please your grace to understand that witches
and sorcerers, within these four last years, are marvelously increased
within your grace's realm. Your grace's subjects pine away, even unto
the death; their colour fadeth; their flesh rotteth; their speech-is benumbed; their senses are bereft. I pray God they may never practice further than upon the subject."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                           3
"But who are the witches?" I would ask, resolving
not to  expose myself to their resentments, if I could
possibly avoid doing so.
"Witches!" said old Sam  Wade  to me, as we sat
together on a log behind  Sam  Heise's barn, while he
was tying the brail of a flail with an eel-skin; "why,
old Bets Parks is a witch!  Don't you know  old Bets
Parks?"
"Why, no!" I said; "where  does she  live, Mr.
Wade?"' Live? why, she lives in that old slab-cabin, over
on the commons, near Malson's."S
"Is that Jake Pugh's mother?" I said.
"Yes, that's her; she's the witch.  Didn't you
never see that hole in her cheek?"
"Yes!" I said, with trepidation; for I already began to fear she might be about, listening to our conversation.
"Well, that's where she was shot with a silver bullet!  You see, you can't kill witches with leaden bullets.  You put a gun right up against their head, and
shoot it off, and  you  can't faze'em.  They'll only
laugh  at you through  the  smoke.   They  can't be
*Witches always live in cabins, or tumble-down, out-of-the-way
places. An abode of a Pythoness is thus admirably described by Spenser, in the " Faerie Queen:"
"There, in a gloomy hollow glen, she found
A little cottage built of sticks and reeds,
In homely wise, and wald with sods around;
In which a witch did dwell, in loathly weedes
And wilful want, all careless of her needes.
So chooseing solitaire to alide
Far from all neighbours, that her develish deeds
And hellish arts from people she might hide,
And hurt far off unllowne whom ever she envide."




4               STARTLZrG FACTS IV
killed only with silver bullets; and you must git the
silver to make the bullets with from  the witch herself; then you kin shoot'em."
"Who shot old Mrs. Parks?" I inquired.
"Why, Uncle Joe Hinkle  done it.; but he did n't
kill her-only shot her through the face.  That hole
in her cheek is where the silver bullet went in; and
it never came out!"
"It never came out! Why, what became of it?"
"0, she swallowed it.  You see, old Bets bewitched one of Uncle Joe's horses, and it fell down on
the road and died. You see, the day afore the horse
died, old Bets went out to Uncle Joe's to buy a
chicken; but she only wanted to witch something.
Uncle Joe was afeerd ov her; so he sold her an old
black hen for a levy and a fip.  So, you see, when th.e
horse died, then he knowed at once that old Bets had
witched that horse; and what did Uncle Joe do, but
pounded the levy and fip into a bullet, and loaded his
big duck-g'un with the bullet?  He went down to the
barn and chalked a picture of old Bets on the barndoor.  Then he said,'Old Bets Parks, I'm  going to
shoot you, you old witch!' He then fired, and struck
her on the cheek.  The next morning, old Bets had
a big hole in her cheek; and it is there to this day.
That's how she got the hole in her cheek."'
This marvelous story had a wonderful effect, and
made a lasting impression on my mind.  However
skeptical I may have grown by subsequent mental
development, I never doubted the sincerity of old
Sam's belief in what he said, though the statements
*'l'he "hole" in the old negress's cheek was the deep scar of ai
old abscess.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  5
were as logically loose in the joints as a supple-jack.
Still, for a long time, my faith in the existence of
witches was not entirely destroyed.  Early impressions are hard to outgrow; they seem to stick to the
very bone, and penetrate the marrow of our mind.
Thus, when I first read Cotton Mather's " History of
the New England Witchcraft," my sympathies were
enlisted for the victims who had fallen under the ban
of the "black art," not for the "witches."  In full
sympathy with Sir Matthew Hale, I thought the man
who did not believe in witchcraft "an obdurate Sadducee, and should be made happy in his disbelief by a
little roasting."  Though not much of a Biblical student, still the story of the woman who had a familiar
spirit, and who was employed by Saul to consult the
deceased Samuel concerning the issue of his contest
with the Philistines, was sufficient authority to rest
my belief upon, at that early day.
What wonder, then, if in after life, when the subject of witches or witchcraft came under my notice,
I pricked up my ears to hear every thing that was
said.  And this brings me to my first experience with
a veritable witch, the particulars of which I will state
as briefly as possible, as they came under my personal
observation:
In I844, I was a student of medicine in Ebensburg, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.  This town is
located on the summit of one of the swelling knolls
so common on the western slope of the Alleghanies,
about eight miles north-west of Cresson, the famed
mountain retreat for Summer excursionists, and hypochondriacal moribunds.




6              STARTLING FACTS IN
One morning, before the sleepy-heads of the town
had opened their eyes, a well-known sturdy old Welshman by the name of Lloyd, who lived some three or
four miles west of the village, made the board-walks
rattle with his heavy brogans, as he wended his way
along the principal street in quest of a magistrate.
Being an early riser, I met the brave old farmer, and
gave him a cheery "good-morning," before any other
pedestrian had yet appeared in sight. TIe inquired
for'Squire Roberts's house, which I pointed out to
him.
"But what's the matter, Mr. Lloyd, that you should
be looking for'Squire Roberts so early in the mornin?" I asked.
Hereupon he wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and seemed a little confused as to how he should
reply.
I said, " The'squire won't be up for an hour yet;
so you'll have to wait awhile."
He then sat down on a store-box, and, looking
me steadily in the face, he said:
" Do you believe in witches?"
" Certainly," I said, "though I have never seen
but one."
His eye lightened, as I told him  about the old
negress, Betsy Parks; but he derived  very little
comfort from  my statement that they possessed an
ubiquitous character, and could be killed only by
being shot with a silver bullet in the manner already
described.
He did n't want to kill Tom Evans, he said; but
he wanted the'squire to put him in jail!




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                7
"What has Tom Evans done, that you want to put
him in jail?" I asked.
"He has bewitched my child, and I am  afraid
he will kill her," said the old man, with a sigh of
despair.
"In what way, Mr. Lloyd, has Tom  Evans bewitched your child?" I asked, partly through curiosity, I admit, and partly with the wish of disabusing
his mind of the absurd fear under which he labored.
"O, in many ways," he said. "She talks and
sings all night; and when she lays down to sleep, he
drags the clothes off her bed, and tears her dress,
and ties them in knots.  He throws the dishes at her
at the table, and breaks them on the floor."
This, and much more, did the old man state, without manifesting any symptom of insanity in his look,
manner, or speech.  He was a hard-working, plain,
sensible, but illiterate man.  He had gone into the
woods with a stout arm, a courageous heart, and a
heavy ax.  He had opened up a highway for the sun
to shine upon the'earth and fructify its bosom. He had
built his home of logs, and was now rearing a family
of children, to be his comfort in age.  He had neither
ability nor time to joke, but was in dead earnest when
he preferred the charge of witchcraft against his
neighbor, Tom Evans.
Tom Evans was also a farmer, with habits more
like Rip Van Winkle's than Lloyd's.  Unlike Rip,
however, he was quite a student, and was the owner
of an old illustrated volume on Astrology, wherein an
incantation scene was represented, showing the incantee and incanted to be in the possession of horns




8              SSTARTLING FACTS IN
tails, and cloven hoofs.  There was a striking likeness
in their general appearance. On one occasion, when
Lloyd was making a friendly call upon his neighbor,
he found him pondering over this book, when Evans,
in his waggery, exclaimed: "This book teaches a
man how to raise the devil.  It is the science of the'black art.'  I can turn any man into a horse, if I
choose, and ride him all night through swamps and
mill-cdams, like a wild beast."  That was enough for
Lloyd.  The direful picture was but too vividly imprinted on the tablets of his lack-luster imagination.
Henceforth, he feared Evans, and avoided him. This
presentation of the two "wad " neighbors must suffice.  The knowledge here imparted will assist the
intelligent reader to form  more rational conclusions
than he otherwise could do.'Squire Roberts heard the story of Lloyd, and was
puzzled.  There was no statute under which he was
authorized to arrest a wizard, that had not been repealed.  He could not even claim  authority from
English law; for the act of Henry VIII, adjudging
"all witchcraft and sorcery to be felony, without the
benefit of clergy," had long since been removed from
the statute-books of the Kingdom.  But, law or no
law, Lloyd had made up his mind that Evans was a
wizard, and had, as he alleged-unfortunately  for
himself and family-only too much proof that he was
practising his detestable "black art" on one of his
children; and therefore demanded a warrant for his
arrest.
Ebensburg is not a large town, and it did not require a long time for the story of Lloyd to be known




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  9
to every man, woman, and child in the place.  It was
curious to see how soon the people were divided into
partisans on this subject of witchcraft; and there was
no lack of zeal manifested on either side of the question. To satisfy Lloyd, and relieve'Squire Roberts
from an unpleasant dilemma, a party of ten men volunteered to go home with Lloyd, promising, if they
found the evidence of witchcraft, as represented, and
Tom Evans's complicity with the same clearly established, to arrest him, and put him in jail.
This proposition found favor at once; so Sheriff
Murray, George Zahm, Charles Litzinger, Alexander
Cummings, John Blair, George  Harncame, James
M'Guire, Andrew  Lewis, Edward Mills, and. myself,
were the self-constituted posse comital/s who volunteered in the service. Lloyd went home at once, and
we followed him a few hours later in the day.
When we arrived at his house, we found him in a
condition of mind almost helpless with fear.  He met
us at the door, and, judging from  his manner, he
seemed to deprecate the notoriety he had given himself and family.  He, nevertheless, maintained stoutly
that the statements he had made were true, and expressed his approbation at our coming, as we could
now "see for ourselves." That was the sentiment of
all present-to see for ourselves.
The house was built of logs, unplastered-two
rooms on the first floor, and an attic floor, reached by
a ladder.  In this loft the older children: slept.  One
of the rooms on the first floor was used for general
family purposes, embracing kitchen, dining, and drawing-room.  It was furnished with a large, stiff table,




TO              STARTLINZG FACTS IN
two or three chairs, two benches, a shelf for dishes,
and a corner next the outside jamb of the chimney was
filled with barrels and trumpery.  The  other room
contained a plain chest of drawers, a table, two bedsteads-one a trundle-bed —and a number of Sunday
suits of clothing hanging on pegs fastened in the logs
of the wall.  A  saddle and bridle also decorated one
of the pegs.
The inventory was soon taken; and as we entered
the kitchen-parlor, "ten men strong," the juveniles
opened their eyes, with big wonder in their faces.  A
little social chat soon put all hands at ease, when we
were prepared to witness and bear impartial testimony
to  whatever might be presented.   Of course  our
interest centered on the bewitched child, who was
the oldest and largest of the group of six tow-headed
children before us.  She was a stout, healthy-looking
girl, twelve years old, and large for her age.  Her
hair, a shade darker than  her younger sisters' and
brothers', hung loosely about her neck, tangled and
uncared for.  There was a thoughtful expression in
her face and large dark eyes, into which you could
look as into a well of clear water, and fancy any thing.
This child was much loved by her parents; her disposition, they said, was sweet, as her manners were
gentle.  She stood'in the center of the group, timidly
shrinking fiom our prying gaze, quite conscious that
she was the object of supreme interest to us all.
After our scrutiny had been  satisfied, the other
children were called away fiom her, and she was left
alone.  She was barefooted, and her dress —a homespun  linsey-woolsey-hung barely  to her stoutish




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  I I
ankles.   She had outgrown  several tucks, that had
left bright flounce-marks about the bottom  of the
skirt.  We had barely time to make these observations, when the first symptom of witchcraft made its
appearance.  About six feet from  the  child, on a
wooden bench, sat a patent-pail filled with water.
This began  to show  symptoms of unrest, the pail
rocking on its square bottom.  After making two or
three efforts to slide along the bench, it careened and
fell to the floor, sending its tiny deluge to our feet.
This was the beginning of the trouble. Of dourse
we examined the wooden bench and pail, but discovered nothing to arouse the least suspicion of trickery.
How the " Old Scratch" the pail was propelled to the
performance of such a feat, puzzled our wits.  We
could see nothing by which the gravity of the pail
could be disturbed-no inequality of the legs of the
bench, nor depression in the floor; and yet there lay
the pail, and the water still standing in pools at our
feet!  The feat was quite interesting to several halfscared gentlemen; and their surprise was not lessened
a bit as one of the chairs in the room made first a
conge an  t     a tt fr   w          t sod td then astarte it stoo, towar  t
child, who stood about six feet from  it.  When half
the distance had been passed, the chair stopped, as if
to consider the propriety of its strange demeanor,
toppled a few times on its back legs, then fell to the
floor.  I bear a cheerful testimony to the fact that the
chair projected this movement of its own will and
accord, without any aid, advice, or encouragement
from  any visible being in the room; and should be
held alone responsible for any fractures, bruises, or




12.   STARTLING FACTS IN
contusions of legs, back, or pediment, it may have
sustained.
The general verdict of the jurors assembled was,
that the devil was in the chair; but whether in the
bottom, back, or legs, or all together, we could not
decide.
This diabolical manifestation put us all more or
less in an "eerie swither," and we began to look at
the little girl with something like fear and trembling.
The poor child then leaned up against the chimneyjamb, over which was a board serving as a mantel. It
was a shelf upon which all kinds of traps had been
placed.  A  few old Welsh books, one of which was
a Holy Bible, took a notion to " raise Cain," and
made a perceptible movement toward the middle of
the floor.  They succeeded admirably in their intentions, if I have correctly anticipated them-the Bible
a trifle ahead, as it was the most sprightly.  Then
came several pairs of undarned stockings, without
fleshly legs in them; and they were quickly followed
by an old witch-lamp, as a light to their feet.  The
value of that shelf for house-keeping purposes will
never be accurately estimated.  There was no end,
seemingly, to the traps that flew from that perch.  A
japanned candlestick started, as if suddenly kicked on
end, and lighted unpleasantly near our feet.  Then
some tin pans, pie-platters, started on a skimming expedition, and there was no telling just where they would
hit; so we began to juke and duck, and dodge and
bow, as if paying a most respectful obeisance to " Old
Nick" himself.  The occasion was full of interest, and
we were having a happy time of it.  An old spinning



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                13
wheel, of the large, trotting kind-that turns as you
run backward, and spins a hank of yarn in a minute
or more —now began to cut up didos by rotating on its
center with a velocity that was "stunning" to see;
and if the periphery had snapped by the momentum,
would have been "stunning" to feel, by some of us
who stood in the line of its motion.  After littering
the floor with the fragments of a few dinner-dishes,
the performance intermitted, and the spectators adjourned to the outside of the house for consultation.
" Don't it beat the devil?" said one.
" It is the devil," said another; "and he can't beat
himself, can he?"
"Exactly; but what of old Tom?  Do you think
he is flying around here on a broomstick, a prince of
the power of the air?  If it's Tom, it an't the devil 
If it's the devil, it an't Tom!" quoth logic.
"That's a fact," said the sheriff.  "I guess we
had better not disturb old Tom, if we want to keep
out of trouble."
Just here our short conference was interrupted by
the appearance of Lloyd at the door, beckoning us to
come in, as the row had commenced again.  So in we
went, and found this time that the manifestations had
been transferred from  the kitchen drawing-room  to
the room  containing the beds.  As we entered, the
first thing to arrest my attention was the old saddle
and bridle hanging on the peg.  The bridle came
rattling to the floor first, with a clattering noise; then,
soon after, the old saddle-stirrups began to shake; the
flaps extended themselves like the spread wings of an
eagle, and the saddle, literally raising itself like a
4




14              STARTLING FACTS IN
huge bird, swept, with its leather wings outstretched,
from its peg-top aerie to the middle of the floor, quite
near to where the child was standing.  If the devil
was seated on that saddle, he certainly received some
bruises in the fall.
Next, the trundle-bed began to exhibit symptoms
of tribulation, or a fancy to show  its agility to our
astonished eyes.  It first made a dart into the room,
entirely clear of the mother-bed overspreading it, in
a most lively manner; but as it had nothing to, say,
and offered no explanation for its obtrusion, and no
apology for its rudeness, it was forcibly pushed under
the large bed again, /half-zvy.  At this juncture, it
seemed to take on the sulks-or perhaps it is better to
say, the disposition of the mule-and would go no farther on compulsion.  This put two of our party on
their mettle, who pushed hard enough at that bedstead
to have shoved it through adamantine gates, though
guarded by cherubim  or seraphim; but the trundlebed seemed immovable.   For several minutes the
issue was uncertain; it was a kind of "pull-Dick,
pull-devil" contest, when, while the boys were a-blowino- and getting their "second wind," without aid or
abetment, the little bed went right under the bio one,
itself, as naturally as a kitten goes under the mother
cat!  Having  performed  this feat voluntarily, this
power demonstrated its satisfaction by pounding on
the floor under the bed, as if with a muffled mallet.
This ended the witch-show on the  lay of my visit,
and to all present the occasion had been of strange
and absorbing interest.  The evidence of a power existing, though  invisible  to  our natural eyes, quite




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                I5
capable of doing mischief, was apparent to all.  The
question was now seriously discussed, What could it
be? what object could be attained by annoying this
family of poor people, and fiightening them  out of
their wits?  Some thought the child was a witch!
Others sympathized with the belief of Lloyd, that his
child was simply the victim  of Evans's "black art!"
But then it was urged that no ill was done the child,
save only a little fright; and that the things we had
witnessed seemed to act by a volition of their own.
Of course, no intelligent conclusion could be attained.  Tle more the matter was discussed, the
more opaque the whole subject seemed,  There was
enough  of superstition, however, in the party to
ascribe the things we had witnessed flatly to witchcraft; though when called upon for the rationale of this
belief, none could be given.  The ascription was a
mere substitution of terms for devil. But had we not
better give this power no name, until the mantle of
ignorance shall be lifted from our minds, and we can
see with clearer view the hidden cause?  A belief in
the supernatural ceased to be a part of my mental
code when I ceased to be a child.  "ALL THINGS ARE
GOVERNED BY LAW!" has been the axiom upon which
my mind has rested, with a sense of entire security,
for many years.  Outside of law, there can be neither
order nor justice-in heaven, or on earth, or in hell.
Chaos would come again, when law ceased to govern
matter.
Our senses were manifestly at fault in discovering
the law which overcame the inertia of these bodies.
But let us with humility ask ourselves, I-ow much or




16             STAR TLING FACTS IN
how little of the great system of laws governing matter do we comprehend?  Ignorance is always arrogant.  I speak for myself only-I did not pretend to
understand the law as it manifested itself on this
occasion.  Still, I could not surrender my faith in the
eternal principles of nature to any slavish fear or
degrading superstition.
Competent men bore concurrent testimony to the
reality of the manifestations we had witnessed.  In
them the law of inertia seemed to be superseded; but
there was power behind the manifestation, and power
can not exist without law; and law is but the reflection
of perfect intelligence.  Is there still hidden in the
arcana of nature, forces yet unrevealed to mortal
sense? Is there a power we do not understand? Is
there a God we do not perfectly comprehend?




IODERN SPIRITUALISAM               17
CHAPTER  II.
MANIFESTATIONS IN COLUMBIA, HARRISBURG, AND
THE QUEEN'S BUSI, CANADA.
T HE  incidents recorded in the preceding pages
had almost become a forgotten  circumstance,
when they were again revived in my memory by
some singular manifestations of an occult character,
which transpired six years later in my native town,
Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  These
I will briefly relate as they came under my personal
observation. By way of preface, it may be said that,
though a man may have no honor in his own country,
it rarely happens that he is not "well known" in the
neighborhood of his birth-place.  Sometimes this is
a pleasant thought, and sometimes it is not. Very
much depends upon the light in which he is seen, and
the character of those who estimate his worth.
It was some time during the early part of the
Winter of 1850 that I read the first intelligent account of the "Rochester Knockings."  The letter
was written by a correspondent of the NVez  York
Tribunze, who was upon the ground, and gave what
seemed to be a fair statement of what he saw and
heard in Hydesville, at the residence of the Wicdow
Fox and her daughters.  I had read other statements
of these wonderful "knockings," but they seemed to




Is              STARTTING FACTS IN
be disingenuous, and failed to impress me as being
truth ful.  But this letter in the Tribzune gave a most
graphically minute and circumstantial account of the
origin, progress, and character of the knockings, which
at once-captivated my mind and enlisted my sympathies.  I clipped the article from  the paper, and carried it with me several weeks.  It so happened that,
one evening, in company with several ladies and gentlemen, at my Aunt Odeli's, the conversation turned
upon the Rochester knockings, whena I remembered
the printed letter of the Triblune, which I then had
in my pocket.  I produced it, and read it aloud; and
as I did so, I, somehow or other, was thinking of the
witchcraft scenes narrated in the first chapter more
than those I was reading about.  There seemed to be
a family resemblance between some of the witchcraft
scenes aild some parts of the Hydesville manifestations, though I said nothing about my discovery to
any person at the time.
After I had concluded my reading, one of the
young ladies present, an accomplished daughter of
Governor Wolfe, who had but recently returned home
fi-om  a visit she had been making to her friends
in Little York, gave a very interesting account of a
table-tipping seance she had witnessed while absent.
The table, she said, really /noved over tlzefloor, wit,/out
any person  toucl/ing it.   This  statement at once
brought my witchcraft experience so vividly to mind,
that I ascribed both  manifestations to a common
cause, \hatever that might be.  So, when the proposition was made to form a circle, then and there, around
a table, to see if we could n't have some fun with it,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  19
I at once gave my consent to join hands, and assisted
to bring a heavy, old-time, solid mahogany table to
the center of the room.  It was not on casters, and
the heft was not less than fifty pounds.  Around this
table seven or eight chairs were placed, and occupied
by as many persons.  We first joined hands, and,
after fifteen or twenty minutes, laid them disconnected
on the table, the palms downward.  Very soon an
unpleasant feeling in the arms was complained of by
several; but all felt like sticking to it until the table
would move.  In this way, we had sat almost an hour,
chatting and talking on various subjects, having almost forlgotten the object of our being there, when,
of a sudden, the table gave a quick movement to the
left, describing about a quarter of a circle; and so
rapid and unexpected was the evolution, that it slid
from under our hands.
It is needless to say how  much excitement this
movement created, and how  much interest it awakenec.  After a few  minutes, we all sat at the table
again; and it soon became apparent, if we desired to
keep our hands on the " mahogany," we would be
compelled to "locomote" quite lively to keep pace
with its voluntary movement. It began again by repeating the "spasmodic jerks" which had so surprised
us at first; but at each succeeding paroxysm  the
movement seemed to increase in power, until a full
circle had been described; then, as if gaining momentum  by the motion, and gathering new force, it
would rotate two or three times in the most rapid
manner, causing all hands to break fi-om a "lively
trot" to a "double-quick."  The exercise was rather




20             STAR TLIING FAC7S iV
too much for the ladies.  Some of the less pulmonary
robust gave it up for want of breath; but two or three
remained, with myself, to brave it through to the end.
The table now began to make lateral as well as
circular movements, and to slide over the carpets almost as smoothly as if it had been on ice.  Here the
ladies gave out, leaving Mr. Craven and myself alone
to accompany its peregrinations from one parlor to
the other, perhaps a distance' of forty feet.  Mr. Craven
soon became "a straggler," when, solitary and alone,
I kept my pace alongside of the pesky runaway, my
hands all the while resting on the top.  The speed of
the table seemed to be increasing, or perhaps it may
have been I had less power to keep up with it, when,
of a sudden, it darted across the room toward my dear
old aunt, who sat folding her hands over her breast,
amazed at what she saw.  Becoming alarmed, she
stepped upon a sofa, and beseeched me to put an end
to this play.  Before her the table stopped, and began
tipping, and tilted back and forth several times, while
my finger tips rested upon it.  I now withdrew them,
and the table stopped all movement.
The evidence was conclusive that I had "played
the trick;" and that it was cleverly done, all acceded.
I now attempted to push the table over to its place,
about ten feet distant, but I could not budge it.  I put
my whole strength to it, but with no better success.
I seized hold of the top, determined to carry it over to
its place, but could not lift the one end of it.  It
yielded gracefully to the united efforts of two young
ladies, who lifted it to its proper position in the room.
Various were the speculations about the evening




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               21
entertainment. There was a little too much of it, to
give me all the credit, so opinions were divided. All
conceded it to be a splendid parlor amusement, and
there were ever so many people who heard of it, who
expressed the wish that they had been there. It became the talk of the town; and quite a new interest
was taken in me as the "magician" on the occasion.
I never was just so much talked of as during the discussion about the table-turning.  I received many
"' invitations" to hold circles at places I had never visited, and with people I hardly knew.  Still I maintained my equilibrium of mind and deportment, and
declined. They honored me overmuch! I was interested, but was not willing to make sport of this thing
for any body. One of our town clergymen, who had
much wealth and respectability in his congregation,
came to see me.  He became interested, and I consented to spend an evening with him and a few friends
at the table. They met; but I was detained by professional engagements, and could not be with them.
However, the play went on without Hamlet.  They
sat down to the table; and, observing the rules I gave,
it was not more than an hour, so I was informed, before it began to grow "frisky," and "kicked up behind
and before, like old Joe." The table rotated, so I was
told, making it quite lively for all hands round.
While evoluting in this way, Rev. Mr. E. concluded
the exercise was rather laborious, so he thought to
take a comfortable seat on the table, and have a nice
ride. But there was no comfort in it. It was a most
unfortunate conceit; for no sooner had his clerical
cloth been spread on the table, than it made a bound
5




22             STARTLING FACTS IN
that sent him flying through the air like a trap-ball.
He alighted with his head on the fire-rug, about ten
feet distant, his heels describing the segment of an
arc in his flight.  Several minutes elapsed before the
tangle could be got out of his reverence's hair, so that
he could be made to understand the exact situation
he was in, and how he happened to be there.  It was
only for a moment that he was discomfited.  " This
was the devil's work, for nothing  less irreverent
would deal so roughly with the cloth."  That was his
conclusion, and so he declared it; and "one blast upon
his bugle horn was worth a thousand men."  What
he said, his congregation echoed.
It was an unexpected turn in affairs.  Personally,
I felt aggrieved; for I was in the zenith of popularity,
and enjoyed the joke hugely-that is, if it can be
called a joke to be not only suspected, but openly accused, of being the author of all this pow-wow.  Alas!
my honors faded in a clay.  The devil had superseded
me, as I had superseded the Welsh wizard, in the authorship of this eccentric power.  I had tasted the
sweets of public appreciation, and now  the savory
firuit turned to ashes on my tongue.  It is a curious
thing to watch the mental evolutions of the human
mind. They are by no means uniform  in different
people; they vary widely.  Your poor stupid Welsh
farmer, when he sees his household traps flying about
his humble dwelling, as if suddenly endowed with
wings, thinks of his neighbor whom  he has feared
for his intelligence, and secretly invests him with a
power to do mischief, which could only be obtained
from the "roaring lion" that he has heard so often in




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                23
his sleep. But there is your preacher-a good, sweethearted man! He dresses so nicely, that he is the
admiration of his whole congregation! His walk is
so demure, his conversation so pious and elevating,
that, next to the great Spirit of the universe, he is
held in popular esteem.  To touch him is as much a
sacrilege as to spit on a Hindoo's wooden-headed
idol!
All that is false affects our manhood. A lie hurts.
It may not produce physical pain, but always a spiritual deformity.  The declaimer and acceptor of the
falsehood are alike injured.  Justice is assailed, the
heart insulted, and the intellect assassinated. The
devil is no more to be lied about than the Welsh wizard or myself. A lie shows the depravity of both the
head and heart that concocted or uttered it, no matter
against whom it may be aimed.
One step had been taken, however, in the direction
leading to a right solution of this subject.  Tabletipping was no longer thought to be the work of man,
but the devil.  This carried the spirit of investigation
among the imponderable forces, and divested the phenomena of all human agency.  That was something
gained-an important step; for science was now authorized to step in, and apply her crucial tests in
determining what power it was that could project a
heavy man kiteing through  the air like a paper
balloon.  Scientists rarely take any stock  in the
devil. It is a poor investment, say they.  So, regardless of what the pulpit might say, in its own way, investigation went forward. Nothing could be evoked
that gave much light upon the subject.  The tables




24            STARTLING FACTS IN
continued to tip; and science, weighed in the balance, was found wanting. No proper solution could
be given for the manifestation of this odd force.
Many theories were advanced; but, on close analysis,
none were found tenable.  Speculation was rife. The
press came in to aid the pulpit; and while it was
truculently engaged in disseminating false theories
and devilish ideas, a new manifestation was given at
the table. Heretofore, when the desire was expressed
that the table should move, it obeyed. Now it stood
still, and spoke. Language is the utterance of sound;
simply, successive waves of air that strike the sensorium  as the billows of the ocean break upon the
shore. The interpretation of sound-its investment
with sense-is purely conventional. We may build
up a system of laws to enable us to give a proper and
uniform  expression to it, but we make sound to signify just what is most convenient for us. When it is
conceived in the brain of man, and uttered by the
mandates of his will through the lingual structure, we
call it speech. Sense is thus vocalized, and conventional forms of great truths are expressed and understood. Taking this view of the subject, the assumption that sound means speech is not an unwarranted
license by any means.
In this sense, the table began to speak. Sounds
were distinctly heard, as if reflected upon our sense,
from  the under surface of its top. What can they
mean, was the question I asked myself, again and
again. Somebody had told me that one rap or sound signified no, and three raps, yes; two indicated a doubt.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                25
This was the triple key to unlock the mystery that
had been called witch, devil, and doctor.
The joyous news throughout the land was rung,
That every table now had found a tongue.
I began to question the raps, and found them apt
in their responses.  In company with others, and
when alone, the raps showed a willingness to answer
questions at all times, when asked to do so. To be
sure, their communications were limited to signify,
"aye, aye, or nay, nay;" but even these simple monosyllables can be made to express a great deal. I said
to them, " Can you rap sixteen times?" and they answered, "Yes."  "Please rap sixteen times."  And so
they did, and  then stopped.  I did not bid them
stop; but of their own accord they stopped at sixteen.
" Can you rap one hundred times?" I asked; to which
"Yes" was replied. " Please rap one hundred times."
It was done with accuracy, and I made the count
inaudibly.  I asked, "Are you a witch?"  The answer
was, "No." "Are you a devil?" The same answer was
given. "Are you Doctor Faustus?" Again, "No" was
responded.  "Well, once more, please answer me.
Are you a preacher?"  "Yes," was emphatically pronounced, by unusually loud raps.  "Then I'll watch
you closely," I said. "Have you any odor of brimstone about you?" "Not an odor," was signified. I
was a little puzzled; but let that pass.
I was soon made to understand that, by using the
alphabet, certain letters would be indicated by raps,
which would spell names, words, and sentences.  So
I began to call the letters; and when I had called
"C," a rap arrested my progress for the time. I put




26             STARTLING FACTS IN
down " C," and commenced calling the alphabet again.
When I reached the letter "h," another rap was heard.
"Ch" I put together; and continued to repeat this
system, until CHARLES ODELL was spelled out. This
was the name of an uncle, who had been dead several
years; and it was at the house of his widow where
the table performed the antics I have already described.  To my inquiry, he said that he had operated with the table, and was glad to be able to let
his friends know that he still lived.
Up to this time, though I had sought diligently for
the knowledge of the fact here announced-namely,
the existence of an after life  I had no evidence that
I could rely upon, that after death I should live again.
Hearing the many conflicting theories of menspringing from systems of religion, plans of salvation, involving vicarious atonements, murder, and
devilish passion-I had become hardened in the
belief that no affirmation could be given to the question, " If a man die, shall he live again?"  I doubted
not the existence of a supreme intelligence, occupying
all space and pervading all matter-governing all
things by immutable laws; but that man had an individual life after death, and that he could be recognized by his fellow-mortals in the sphere of the great
unknown, were problems of such distracting doubt in
my mind, that I had long settled into the conviction
that no satisfactory solution could be given them
while we dwelt upon the earth.
These tiny raps, and this brief-worded communication, unsettled the foundations of my belief. They
had spoken to my mind two great truths upon which




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              27
the soul could rest; and, with the power of a talisman, had opened up a fountain of sweet waters in
my being. They demonstrated two new problems at
the same instant: the verity of the after-life; and the
power of our friends who had passed, as we thought
forever, fiom  our sight, to visit again the "pale
glimpses of the moon"-in such a form, at least, that
we could recognize their actual presence.
The importance of this discovery will be variously
estimated by different persons, according to their
spiritual temperaments and needs. There are those
who place so low an estimate upon their value that,
to them, "a mess of pottage" or a glass of beer
would send them to chancery in eclipse. There are
others, however, who hail their advent as the dawn
of a new era, and in them see and hear the heralds
of the good time coming, proclaiming, "Peace on
earth, and good to willing men." But here we leave
off speculation for the present.
During the Winter of 1851, I had private business
that called me to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. At the time of my visit, the Legislature was
in session; and to meet conveniently several members
of that body with whom I had business, and who were
boarding at the " Coverly House," I made that my
stopping-place. This house was the place of rendezvous for a number of the members, who, every night,
came there to caucus, "lay pipe," or have "a good
time" generally, as our public servants best know
how.  Simon Cameron had an ax to grind that Winter; and many of the honorable gentlemen were flush
of means and full of wine, until his ax was ground.




28             STAR TL ING FACTS IN
There were those, however, who were upright in
heart, and who enjoyed a joke for the love of fun.
One evening, a small party of this character, perhaps
a dozen-among whom  was Mr. Wells Coverly, the
proprietor of the house-retired to a private parlor
to hear the "spirit-raps."  General Bartram Shaeffer,
a senator from  Lancaster County, being one of the
party, invited me to join them, which I did. It was
near midnight  when we entered the parlor, and fastened the doors to keep out intruders; for many gentlemen (?) were then in their cups, and scarcely in
condition to interview the living or the dead.
Mr. Coverly took a position in the middle of the
floor, standing; while around him, at a distance of
six or eight feet, sat the party who had just entered,
all curious to hear the raps. Mr. Coverly said: "Are
any spirits here that wish to rap?  If so, please signal your presence."  Before he had pronounced the
last word, a rapid succession of bumps under the
floor was loudly given.  That was the beginning;
and I thought there would be no ending to this
strange interview.  It was kept up for two hours,
during which time all kinds of questions were asked
and answered, by all kinds of spirits, who claimed to
be present. It is not expected, I know, that I should
enter into details in this matter, further than to state
that Mr. Coverly again and again stated he had no
confederate in this; and also, if it were not spirit-rapping, then he could not tell what it was; that the
noise was.heard about him, no matter where he would
go; neither did it make any difference in regard to
time-day or night-still they were heard: in his




MODERN SPIRITUAL ISM.              29
bed, on the head-board, at his table, on the floor, in
the office, he could hear them, though sometimes
more distinctly than others.  The sounds were loud
by times, but always as if muffled-as if a cushion intervened between the rapping substance and the floor,
or wherever the concussion was heard.
Whatever others might think of it, Mr. Coverly
believed-else there is no dependence to be placed in
any man's word-that the sounds we heard were produced by spirits.  This is all it is necessary to say
about that night's seance.  I never expected to record
it in the manner it now appears to the reader; and
hence it has only been preserved in memory as an
experience of which the mind could not divest itself.
My chain of testimony would be incomplete were
I to omit a link that belongs to it, in chronological
order, in this place.
I was engaged in the practice of medicine in the
Winter of I853, and was located in the village of St.
Jacobs, Waterloo County, Canada West.  My ride
extended to the north and west of this point as much
as thirty miles.  The country was sparsely settled,
by Irish and Scotch emigrants from the Old Country,
and was known as the "Queen's Bush," much of it
being unsurveyed, and large tracts of it yet unreclaimed from  the proprietorship of the wild animals
that still fed and flourished upon it. Surveys were
made as fast as the country filled up.  To one of
the new townships I was called to see a sick child,
belonging to Mr. Charles Burrows, who was the pioneer merchant of the township of Mornington. It was
a full day's ride to get to his residence, and no less to




30             STARTLING FACTS IN
get home again.  This was my first visit to Mornington; and, notwithstanding the generous hospitality
and genial companionship of Mr. Burrows and his
estimable wife, I sincerely hoped it might be my last.
But, to the point. After the comfort of the sick
child was assured, and we had taken supper, Mr. Burrows, while at the table, asked me if I had had any experience in spiritism; to which I replied by asking
him  if he had had-remembering Robbie's advice to
his young friend, to
"Still keep something to yoursel'
Ye scarcely tell to ony."
He was free to tell me of a shoe-maker, who lived
only four miles distant, following the blaze on the
trees, who was a writing medium.
"A writing  vhat?" I inquired, not understanding
exactly his meaning, and for the first time hearing the
word in that connection, and with a somewhat dubious sense.
"A writing medium,"  he said.  "The spirits take
possession of his arm and hand, and write whole pages
of the most wonderful things."
I looked incredulous; if I did not, my feelings
were not reflected in my face.
"Are you jesting?" I said.
"By no means!  I was thinking of sending for
him  to come over, to let you see him  write.  How
would you like it?  We can have him here in two
hours.  Or are you too tired to be curious?"
" 0 no; send for him. Let us have a time of it,"
I said.  "I have never heard of such a thing, and am
curious to see the operation. - Did you say the spirits




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                31
write by controlling his arm  and hand against his
own will?"
"Exactly; that's what they do.  He has a barrel
full of manuscript; and keeps paper and pencil on his
shoe-bench beside him, to be prepared for them at a
moment's warning.  He may be engaged pegging a
shoe-bottom, when he is suddenly seized, and takes
up the pencil and paper.  His lapboard serves as a
desk or writing-table.  He will then write a page or
two, or more, rapidly, when the power leaves him,
and he resumes his work.  He pays no attention to
the manuscripts, but chucks them  into an old trunk.
He is now on his second barrel.  I have seen some
of these manuscripts, and they exhibit a grasp of intellect very far beyond any I have as yet discovered
in the shoe-maker.  I'll tell you something in confidence; but'dinna ye be speakin' o''t.'  You have
heard, no doubt, that my mill was destroyed by fire,
last Fall.  Well, I.know  I have enemies; and the
way the fire originated led me to suspect that some
one who did not'love me o'ermuch' might possibly
have accidentally dropped some lucifer-matches in a
dangerous place.  Well,.the shoe-maker was over here
last week, and I got him to write for me; and I was
amazed to receive a letter from an old friend who
had been dead several years, informing me of all the
particulars of the burning of my mill.  He referred
to the circumstance that made a certain man my
enemy, who had no other way to express his resentment than by destroying my property."  After giving
me still further particulars in regard to this transaction, Mr. Burrows asked me what I thought of it.




32             STARTLING FACTS IN
Of course, I had no opinion to offer until I had met
my cordwainer; so, until eight o'clock, we passed the
time in interchanging views on this strange subject.
Mr. Burrows was a man of education, young, energetic, and enterprising, having no time to fool away
upon abstract questions of any kind.  He meant
business.  I listened to him, therefore, with more
consideration than I do when addressed by a speculating philosopher.
A little after eight o'clock, the shoe-maker came
in-a dark-haired, sallow-complexioned, medium-sized
man, about thirty years old-spare and angular, as
shoe-makers generally are. His eyes were dull, and
indicated a lack of that intelligent fire which an
education would have lit up in a flame.  His speech
was an index to the character of the man-slow,
drawling, commonplace, with no magnetic life in it.
He was not above the average intelligence of the Old
Country poor people, and even lacked the proverbial
native wit of the Irish peasant. He had only been
out from the Old Country nine months, had landed
at Quebec, and  made his way  straight up  the
lakes to the Queen's Bush, where I now for the first
time met him.
Skipping all preliminary details, Mr. Burrows,
his wife, Crispin, and myself, became seated at the
table, and the writing soon commenced.  It was only
a name at first; but that was sufficient.  The hand
was strangely moved or controlled; and, by a close
analysis of the movement, it could be seen that the
action was involuntary. The name written was
CHARLES ODELL.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 33
Startling as an apparition, the characters stood out
upon the paper.  I affected ignorance, and asked Mr.
Burrows if he recognized the name as belonging to
any of his friends. Of course he did not; neither
did the shoe-maker medium.  I said:
"The surname might be Irish. Did you know any
body by the name of Odell in Ireland?"
The medium said he did not. Just then his hand
was controlled again to write.
"Do you doubt me?  It was I that moved the
table that frightened your aunt. CHARLES ODELL."
The identification was complete; but, while the
opportunity presented, I desired to make a crooked
matter straight. I said:
"Uncle Charles, this is the third time you have
manifested to me: first, in your parlor, with the table;
the next time, by rapping the letters of the alphabet
in my office; and now you announce yourself in writing. Do you remember you told me, the second time,
by rapping, that you were a preacher? How shall I
understand you?  Have you changed your profession?"
The answer came quickly: "Have I not taught
you great truths?"
"Certainly," I said; "but"The man or spirit who teaches a truth, preaches
it. Am I not a preacher?"
"0 yes; I comprehend you now, and will remem..
ber your definition of preaching."
Our sitting at the table lasted two hours, during
which time as much as six pages of ordinary-sized
foolscap paper were closely written over. Most of




34           -STARTLING FACTS IN
this writing purported to be done by Charles Odeli;
and if it were not, the indicting intelligence certainly
knew very much of his private business and family
relations; for these were the topics written upon.  It
was impossible for me to think that there was any
collusion between Mr. Burrows and the Celt; for I
was personally but little known to the first, and, to
the latter, was an utter stranger.  The subject-matter
of the communications could only have been given by
one most intimately informed of the private affairs of
my uncle's family.
The next morning, I started for home, revolving
in my mind the strange circumstances that had transpired on the preceding evening; and resolving, if an
opportunity should ever offer, to investigate this subject further.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                35
CHAPTER  III.
INVESTIGATION CONTINUED IN BOSTON, MASS.MANSFIELD, THE SPIRIT POSTMASTER, ETC.
FOR  several years after my experience with the
writing medium in the Queen's Bush, I had no
opportunity for investigating the subject of " spirit man,.
ifestations" in a satisfactory manner.  Mediums were
not "as plenty as blackberries in August;" and those
that were known as " public mediums," both the pulpit
and the press began to stigmatize as frauds, cheats, charlatans, and by other opprobrious epithets, which somewhat cooled my zeal, and even lessened my confidence
in the genuineness of the manifestations I had already
witnessed.  Again and again, I recalled to mind all
the circumstances under which they had transpired,
to ascertain, if possible, some weak point in the testimony upon which to hang a suspicion or doubt; for I
had no motive to deceive myself, and I certainly had
no desire to deceive others.  Unfortunately, too, for
me, in the pursuit of knowledge on this subject, the
mediums accessible to the public lived in remote parts
of the country, which I could not reach without incurring much loss of time, and what I then considered
an inadequate expenditure of money.  Thus circumstanced, my interest in the whole subject began to
flag, and I felt more like lapsing into the infidelity of




36             S TATLING FACTS IN
unbelief, than going forward to secure a demonstration
of the verity of an after-life.
Just here the literature of spiritualism began to
engage my attention; and I read with amazement and
most absorbing interest the great work of Mr. Davis,
"Nature's Divine Revelations, and a Voice to Mankind."  In this historical compendium  of the origin
of the universe, I found so much that was sublime in
thought, grand in sentiment, and noble in expression, that it gave a complete diversion to my mind,
and engaged all the grasp of its powers. His other
volumes, "The Physician," "The Teacher," "The
Seer," " The Reformer," " The Thinker," " The Magic
Staff," followed in the order of my reading, sandwiched
with Ambler's " Birth of the Universe," Linton's
"Healing of the Nations," Tuttle's "Arcana of Nature," and "Scenes in the Spirit World;" Harris's
" Lyric of the Golden Age," and " Epic of the Starry
Heavens," and many other productions that were
claimed to have a spiritual origin.
It is not necessary to indicate more minutely the
course of my reading, further than to say that I read
most of the books, as they appeared from the press,
that have since become standard works in the literature of spiritualism.
This mass of reading, instead of satisfying my
mind, only whetted my appetite for personal knowledge
of such facts as were spoken of by others. I could
not build my faith upon the experience of others, but
wanted facts for myself-broad, solid facts, such as
I had started out with-whereon to rest my hopes of
an after-life. Different men read and reason from




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              37
different stand-points; their conclusions are dissimilar. But when a fact is presented, as if struck with a
bullet, they stand dumb, and meditate upon the producing law.
My desire to see for myself the manifestations
others had witnessed and recorded, grew upon me day
by day, until I finally resolved to have my curiosity
gratified, at whatever expense it might be of time,
labor, or money.  It was a felt importance to know
something of the destiny awaiting me. In the pursuit of such information, men had, in all ages, made
sacrifices of every thing they held dear, even life itself,
that the "great riddle" might be expounded.  Nations had poured out their treasures of money upon
the altar of investigation; wars had been waged in
the same spirit; and the earth had been reddened
with the blood of martyrs in the same cause.
I could not, therefore, be indifferent to the only
promised practical solution of this great problem of
life.  A  knowledge of the after-life seemed, to my
mind, to be a necessary complement to all we know
of this; as it would enable us to understand the
relations men should sustain to each other, and discharge their duties with clearer judgment and forethought.  Some spiritual organizations can be sustained by faith; but such natures are of a sickly sentimental growth, lacking the development of power
and force. They take to pious water-gruel as a child
to milk. To build up the gristle and bone of manhood, you must have the substantial aliment of facts.
To build a dwelling-place for all time, the foundation
6




38             STARTLING FACTS ZV
of your house must be laid on granite ledges-solid
facts! Here the man can build securely until the
dome of his thought is lifted to the heavens.
I had read enough, and the time had arrived for a
new departure in the track of investigation.
Boston seemed to be the center of interest in the
spiritual movement.  Here were located several public
mediums, whose names began to be familiar to those
interested in the subject living in remote sections of
the country.  The secular press spoke of spiritualism
as a "Yankee trick," a 13oston notion, and a dollar
speculation.  But time has shown how untruthful the
press was in its stigmatic epithets.  To the everlasting credit of the Yankees, be it said that they were
the first to recognize this divine babe in the manger,
and had the manhood to declare the manifestations to
be genuine.
Among the Yankees I went, to obtain more light
upon the subject.  Distrustful of trickery, I visited
many mediums, and discovered already, under the
livery of spiritualism, much  given out as genuine
manifestation that was unreliable.  There was a class
of people anxious to monopolize the privileges of
media, who pretended to be entranced by spirits, who
would, in this condition, give utterance to the most
silly and ungrammatical drivel that ever assailed the
ear of credulity.  All they had to do was to shut
their eyes, squirm  a trifle, and then begin a dribble
of shilly-shally' stuff that the poorest devil in the
spirit-world would be ashamed to own.  If these people were not self-deceived, they were harmless, for
surely they did not deceive any man who had capacity




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                     39
to distinguish the difference between a hen and a
hand-saw.  They were the baser sort of Yankees.
But among all this swash, there were a few  genuine mediums, whom  it was a pleasure  to  meet —
ladies and gentlemen of good education, culture, social position, and honorable.  From  among this class
I selected one to assist me in my investigations.  My
attention was directed to him by the following Card,
which I saw published in the Bannzer of Light, at that
time, I believe, the only Spiritual newspaper published
in the United States:
"MR. J. V. MANSFIELD.
"This distinguished'Writing Test Medium' for answering
sealed letters, may be addressed at Chelsea, Massachusetts,
Box 60. Hisfee is lhree dollars and four postage-stanmps. Persons wishing his services will please not write any superscription on the letter they desire the spirits to answer, but seal it
so it can not be disturbed or tampered with, without detection.
The answer and the sealed letter will be boll promptly forwarded to the writer."'
Being upon  the ground, I did not write to Mr.
Mansfield, but called upon him at his residence, when
he was not engaged as a medium, to make arrangements for a systematic examination  of his peculiar
phase of mediumship.
It was finally arranged that I should become an
inmate of his house, and, for the time being, a member
of his family.  This was an important step to me, as
it gave me facilities to  study the character of Mr.
Mansfield, when he was most open to criticism.  I did
this for myself, and with no view to betray any weakness I might discover in his character, unless I held
my duty to society at large more binding upon me
* Mr. Mansfield is now (1875), and has been for several years,
located at No. 36I Sixth Avenue, New York, where lie may be
addressed.




40             STARTLING FACTS IN
than the law of hospitality, which admitted me to confidence, and provided me with food and shelter. If
Mr. Mansfield had been a private citizen, I should not
have gone to his house; but as he was not, it was my
bounden duty to know all I could of his private and
public character, that I might form the clearer judgment of the reliability of his mediumistic pretensions.
It was of much importance to know what manner of
man I had to deal with-something of his personal
habits, his reputation for speaking truthfully. These
discoveries in a man's character can be best made
in his own house.  Here it is, if anywhere, a man
shows his real self; and, though it is humiliating to
confess, yet it is nevertheless true, that "a man is
rarely a hero to his own valet."  The lesson is, that
when you know men intimately, they cease to command your respect.  But there are exceptions, and
these challenge the closest scrutiny, and loom  up in
importance as the insl)ection is intensified.  Among
these I place Mr. Mansfield. An inmate of his house, I
have met him in his hours of social relaxation-in his
gown and slippers; no studied word or categorical
look to disguise the real man, or mar the harmony of
his action.  With  him  I have broken bread and
"tasted salt," and, for months at a time, have been to
him almost as a shadow to the substance.  From this
intimacy, I claim to speak of this man's character with
more judgment and honesty than those who know
nothing of him  personally, but who seek to disparage
his excellence, and destroy his good name. With him
in every test condition, watching him  closely day by
day for months,-if all this will not enable me to speak




MODE RN SPIRITUALISM.              41
of this gentleman understandingly, then there can be
no reliance on the judgment of man.
And now what testimony am I expected to offer
in regard to this man?  I will speak of him  as I
know him. You who know him better, may criticise
my opinion; but you who do not know him at all, for
God's sake, put your hand upon your mouth, and be
silent. You had better be a dumb beast than a chattering rascal.
I will anticipate the desires of the candid reader,
and state fairly what I know about this singularly endowed man and medium.  It is not expected, of
course, that I should speak of his private character
further than to say, if I had detected any thing upon
which I could have rested a suspicion that his mediumship was a human contrivance, and in any sense
unworthy the great cause to which it is devoted,
I should have relentlessly exposed the fraud, and
abated no jot or tittle of my zeal in condemnation
of the man.
I believe Mr. Mansfield to be an honest man; and
that he is a genuine medium for the spirit-world to
communlicate with this, I have ample proof.  It will
be my business to lay this, in part, before the reader.
To present it all, would fill a volume. And just here
is a proper place to put investigators on their guard,
when they begin to examine this subject of spirit
manifestations.
Do not make up your mind too soon, nor bring
to the investigation of the subject antagonizing prejudices. When you have discovered a fraud, keep
quiet until you know it to be really a fraud; then




42              STARTLING FACTS IN
expose it.  If you speak of it too soon, you may expose yourself.  I do not wish to be understood as
deprecating a full and fair criticism, but only enjoin
upon the hypercritic the additional quality of prudence.
It may save you blushes and remorse, when you
become older and wiser.  Guard sedulously against
that carping criticism that doubts without reason, and
condemns without proof.  Defer judgment until you
have all the testimony before you; then sift it closely,
that you may find the grain of truth in the chaff of
error.  If your mind is poisoned with malice or prejudice, you are not fit for a judge.  It will be difficult
for you to understand this.  Exercise your severest
judgments upon your own ability to examine this
great subject. A drunken tinker, with tobacco-slavers
dribbling from  his mouth, and hiccoughs in his diaphragm, wanted to explain the whole matter to me,
while he leaned against a lamp-post, in Cincinnati;
said he could do it in five minutes.  Thus " fools
rush in where angels fear to tread."
It is hard to get men to understand how little they
know of this matter.
It will be seen, fiom  Mr. Mansfield's Card, that
his specialty is to answer sealed letters.  Hence, he
is known far and wide as the spirit-postmaster.  His
correspondence is very extensive, reaching to all parts
of the United States and British Provinces.  Letters
come to  him, indeed, from  every quarter of the
globe, and in every language that has a grammatical
structure.
It is a curious thing to look at the outside of the
letters Mr. Mansfield receives.  On the supposition




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                43
that he is a trickster, the writers frequently seal their
letters with Spalding's glue, cover them with paint or
varnish, smear them with wax, and I have seen them
stitched by a sewing-machine, until the decimal of
every square inch of the envelope was secured by
thread. Some were sweet-scented, and some were not.
Mr. Mansfield and myself would take "turn and
turn about" in fetching the mail from the post-office,
he bringing my letters, and I his.  I have, by this
arrangement, been the first to handle the letters sent
to the "spirit-postmaster."  The answering of these
letters was a matter of more interest to me than to
Mansfield.  With him  it was an old song; it meant
work, thankless work in most cases, and complete
physical exhaustion.  But not so with me.  This unknown power to answer a letter, without knowing a
word contained in the letter, was a novelty that interested me much.  The letters I would bring to Mr.
Mansfield very rarely got out of my sight before they
were answered, and returned with the answer to their
authors.  The people for whom  Mr. Mansfield performed this service exhibited, by their method of sealing their letters, a suspicion of fraud, or that their
letters were opened or tampered with.  I failed to
make any discovery that would tend in the least to
confirm such impressions, and I certainly did not lack
opportunity to detect such practice, if any had been
attempted.  It may be of general interest to know
exactly how the "spirit-postmaster" answered sealed
letters.
Being seated at his writing-table, I lay before him
a half-dozen letters, bearing post-marks, perhaps, from




44             STARTL NG FACTS IN
as many different states in the Union. The outside
envelopes are now removed, and thrown in'the wastebasket.  He has now before him a half-dozen securely
sealed letters, without a mark or superscription to
afford the slightest clue to the authors, or to the name
of the spirit addressed. Over these he now passes,
very lightly, the tips of his fingers, mostly of the lefthand.  He touches them so delicately that you could
fancy him picking up gold dust, a grain at a time.
He passes from one to the other until all have been
touched. If no response is elicited, he puts them in
a drawer and locks them  up.  In a half an hour or
more, he renews the effort to obtain an answer to the
letters. They are again before him, and, like a bee
passing from flower to flower, his finger-tips pass from
one to the other of the letters.  He turns them over,
and senses every part of the envelope.  The glue,
paint, or wax, has almost destroyed the magnetic condition of the letter; but he finally gathers it up, when
his left-hand closes with a spasm. That is the signal
of success.  The spirit addressed in the letter, that
exerted this strange influence on his hand, is present,
and is prepared to answer it. The other letters are
now pushed aside, and this particular one remains
before the medium, with the fore-finger of his left
hand touching it. He has in a convenient place long
strips of white paper, and a pencil, to be ready for the
emergency.  All is now ready for writing-the pencil
at rest in his right-hand.  The point of interest is
now in the finger of the left-hand touching the letter.
It begins to tap on the letter like the motion of a
telegraph key, making like irregular sounds. Simul



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                45
taneous with this tapping, the writing begins with his
right-hand, and, without intermission, continues until
the communication is finished. There is no rest,
after the influence begins, until the completion of the
work. I have seen as many as twelve strips of paper
closely written upon at one sitting, though three or
four, perhaps, would be a fair average of the length of
the communication received.  The writing is very
rapidly executed; and varies in style as much as is
common to men.
When the writing is completed, the left-hand,
which has been closed all the time with a spasm, now
opens, and the influence is gone.  It is only for a few
seconds; for it returns again to write the address of
the person to whom the letter is to be sent, on the
envelope.  This being done, the letter and answer
are immediately inclosed in the directed envelope, and
promptly mailed.  The whole thing is business-like,
orderly, and straight.
I have watched this operation closely, and have
seen it repeated a thousand times.  If there are many
letters to answer, Mr. Mansfield very rarely spares
the time to read what he has written; but if he has a
little leisure, he reads the communications carefully,
and seems to study them with the interest of a student.  I have seen him for an hour at a time trying
to understand the exact sense of one of these strange
missives, using an r"unabridged Webster" to assist
him  to comprehend the definition of words, strange
and unknown to him.  When names were given in
the communication, the fact was always of more than
usual interest to him.  These were what he called
7




46             STARTLING FACTS IN
his tests. While reading a letter, I have seen his eyes
filled with tears, as the pathetic story of a spirit
would be read, in which perhaps the first announcement of its translation would be communicated to
friends in the form. I remember the letter of a
young man who, in the early excitement, went to
California to obtain gold. He was an only son, and
the stay and support of a widowed mother.  He had
been successful in his object, and had transmitted
the evidence of his success in handsome amounts to
his far-away home inl the East.  His preparations for
leaving were completed, and the last letter written to
his anxiously awaiting parent.  Day by day he was
expected home. The little cottage was kept in order,
to give him  a pleasant welcome; whilst a doting
mother's heart was warm with love to greet his return.  He did not come. The distance was long,
very long; he must have been detained; perhaps
had changed his mind, and gone into the mountains
again. Weary months passed away, and still that
mother awaited the return of her manly son. But he
came not.
One day she received a letter.  It was not in familiar writing, but the language was couched in the
same affectionate terms with which her son was wont
to address her. It was the story of his death, by fever,
on the isthmus, with all the particulars attending it.
He had hoped to comfort her old age, and be with
her in the closing hours of life; but it was not so
ordained; and wanted his mother to be comforted,
and reconciled to the will of his Heavenly Father,
who doeth all things well. He was happy, and would




MODERN SPIRITUA LISMA.             47
meet her first when she entered the spirit-world, and
would take her to a beautiful home he was preparing
for her.
A recital like the above would affect him to tears.
He would say, "Wolfe, I'd give any thing to be assured that the story in this communication is true 1"
"Do you doubt it, Mr. Mansfield?" I would ask.
"0 no; I have no reason to doubt it.  I have
never known a statement to be false that came in this
way; and yet this thing is so marvelous that I can
not comprehend it at all.  I sometimes feel that my
life is a dream, and my existence a myth, and that
there is nothing real or substantial in all we see.
Yesterday, that little boy wrote to his mother trying
to comfort her in his absence. To complete his identity, he recalled the particulars of his death by drowning; how he had gone into the creek to bathe, and by
accident got into deep water; how he struggled to
save himself, but felt no pain as he quietly yielded up
his life. He spoke of the discovery of his body; named
the person who found it; how the news of his death
caused his mother to swoon, in which condition she
again beheld him, and of her loud lamenting over his
lifeless body; how she kissed his cold lips and forehead again and again, crying'O, my son, my son!'
Then again, he spoke of her placing her picture on his
pulseless heart, and filling the coffin in which his
body lay with flowers. It was a pitiful letter, and has
made me feel sad ever since I mailed it."
"Perhaps it will be a comfort to the mother to
learn that her child still lives, and is able to return
and watch over her," I said.




48             STARTLING FACTS IN
"That is very true," he replied; "perhaps it is
all right, as friend Childs puts it; and we ought not
to feel so."
I have known Mr. M. to be suddenly influenced
to write; and, without a break in the conversation,
he has seated himself at the table, when a long letter
has been written.  I say influenced to write. This is
known by a slight muscular spasm of the arni, which
will generally show itself when he folds his arms
across his breast, or clasps his hands, or rests them
on his knees.  These positions form what the spirits
term an electro-magnetic circuit, enabling them to
approach and influence the nerve-center of his motor
system.  He seems, at such times, to be inadequate
to the exercise of his will-power over the motor
nerves; but his thinking faculties are as lucid as when
not under any influence at all.  Blind Tom  I have
seen, with his right-hand playing, in a very clever
manner, a piece of difficult music, while, at the same
time, he performed with his left-hand another intricate composition, and set in different time.  While
thus engaged differently on his right and left, he
sings a song, different in time, the sentiment of which
he must memorize.  In like manner, I have seen Mr.
Mansfield writing two communications at the same
instant, one with the right-hand, the other with the
left, and both in language of which he had no knowledge.  While thus engaged, he has conversed with
me on matters of business, or continued conversation
begun before this dual writing commenced. It may
thus be seen that while Mr. M. himself talked in a
very sensible manner, as men ordinarily talk, both




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               49
his right and left arms and hands were engaged
taclking, too. On one occasion, I remember distinctly,
while Mr. M. was writing with both hands, in two
languages, he said to me, " Wolfe, did you know a
man in Columbia by the name of Jacobs?" I replied
affirmatively; when he continued, "He is here; and
wants to let you know that he passed from his body
this morning."  This announcement proved to be
true. But what we are most interested in, is the triple
manifestation presented on this occasion: Both hands
engaged, not on the same subject, but each differently
writing, one in a back-hand, the other straight as we
ordinarily do; the matter written differing in character; the language different: and yet, while our
very senses ache to think of it, a third man speaks,
and announces a startling fact which had occurred,
since we were seated in that room, several hundred
miles distant. What solution can be offered to this
triple manifestation of intelligence, power, and organization?
The communications thus received, while they
seemed to be intended to show that no ordinary
man was equal to their spontaneous production, had
really a different purpose.  The letters were frequently for persons by whom they would be esteemed
"godsends," and upon subjects of the deepest interest. It looked to me as if the spirits were making
the best use of time, with the limited means at their
command-really utilizing the mediums, as the telegraph is kept at its fullest working capacity when
business is brisk.
Such occasions were rare, to be sure; for the




50              STARTLING FACTS IN
medium could not stand under such a drain upon his
nervo-vital organization without suffering fiom complete exhaustion;* but that a manifestation of this
character can be made, affords the mind a center
from which to reason that is of first importance to
the proper appreciation of this entire subject.
One morning, Mr. M. and I were seated in his
office, engaged  in  conversation  having  no bearing
whatever upon the circumstance I am  now about to
record, when very. abruptly he said: "I feel Father
Pierpont!  He is now entering the city.  He will be
here soon to see me."
"Do you mean the Reverend John Pierpont, the
poet, and Unitarian minister?" I said.
"Yes.  He is one of God's make of noble men.
You will love him very much."
We talked about Mr. Pierpont quite a while, when
our conversation was interrupted by the entrance of
a gentleman who desired to have a letter answered
which he had in his possession.  Both retired to the
writing-room, and left me alone in the reception-room.
Very soon the servant opened the door, and, without
announcement, a spare-made, tall gentleman, with the
most courtly manner, entered.  His hair was white
as silk floss, and his face was a blazon of intelligence and  benevolence.   His voice was as musical
as the child's first utterance to its idolizing mother.
* Mr. Mansfield, I regret to learn through the press, has become
a victim of paralysis. What influence his medilumship has had in
producing this distressing condition, can only be conjectured, of
course; yet I incline to the belief that such nervous exhaustion as he is
subject to, when overtaxed with writing, favors the development of
paralysis.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              5 I
Extending his hand, with a slight forward inclination
of his body, he said:
"Good-morning, sir.  My name is John Pierpont.
Whom have I the pleasure of addressing?"
"My name is Wolfe. I am interested in the subject of spiritualism, and am stopping with Mr. Mansfield to examine the manifestations through his mediumship," I replied.
"You are highly favored, sir.  Mr. Mansfield's
mediumship is very remarkable, and presents to my
mind incontrovertible evidence of spirit-power.  Is
Mr. Mansfield engaged at present?"
"Yes, sir; but will be free to see you very soon.
He was apprised of your coming an hour ago.  He
then said,'I feel Father Pierpont; he is now entering
the city; he will be here soon to see me.' Have you
just come from Medford?" I asked, seeking to confirm the statement of Mr. Mansfield, or to refute it, as
the facts might be.
"No, not from Medford; but from New York. An
hour since, I arrived at the Old Colony Depot, and
from there came straight here, to obtain information
respecting the whereabouts of a lady medium whom I
have been directed to find, but of whom I have never
heard a word."
"Perhaps I know the person you seek; and can
give you the necessary information."
"Perhaps, so," he continued. "I have been visiting New York; and last night attended one of Mrs.
French's circles. She was controlled, imperfectly, by
the spirit of my wife, who said,'There is a lady medium in Boston, by the name of Hyde, whom I can




52             STARTLING FACTS IN
manifest through much better than I can through
this organization.  Call upon her when you return
home, and I will meet you, my dear, and talk to you
of our children and beautiful home.'"
"I know  Mrs. Hyde very well," I said.  "She
lives on Portland Street, near Causeway, and, I think,
is a very fine personating medium."
Here our conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Mr. Mansfield, who greeted the venerable
poet, prophet, and philosopher, with the warmth of a
loving son. After chatting awhile about New York,
spirit-mediums, and the premonition of his appearing
in the city, Mr. Pierpont left, to call upon Mrs. Hyde.
He visited our rooms several days afterward, and
gave a most pleasant and highly artistic description
of his interview with his cherished wife, as she manifested through this lady medium.  Speaking of his
dear one, as of his son, he said, "I can not think her
dead!"
My object, however, in this conversation, is to
call attention to this phase of mediumship.
Mr. Pierpont visited Boston, on this occasion, at
the instigation of his spirit-wife, and started on the
very night he received the suggestion.  His visit was,
therefore, unexpected to himself, and unlooked for by
others; and was undertaken by the awakened enthusiasm  of his own soul. Neither Mr. Mansfield nor
any of his friends knew of the coming of the "sweet
singer," only in the manner already described.
It is pertinent here to ask whether Mr. Mansfield
can manifest this power of conscious discernment to
all people. I learned from himself that he could not.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                   3
It was only toward those with whom  he was on the
most intimate and fraternal terms.  He could, however, in this way, sense the approach of a person who
was repugnant to his subtile feeling, squares away;
and would shrink from their presence as the sensitiveplant from the touch of rudeness.




54             STARTLING FACIS IN
CHAPTER IV.
PERSONAL TESTS-PICTURE-WRITING-STRANGE VISITORS-THE MEDIUM'S SENSIBILITY.
IT was not long before I made the discovery that
spirits out of the body do not differ very much in
their dispositions from  those in the body.  Let us
illustrate this proposition. Mr. A., while in life, was
a truth-loving and benevolent man, had a scrupulous regard for his word, and in every relation of life
sustained a comeliness of character salns reproach.
He passes to the spirit-world; and, from  his new
sphere of being, is invited to return to tell us the
experience he has had in passing through the great
transition.  In doing this, he is not likely to depart
from his pre-spiritual habit of speaking the truth. He
may be relied upon as telling exactly what he believes
to be true. In the spirit-world he has much to learn
that is new and valuable, and also much to unlearn
that is old and worthless.  He must outgrow the
errors of his earth-life, and learn the truths of his new
existence, before he becomes a competent teacher to
those who call him to return.  He will come, however, and do his best to advise, instruct, and inform
you; but he is as liable to err in judgment as are
those he seeks to gratify. He is therefore to be reasoned with-to be met with the amenities of contro



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               55
versy such as distinguish civil and enlightened debate;
and it is by no means arrogant to assume that a mortal frequently exhibits profounder thought, and a more
thorough appreciation of the real realities of spirit-life,
than those who have actual experience to offset the
argument. Thus an uninformed person may travel
from a rural district to a large city, and find himself
lost in the crowd of pedestrians with which he meets
and mingles upon its thoroughfares. He repeats the
motive of his walk, and makes the same optical observations, day after day, month after month, until
years have passed.  He finally returns to his country
home, and with him brings the personal experience lie
has had; only this, and nothing more.  He begins to
speak of things he has seen, and feels that he is competent to instruct those who hear him.  He describes
with rustic power things which most attracted his attention. Mr. B., who has never traveled beyond the
boundary of the cloud-skirted hill which he sees from
the open door of the house in which he was born,
asks Mr. A. a question about something of which he
has read pertaining to the city. A. is blank. " He
did n't see it. He does n't believe the thing in question is in the city, else he would have seen it." How
preposterous! If it be understood that information
is limited to what we see, then really but little can be
known of the great realm of truth which lies beyond
the scrutiny of sense.  It is the brain that thinks, that
possesses knowledge.  He who absorbs what he sees,
feels, and hears, and gives the esse a healthy digestion-one who grasps the whole  can speak of parts
the best.




56             STARTLING FACTS IN
Thus, when we commence our investigations of
the spirit-life, we should think that but little is understood of its actual condition, and by no means make
that little knowledge  the  boundary limit of our
thought.  We have capacity to know  all; and the
more our faculties for acquiring knowledge are exercised, the larger will grow the area of truth to our
apprehension.
When I began my correspondence with inhabitants of the spirit-world, I yielded an implicit belief to
all I received from them, until I found myself the
dupe of an overcredulous mind. Then I quickly turned
to the austere extreme of skepticism, and maintained a
chilling distrust toward all I saw and heard. Both
conditions of mind were incompatible with a just appreciation of facts when presented; and so I settled
down from the extremes of credulity and skepticism
to that common-sense mean through which we sift
and filter the communications we receive from our
fellow-men, and applied this rule to the intercourse I
held with those who had "passed to the land o' the
leal." Let us not essay to supersede human nature
in thought, word, or deed, and then we shall be as
near right as it is profitable to be.
In this animus, I opened my correspondence with
the spirits, through Mr. Mansfield.  I wrote my letters plainly, and with as little ambiguity of sense as
I was capable of doing.  I wrote to those who,
I felt confident, would have honored my correspondence in the form and with the same familiarity with
which I would have addressed an old and intimate
friend.  I reserved as little to myself as possible,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 57
acting in this as well upon the impulses of my nature
as upon the advice of the Ayrshire bard:
"Ay free aff-hand your story tell,
When wi' a bosom crony."
It was not always convenient for Mr. M. to give my
letters immediate attention; but this did not deter
me from writing.  Living in an atmosphere of harmony, in a place where  spirits held  convocation
night and day around their favored medium, I almost
felt the presence of my friends in spirit-life, as Mansfield had sensed the presence of Mr. Pierpont.  At
such times, I would sit down and write a free, frank,
familiar letter, put it in an envelope, and await a
favorable opportunity to have it answered.  Before
this could be done, however, I would write other letters; and, in this way, have.had at one time as many
as tzuenty-five letters, all ready, as opportunity favored,
for Mr. Mansfield's delicate manipulation.  These I
would carry with me, each inclosed in an unsuperscribed'buff envelope. As the envelopes were uniform in size, shape, and color, I had no marks upon
them to distinguish one from  the other.  As an opportunity occurred-that is, when the medium  was
not too much exhausted by work, and not otherwise
engaged-I would lay before him my whole batch of
letters, to ascertain whether any one of the twentyfive spirits addressed in the letters were present, and
could control to write.  Under such conditions, it was
very rare that the effort failed to obtain a response
from some one or two.  He would pass his hand over
this epistolary display, and pick up a letter at random,
as already described, and proceed to answer it. It is




58              STARTLING FACTS IN
worthy of remark, that I have never known him  to
fail to be accurate in obtaining the name of the party
addressed, and either a message from the said party,
or a reason given why they did not write. The response always evinced a perfect familiarity with the
subject, circumstances, dates, or persons alluded to, in
my letter, when  the indicting  spirit was the one
addressed.
Their replies were often of the most. astonishing
character. They were not simply pert and pointed,
but in them were often embodied the new thought, the
new fact, new names, new circumstances, new dates;
and, when I say new, I mean that by no forced construction of the language of my letter could such information be obtained  as was frequently  imparted,
even had my letter been -openly submitted to the inspection of any number of doubting, caviling, or critical readers.  I will take, without any special reasons
for doing so, the following letter, from among a hundred I received, to illustrate this curious proposition.
The letter was inclosed in a sealed envelope, among
twenty-five others, and  was undistinguishable from
the rest.  But to enable the reader to try his powers
to give a satisfactory reply to it, consider the letter
open and under your eye, and then speculate upon it
as much as you like. Here it is:
ROBER'r SPEER, late of Cassville, zHuntingdon County, Pennsylvania,
now in the Spi'rit-world:
DEAR FRIEND,-Can you, by any means you may employ,
satisfy my mind of your personal presence, and establish your
individual identity beyond a reasonable doubt? Any communication you may give of such a character will, I need not tell you,
be gratifying to, and gratefully appreciated by, your fiiend for
aye,                                      N. B. WOLFE.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               59
Now, let the reader consider this was a concealed
letter, and occupied a promiscuous place among more
than a score of other equally ambiguous letters now
lying before Mr. Mansfield. I need not again explain
the manner of his selection: how he delicately touches
the letters with the tips of his fingers, turns them over,
and again solicits the end of attenuated thread that
will unwrap the mystery of death and the after-life.
At last he finds the influence.  Robert Speer
has heard the call, and responds to my request. He
comes to establish his personal identity-through what
difficulties I can not tell, at what sacrifices I have no
means of knowing. How shall he begin? The situation is awkward.  He may revive some story that is
laid away in the storehouse of my own memory; but
that won't do.  I must have proof, outside of my own
mind, of my friend's presence.
The medium's hand begins to move over the white
paper. The pencil-marks were irregularly drawn, and
by no conjecture could I guess the meaning of all this
scribbling.  But patiently I sat, and noticed  this
strange device; for I had no doubt it was intended as
a reply to my request: A horse began to shape up;
another followed, though in the lead.  What could it
mean?  It now began to seem
"A mighty maze, but not without a plan."
The pencil glided more swiftly than ever, and, at
each stroke, some line of development was unfolded.
I need not continue to mark the curious tracery to
the end.  The picture-for such it was-was completed in thirty minutes.  Now let us examine the
details of this uniquely-produced composition.




60             STAR TL NG FACTS IN
Above the "Jack's Narrows," in the Valley of the
Juniata-a point formerly known as "Van Devender's
Lock"-you have as beautiful a river, valley, and
mountain view as can be found anywhere on the continent. The scenery is composite; the pastoral and
the wild form   a most enchanting picture to the
rapt senses.  From  this point, you see  Sideling
Hill, stretching to the west as far as the eye can
reach, or until the horizon abruptly closes the view.
This was the general outline of the picture. Now for
the details. Along the hill-side, a much-traveled road
is plainly discerned from the river valley. The farmers from Trough-creek Valley, of which Sideling Hill
forms the southern boundary, haul their produce over
this road to the Pennsylvania Canal, at Van Devender's, whence it is shipped to Philadelphia in common
freight-carrying boats.  In the picture we have the
mountain, with a loaded four-horse wagon descending-the road, the valley, the river, and the canal,
fairly presented; a canal-boat, with two horses tandem attached; and a little mischievous driver flourishing awhip by way of stirring up the leader.  On
the boat is painted the name "Thomas  efferson."
On the bags in the wagon is printed "R. Speer."
"Now what of all this description?" says the impatient reader.  But that is my question.  I ask,
"What of all this?"  I have shown you the letter to
which this is a reply, and now I wish you to decide
upon its pertinency.  Cassville is in Huntingdon
County; that is true. And this scenery is in the
Valley of the Juniata, and can be appreciated from
Van Devender's Lock.  But remember, I have told




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                6 
you all this.  You could learn nothing of this from
the letter. Now, what else do you see in the picture
that is an apt reply to the letter? Nothing, absolutely nothing! But I forget; you are not expected
to see it. Robert Speer was called upon to give me
a test of his personal presence, and his individual identity!  Has he done so? The only writing discernible
was this brief sentence:
"Mother is here, and will communicate."
Still no clew to the proper interpretation of the
picture; rather, the whole subject is more ambiguous
than before.
Now for my interpretation of this picture-writing;
the reader may then understand it more clearly than
at present.
In my early life, I was in the service of Robert
Speer.  He lived beyond the mountain described, in
the Valley of Trough Creek. He was the merchant of
the valley, and bought the grain, and other produce
of the farm and dairy, from the farmers.  Those who
could deliver their produce at the canal, the boat,
Thomas Yefferson, was there to receive it, until laden
for her trip. Daily trips of wagons from Cassville to
the canal and back,-were made. Bags of grain marked
"R. Speer" generally stood upright in the wagons,
a sketch of which we have in the picture.  I was,
as already stated, in Mr. Speer's employ, and served
in the  capacity of cow-boy, store-boy, and  boatdriver.  I suspect the chappie on that hind horse,
who is now making the leader, "Old Mike," frisky,
by tickling his rump with a new silk cracker, is about
thirteen years old, with a shocking head of hair the
8




62             STARTLING FACTS IN
color of tan-bark, his face fieckled; and if he answers
you civilly when addressed, will likely tell you his
name is Nep.
But, again the impatient reader exclaims: "What
of all this? We can see nothing in your story that
has any bearing upon the letter addressed to Robert
Speer."
Well, then, God pity you!  Why didn't you answer my letter, with your eyes upon it, before this
answer was given? This illustrated reply to my letter, I submit, is as apt and germane as any reply
could  be.   There  was no  equivocal sense  conveyed in this rejoinder.  It was all true to life;
and if the personal identity and individual presence
of Robert Speer was not clearly manifest, then I am
graceless enough to ask, "What character of testimony can establish a fact?"
The reader's own good sense will discern  the
strong points in this test of spirit presence  and
identity.  There has been no theory advanced that
will explain all this so satisfactorily as that which
admits the presence or agency of Robert Speer as an
individualized spirit.
My mind upon this latter point was clear and decided, and there did not seem  to be any necessity
for  more  testimony  to  confirm   my  convictions.
Nevertheless, the medium's hand was again put in
motion, in  reply  to some  conjectural remarks in
reference to the announcement made in the picture
that " mother would communicate."  It will be remembered  that I made no allusion  to "mother."
My mother was still in the form; and Mr. Speer's




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               63
mother was but little known to me, and there was no
reason why she should have any desire to write me a
letter. Still, she was announced as being present,
and would write.  That was my understanding of the
message.
As already stated, the medium's hand began to be
agitated again; and while the picture was still undergoing a critical examination, moved with the pencil
over the paper. The result of this control was simply
a chest of drawers, or bureau. There was no evidence
of skill displayed that the veriest tyro in drawing
might not successfully compete with; still, there were
four drawers in the set, upon which the following
names were inscribed:
GEORGE.
WALTER.
NAPPY.
JOHN.
Underneath this was written:
"You were all children to me, and required a mother's care.
Did you not call me'mother?'      MOTHER SPEER."
If I had had any doubts in my mind as to the veritable presence and individuality of Robert Speer, this
unlooked, uncalled for, manifestation completely dispelled them. It is necessary to offer some explanation
of the above volunteer test, that its value as such
may be the better appreciated.




64             STARTLING FACTS IN
I have intimated that, at the age of thirteen years,
I was, by the stress of "iron fortune," thrown upon
my own resources in the world.  It is not necessary
to enumerate what these resources were. I was a
mere child, and small for my age.  I had "straggled"
from home, and engaged to "drive boat" for Robert
Speer. The first boat I ventured my fortune with
was the old Stephen Girard; but she was not a
"dainty skipper," and was found to be " unseaworthy"
for the "raging canawl."  Captain Querry and the
Girard were soon superseded by Captain Miller and
the Thomas lefferson.  In the transfer, I was left out,
and was taken from the boat by Mr. Speer, and admitted into his family.  Here I received the same
training and attention bestowed upon his own children.  Mother Speer was mother to all of us; and if
she discriminated in her love among us, I was too
young to notice it, and too well satisfied to prefer a
complaint.
That there was no partiality shown in her great
motherly heart, was sufficiently evinced by the care
she displayed for all our childish wants. None of us
had yet outgrown the reckless period in life, when
accidents to trowsers were both frequent and common-sometimes, I may add, fatal to their comeliness
a posteriori. But, no matter how terrible the accident
might be, a patch or a stitch could mostly repair it, if
"taken in time."  That was always done.  If there
were but two buttons left, after a hard contest with a
more skilled "pitcher and tosser" than myself, in due
course of time the despoiled garment would find its
way into "drawer number three"-marked on the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               65
diagram "Nappy"-with all the buttons intact for use
on Sunday morning.  Need I apologize for calling
this great good woman "mother?"
George was her eldest son-about my own age.
He had by the right of seniority the first drawer.
Walter was the second son, to whom  was given the
second drawer. John was the third son; but here
arose the question, whether he ought to have precedence over my age?  He was very much younger
than I. It was finally settled that my drawer should
be the third, and John's the fourth.  This, it was
alleged, would make me feel more satisfied, and like
one of the family.  It was a fine display of delicate
thought and feeling, which I recall with pleasure after
sleeping over it almost forty years. Goodness, when
it touches the heart, is "a thing of beauty and a joy
forever."
The reader will now see the bearing of the test
given in the picture of the bureau. Let him couple
this and the picture of the boat and driver together,
and then candidly say whether it is not more difficult
to disbelieve the assumed presence of Robert Speer
and Mother Speer, than to admit their presence and
their authorship of the pictorial communications I had
received.
If these were isolated cases, unsupported by other
concurrent testimony in favor of the spiritual theory,
then we might abandon the ground assumed, and say
a deception.had been practiced; but, on the contrary,
every letter I submitted to the touch of Mr. Mansfield elicited facts and responses no less striking and
conclusive than those I have cited. He has answered




66            STARTLING FACTS IN
for me more than one hundred letters in this manner;
and it has happened but very rarely that the spirits
communicating failed to give the most indubitable
evidence of their complete identity.
I have seen Mr. Mansfield answer more than one
thousand sealed letters, and under such circumstances
that to suspect him of tampering with seals, or having personal knowledge of what was written through
his hand, is simply a sad reflection upon one's sanity.
The office of a spirit-postmaster (as Mr. Mansfield
has been called) is a very interesting place to outside
observers.  People come there or send for letters,
who are little suspected for having any correspondence
with the "dead."  Many are manly, outspoken, and
openly avowed believers in spirit-intercourse; "but
others are afraid, you know, that something might be
said, you know; and they would n't, for the world, let
it be known, you know, that they really believed in
this thing, you know!"  This kind of twaddle you
hear every day from people who go spooking through
life, unknowing and unknown. They drop out of existence, and their memory rarely survives the discharge of the undertaker's bill, which is always grumbled at for being too high-too much expense for
burying such a carcass.  One day, two people entered
Mr. Mansfield's office, muffled and hooded like two
thieves on a professional visit.  Thick black veils
covered the face of the woman; and the man had his
hat drawn over his forehead to his eyebrows, and a
huge muffler about his face. He squeaked out, in a
disguised voice:
"Are you the spirit-postmaster?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                67
"No!" I said, with a voice like a cutting knife:
"what is your business with the spirit-postmaster?"
"We want to get a letter from  the spirits," said
the simpering woman.
"0! I beg your pardon! I thought you were
thieves, and wanted to steal something.  Mr. Mansfield is engaged just now."
I left them free to choose whether to remain or
go. They preferred to stay. It was but a little while
before the medium entered the room, when he at once
penetrated the disguises of these poor foolish people,
and said:
"Mr. P., your daughter Minnie is beside you. She
is weeping because you and her mother are in disguise.  She says, if you loved her as much as you
pretend to do, you would not be ashamed to seek her
presence with an open face.  She is so much agitated
that she can not write to you to-day."
These people threw off their disguises, and the
man was found to be a well-known clergyman in Boston, and -the woman was his wife.  They turned out
to be very genial people, but lived in mortal dread of
public opinion.  The next day, they entered the reception-room with the assurance of well-bred people,
and were treated with the respect due their honesty,
intelligence, and position, and received satisfactory
communications fi-om their daughter and other members of their family in the spirit-world.
In speaking of Mr. Mansfield as "penetrating their
disguises," I wish not to be understood as intimating
that he saw through the obstructing material as people ordinarily see by the use of their natural eyes;




68            STARTLING FACTS IN
but, on the contrary, it is the clearly perceiving senses
of the spirit that take cognizance of facts on such occasions and lay them bare to the bone. In the instance before us, the medium was instantly endowed
with clear hearing and clear seeing; hence, he heard
Minnie speak, as well as beheld her beautiful form
bowed with grief and shame in the presence of her
insane parents.
It is needless to further extend my observations
on this wonderful endowment of Mr. Mansfield.  I
studied the manifestations of his power for several
months, and under the best of circumstances arrived
at safe and satisfactory conclusions. The final result
was in the thorough conviction of my mind that the
spirit-world was as real as the natural; that life was
as much individualized there as here; and that death,
like its twin-sister sleep, was a beautiful ordinance of
nature, into whose loving embrace we could yield our
spirit as confidingly as the weary child sinks to repose
upon the mother's bosom.........-~~ —~~~~~




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.             69
CHAPTER V.
GUARD AGAINST IMPOSTURES-UNRELIABLE MEDIUMS
IN THE FIELD.
T HERE is no subject to which the investigating
mind can be invited where it may be so egregiously deceived and so grossly imposed upon as that
which appertains to the phenomena of spiritualism.
He who undertakes to examine it critically, must
sharpen his wits, and not be overcredulous to believe,
or ready to indorse as gospel, all that he sees and
hears.  Without intending any reproach upon the
cause, it can not be denied that a majority of socalled spiritual media are either rank impostors, or
so little trustworthy in their pretensions, that it is
best always to be on your guard when brought in
contact with them.  My experience with this class
of people has been varied and extensive; and it
may be doing a good service to the reader, though
the task is as unpleasant as it is thankless, to sample the mediums who, in my judgment, have given
the cause of spiritualism  more discredit than all its
open foes have done. In doing this work, I hope I
am animated by a truer charity than that which
excuses private vice at the expense of public good.
I have now in my mind's eye a large number of
men and women who properly deserve animadversion.
9




70             STARTLING FACTS IN
From  these I can only select a few, as my space is
limited, to illustrate the character of this pernicious
mediumship. They, however, as already stated, will
sample the whole.
To all well-informed spiritualists, the name of L.
Judd Pardee is quite familiar.  He was what is
called a trance-speaker, and an accredited minister
of the new gospel of spiritualism. I met this gentleman in the early period of my investigations of
spiritualism, and formed for him  a warm  personal
attachment, and had a high  esteem  for his mediumistic  powers.   By  birth  and  education, he
was a North Carolinian, though I never met him
outside of Cincinnati, where he was well known to
the spiritualists, among whom  he had many friends.
Here I engaged him  to lecture for a month, and
procured for him, first, Melodeon Hall, and afterward
the Mechanics' Institute. I was at the time serving
as president of the spiritual platform.
Pardee, at that time, was about thirty-five years
old, personally about medium height, with a delicate,
almost feminine, physical structure and voice.  In
ordinary conversation, he spoke like a girl just entering her "teens," not a romping girl either, but
one of the timid sort that are still led by mamma's
apron-strings.  This man possessed a fine, subtle,
analytical mind, and, when on the rostrum, a voice
of almost Websterian compass, with which he could
make echoes ring and electrify the hearer in every
part of the largest hall.
A  natural metaphysician, he seemed sometimes
to want ballast to prevent him  voyaging in mid



MODERN SPIRITUALISM               71
air, where he was not in heaven, and yet he had cut
loose from earth. He was a good reasoner, and could
thrill the hearts of as many as heard him with delight.
He had the most ready command of language I ever
knew a man to possess. Words and phrases were
marshaled as playthings, and, in their gorgeous display, you almost forgot their mission.  He chose
them more for their musical rhythm  than their signification; and yet they were always appropriately
chosen and strongly expressive of the sense intended.
Pardee was a most interesting conversationalist, and
had a very retentive and compliant memory.
When he appeared on the platform, his general
mien of face and form was demure.  His dark-blue
eyes could scarcely be seen under the long pale
lashes.  He covered his face with his right-hand, as
he sat for a few minutes before speaking, as preachers
do when they enter the pulpit.  Look at the man
closely, and you will see his shoulders shrugging a
kind of a twitch, as if a wheat-head had got down his
back; and then he sits upright, and passes his hand
over his forehead, first to the right, then to the left.
His eyes are now tightly closed, and, after oscillating,
as it were, upon the extremity of his spinal column
for a moment or two, he takes a deep inspiration,
when he is said to be entranced.  In other words,
Pardee has vacated his body; and the implication is,
that the spirit of Saul, Socrates, Demosthenes, or
the Nazarene, has taken possession of it. Gudgeons
are supposed to believe this.
The medium being entranced, all is hushed into a
death-like stillness, that the first faint sound from his




72             STARTLING FACTS IN
inspired lips may be heard. His words are soft and
low, like the ripple of waters along a meadow-bank, and
musical as the first carol of a Spring bird. Gradually
they increase in power and force, until that frail, delicate form seems to dilate with strength, and become
invested with a mantle'of grandeur or a kingly robe.
He rides, as it were, in a chariot of flame, leading captive the hinds who listen to his majestic eloquence.
He stretches forth his hand, as a king his scepter,
and all hearts acknowledge the mastery of the man.
No word-painting can do justice to Pardee's style,
and delivery of his impassioned thought.  He must
be seen and heard to affix his image forever in your
memory.  But here  commences our humiliation.
After the storm  has passed, this man feigns to be
unconscious of the power he has displayed.  After
swaying a multitude for two hours, at the caprice of
his will, he pretends to know not any thing of what
he has done. Out upon this hypocrisy! Unconscious,
indeed! Why, see how "a plain, unvarnished" statement of facts will put to blush this glaring falsehood!
In the Summer of 1864, Pardee was recuperating
his wasted energies in the vicinity of Patriot, Indiana.:
While there, he prepared a half-dozen or more lectures, which he designed delivering during the Fall
and Winter campaign.  These he submitted to my
inspection from time to time, while in course of preparation, and solicited for them  a free. and impartial
criticism.  Some of my suggestions were accepted,
and incorporated into the body of the lectures. After
their- completion, he asked my assistance in the pros




MODERN SPIRITUfALZSM.               73
-curement of a suitable place for their delivery in this
city, during the hot season, as his finances were low.'This I did, and advertised Greenwood Hall as the.place, and invited the attention of the public to the
intellectual feast in store for them; for I knew  precisely what I was promising.
A'few days previous to tlie lecturing time, Pardee
came to my house as my guest.  He and I again
looked over the manuscript of his lectures, as critically as I was capable of doing.  I do not claim any
merit for the suggestions I made; but I simply wish
to show that the lectures were carefully prepared and
maturely considered before they were delivered. Now,
see what follows.
On the occasion of the delivery of the first lecture, being a Sunday morning, I accompanied Pardee
to the hall, and acted as chairman of the meeting.
At the  proper time, I made  some  introductory
remarks, and presented the lecturer to his audience.
I, of course, expected Pardee to read his lecture,
or speak with his manuscript before him.  Such was
not the case. Having advanced to the speaker's posi-.tion, he sat down on a chair, and then went through
the fiummery of entrancement, as already described.
He then spoke an hour; and I followed the lecture
with the closest attention, as I was familiar witk
every part of it. My object was to see how close to
the text he adhered.  He was scrupulously exact in
every word, so far as my memory bore its attestation.  I have a friend who, when she desires to
express her admiration for any thing, exclaims, "Is n't
it lovely? isn't it perfectly splendid:?"  Some such




74             STARTLING FACTS IN
adjectives I found myself repeating at the conclusion
of Pardee's masterly speech. I was the first to take
his hand and congratulate him on his fine effort; the
audience thronged around him for the same purpose,
animated by a similar feeling of respect and admiration for the man.
Among those who took his hand was an old spiritualist, who claimed to be a seer, or clairvoyant. He
said to the speaker: "Pardee, do you know who it
was that spoke through you?  I could see his form,
but could not distinguish his face."
"I think it was the Nazarene," said Pardee, "or
John the Baptist; both have been with me a great
deal of late. Their influences are very similar, and
I can't tell which of them spoke."
I thought he was joking at first; but, after looking
him directly in the eyes, I could detect no lambent
evidence of humor in them. He was in square earnest.
I felt like asking him, "Do you know who you are
talking to?" But I was powerless for speech or action.
The fellow's impudence was as sublime as his eloquence; and for both, to this day, I have a profound
admiration.  He was as cool in his utterance of this
falsehood as a "polar wave," and his face was as imperturbable as a lying horse-jockey's. He deserved to
be blowed; but I could n't do it. I was too weak for
the effort.
But why expose Pardee, and let the other thirty
thousand privileged rascals go scot-free, who practice their impositions, every day in the week, upon a
credulous world? " No," I said; " Pardee is no worse
than the rest of them, and all I blame him for is, that




iMODERNV SPIRITUALISA.              75
he is not better." An entranced speaker should be
better than an orthodox preacher; but, alas! I fear he
is not. I wish those gentlemen all would speak the
truth, when it is even more fitting than a falsehood.
We owe something, surely, to the dignity of human
nature, even should we lose sight of self-respect
entirely.
It is hardly necessary to say that I have but little
confidence in the pretensions of trance-speakers. As
a class, in this respect, they are not reliable.  I have
heard the best of them, and rarely have I listened to
their utterances under the so-called divine afflatus,
that excelled in thought the mental births of their
normal conditions.
Among this class, few have attained more distinction for their eloquence than Miss Emma Hardinge.
This woman has great power on the rostrum; all who
have heard her will admit this.  But she is a woman
of fine education and superior culture. As an elocutionist, she had distinction before she became a
speaker on the spiritual platform.  In her social relations, her conversational powers are quite equal to any
of her forensic efforts.  Then, why does she speak
with that repulsive, staring entrancement?  It is a
sham, and ought to be abated.
And there, too, is Mr. Thomas Gales Forster, who
will persist in shutting his eyes, and shaking himself
out of his " seven-league boots," that Dr. Dayton may
step into them  and make a speech in his absence.
Now, this is all nonsense; and it's high time that this
silly custom should be honored in the breach. Mr.
Forster is not only a man of fine education, but he is




76             STARTLING FACTS IN
"well-read" in the legitimate sense of the term; that
is, gives a thoughtful digestion to every thing he
reads.  His memory is wonderful, and never fails to
supply data, when required to elucidate a point or
fortify an argument.  He is not a ready debater, owing to the detestable habit of speaking with his eyes
closed; but he is always massive in argument, and
solid in fact. As a speaker, he is more logical than
Clay, and but little less ponderous and weighty than
Webster.  His blows are heavy and slow, but they
tell every time on his subject.  Rather sluggish in
his intellectual habit, he requires an occasion to develop his strength.  He is familiar with the classics,
and has read Scripture to some purpose, as he exhibits upon suitable occasions an intimate knowledge
of the Sacred Writings, even such as the most learned
commentators might aspire to emulate. In discourse,
he is as prolific of Scripture texts as a jockey is of
horse-stable slang; but why he will shut his eyes
and chew  tobacco when he quotes. from the Bible, is
to me as much a mystery as the profligate assumption of the departed Pardee.  But, "suizs cuique mos."
Another of the able speakers on the harmonial
platform, who has fallen into the silly habit of entrancement, before she will consent to utter her own
brave thoughts in her own brave words, is Miss Lizzie Doten, one of New England's most accomplished
women. This lady is a fine intuitionalist, and grasps
the subtler truths of the Great Harmonia with the
power of a master's mind, and weaves them  into a
fadeless wreath of song. The fiber of this woman's
brain is akin to that of Emerson and Holmes.  She




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                77
crystallizes her thoughts, and utters them with an
energy that makes them  cut their way into the understanding of men. In her poetry she embodies her
highest truths. Then, if ever, she "cuts loose from
the mooring of reason," to float at random  along
the glowing stream  of her inspiration.  Then, like
a musical swan, she sings as she floats adown the
river of harmony, and celebrates the real and ideal
in her wedded verse.  But why mar this picture,
Lizzie Doten, by playing "bo-peep" with your staring
auditors?  You can write as good sentiment as you
can speak, and your own style and composition are
not inferior in fervor or eloquence to those which
are falsely ascribed to the lamented Poe. Remember
that the suppression of a truth is the suggestion of a
falsehood.
It is not necessary, I hope, to extend the list of
trance-speakers, to show my reprobation of the "shuteye" habit.  I want to look my educator in the eye;
then I can tell whether he is honest and in earnest.
It is the organ of a language that is always truthful.
I have now to deal with three or four derelicts of
a less dignified character than those I have already
introduced to the reader.  They command attention
simply because they assume to be shepherds over
spiritual flocks, and cling to spiritualism as barnacles
to a ship or fungi to a rock.
The first of these is a man well known, far and
wide, as the leader of a movement that has its foundation in selfishness and dishonesty.  Mr.  ooh/z  M.
Speer will be at once recognized as the one of whom I
intend to speak. He is a professed spiritualist, and a




78             STARTLING FACTS IN
trance-medium  for a specific work. This man has
the craft and cunning of an Indian in his nature, and
I would as soon trust a Modoc or Kickapoo with my
reputation, my fortune, or my life, as this gypsy
leader. When this man makes overtures, reject them
as a rule. He does not mean well by you.
John M. Speer is an enigma to most people.  If
he were not a trance-medium, he would be an enigma
to none. Under this garb, he concocts and conceals
his real purposes.  He has dubbed himself a missionary for the upbuilding of a new government; and
for the attainment of this object, he wanders over the
country, in Europe and America, to consecrate (?)
men and women to this new work.  He is generally
accompanied by his "second wife," who acts as his
amanuensis, and two or three of the "faithful," who
have deserted their homes to share their fortunes with
this infatuated old man.
I had heard much of this infatuated party, of their
Unitary Home movement at Kyantone, and their wandering o'er a foreign strand, but never met them until
they floated to the levee at Cincinnati, in a flat-boat;
I think, in I859. That was a sight worth seeing, as
it taught me a lesson I shall never forget-this
huddle of world-reformers (?), living in a sensual
sty of filth and degrading familiarity, houseless and
homeless.  What a commentary upon their movement! But let us look at the work they propose to
accomplish.
The form of government Speer seeks to establish,
differs from any known to exist on the earth, excepting it be in Utah, though it is claimed to have its




MODERN SPIRITUALISM                 79
counterpart in the spirit-world. Its executive is to
be a theocrat, in whom is centered all social, civil,
and ecclesiastical power. John M. Speer is, of course,
to be, par excellence, the T/eocrat. This is not all there
is of it; but is n't it enough? The smell of Limburg
cheese ought to satisfy a dainty stomach. You can
best detect its quality by sample.
The method of winning converts to this movement
of Speer is worthy of notice.  Some of his party
"spot" their man, or woman, generally from among
the crazy sort of spiritualists. An interview is managed, and brought about, between  the victim  for
"consecration" and  the theocrat.  The object is
not stated or hinted to the candidate.  Such persons
generally have means, or something else that can be
made useful in the new work-all of which belongs to
the theocrat, of course, as soon as you admit his
authority. It is arranged to meet at the boat or some
private house to spend the evening.  A  fiee, glib
talk about matters and things in general is indulged
in, when you are surprised by a sudden reticence of
the Speer party.  They all reverently look at the
theocrat, who has shut up his eyes, a la Pardee, and
vermiculates his long spinal column, like a boa-constrictor preparing to strike a calf.  Of course, his
victim sits quiet, though an interested spectator of
all this flummery.  The moment for something to
"turn up" arrives, when Speer begins to mumble
something which can only be understood by " Carrie,"
his second wife. You now  begin to wonder what
the "Old Scratch" is driving at. Carrie is saving
every word that falls from his oracular lips, and rap



80             STARTLING FACTS IN
idly puts them in phonetic characters.  The light of.the room is eni sombre, and the voice of the old man
sepulchral.  The solemnity of the occasion becomes
oppressive, and you feel that the tomb of the Capulets would be a frisky place beside the presence
of this old mortality.  The great high-priest now
steps forward, and, without as much as saying, "By
your leave, sir," places his hand on your head.  It is
a harsh, bony hand, that rattles o'er your bumps like
the digits of an Egyptian mummy.  Then you have
something like this, spoken in mobbled accents:
"To this great work do I consecrate thee, and
thy title shall be recorded as'the projcctor.' Your
business will be to provide a home for the wandering
members of the New  Covenant, to furnish it comfortably, and to stock it well with'good wittles.'
You will find a house on Arch Street, No. I6, that
will answer the purpose'werry well' for the present,
until you can provide more comfortable quarters.
Write out the projector's commission, Carrie; write it
down my dear, devoted second wife, and mother of
my child, the embryo of'the coming man;' write it,
and give it to the doctor, and he will pay you two
dollars and sixty-five cents for the commission, on
delivery of the goods. Amen."
At the conclusion of this knavish ceremony, "the
theocrat" opened his eyes, when I was congratulated
by the several members of the government on my
admission to their emasculated phalanx. I have given
the substance of Speer's charge, though not in his
exact words.
Up to this time I, of course, treated the whole




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      81
thing as a joke; but when poor Sheldon came the next
day to see me in regard to making provision for the
party, I began to understand the true character of
John M. Speer.  Sheldon was broken in health-in
the  last stage  of pulmonary  disease-and  when  I
began to realize how  his confiding nature had been
abused, I became indignant at the outrage. The man
was tired-spitting  his life away-and only needed a
place of comfort to rest and die. As I looked into
his large lustrous eyes, sunken deep in their orbits,
I said:
"Sheldon, when  the spirits controlling  John M.
Speer shall'project' the means necessary to provide
a home for the new government, I may then think of
becoming their agent in this matter; but neither you
nor I will live, I hope, to see this vagary of Speer's
assume any greater proportions than it at present
presents.  This is a cruel joke on you.  This man
has separated your family, destroyed your home, and
squandered your means.  He will soon desert you, as
you  have  nothing  left to  excite  his cupidity, and
leave  you  broken  in  health, mortified  in  spirit, a
friendless man, the toy of poverty, and a victim  of
want.  Why not see this man's true character?   In
holy phrases he transacts his villainies, and steals the
livery of the court of heaven to serve his evil ends.*
*-A somewhat similar character to this man Speer is found in
another professing trance-speaking spiritualist by the name of Chauncey
"*'-$-. This fellow perambulates the country like a vagabond, billeting himself wherever he can find people foolish enough to entertain him. He attends all conventions and meetings of the spiritualists
of America wherever there is a chance for a fiee feast or a fiee blow,
and always manages to make himself heard. At one of these irresponsible meetings, recently held in Cincinnati, to which he was a self



82                  STARTLING FACTS aI
Do you see what a tool he would  make of me?   He
would squander my means, as he has yours, and then
seek other dupes to rob. It is time you should quit
the presence of this old, bad man!"
My admonition came too late for any retraction of
error  into  which  the  dying  man  had  fallen.   His
strength of body and brain had departed, and he was
as helpless in the power of John  M. Speer as a child
in the grasp of a giant.
For myself, I took  a soap-bath, and  washed  my
head free from  the vile contact of this old man.   But,
alas! poor human  nature!-there  are  those  who  are
weak  enough  to  think  his hands  possess  the virtue
of consecration.  Thousands and  tens of thousands,
if I  have  been  correctly  informed, have  submitted
to  the  imposition  of these  hands, as if  they  were
immaculately pure, and not as sordid as Iscariot's.
I have  seen  his  commissions copied  on  parchment,
and beautifully framed, suspended upon the walls of
accredited member, he visited my house to "bum."  To get clear of the
nuisance, I gave him money to pay his hotel-bill for two days. Nevertheless, he managed to visit me most regularly about dinner and tea
time. Being seated at my table when he last called, he was permitted to sit in the parlor until dinner was over. Receiving no invitation
to dine, he retired from the house while we were sitting at dinner, and
left as rascally a looking old weather-worn and sweat-bleached plughat on my piano as ever graced the graceless head of a loafer. A new
seven-dollar silk hat, one of David Baker's best, with all the luster of
newness, and free from taint or smell, was taken in its stead.  This
fellow has since written me a characteristic letter, in which he justifies
his larceny by the following plea: "It was the spirits that tuclc your
hat, and they would not alow it to be tuck back.  I am the chosen
one of the Lord, and all things belong to Me and him."  How very
like the argument of the tithing priest is this-only more lawyerlike!




17MODE RN SPIRITUALISM.             83
comfortably furnished parlors, in the New England
States.  How long will men make monkeys of themselves?
I am not in sympathy with shams, tricksters, or
sycophants. Time-servers will find no friendly office
at my hands. Spiritualism presents itself to my mind
as the grandest revelation of truth vouchsafed to modern times. Its advent constitutes a new hope and a
new  era for the world.  It embodies a religious
thought that will ultimately pervade the minds of all
men, and redeem the world from the error and wrong
under which it has long suffered.  Millions will defend it, when its teachings and its authority are better
understood.  Impostors may retard its advent and
tarnish its fair name; but it will at last triumph over
all opposing conditions, and stand before mankind as
the embodied voice of God to the human race.
Among the notable expounders of the new gospel in the United States, Mr. E. V. Wilson occupies
a prominent public position. Without scholastic attainments, he is, nevertheless, hard-sensed, and, like
Warren Chase, an able debater of the harmonial
philosophy.  He is, physically, an athlete, and possesses that courage which is found peculiar to high
muscular development.  So far, so good.  I believe
he does not classify himself among the entranced
speakers, but claims to be a seer and clairaudient.
In the exercise of these latter functions, I take my
exceptions to the man as a reliable medium.
It is his custom, after or during the delivery of a
lecture, to make some startling announcement of what
he sees and hears that is not appreciable to ordi



84             STARTLING FACTS IN
nary senses. In this way he has singled me out, on
several occasions, as being accompanied by a spirit,
who says: "My name is; I was your comparion and friend when you were secretary to Mr.
Buchanan, in the White House, at Washington.  We
had many'good times' together."  Mr. Wilson has
repeated this story twice before public audiences, and
I can only say it is false. At one time I did writing
for Mr. Buchanan, at Wheatland, but only as an assisting friend, not as a hireling, or paid secretary. In
an easy conversation, I told Wilson this, some time
prior to his first public announcement of the fact; but
the fellow got it crosswise in his head, and so he continues to blunder over it.  But a still more glaring
testimony of the unreliability of his seership was
elicited by his announcement, before a public audience,
of the spirit of a man who was supposed to be dead,
but had not, as yet, shuffled off his mortal coil.  He
said, "I see before me the spirit of a man who says
his body is near Madison, Indiana, in the Ohio River,
and he gives me the name of Professor Wm. Holt."
"Just as I thought!" exclaimed a number of persons who knew the professor. " Poor fellow! he did n't
seem to get along well, and so he drowned himself."
To understand the value'of this test of Wilson's
seership and clairaudient powers, it is necessary to
make some explanation.  Just before the startling
announcement was made, Professor Holt left Cincinnati in a manner peculiar to himself, without advising any of his friends of his purpose. For several
weeks no word or clew to his whereabouts could be
obtained, and the apprehension of his friends was,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                85
that he had become tired of existence and had thrown
his life away in the river.  This was talked freely in
the presence of Wilson, and hence this manifestation
of his seership, etc. Now for the sequel to all this.
About six weeks after the public mind had settled
into the conviction that the body of Holt would never
again be seen, only in its revised condition as catfish
or buffalo, upon our breakfast-table, lo and behold!
Micawber-like, he turns up in St. Louis, sprightly as
a cricket, with not a scale or smell of a fish about
him.  But what of all this?  Why, simply, that Wilson's seership is a fraud, and his clear-hearing is no
better.  As to whether he is self-deceived, or is unscrupulously deceiving others, the candid reader must
decide for himself. It is obvious to every intelligent
mind, however, that spiritualism  is brought into undeserved reproach by the conduct of such charlatans.
A  milder and less pernicious form  of imposture
is practiced by your impressible mediums, which may,
as well as not, be ventilated in this place.  The following case will serve as an example:
When an inmate of Mr. Mansfield's house, one
of the genus impressible shared his hospitality, like
myself. She had come from a distance-even from
Buffalo, New  York-and was a lady of education,
means, and good social position, enjoying the personal esteem  of President Fillmore and his family.
All this, one would suppose, should have protected
the lady from  the folly of impressible mediumship,
but it did not; so she declared, without reserve, her
possession of wonderful powers in that line of business, and came on partly to make Mr. Mansfield's
IO




86                STAR TLING FA CTS "IN
family a social visit, and partly to illustrate to him
and others her extraordinary endowment.  Her infatuation was complete.
As I had  no  confidence in  the  thing, but not
doubting the woman's integrity, I took no interest in
the matter.  I studiously  avoided  speaking  on  the
subject, and evaded all remarks that would lead to
its discussion.  But all the precautions I could  use
would  not suffice.  I was cornered, and  compelled
to  make a trial of her powers.  The  manner was
some like that of testing  Mr. Mansfield.  I was requested to write my thought, and await the reply as
it came written through the medium's hand  by impression.  My first effort was as follows:
"iMR. SAMUEL PATCH,-Putty is rising.  If you wvant any
for skylight purposes, remit your order through the medium at
your earliest leisure, and oblige,          Yours, etc."'
This plain business note I inclosed in a buff envelope, and laid it before the impressible medium.  It
was not long before the wanted impression arrived, as
it was announced in straggling pencil scrawls over a
page of foolscap, and somewhat thusly it read:
"DEAR BROTHER, -YOU  are exactly right.  The same
causes will produce uniform  results.  Do not let your heart
fail you, for you must surely succeed.  Persevere to the end.
Nature is boundless in her resources, and she never fails to
supply every reasonable demand.  You must work for the
grand result. Nothing is attained that is worth the possessing,
without labor. Do not become discouraged. All great enterprises are difficult to accomplish.  Achievement and push are
twin-brothers.  I am witl you to the end."
There  was a  "goody"  in  this  communication
which commanded my respect; but I confess I could




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                    87
not see its pertinency to my plain, matter-of-fact business note. There was no allusion to putty, excepting
where  it is said, "Nature is boundless in her resources, and she never fails to supply any reasonable
demand."   Putty may have been alluded to in her
"boundless resources," but the construction was not
satisfactory. I was a trifle confused, and I suppose
the medium  was impressed to ask me, "How  do you
like it?"
This question was a relief to my mind; for I confess to a great perplexity as to what I should say to
the woman.  It gave direction to my thought.  I said,
"Madam, this is marvelous; there is a trifling ambiguity I should like to have cleared up. Will you try
again, if I write another note?"
"Certainly," she said, with a simper of satisfaction; "it always is a pleasure to write for my friends.
We should assist each other to the  extent of our
ability."
"You are very kind.  I will be brief, that neither
your time nor strength shall be unduly taxed. Such
efforts must be very exhausting upon your vital resources.
I hastily wrote:
"SAMUEL,-Am I to understand that you will get your supply of putty for skylight purposes from the boundless resources
of nature, and not from me? My heart does fail me, if I read
you aright. In vain you tell me,'Achievement and push are
twin-brothers.'  What has that to do with putty?  I know
very well that nothing is attained without labor; but, my dear
sir, have n't I labored? You discourage me. Can you not give
me a word of encouragement by order'ing a few pounds of prime
No. I skylight putty through this medium?
"Yours, etc."




88              STARTLING FACTS IN
This note was inclosed, as the first, in a buff
envelope, and  laid before the "medium."  The pencil was soon  seized, and  the hand was nervously
influenced by a tea-drunken brain to twitch, dash,
skip, and scrawl in a most bewildering manner. After
some painstaking effort, the hieroglyphs were deciphered to convey the following:
" DEAR BROTHER,-Go ahead! You are on the right track!
Before you lies the royal road to knowledge! Knowledge is
power! Truth is the Archimedean lever that raises the world!
Stand firm, and be steady to your purpose! Do not doubt success! Trifles may intervene, but the will is omnipotent!
Faith in it will move mountains! That which is most valuable
is most difficult to attain."
In neither case did Samuel attach his name to
the reply given my notes; but that did not seem
to be of much consequence, as he assured me I was
"on the right track."  He was not.  He studiously
avoided making any allusion to putty, however; and
it was that which mystified me.  "Business before
pleasure," is a popular maxim among men with "level
heads;" but Samuel did not seem to subscribe to the
dogma in this instance.  I thanked the medium  for
her attention, and expressed myself as quite well satisfied with her mediumship and the tests I had received.  I pocketed the notes and replies, and said
nothing more at the time to any one.
After a few days, it came to my ears that the "medium" was exulting over the fine tests she had given
me, and the satisfaction I evinced with her mediumship.
Still I said nothing. At last Mr. Mansfield spoke to
me of the tests Mrs. C. had given me.  It was now
time to correct the errors into which these reports




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                89
had led several well-meaning people.  This I did by
simply showing Mr. Mansfield my two notes, and the
replies she wrote. I thought that would be sufficient;
but how sadly I was mistaken! Mansfield told the
joke to his wife, who, with a womanly sympathy for
the impressional medium, informed her of the facts
of the case.  The medium  became exasperated, and
no longer called me "dear brother"  not much of
any thing in that line.  I walked straight for several
days, but it was of no use; the conflict was inevitable,
and it burst forth at the breakfast-table.  I had been
reading the Herald of Progress, and Mr. Mansfield
said, "Any thing new in the Herald?"
"Mr. Davis disclaims having said, at any time," I
replied, "that there were three hundred people in
Buffalo who have no souls.  A  correspondent asks
him  whether he ever made such a declaration, and
he says he never did."' Mr. Davis did say it, and he need not deny -it.
I heard him," said our putty medium, in a tone that
was as purely personal to me as if she held my nose
between her thumb and finger.
I could not escape; her beautiful eyes grew brilliant, not with love-light.  Still, as Sam had told me
to "stand firm  and be steady to my purpose," I replied, "But Mr. Davis disclaims having said any
thing of the kind that could either be constructively
or otherwise made to imply such a declaration."
"Mr. Davis need not deny that which can be
proved," said "putty," with an acerbity of manner I
had not before witnessed.  "Either he tells a falsehood, or I do!"




90             STARTLING FACTS IN
I could not resist the opportunity, and I beg my
reader to believe that it was with no feeling of exultation that I triumphed over my fallen foe. It was
her own unruly "nag" that placed her at my mercy.
I waited a moment, but she was too proud to ask
it.  I looked pityingly at the fallen medium, but met
only defiance in her eye.  So, as a coup de grace, I
said sternly and deliberately, "I believe Mr. Davis."
That settled the business of the impressional medium.  Before noon she got an impression to go
home; and I really think, if spirits ever engaged in
such pastimes, that they came to Mrs. C.'s relief upon
this occasion.
Before taking leave of Boston and this part of my
subject, I must pay my respects to Mrs. Nelly, a
trance-personating medium, who had some local celebrity at the time I was seeking for "more light"
on the subject of spiritualism.
She lived in a fashionable part of the city, in good
style, and her house was frequented by many persons,
who, like myself, were interested in every thing pertaining to the new religion. I found Nelly a beautiful
young widow of several years' standing, a blonde, with
sparkling blue eyes, and a mouth full of delicatelyformed teeth, as pearl-like as could be.  She was
about medium  height, and no longer a slender-waist
girl.  Chatty she was, and full of delicious small-talk.
Nelly's controlling spirit was represented as being
an Indian girl, whose christened name was Shanandoah. She was the daughter of Powhatan, and sisterin-law of Captain Smith, who so far forgot the dignity
of his Saxon blood, and the odiousness of miscege



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                9
nation as to marry her eldest sister, Pocahontas. This
spirit they called Shanny, for short.
Her habit was to eject Nelly from her corporal
dwelling, and  take possession of the nest herself.
Then she would cut up dido in high Injun style.
She would squeal and dance and jabber Injun magnificently.  When a real good-looking, manly man of
a marriageable fellow  was present, Shanny would
make love to him  straight, in the most unaboriginal
fashion.  Nelly being absent, she could take many
liberties with her tenement, to which Nelly, I think,
would have objected, had she been present and mistress
of the situation. But, then, it was only Shanny, you
know; and she was only a pure, simple-hearted child
of nature, and did n't mean any thing.  I sometimes
thought I could see a "lurking devil" in Shanny's
eye, which looked so much like Nelly's, that the coincidence became an interesting study.  The upshot of
all this was, that Shanny fell desperately in love with
a gentleman of our party, and he with her. They
plighted their vows of constancy, and, of course, were
married.  But how, you will ask, can a spirit marry
a mortal?
Certainly! You see, Shanny took possession of
Nelly's body, after serving upon her an act of ejectment; and possession being "nine points in law," Nelly
was left out in the cold. Having a beautiful form at
her disposal, in which she could entertain her friends
as she felt inclined, she stopped playing Injun, and
became Mrs. Nelly-but I forgot myself-Mrs. Shanny
Jones, quite as aristocratic a patronymic as Mrs. Captain John Smith.  Shanny is pleasantly  married,




92             STAR TLING FACTS IN
and what more do you want to know?  She fulfilled
her mission as a trance-medium, and then dropped
out of sight.
What we most need to know is often what we
most dislike to hear; but those who are hurt by
the truth, should remember the proverb which says,
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  93
CHAPTER VI.
CLASSIFICATION OF PHENOMENA-SPIRITUAL PRIESTCRAFT-DEATH-THE BODY-MRS. MARY J. HOLLIS.
S  PIRITUAL  phenomena addresses itself to  my
mind under two characteristic  heads; namely,
physical and mental.
In these two general divisions of the subject, the
whole range of spiritual manifestations may properly
be classed. Under the first head we put table-tipping, spirit-rapping, spirit-writing, picture-drawing,
the movement of inert bodies, spirit-voices, and the
materialization of heads, faces, bodies, arms, hands,
clothing, jewelry, flowers, fruits, paintings, the transformation of water, the dissipation of matter, and all
other phenomena which we recognize by the legitimate exercise of our five senses.
Mental phenomena embrace that class of manifestations which can only be exhibited through the
mental structure of man.  In this division we place
psychometry,*  psychology, clairlativeness,t  trance,
somnambulism, magnetic exaltation, phantasms, sympathy, mental impressibility, catalepsy, hysteria, and
religious ecstasy.
*See Denton's work, " The Soul of Things."
t This is the new word employed by Mr. Davis as a substitute for
clairvoyance. He defines it in his autobiography-" The Magic Staff"as " the clear production of clairvoyance."
II




94             STARTL/NG FACTS,ZT
It is not our intention, at this time, to speak
more particularly of these varied phases of spirit
manifestations, or to offer any special plea for the
recognition of the genuineness of their character.
Such service must be performed by the student of
mental phenomena when he is brought face to face
with the facts.  When these occur, he must engage
his own logic and furnish his own rhetoric in forming
his own conclusion.
The object of my writing is to present the facts
as they occurred to me with as much fidelity as I
am capable of doing, leaving them  to the judgment
of the reader on their own distinctive merits.  Let
the testimony be scrutinized, analyzed, and sifted,
until the truth be ascertained.  A witness, to be valuable, should have knowledge to impart, and competence to testify.  All dross must be purged from
the pure metal before its intrinsic worth can be
ascertained.
In the physical department of the spiritual phenomena, the course of investigation is beset with less
difficulty than in the mental.  Herein your senses
witness the facts, after which, if you doubt their
testimony, you may exercise your reasoning faculties to assist you to arrive at other conclusions.  But
when a mental manifestation is given, you have no
power to examine its claim to spirit-origin but through
the medium of the mind, which rarely acts without bias
or decides without prejudice. It is not worth while to
higgle at the truth, that, in these days of political
depravity, religious bigotry, and loss of public virtue,
children  are born with perverted judgments; or,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                95
if not, "their column of true majesty" is warped by
educational vices. Pure reason is seldom exercised
by man, as it can only be developed when harmonious conditions surround  him, in  both  his antenatal and natural life. But deficient as man is in
his mental capacity to reason purely on this occult
subject, he may, nevertheless, discover surface indications of truth underlying it that will encourage
him to " dig deeper for the hidden treasure."
The mental organization of man is too imperfectly
understood for us to sit in sober judgment and pronounce upon its capabilities.  Few  men have any
just conception of the sublime possibilities of human
nature. When we reflect that every man has wrapped
up in himself the capacity to reproduce all that has
ever been achieved by the human family, we should
pause before deciding upon the extent of his power.
Hence, are we not liable to err in our judgments when
we ascribe mental phenomena to a supersensuous
origin, which may be shown, apriori, to be the legitimate product of an overstimulated or excited brain?
Under such influences the mind may be startled by
the grandeur of its power, the boldness of its conceptions, and the prolification of its thoughts; but we
must be careful how we accept this bewildering display of latent capacity of the normal mind, and ascribe its action  to the quickened  impulse of the
spirit's touch.
"A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
A shallow draft intoxicates the brain;
But drinking largely sobers it again."




96             STARTLING FACTS IN
It is evident to the careful observer that media
for mental phenomena frequently represent what may
be called mixed influences.  That is, a spirit may
get a partial control or power to manifest itself
through the organization of the medium, while the
will-power is but partially abeyant. When such conditions exist, the spirit and the medium  will jumble
their ideas, and the communications will be limp and
unsatisfactory.  This is an undeveloped phase of mediumship, and never to be relied upon.  Indeed, the
more thought I give this class of mental manifestations, and the more I see of them, the less confidence
do I have in their trustworthiness. Still I by no
means denounce them as entirely unreliable.  I can
not forget that to this class of media originally belonged Mr. Davis, when his great work, to which I
have already called attention, was given to the world.
I also remember that, while in profound trance, the
grandest poem of the nineteenth century, "The Lyric
of the Golden Age," was given to mankind through
the organization of Mr. T. L. Harris.  Others of
almost equal distinction and value to the world could
be cited, to show  my appreciation of mental phenomena; but when I reflect on the many miserable
shams I have seen, simulating spiritual control, I am
almost led to exclaim against them all. If we had
nothing better than mental phenomena to demonstrate the fact that the spirit-world was in communication with this, we might be satisfied with the
testimony it furnishes; but as we have more direct,
positive, and less equivocal evidence of this grand
truth furnished by physical phenomena, it would be no




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              97
great loss even were mental phenomena dropped
entirely from sight.
When we see a chair move without a visible
power to change its position, we must seek to discover the cause of its motion by every means we
can employ. If we fail to find the source from which
motion is obtained through the channels of sense, or
the ordinary methods of reasoning, then we must
employ new  agencies in the investigation of the
phenomenon. It does not enlighten us any to say
that "the devil has a hand in the business;" neither
does it improve our understanding to allege that "the
chair is bewitched," or that a "wizard has woven a
spell about it." Such shifts only show the poverty of
your mind and the extremity of your resources.  If
you want to establish a reputation for ability and
fair dealing, you must meet the case with clear ideas.
These alone will secure confidence and favor. Do
not dodge the fact, for it will outlive all your sophistries, and triumph in the end. The chair moves!
Explain the law of motion as you may. Facts are
the foundation of all philosophy. What philosophy
can you offer to explain this simple fact?
While both phases of spiritual manifestations present claims for the recognition of their genuine character, I am free to declare I have more confidence
in the physical than in mental phenomena.  The
first crystallizes itself in facts, the second diffuses
itself in fancies. A fact is a central truth already
established. The philosophy of a fact may be corrupted in the whirligig speculations of an erratic
idealist.




98             STA TLING FACTS IN
Men do their own thinking; thought is the true
standard of manhood. The royal stamp of individuality is affixed to the thinker only.  When he
speaks, he wields a power over the human mind. His
thoughts are organized forces, compelling homage.
Nature stamps him  with nobility.  Emerson lives
a thousand years in advance of the pious multitude
who mumble over a rosary or gabble responses before
a perfumed altar.  To him, how pitiful must seem
the thoughtless throng who are harnessed by priests
to pull the ponderous car of sect!
The mental phenomenalists are already clamoring
for organization.  A  new  worshiping sect is proposed, and chartered rights are invoked for their
protection.  Let sturdy men be alert, and slow to
encourage the organization of a spiritualistic Church.
This proposition comes from  the "Greeks," those
who would be high-priests in the new synagogue, or,
from pitiful incompetents.  What does organization
mean but the surrender of your manhood into the
hands of your officers? Men do n't think alike. Why
should they act alike? Bigots and dogmatists form
societies, and build Churches, and curse the world.
Truthfil, honorable, noble men and women are not
clannish. Truth is as free as the air, as pervading
as the sunshine.
Spiritualism is not a religion in a partisan sense.
It is greater than this: it is a science. With no
Church but the universe, with no creed but truth,
with no formulated prayer to sustain it, it constructs
itself a power to rescue mankind from the sin of
ignorance, from the crime of false worship. In its




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                99
selfhood it will stand the admiration of the worldhale and hearty, when the systems of religion now
building churches shall have been forgotten, and
their proudest edifices crumbled to decay. To surrender this science into the hands of a wily priestcraft, is to betray the dearest interests of humanity
to its worst enemy.  The fact is not changed, the
guilt no less, or the enormity of the act mitigated
in the least, because a multitude of crazy imbeciles
or zealots do this degrading thing. The vox populi
is not the vox dei.
Spiritual priests are no more to be trusted than
others who claim in an orthodox way to be spiritual
teachers. They shut their eyes, and then, with a " thus
saith  the Lord" authority, harangue their disciples.
Whether they say wise or foolish things is not to the
purpose; the objection is to the special privilege they
have to speak without contradiction.  No right to reply to a pulpit falsehood is granted, no matter how
grossly your judgment may be insulted.  The priest,
it is asserted, is simply a medium  through whose
organization a returned spirit speaks. His assumption may be true, or it may be false.  How are we to
determine?  We can not even "try the spirit," as
the privileges of the order debar your questionings.
That is the point of danger. A hook is put into your
jaw that it may not open. "Believe, or be damned,"
is the language of our moral pirate.  Beware of organization! As well tie your neck to a mill-stone,
and plunge it in the sea, hoping to swim, as to
freight your manhood with a creed and expect it to live.
Consecration to the Church is death to the soul's




100            S TARTL ING FACTS IN
development.  Accept the benison of the priest, and
you become a slave for life.  The spiritual priest,
while under the influence of Jesus, Swedenborg, or
Socrates, demands the surrender of your judgment
and the homage of your heart.  He will soon make
a similar demand when no such influence is claimed.
This mischief will follow closely upon the heels of
the first absurdity.
I once heard the spirits of Thomas Starr King and
Colonel Baker speak through the organization of a
Dutch woman; at least so it was claimed, and accorded by a housefil of half-fledged mental phenomenalists. Colonel Baker was perorating about the
time I entered the audience-room, and, as soon as he
had spoken his piece with a decided Teutonic accent,
Thomas Starr King took possession of the wardrobe
of this remarkable medium. 0, but he was happy in
his new inclosure! How he rattled around in that
organization-cdid Thomas Starr Kitng! Did I say he
was happy?  No: I meant it not! Like the caged
starling, I fancied I heard him  exclaim, "I want to
get out  I want to get out!"  It was a vile imprisonment for such a spirit as Thomas Starr King's.  He
essayed.to speak to tell us something of the afterlife; but his voice  was reedy, his language low,
coarse, and ungrammatical; and to call it commonplace would be simply to compliment it.  So unlike
Thomas Starr King was this dialectical phonograph,
that his nearest friend would have been the last to
recognize his presence.  How others felt while listening to this mental phenomenalist, I know not; but I
left the place in disgust, and with a sense of compas



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               I01 
sion for the credulous man or woman who could for
a moment believe that the disjointed and pointless
utterances we had listened to were the axiomatic sentences of the classical King or the polished diction
of the eloquent Baker. Before I had lost all faith in
mental phenomena and human nature, I put a safe
distance between myself and Dayton Street, where I
had listened to the contemptible drivel.
It is sad to think how much of this kind of stuff
spiritualism is made to father. It is growing less, I
know; and for this we are sincerely thankful. But
let us hasten the "good time coming" by every means
that the end will justify, to abate the nuisance speedily and altogether; for, at the very best, "while it
makes the groundlings laugh, the judicious grieve."
The surprise is, that the great truth of spirit-communion can, under such absurd exhibitions, secure
the thoughtful respect of men at all.
Spiritualism has too many sincere friends to permit either the buffoon or charlatan to bring upon it
unmerited reproach, without rebuke.  Its mission is
too important to mankind to allow it to become the
toy of the ignorant or the agent of the rascal.  Its
truths will bring all races of men together, and unite
all peoples of the earth in a fraternal bond of fellowship. It proposes to abolish expensive and tawdry
"plans of salvation," and in lieu establish a free
intercourse between the natural and spirit world. Under its benign influence, ignorance, bigotry, slavery,
and crime will gradually disappear.  "Free thought
and unrestricted inquiry" is the armorial motto of
its power. Creeds that corrode with death the souls




102           STARTLING FACTS IN
of men, will dissolve in its benignant light, as hoarfrost before the morning sun. Such a cause, let us
hope, may never want defenders.
While I was investigating spiritual phenomena in
Boston, the Southern Rebellion began, and monopolized so much of public attention that I was compelled to abandon  the further prosecution of my
object.  Up to this time, however, the information I
had acquired on the subject of spirit-intercourse, was
of such a character as to give me new views of life
and death, and to relieve the mind of a painful uncertainty respecting the destiny of the human spirit. It
is not becoming in this place to enter more minutely
into my mental experiences, than to say that I had
studied the subject in every practical aspect, and
was well assured in my mind that communication
with the spirit-world was fairly established, and that
but comparatively a short time would elapse before
the truth would be universally admitted. With this
conviction in my mind, I settled down to business,
and for several years scarcely made any allusion to
the subject of spiritualism, unless it was introduced
by others in casual conversation. Even then, I said
but little about it, as I found but few who could listen
complacently to a candid statement of the facts, such
as I had gathered in my researches after truth, and
of which they had no corresponding knowledge or
experience. " It can not be," said the Oriental prince,
" that water gets hard, as you say. None of my people or myself have ever seen such a thing."  Had
the prince visited Boston, as I had, he would have
discovered his logic to be faulty.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              103
An event transpired in our family, on the 9th of
January, I869, which brought the practical lesson of
spiritualism  again prominently before my mind.  It
was the passage of my mother to the spirit-world.
"She passed away quietly in the night."  That was
the short but expressive story that was told me
when I reached home, the day after it had occurred.
She had lived in the form  almost seventy-six
years, an active and useful life. That was sufficient
time to have matured her spirit and developed its
faculties for the beginning of a higher life.  Her
transit to the spirit-world was to be expected at that
age. Therefore the event was a natural one, and
should have created  no surprise nor excited any
regret.  She had fulfilled the measure of life, and
the law  of change had enfolded her in its loving
arms.
Her old casket was well worn, but even when the
"bright inhabitant" had left, it was still beautiful to
the eye and tender to the heart; for it reminded us
so much of mother. The loving associations of our
whole life clustered  around that inanimate form,
and, as if in recognition of our thoughts, it wore the
imprint of a smile upon the face.
My mother did not live in any fear of death. She
had a desire to live to see her children settled in life;
but was at all times prepared for the event, and cheerful in its contemplation. She and I had talked over
the subject often, calmly, and without reserve.  It
was not a morbid theme with her.  She surrounded
herself with too many active duties; but she had
thought maturely on the inevitable change, and had




104            STARTLING FACTS IN
found peace in her soul.  She said to me the last
time I visited home before her death: "Napoleon, I
will not be here long; death will soon stop my work;
my age and bodily infirmity both tell me this; my
life has been a busy and I hope a useful one to
all about me.  It will not be hard to die when my
time comes.  I think a great deal on this subject,
more than I did in former years."...
"Your intellect gives no expressive evidence of
decrepitude, as yet, mother; what makes you think
you will soon pass to the higher life?"
"As I grow old," she replied, "I have new sensations, which, I think, are peculiar to age.  When my
slumbers are light, I have visions of beautiful landscapes and pleasant abodes, which no language I can
employ will adequately describe.  But what is most
strange of all, these places are peopled by those I
formerly knew  when living on the earth, but who
have passed long since to the spirit-world. At other
times, when I am alone and most calm, I hear voices
speak my name, and I recognize them  as belonging
to those who have long since died.  It was only last
week, while I was working among the flowers in the
garden, I heard Aunt Hannah  [her sister in the
spirit-world] call distinctly,'Polly! Polly!' and so
real was it, that I answered aloud,'What do you
wish, Hannah?' At the instant I had forgotten your
aunt was.dead.  It must have been her spirit that
called mly name."
"Quite likely," I said; " and it was your interior
sense of hearing that heard the sound. This is what
is called clairaudience, or clear-hearing. The same




MAODERN SPZRITUALISM.              105
change takes place in the sight. When impressions
grow  dim  to the external organ, through age, it
frequently occurs that the interior sight is developed,
and takes cognizance of things which the natural eye
can not see.  You know  old black Timothy that
comes to prepare kindling-wood for us: he is ninetyfive years old, and is a most remarkable man for his
years.  When he was here last, I asked him some
questions touching  this same subject of "second
sight" and "second hearing," and he made answer
almost exactly as you do. Being psychologized with
religious ideas, he said he saw Jesus and Paul and
John the Baptist (Timothy believes in water), and
many other of the blessed saints, in his cabin every
night, and heard them  pray and shout, and have a
good time generally.
"With your interior faculties not stimulated with
religious ecstasy, you  see John, Hannah, Peggy,
Charles, Sam, and Thomas, the whole family of
brothers and sisters, dwellers in the spirit-world, who",
await your coming to complete the circle so long
since broken.  That to which I wish to call your attention is the phenoomenal fact that, as you grow old,
and the natural senses grow  dim, the spiritual faculties unfold, and sweep, with their powerful reaches,
boundaries beyond the scrutiny of common ken."
On. another occasion, when  talking  with  my
mother, she said:
"While we can, let us help one another to do
right.  Always do what you think is best for all.
Selfishness will destroy your happiness. Think of
others, and forget yourself. That is the best religion




106            STARTLING FACTS IN
you can have. God is our common Father.  Surely
he wants all his children to be happy. He loves them
all alike; the serpent and the dove belong to him.
He has no favorites, nor acts by partial but by general laws.  The unjust are never happy.  Do your
duty to all men; then only are you true to yourself."
These fragments of talk with my mother will
serve to show the quality of her spirit, whose casket
we were now assembled to look upon for the last
time, ere it was buried forever from sight.
The preparations were complete, kindred  and
friends filled the house, and a settled sadness seemed
to pervade the very atmosphere on the occasion. My
sisters were stricken with grief, and lamentation was
loud. Death had overtaken the best of us, and there
seemed no comfort.
Something said in my ear, "Napoleon, speak!"
I heard it distinctly, and it sounded like the voice
of my mother.  Believing it to be her wish, I rose
to my feet and said:
"It is not my intention to speak a eulogy on
the well-spent life of my mother.  That you have
already in your hearts, you who knew her best.  We
will improve the occasion by uttering a few reflections on the subject of death:
"It is customary to invest death with a frightful
sense of dread or terror.  Let us to-day honor this
custom  in the breach.  Here, in the presence of its
latest victim, whose mortal remains my eyes now
rest upon, and the dearest object of my heart, I can
say truthfully that no such feeling darkens my understanding or affrights my soul.  But, on the con



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          107
trary, this  hour, death  seems beautiful to  me, and
beneficent in  its mission.   We  have no fear of that
which is natural; and it is as natural to die as to be
born, and the one event is no more a mark of displeasure of the Almighty  than  the other.   Properly  considered, death is really the complement of life, a second  birth, through  whose  divine  agency  the  spirit
passes  fiom   a rudimental body  to  a  more  ethereal
one, and  from   the  earth-plane  of life  to  one  more
beautiful, developed, and refined.
"We  celebrate  such  an  event by  our presence
to-day.   The  occasion  should  not be a sad one, and,
if we understood  it correctly, it would not be.   Were
it not for sundering  the  social  ties, the  rude  separation of* love's strong ligaments, the occasion would
*Mr. Davis, in his first volume of the "Great Harmonia," pages
163-172, gives this lucid description of the process by which the spirit,
at death, separates itself from  the material body.  It is somewhat
lengthy for an extract in a work of this kind, but the universal interest felt in the subject of death, will be sufficient apology for giving it
so much prominence in these pages.
"'DEATH is but a DOOR which opens into new and more perfect
existence.  It is a triumphal arch through which man's immortal spirit
passes at the moment of leaving the outer world to depart for a higher,
a sublimer, and a more magnificent country.  And there is really nothing more painful or repulsive in the  nialuria  process of dying (that
which is not induced by disease or accident) than there is in passing
into a quiet, pleasant, and dreamless slumber.  The truthfulness of
this proposition is remarkably illustrated and confirmed by the following observations and investigation into the physiological and psychological phenomena of death, which my spirit was qualified to make
upon the person of a diseased individual at the moment of physical
dissolution:
"The patient was a female of about sixty years of age. Nearly
eight months previous to her death, she visited me for the purpose of
receiving a medical examination of her physical system.  Although
there were no sensations experienced by her, excepting a mere weakless or feebleness located in the duodenum, and aafalling of the palate,




108                 STARTLING FACTS IN
be one of felicitation and gratitude, rather than of
grief and despair.
"The  separation  of the  spirit from   the  body  is a
natural and beautiful process of law. There is nothyet I discovered, and distinctly perceived, that she would die with a
cancerous disease of the stomach. This examination was made about
eight months previous to her death.  Having ascertained the certainty
of her speedy removal from  our earth, without perceiving the precise
period of her departure (for I cal not spiritually measure time or space),
I internally resolved to be present and watch the progressive development of that interesting but much-dreaded phenomenon. Moved by
this resolution, I, at a later period, engaged board in her house, and
officiated as her physician.  When the hour of her death arrived, I
was fortunately in a proper state of mind to induce the superior condition; but, previous to throwing my spirit into that condition, I sought
the most convenient and favorable position, that I might be allowed to
make the observations entirely unnoticed and undisturbed.  (For an
explanation of what is meant by the superior condition, and of the
nature and character of my spiritual perceptions, I refer the reader to
the department of this work which is particularly devoted to the philosophy of psychology.)  Thus situated and conditioned, I proceeded
to observe and investigate the mysterious processes of dying, and to
learn what it is for an individual human spirit to undergo the changes
consequent upon physical death or external dissolution.  They were
these:
"  saw that the physical organization could no longer subserve the
diversified purposes or requirements of the spiritual principle.  But
the various internal organs of the body appeared to zesist the withdrawal of the animating soul.  The muscular system  struggled toretain the element of motion; the vascular system  strove to retain the
element of life; the nervous system  put forth all its powers to retain
the element of sensation; and the cerebral system  labored to retain
the principle of intelligence.  The body and the soul, like two fiiends,
strongly resisted the various circumstances which rendered their eternal separation imperative and absolute.  These internal conflicts gave
rise to manifestations of what seemed to be, to the material senses, the
most thrilling and painful sensations, but I was unspeakably thankful and
delighted when I perceived and realized the fact that those physical manifestations were indications, not of pain or unha/zpiness, but simply that
the spirit was eternally dissolving its copartnership with the material
organism.  Now the head of the body became suddenly enveloped in
a fine, soft, mellow, luminous atmosphere, and as instantly I saw the
cerebrum  and the cerebellum  expand their most interior portions.  I




MODERN SPIRITUALISMA.                          109
ing  in  the  act to jar our sensibilities  or excite  our
fear.   Let us be  calm   now, while  we  examine  the
body of a human  being, and  ascertain  how  fearfully
and wonderfully it is made.
saw them discontinue their appropriate galvanic functions, and then I
saw that they became highly charged with the vital electricity and
vital magnetism which permeate subordinate systems and structures.
That is to say, the brain, as a whole, suddenly declared itself to be tenfold more positive, over the lesser portions of the body, than it ever
was during the period of health.  This phenomenon invariably precedes physical dissolution.
"Now the process of dying, or of the spirit's departure from the
body, was fully commenced.'he brain began to attract the elements
of electricity, of magnetism, of motion, of life, and of sensation into its
various and numerous departments.  The head became intensely brilliant, and I particularly remarked tlat just in the same proportion as
the extremities of the organism grew dark and cold, the brain appeared
light and glowing.  Now I saw, in the mellow, spiritual atmosphere
which emanated from and encircled her head, the indistinct outlines of
the formation of another head.  The reader should remember that
these super-sensuons processes are not visible to any one except the spiritual
perceptions be unfolded; for material eyes cat oly behold material thilnr s,
and spiritual eyes can only behold spiritual things.  This is a law of
nature.  This new  head unfolded more and more distinctly, and so
indescribably compact and intensely brilliant did it become that I
could neither see through it nor gaze upon it as steadily as I desired.
" While this spiritual head was being eliminated and organized from
out of, and above, the material head, I saw that the surrounding aromal atmosphere, which had emanated from the material head, was in
great commotion; but, as the new head became more distinct and perfect, this brilliant atmosphere gradually disappeared.  This taught me
that tlose aromal elements which were, in the beginning of the metamorphosis, attracted fiom the system into the brain, and thence eliminated in the form  of an atmosphere, were indissolubly united in
accordance xvith the divine principle of affinity in the universe which
pervades and destinates every particle of matter, and developed the
spiritual head which I beheld.  With inexpressille wonder, and with a
heavenly and utterable reverence, I gazed upon the holy and harmonious processes that were going on before me.  In the identical manner
in which the spiritual head was eliminated and unchangeably organized,
I saw, unfolding in their natural, progressive order, the harmonious
development of the neck, the shoulders, the breast, and the entire spiritual organization.  It appeared from  this, even to an unequivocal
12




I O                  STAR TLING FA CTS IN
"Scientifically  and critically  speaking, the human
body  may  be  said  to  be an  aggregation of elements,
or chemical vapors.   Its  purposes  we  have  already
stated.   We  now   pass  it to  the  analytical chemist,
demonstration, that the innumerable particles of what might be termed
unparticled matter, which constitute the man's spiritual principle, are
constitutionally endowed with certain elective affinities, analogous to
an immiortal friendship.  hle innate tendencies which the elements
and essences of her soul manifested by uniting and organizing themselves, were the efficient and eminent causes which unfolded and perfected her spiritual organization.  The defects and deformities of her
physical body were, in the spiritual body wlich I saw thus developed,
almost completely removed,  In other words, it seemed  that those
hereditary obstructions and influences were now removed, which originally arrested the full and proper development of her physical constitution, and therefore that her spiritual constitution, being elevated
above those obstructions, was enabled to unfold and perfect itself, in
accordance with the universal tendencies of all created things.  While
this spiritual formation was going on, which was perfectly visible to
my spiritual perceptions, the material body manifested, to the outer
vision of observing individuals in the room, many symptoms of uneasiness and pain; but these indications were totally deceptive; they were
wholly caused by the departure of the vital or spiritual forces fiomn the
extremities and viscera into the brain, and thence into the ascending
organism.'The spirit arose at right angle over the head or brain of
the deserted body.  But immediately previous to the final dissolution
of the relationship) which had so many years subsisted between the
two spiritual and material bodies, I saw, playing energetically between
the feet of the elevated spiritual body and the head of the prostrate
physical body, a bright stream  or current of vital electricity.  This
taught mue that, what is customarily termed de(a', is but a birth of the
slirit fiom a lower into a higher state; that an inferior body and mode
of existence are exchanged for a superior body and corresponding
endowments and capabilities of happiness.  I ]earned that the correspondence between the birth of a child into this world and the birth of
the spirit from the material body into a higher world, is absolute and
complete, even to the unlbilit'al cord, which was represented by the
thread of vital electricity, wlinch, for a few minutes, subsisted between
and connected the two organisms together.  And here I perceived
what I never before obtained any knowledge of, that a small portion
of tils vital electrical element returned to the deserted body, immediately subsequent to the separation of the umbilical thread; and that
that portion of this element which passed back into the earthly




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          I I I
and  he  must  tell us  of what it is  composed.   He
finds in it more primary elements than is found in
any other mass of matter of equal avoirdupois. Indeed, all other forms of matter seem but to furnish
organism, instantly diffused itself through the entire structure, and thus
prevented immediate decomposition.
" It is not proper that a body should be deposited into the earth
until after decomposition has positively commenced; for, should there
be no positive evidences of such structural change, even though it
seems surely to have departed, it is not right to consign the body to
the grave. The umbilical life-cord, of which I speak, is sometimes
not severed, but is drawn out into the finest possible medium of sympathetic connection between the body and the spirit.  This is invariably the case when individuals apparently die, and, after being absent
for a few days or hours, return, as fiom a peaceful journey, to relate
their spiritual experiences.  Such phenomena are modernly termed
trances, catalepsy, somnambulism, and spirit ecstasies.  There are
many different stages, or divisions and subdivisions, of these states.
But when the spirit is arrested in its flight from  the body, and when it
is held in a transitional or mediatorial state for only a few hours or
minutes, then the mind seldom retains a recollection of its experience.
This state of forgetfulness seems, to a superficial observer, like annihilation, and this occasional suspension of consciousness, or memory,
is frequently made the foundation of many an argument against the
soul's immortal existence.  It is when the spirit entirely leaves the
body-only retaining proprietorship over it through the medium of the
unsevered umbilical thread or electric wire, as it might be called-that
the soul is enabled to abandon its earthly tenement and interests, for
many hours or days, and afterward to return to the earth, ladened with
bright and happy memories.  As soon as the spirit, whose departing
hour I thus watched, was wholly disengaged from the tenacious physical
body, I directed my attention to the movements and emotions of the
former; and I saw her begin to breathe the most interior or spiritual portions of the surrounding terrestrial atmosphere. At first it seemed with
difficulty that she could breathe the new medium; but, in a few seconds, she inhaled and exhaled the spiritual elements of nature with ease
and delight.  And now I saw she was in the possession of exterior and
physical proportions, which were identical in every possible particular-improved and beautiful-with those proportions which characterized her earthly organization.  That is to say, she possessed a heart, a
stomach, a liver, lungs, etc., just as her natural body did previous to
(not her, but) its death.
"This is a wonderful and consoling truth.  But I saw that the




112                 STARTLING FACTS IN
supplies of elements for this.  They are held together,
temporarily, by agents  whose  power may be neutralized  by  the  genius  of  the  laboratory.   Why should
we  not  look  at this  subject as  the  chemist  does?
improvements which were wrought upon and in her spiritual organization were not so particular and thorough as to destroy or transcend her
personality; nor did they materially alter her natural appearance or
earthly characteristics.  So much like her former self was she that, had
her friends beheld her (as I did), they certainly would have exclaimedas we often do upon the sudden return of a long absent fiiend, who
leaves us in illness and returns in health-" Why, how well you look!
how improved you are!"  Such was the nature-most beautifying in
their extent-of the improvements that were wrought upon her.
"I saw her continue to conform  and accustom herself to the new
elements and elevating sensation which belong to the inner life. I did not
particularly notice the workings and emotions of her newly awakening
and fast-unfolding spirit, except that I was careful to remark her philosophic tranquillity throughout the entire process, and her non-participation with the different members of her family in their unrestrained
bewailing of her departure from  the earth, to unfold in love and wisdom  throughout eternal spheres.  She understood, at a glance, that
they could only gaze upon the cold and lifeless form which she had but
just deserted; and she readily comprehended the fact, that it was
owing to a want of true knowledge upon their parts that they thus
vehemently regretted her merely physical death.
"The excessive weeping and lamentation of fiiends and relatives
over the external form of one departed, are mainly caused by the sensuous and superficial mode by which the majority of mankind view the
phenomenon of death.  For, with but few exceptions, the race is so
conditioned and educated on the earth; not yet having grown into
spiritual perceptions; not yet progressed to where " whatsoever is
hid shall be revealed;" realizing, only through the medium  of the
natural senses, the nearness of the beloved; watching and comprehending only the external signs and processes of physical dissolution,
supposing this contortion to indicate pain, and tAat expression to indicate anguish,-I say, the race is so situated and educated that death of
the body (to the majority of the earth's inhabitants) is equivalent to an
annihilation of the personality of the individual.  But I would comfort
the superficial observer, and T can solemnly assure the inquirer after
truth, that, when an individual dies naturally, tle spirit experiences no
pain; nor, should the material body be dissolved with disease or
crushed by the fearful avalanche, is the individuality of the spirit deformed, or in the least degree obscured.  Could you but turn your




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                             113
Is there no truth  in his science?  Who will question
eternal principles  but the knave or fool?. Ignorance
may  deplore  the  utterance  of  a  fundamental truth,
and  grief may  cry  aloud  its  senseless  wail over  a
natural gaze from the lifeless body which can no longer answer to your
look of love, and could your spiritual eyes be opened, you would
behold, standing in your midst, a form, the same, but more beautiful
and living.  Hence, there is great cause to rejoice at the birth of the
spirit from this world into the inner sphere of life; yea, it is far more
reasonable and appropriate to weep at the majority of marriages which
occur in this world than to lament when man's immortal spirit escapes
fiom its earthly form to live and unfold in a higher and better country.
You may clothe yourselves with the dark habiliments of woe when
you consign at the altar a heart to a living grave, or when you chain
the soul to breathe in an uncongenial atmosphere; but robe yourselves
with garments of light to honor the spirit's birth into a higher life.
"The period required to accomplish the entire chanzge which I saw,
was not far from two hours and a half; but this furnishes no rule as to
the time required for every spirit to elevate and reorganize itself above
the head of the outer form. Without changing my position or spiritual
perceptions, I continue to observe the movements of her new-born
spirit.  As soon as she became accustomed to the new elements which
surround her, she descended from  her elevated position, which was
immediately over the body, by an effort of the will-power, and directly
passed out of the door of the bed-room, in which she had lain (in the
material form) prostrated with disease for several weeks. It being in a
Summer month, the doors were all open, and her egress from the
house was attended with no obstructions.  I saw her pass through the
adjoining room  out of tle door, and step fromi  the house into the
atmosphere.  I was overwlelmed with delight and astonishment when,
for the first time, I realized the universal truth that the spiritual organization can tread the atmosphere, which, while in the coarser, earthly
form, we breathe-so much more refined is man's spiritual constitution.
She walkled in the atmosplhere as easily, and in the same manner, as
we tread the earth and ascend an eminence.
"Immediately upon emergement from the house, she was joined by
two friendly spirits from the shiritual countSy; and, after tenderly recognizing and communing with each other, the three, in the most graceful
manner, began ascending obliquely through'the ethereal envelopment
of our globe.  They walked so naturally and fraternally together, that
I could scarcely realize the fact that they trod the air.  They seemed
to be walking upon the side of a glorious but familiar mountain.  I
continued  to gaze upon them  until the distance shut them  from




114             STARTLING FACT S IN
beautiful manifestation of a natural law, but both
are impotent to change the eternal order of things.
For this we are grateful.
"The distinguished German scholar, Liebig, the
chemist [since passed  to the spirit-world], invited
his class of students to his laboratory to witness
the chemical analysis, or decomposition, of a human
body.  Pausing at the door, he turned to his'three
hundred' and  said:'This  temple  is devoted  to
science.   We  here  seek  to  discover  the  great
truths that are enveloped in matter.  If any of you
hesitate in the pursuit of knowledge, such as the
crucible and retort unfold, do not enter here.  God
wants no wavering service from  those who seek him.
His laws are not past finding out, if we seek them
diligently.'
"Before him  on  the table lay  a human  body.
This he prepared  to  dissolve  by  chemicals, and
with test conditions to secure the recognition of the
elements  composing  its  organization.   The  process was slow, the interest intense, but the fact was
accomplished.  He reduced one hundred and fortyfive pounds of matter to an impalpable, elementary
condition.  The gases floating on  the viewless air
were inhaled into the lungs, such as were needed,
by those present, and  the remainder settled in the
house, or escaped to the fields or woods, where they
my view, whereupon I returned to my external and ordinary condition.
"0, what a contrast  Instead of beholding that beautiful and youthful and unfolded spirit, I now saw, in common with those about me,
the lifeless, cold, and shrouded organism of the caterpillar, which the
joyous butterfly had so recently abandoned!"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              I   5
were taken up by the respiration of flowers, vegetables, or the leaf-lungs of the forest-trees.
" His work being completed, he said:'Gentlemen,
the matter you have seen dissolved, has not been lost
in any other sense than to the natural eye.  It still
exists in an elementary condition, and will enter millions of new  organizations.  Some of you have inhaled the oxygen, the flowers will take in the hydrogen and carbon, and the grain you see waving in
yonder field will feed upon its liberated gases.  The
body which you saw can never be reorganized; it
has passed away, and so will all our bodies, by the
chemistry of the grave.'
"There is no appeal from the decisions of science.
The destructibility of the human body for all time
has been fairly demonstrated.  It is senseless gabble
to talk of its resurrection.  Physical dissolution is
proved-a fait accompli.  It avails nothing what men
may say, do, or believe to the contrary, the fact
remains undisturbed.  A million of undeveloped people can neither falsify a truth nor dignify a lie.  We
owe it to the world, that this fact shall be made
known.  There has been too much evasion, too much
plastic rhetoric, displayed on such occasions.  Let
the truth be for once spoken, that, though the body
is consigned  to eternal oblivion, the spirit lives
forever.
"Why, then, do we honor these ashes? Because
it was in this temple her spirit dwelt. Here it gave
out the only expression of itself, with which we were
familiar. In this tenement her spirit unfolded in wisdom  as it grew in stature and loveliness.  To lay




116            STARTLIN G FACTS IN
this casket aside with becoming respect, is the tender dictate of affection, and the only means we have
left of expressing our feelings and appreciation of
her worth.  As we look on this familiar face, we
think of the excellent qualities that adorned it in
life.  It is hard to disassociate them.  But the
light has gone out, the color has faded from  the
cheek, and the accents of love have died forever on
these  motionless lips.  Still all that was essentially mother lives.  Love never dies.  The spirit is
immortal."
These remarks reminded some people that I entertained opinions of my own; but, excepting this
occasion, and the one to which I have alluded before,
when I presided at Pardee's meeting, I had given
no public testimony for ten years of my convictions
and adherence to the teachings of the Harmonial
Philosophy.  Indeed, I had attained that maturity
of age when men cease to parade before the world,
uncalled for, the convictions of their mind, which
quietly mold and regulate the actions of their life.
Lapsing again into the pleasant retirement of my
own home, after the death of my mother, the curtain
dropped, as I supposed, upon the final act of life's
busy drama, and I had only to live quietly, growing
old as gracefully as circumstances would permit.
I was mistaken.  Perhaps the wish was father to
the thought.  But on the 5th of February I received
a letter from  Mrs. Annie Wood, a resident of Louisville, Kentucky, in which she stated that herself
and Mrs. Mary J. Hollis intended making a visit to
Cincinnati for a day or two, on a "shopping" expe



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                   I I 7
dition, and that they would give me the pleasure of
their company  as guests  during  their short stay.
Lady-like, there was a postscript to the letter, which
read as follows:
"P. S.-Mrs. Hollis is a trumpet-lnedium.  I presume you
have heard of her through the spiritual papers, as her manifestations have been reported quite frequently in the Banner of
Light and Religio-Philosorhical yoozurnal."
My correspondent had presumed  too  much.   I
had never heard of Mrs. Hollis up to that time. Her
name was now first announce(l to me, and if she had
been an embassadlress from  Kamschatka she could
not have been a more utter stranger.
13
WNV




I I8          STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER VII.
DARK CIRCLES-MRS. HOLLIS IN TERROR-EXTRAORDINARY SIGHTS-A NEW THEORY OF SICKNESS- A "WHAT IS IT?"
T HE ladies arranged a programme to suit themselves. I was to meet them at the wharf on
Friday, A. M., on the arrival of the steamer General
Lytle, and convey them to my house. They would
do their shopping on the same day-have Saturday
for matinee and promenade, and attend church for
the fashions on Sunday. Monday was the day fixed
for returning to Louisville.
Accordingly, I was on the levee at day-dawn with
my carriage, Friday, waiting for the Lytle. She was
an hour late, in consequence of floating ice. At last
the steamer came in, and the ladies were-not on
board. That was very pleasant.
They had changed their minds, and had taken
another boat. By this new arrangement, they arrived
in the evening. As we were sitting to tea, the hack
drove up with our guests.
"It is too bad," said Mrs. Wood; "but I'll just tell
you how it was."
She did, to my entire satisfaction. She is immense in straightening a crooked programme. She
has "a gift" in that way; most ladies have.
"You have forgotten to introduce -."








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IODERN SPIRITUALISM.               I 9
"O, I beg pardon.  Mary, this is the doctor."
"All right, so far as it goes; but who is Mary
Annie?"
"Why, Mrs. Hollis, to be sure. Did n't I write to
you she was coming?"
" So you did.  Mrs. Hollis, I am glad to see you,
and hope you may have a pleasant visit. Take off
your wrappings, and sit up to the table.  Tea was
announced just as you rang the bell."
In a few minutes the ladies were sociable, lively
as crickets, and talkative as children.
"Is it your first visit to Cincinnati?" I said,
addressing myself to Mrs. Hollis.
"No, sir. I once lived in this city, and consider
it almost my native place."
"0, then, you are not a stranger here?"
"Well, I suppose the city has changed a great deal
in fifteen years, so that it has outgrown my acquaintance to some extent; yet I am not wholly a stranger
in Cincinnati."
"The old land-marks remain; still you will find
many changes have taken place in that time. Are
you a native of Kentucky?"
"No, sir. I was born in Indiana, and by accident
became a Hoosier."
"By accident  That is a curious way to speak of
a natural event."
"Why, at the best, it is but an accident where
one is born. In 1837, it so happened that mother
was temporarily residing in Jeffersonville, and so I
became a Hoosier.  If my mother had been in Cincinnati instead, would n't I have been a Buckeye?"




120            STARTLING FACTS IN
"Certainly."
This short introductory colloquy will show that
Mrs. Hollis is not a simpering sentimentalist. It must
be remembered that she is the mother of four children, none of whom were born where she at present
resides. As she will be a conspicuous character in
the remaining part of this book, this seems to be a
proper and fitting place to give her a more general
introdiuctioln to the readel.  She was born, as I afterward learned, on the 24th of April, 1837, in Jeffersonville, Indiana, of wealthy and educated parents.
She was the first-born of her mother's family, and
was married, I believe, in her seventeenth year.  In
her early childhood she was slow to receive a school
education; and was an exemplary member of the
Episcopal Church, until she began to see spirits and
talk with them.  When this occurred, she gradually
lost faith in the gown and surplice, and ceased to be
a fashionable worshiper.  With a spotless reputation,
she has taken the vows of dedicating her life to the
service of the spirit-world.  That means a great deal
more that we can find room to record in this place.
Of her personal appearance  I will adduce a few
pen-sketches, delineating her "face and form," by
acknowledged masters in the graphic art.
Colonel Don Piatt, the widely-known and able
editor of The Capital, presents this picture of the lady
in question:
"I was introduced to Mrs. Hollis-quite a handsome, dar'k-eyed brunette, weighing about a hundred
and forty, and about thirty-five years of age.  She is
personally attractive, unassuming, and rather diffi



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               121
dent. After her personal attractions, the chief characteristic that impressed me was the exceedingly frank
and honest expression of her face. A judge of human
nature would dismiss all suspicion of fraud, after taking one good look at her kind, gentle countenance."
Another distinguished journalist, F. B. Plimpton,
Esq., a leading editor on the Cincinnati Commercial,
who investigated spiritual phenomena in Mrs. Hollis's
seances, and of which he makes able reports in letters
published in the Commercial and Capital, writes personally of the "medium:"
"Mrs. Hollis is of middle age, but looks younger
than she is; of good form, rather stoutish; has lustrous black eyes and hair, and regular and pleasant
features.  Her manner is rather retiring, always modest, as that of a cultivated, sensitive woman, who has,
however, been enough in society to acquire an easy
and graceful self-possession.  On this occasion she
was dressed in a light morning-wrapper, tastefully
but plainly trimmed."
Mr. Reed, the chief editor of the Cincinnati Gazette, saw in Mrs. Hollis only "a demure face and
soft figure."
Another writer in the Commercial said of her:
"She is a woman of fine appearance, a brunette, with
a fine head of dark hair, dark eyes, and beautiful face."
Similar sketches could be multiplied to almost
any extent, but enough has been given to furnish the
reader with a general idea of her style.  The fine
steel engraving will do the rest.
As I saw Mrs. Hollis for the first time at my
tea-table, and in my parlor during the evening, I




122              STARTLING FACTS IN
discovered her to be a woman of more than average
intelligence, not diffident of speech, apt in her remarks, and quick in repartee.
The evening was passed pleasantly, and in conversation no allusion whatever was made to spiritualism  or any reference to her mediumship.  Had I
not been previously informed that she was a spiritualist and medium, no clew would have been furnished
on this occasion by which to discover either fact.
On the following day (Saturday), I accompanied
the ladies while they made their purchases among
the fashionable shops on Fourth Street.  It was not
until after dinner that Mrs. Wood spoke of holding
"a dark circle" in the evening. I had a prejudice
against "dark circles," and had almost vowed never
to enter another. I had attended two, in which the
Davenport brothers were the mediums, and they had
failed to strengthen my belief in spirit communication.  To be sure, I had heard "Johnny  King"
talk very plainly. The guitar was carried through
the air, thrumming as it floated all about the room.
My knee had been touched by a spirit-hand, and my
handkerchief had been tied high up on the chandelier, requiring the use of a step-ladder to get it again;
still I thought "some things could be done as well
as others," and I doubted.  To some extent I shared
Mr. Davis's opinions of dark circles,* and concluded
* " Except for scientific investigation-that is, to test the delicacy
and wondrous power of spirits over natural things-it will be found that'dark circles' are valueless and injurious. As means of carrying conviction to the skeptical mind, the lightless sessions amount simply to
this: persons by such evidences usually require periodical repetitions,
of'facts' to keep their night-encompassed faith from languishing."




MODERN SPIRZUA L AS'. 123
if Mrs. Hollis's spirit manifestations can only be
produced in a dark room, that at the best her mediumship is no better than that of the charlatans
noticed in a preceding chapter.  To be frank on this
matter, I had been the witness of so many worthless
"manifestations" claiming to be produced either by
the spirits direct, or through their agency, that it
was as much as I could do to retain faith in the real
facts I had gathered up after years of tireless painstaking. The proposition to hold a"dark circle" was
not, therefore, entirely congenial to my way of thinking, and I only gave consent to join it that I might
fulfill the perfect law of hospitality by pleasing my
guests.
" Certainly," I said, "we will have a dark circle,
if Mrs. Hollis feels like it."
A  simple'inclination of the head was the only
assent she gave.
It was an ingenuous reply to my doubt, and
placed the whole responsibility of holding the circle
or not upon my own election.
I was in hopes by evening time the medium
would be found with a "distressing headache," or
"so much fatigued that we would please excuse her,"
or that "she was too nervous to go into the dark
room."  I was quite willing to excuse her on either
of those pleas, or any other that, in the goodness of
her heart, she might think of making; but to my utter
discomfiture, not to put it in any stronger terms,
she offered no such paltry plea, nor claimed exoneration for any reason. I was on the point of excusing myself from  being present by pleading a prior




124            STARTLING FACTS IN
engagement, but was in trouble how  to shape one
that would not betray my duplicity.  I was not a
member of any "lodge," "league," "club," or "society," choir, or prayer-meeting; and could not even
claim  to be a sympathetic member of the Young
Men's Christian Association for the prevention of
cruelty to animals; and so, in utter despair, I said,
"Certainly, we will have a dark circle, if Mrs. Hollis
feels like it!"
Justice requires that I should state that I had no
special reason for this disinclination to enter a dark
circle.  It was on the general principle that I had
no confidence in any thing claiming to be spirit manifestations, enacted in the dark.  The dark circle
enveloped the mind in doubt and mystery.  It could
offer no convincing proof to my understanding like
the information of the eye.  The ear is a good reporter of facts, but the eye is better.  "What communion hath light with darkness," that we should
ignore the use of the most important one of the five
senses?
I had ceased to take any interest in spirit manifestations after, as I supposed, I had witnessed the
whole range of spirit phenomena, ten, fifteen, twenty
years before.  It was not congenial to my tastes to
go over the old trodden ground again, excepting to
revive old associations; and these had not been pleasant in the dark circle. This was the churlish view
I took of Mrs. Wood's proposition.
I might have omitted all this confession of qualms
with entire propriety.  I know  this; but it comes
within- the line of my duty to journalize all the facts




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              125
that have any bearing on the extraordinary manifestations it is my province to record in this volume.
It gives me no concern how I may personally appear
to the reader: I am here as a witness to testify to
the truth.  That is all.
It was only intimated that thespirits might speak
in the dark circle.  Nothing was said about the
Ingth of time they would speak, how loud they
would talk, nor were any particulars given that might
have added interest to the occasion. The trumpet,
too, had been spoken of. -What part was it to play
in the dark?  I could not tell, and it was hazardous
to guess.  I decided to await developments, and,
meanwhile, to scrutinize closely all " manifestations"
which came under such suspicious circumstances.
After tea, the ladies felt rested and refreshed, and
did not complain a bit of "headache" or "fatigue."
So, under instruction, I proceeded to darken the room
by draping the windows.  The room selected by me
was about sixteen feet square, on the second floor
of the back building, immediately over the diningroom.
Five adult persons,-including my two guests, entered this room about eight o'clock in the evening,
four of whom took seats in front of Mrs. Hollis's chair,
which was placed in the middle of the floor, arranged
in the form of a semi-ellipse. The horn was placed
on end, about midway between the medium and the
circle, and could, by a mischievous prompting of the
mind, and an inclination of the body, be reached by
any one of us. "I liked not that."  The light was
now extinguished, and surely ancient Night never




126            STARTLING FACTS IN
presided with more " rayless majesty" over Chaos than
it now did in our presence.  No "pitying ray" penetrated crevice, crack, or corner, to "lighten or to
cheer."  There was an "awful pause" of silence,
until Mrs. Wood began to sing "The Ever-green
Hills," and I heartily wished myself on them.  Any
place but here, I thought; when, as if catching the
impression of my mind, Mrs. Hollis asked:
"Doctor, what kind of a place is this?"
"Very oppressive and dark, Mrs. Hollis."
"I need not be told that; but what kind of a
room is this?"
"A  square room, as you saw; but why do you
ask?"
"Because it is full of sick spirits."
"Do spirits get sick?" I asked.
"I suppose so, for the room is full of them."
"What do they complain of, and how do they
look?"
"They seem  to be only skin and bone.  They
cough and spit in the most sickening manner.  I
never saw any thing like this before."
"Can you ascertain, Mrs. Hollis, why these spirits
come here?"
"No! There is a physician among them, who
is prescribing for their relief. I am impressed to say
he is a Frenchman.  He has approached you several
times, and placed his hands over your head and
along your back, and then on corresponding parts
of the sick person.  When he does this, it seems
to revive them, and they look more cheerful and
encouraged."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        127
"Do you not feel his hands touch you, Doctor?"
"No.   I can't say that I do."
0, heavens! he is going to lay a sick person on
my  lap.  I'll not allow  it.  Open  the  door, quick;
let me out! I won't remain here another minute. I
must get out of this place;" and, with a spring, the
affrighted  medium   caught  the  latch,  and  opened
wide the door.
When  we returned  to  the  parlor, her face wore
the expression of fear, with the pallor of death.  She
seemed to be almost terror-stricken, and for a few
minutes  unable to  utter a word.  When  sufficiently
collected, she apologized  for her "nervousness," aid
then  asked:  "What kind  of a  room  is  that?  It
is full of sick people, and they seem to use it as a
hospital."
"0, that's  my  consulting-room.  It is  in  that
room   I examine  sick  people.  You are aware, Mrs.
Hollis, that I am a medical specialist, and devote my
- " In all ages of the world," says a great writer, " these truths [the
laying on of hands and magnetic manifestations] have been recognized
and applied to the sick and the suffering, There have lived many
individuals whose physical and spiritual constitutions pre-eminently
qualified them to exert a powerful influence on the body and mind of
others, even to the working of miracles and curing the lame and palsied. But while the ancients employed the indwelling virtue (or magnetism) in the curing of diseases, they unfortunately believed that
human diseases were caused by wicked spirits or devils, and though
Swedenborg regarded this superstition as a truth, of which the world
in those days had manifold evidences, yet I am impressed to regard it
as a great obstacle to the manifestation of pure and important principles. And I think that even yet the inhabitants of the earth are too
much under the control of ignorance and superstition to understand
the higher truths of psychological science.  It is ignorance and false
education that cause the human mind to manufacture a personal devil,
and to build for him a fiery abode of vast dimensions."




128            STARTLING FACTS IN
attention exclusively to the treatment of thoracic diseases?  Did you not know  this?  Has Annie not
told you all about it?" I asked, inquiringly, to try to
get a clew to the real source of her startling sightseeing in the dark.
Mrs. Hollis answered: "I never heard of your
special practice until this minute.  Annie has told
me you were a physician, but never, I believe, has
she intimated that your practice was special in its
character."
I was incredulous; and yet there was so much
frankness in her statement, and so little apparent
motive for deception or fiaud in the matter, that I
was mystified; and so I made a diversion in the line
of thought by asking: " What of the horn? We have
overlooked it in the scare. What did you intend to
do with the horn, Mrs. Hollis?"
"The spirits talk through the trumpet."
"Do they entrance you when you speak through
the horn?"
"0 no! they use the trumpet tfemselves."
"But you mean that you speak for the spirits
through the trumpet, when entranced?"
"I mean no such thing, sir.  It is just as I say:
the spirit puts the trumpet to its mouth, and speaks
through it, just as you would."
"Why, I never heard of such a thing!"
"And because you have not, you seem to doubt
its possibility."
"No: I hope I have too much modesty to say
what is possible and what is not.  Can you hear
them speak distinctly?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.            129
"As you hear me now."
"And can you talk back to them? Call you hold
a free conversation with them?"
"Certainly. Why not?"
"Nay, I know  not why; but will they answer'
me?"
"If you give them a chance, and they have the
power and inclination to do so."
"Ay: that's the rub. How will I know whether
they have the power and inclination?"
"In the same way you would make a similar
discovery when talking to spirits in the form."
"Do they stand upon ceremony-punctilio?"
"Do you not?"
"But a spirit?"
"Is only the real man or woman out of the
flesh?"
" Yes: that is true; but why do they speak
through a horn, Mrs. Hollis?  Why not, if they
possess organs of speech, speak without the horn?"
"The spirits say the horn enables them to concentrate their power, to focalize the waves of sound.
You know how that is."
"Do they ever try to speak without using the
trumpet?"
"Yes: and some spirits succeed; but the sound
is always very feeble, in comparison to what it is
when spoken through the trumpet.  There is an
Indian spirit that can be heard, when he speaks, in
any part of the house, without using the horn."
"How does it happen that he can speak so loud
and not use the horn?"




130           STARTLING FAC7S IN
"He is an Indian, and they are found, as a
general rule, to have more power to manifest than
other spirits. Then, again, he has been in the spiritworld so long that he has completely outlived most
of the infirmities of his natural life; besides, he is
almost a giant in stature, and possesses more strength
than we find ordinarily among men."
"I was not aware that such distinctions existed
in the spirit-world."
"Have you given the subject any thought?"
"I have not, and that is the cause of my ignorance.  Have you seen this Indian, Mrs. Hollis?"
"A thousand times; he is now beside you, taking
notice of every thing you say."
"I should like to know what he thinks."
"Perhaps not."
"Well, I mean I would like to hear a spirit
talk on a subject that I was personally interested in.
Do you ever hold any controversy with them? or
simply listen to what they say?"
"They talk just as you would, observing all
the proprieties of speech and general amenities belonging to polite conversation. If you can instruct
them in any way, they will allow you ample time to
present your information. As a general thing, however, you will find more pleasure in listening to them
than in hearing yourself speak. The Indian is very
interesting to most people."
"Does he speak often?"
"Yes: he belongs to the band that claim me as
their medium.  He can speak when others can. not.
He assists others to speak."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.             131
"Does he still wear Indian toggey?"
"Yes: his head decorated with feathers, and
a mixed costume of blankets, skins, and ornaments."
"To what tribe or nation did he belong?"
"He was a chief of the Cherokees, whose hunting-grounds, in his time, embraced the states of
Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi."
"Does his name appear in history?"
"I do not know.  He gives it as Skiwaukee."
"I'm  sorry, Mrs. Hollis, I did not select some
other room for the dark circle. Would it be too late
to try another room to-night?"
"As you please," she replied.
"Yes, we will," said Mrs. Wood.  "We'll try
again in another room."
Accordingly, we all went into a spare room, and
re-formed the circle just as it had been in the consulting-room. The trumpet was in its place, as in
the first circle.
The lights had been extinguished but a few minutes, when Mrs. Hollis said: "That French doctor
has followed us with the sick spirit! If he attempts
to come near me, I will leave the room. I don't
know  what he means.  He talks, but I can not
understand what he says."
This declaration of the spirited lady seemed to
have the desired effect. The presence of the physician and patient was no more complained of.
I subsequently learned in regard to this matter,
that persons who die with exhausting diseases continue to be feeble for some time after they enter the
spirit-world, and that they are frequently brought




132               STARTLING FACTS IN
into  the  presence  of healthy  persons, from   whom
they inhale or absorb elements of health and strength,
by which  their wasted  energies are  restored.  This
operation  would seem  to exhibit the value of human
magnetism  to spirits as well as mortals, as a remedial
agent.*
The  philosophy of this treatment is to  equalize
magnetic conditions.  Disease is superinduced by an
excess or deficiency of this nervo-vital emanation from
our bodies.  Old persons rob the young of it, when
they sleep together.  The sick rob the healthy, when
sustaining similar relations. The principle under consideration is, the ground-work of temperamental plysiology, which determines compatibilities in all social
relations.  One person's touch and power will "sustain and soothe" you as a blessing. Another's will
feel like a vampire and a curse.
It is a new  thought to my mind, this furnishing'
a  supply  of elemental health  for the  use  of sick
spirits.  May  not the  spirit-doctor sometimes  take
too much, and leave us in that exhausted state peculiar to typhoid and low-conditioned fevers?  May not
that large class of diseases, which are said to arisede llovo-in the human system, and for the origin of
which  our ablest etiologists are  unable to account,
"Every human soul," says Mr. Davis in Vol. I, page 286, of
the "Great Harnlonia," "is surrounded with an atmosphere more or
less pure and influential. This atmosphere is an emanation from the
individual, just as flowers exhale their fragrance. In consequence of
this pure and inestimable endowment, or rather the result of the
organization, the soul can and will exert a favorable or unfavorable
influence upon contiguous individuals, but always in proportion to
their approximation to the reciprocal state of positive and negative
relations."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                133
be traced  to this cause?  Don't answer hastily, I
beg of you, but think over the proposition seriously.
There may be more in it than at first seems.
But to return to the circle-room.  After a short
pause in the conversation, Mrs. Wood again sang a
verse of a familiar song, and at the conclusion I
heard distinctly a succession of sounds, such as could
be made with the lips by blowing in the horn. They
were crisp  and  explosive, like blowing  in  water
through' a straw.  Mrs. Hollis and Mrs. Wood said
they were spirit-voices, but I could not recognize
any articulate words as they seemed to do.  It might
have been all right, and it might have been all wrong.
I thought it best to hold my opinion in abeyance, for
a short time at least. After several attempts of this
kind, I did hear a voice say in a half-smothered whisper, " WTe can not talk to-night; the conditions are
very bad."
"Did you hear that, Doctor?" said Mrs. Wood.
"    yes: I heard that!  What was it?"
"Why, a spirit, you goose! Did n't you hear
it say,'The conditions are very bad; we can not
talk to night?'
"I heard it; but why does it say so when it was
talking all the time?"
" 0, but you're smart! You do n't believe it was a
spirit spoke at all. You'll soon get out of that conceit, my chappy," said Mrs. Wood, with animation.
"I hope so; but I guess we had better light the
gas, if they can't talk any more.  Blessed be light!
What a relief after an  hour in  darkness-utter
darkness!"
I4




134           STARTLING FA CTS IN
The horn had been slightly moved out of its
place, nearer the medium; but, with that exception,
no change had taken place in any of the appointments of the room.
Well, what do you think of it? I asked myself, as
soon as I had time to gather my thoughts. The best
conclusion to which I could come was, that Mrs. Hollis
might be a mental phenomenalist, and, being in the
dark, I could not tell whether she spoke through the
horn with her eyes open or shut, nor did it make
much difference to me which. As a spirit seance, I
was less perplexed in my opinions; it had been a
signal failure. Even as a source of entertainment
and merry-making, it could by no means be construed
into a success. I could see nothing in it, not even
the point of a joke. It was too dark. The situation
afforded a splendid opportunity, however for indulging in any amount of quiet mirth. That was the
advantage of the dark circle; only this, and nothing
more.
But what about the spirits?
0, bother the spirits! They couldn't talk that
evening. Did n't you hear them say the conditions
were too bad? That's all I know about them. Those
who know more, let them speak. We'll adjourn.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.            135
CHAPTER VIII.
SLATE-WRITING-STARTLING COMMUNICATIONSMOTHER ANNOUNCES HERSELF IN A DARK CIRCLE-JAMES NOLAN SPEAKS FOR HER-A REMARK.
ABLE TEST BY SKIWAUKEE-HOW I WAS NAMED.
AT the breakfast-table next morning, Mrs. Wood
said: "Isn't it funny, Doctor, that you should
have visitors all the way from kingdom-come, to be
doctored?"
"It is rather a strange conceit."
" Conceit?"
"At the best, what else is it?"
"See here, my old chappy, you used to take a
great deal of interest in spiritualism. Now, I want
to know if you have gone back on it?"
" What kind, Annie?"
"Did you ever! What a question to ask a lady!'What kind?'"
" You have it exactly!"
" Well, now, Master Nep, just tell me how many
kinds of spiritualism you know of."
"Two!"
"Please state them, like a good boy."
"Yes, ma'am; the true and the false."
"What do you mean by that?  Explain yourself
squarely."




136            STAR TLIZAG FACTS IN
" By that, I mean that spiritual manifestations in
the light are more to be relied on than those which
take place in the dark."
" Did n't you hear the spirits talk last night?"
"I suspect I did!"
" You suspect youl did!  Well, that is cool  0, I
see how it is! You suspect either Mrs. Hollis or
myself as representing the spirits!"
" Annie!"
" Yes, you do; do n't deny it."
"Why will you embarrass me?^
" Fiddlesticks! I just want to tell you one thing,
that you were never more mistaken in your life."
" Mistaken?"
" Yes, when you suspect that we have been trying
to impose on your good-nature."
"How you talk!"
"You do n't believe the manifestations last night
were genuine, and I know it."
"Did I say so?"
"Not in words, but in tones, looks, shouldershrugs, and pantomimes."
"You read closely."
"Accurately."
"Well, well, now that you have unriddled me, let
us change the subject.  Will we go to the St. Paul's
to-day?  You will see the most lovely church and
the latest styles at the same time."
"As we are going home to-morrow, Mrs. Hollis
will give you some slate-writing to-day, instead of
going to church."
"Some what?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               137
"Slate-writing!"
"I beg pardon; but I do not understand you."
"Why, don't you know  that Mrs. Hollis is a
writing-medium?"
"I was not aware of it.  Are you a writingmedium, Mrs. Hollis?"
"It seems so!
"Only seems?'
" Of that you must be the judge.  Have you a
slate?"
"Won't paper do as well?"
"A slate will do better!"
I scanned her face closely to find the faintest
trace of the "putty" medium's infatuation; but I could
not discern it, if she had any.  Her features were
in entire repose, and made no revelation of such a
weakness.  It was an affliction I would have cheerfully escaped, had there been any way of retreat without grossly violating the proprieties of hospitality.
I thought over the suggestion for a minute or two,.
and mentally complained that my mission was so
unpleasant.  " Here," I said to myself, "is another
hallucination, and if it had been presented in some
other than my own house, I would explode it with
pleasure.  But it makes a difference when those
who are under your own roof are to be rebuked.
They have a claim  upon your protection so long as
they are your guests.  No matter what personal infirmities may afflict them, the law of hospitality
requires them to betreated with tenderness and forbearance.  Still, there is another view to be taken of
the subject, which is quite as legitimate as the one




138           STAR TLING FACTS IN
presented. The guest is the recipient of favor, and it
is not only an infraction of the law of hospitality, but
unjust to repay kindness with ingratitude and injury.
Why should this attempt be made to deceive me?
"Well, I'll humor your inclination," I thought; "but
it will bring trouble on your head. If your writing
is as much a fizzle as your dark circle, I will speak
of it as it merits; no more forbearance.  Won't she
hate me for it? Her suppressed rage will give a flaming brilliancy to those'lovely eyes,' and how pitilessly she will sacrifice my'good name' to her
resentments. If you will expose yourself to criticism,'Barks is  willin' go ahead."
" Do you write by impression, Mrs. Hollis, or are
you controlled by the spirit to write?" I asked, with
a view of "drawing fire," that I might learn her
position exactly.
" Neither," she replied.
" I am not acquainted with any other methods by
which spirits write through media."
"No! you have a slight misapprehension of my
mediumship."
" In what particular, Mrs. Hollis?"
" In supposing the spirits use my organization in
any perceptible manner when they write or speak."
"When they write or-"
"Yes: I have nothing to do with it; and yet my
presence seems to be necessary."
"I do not understand you, Mrs. Hollis, What
you say-"
" Is a truth for those who can comprehend it, and
an extravagance for those who can not."




MODERN SPIRITUA~LISM.              139
"Well, but don't you do the writing with your
own hand?"
"Bless you, no; the spirits do the writing."
"But you hold the pencil, do you not?"
"I do not touch the pencil."
" Who does?"
"If it be not the spirits, I can not tell."
"But spirits have no hands?"
"Perhaps they write with their wings."
"0, that's an absurdity."' Which?"
Your suggestion of winzgs."' O, I thought it was your suggestion of armless
spirits. To be serious, how can they hold a pencil
and write, without the possession and use of hands?"
"But do they hold the pencil and write without
your assistance?"
" I have told you I do not touch the pencil. All
I do is to hold the slate under the table while the
writing takes place."
" Under the table? Why under the table? Why
not lay the slate on the top of the table, where we
can see it?"
" I fear I can not answer you in a satisfactory manner, as I do not really understand why it can not be
done.  Those who witness the writing have different
theories as to the way it is produced, but all agree in
ascribing its execution to an intelligence independent
of myself."
" But what is your theory?"
"I have a habit to first exhibit the manifestation;
and afterward to offer no theory, but the fact."




140           STARTLING FACTS IN
"You are level, Mrs. Hollis.  That is a safe rule.'The smartest woman in America' could not do better than that.  Observe that rule, and you will never
get into trouble. Your prudence is worthy of commendation.  People like to make their own discoveries. First give the fact, then the theory. Now, let me
see! You want a slate and pencil; and what else?"
"A small table, with a plain top, and a shawl to
throw over it."
"And a dark room?" I suggested.
"Not a bit of it!"
"In a light room?
"Certainly."
"I'm glad of that.  I like to see things.  Will
that little work-stand answer for the table?"
"It's the very thing.  And bring that shawl that
lies on the piano.  Now give me the slate and pencil.
All right. Here they go, under the table. Look how
I hold the slate.  It rests upon the four fingers of my
right-hand, the thumb making the steady pressure on
the top.  You discover there is no place to rest the
slate upon, and that it is impossible for me to handle
the slate and pencil both so as to execute any writing
on the former.  You see, I sit apart from  the table,
with no part of my person in contact with it or under
it, excepting the hand holding the slate.  Now the
arrangements will be complete as soon as you spread
that worsted shawl over the table. Let it hang down
all round, as far as it will reach. My hand is under
the table, holding the slate.  You perceive my wrist
and arm are exposed. Now, if you can see the faintest motion of either, to give you the slightest suspi



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.             141
cion that I do the writing, speak of it. Now, what do
you expect?"
" To sit here until doomsday, if I am to wait until
the spirits write on that slate."
"I hope not," was the only reply made to my
faithless remark.
It was only a few minutes until I heard something,
a tiny noise, like the faint "nibble of a mousie."  It
proceeded fiom under the table, and I called Mrs.
Hollis's attention to it.
"They are writing!" she said, with as much composure as if it were not the most extraordinary thing
I had ever heard of.
" Who are writing?"
"The spirits," she said.
There was a full light in the room.  I watched
the wrist and arm belonging to the hand under the
table, and there was not the slightest twitch of a
muscle or tendon, to indicate any movement of the
fingers.  This friction continued several minutes,
when a succession of raps, as if with the end of the
pencil on the slate, signified the conclusion of the
writing.
The slate was now withdrawn from  under the
table, and, without examining it particularly, Mrs.
Hollis handed it to me, saying: "I guess the writing
is for you!"
The upper half of the slate was covered with
writing. The letters were well formed, the words
accurately spelled, and the sentences grammatically
constructed. The reader will have an opportunity to
judge of the merits of the composition.
15




142             STARTLING FACTS IN
The writing was executed in parallel lines across
the slate, about the same distance apart as ordinary
ruled lines on common letter-paper. The part of the
slate  upon  which  the writing  appeared  was most
remote from  Mrs. Hollis's hand.  The fingers could
not reach the writing by several inches, and had the
slate been shifted, the writing would have been made
upside down, or she must have possessed power to
write under very disabling circumstances in this most
difficult manner.  A  careful scrutiny of the situation
enables me to say that it was physically impossible
for Mrs. Hollis to do the writing.
Much as I was perplexed with the writing, when I
came to read the communication apart from its mysterious origin, I was not a little surprised to find the
name of a sister, long since dead, attached to it. As
the note is of general interest, no apology is offered
for presenting it to the reader.  It was as follows:
"MY DEAR BROTHER,-Every day furnishes some new
testimony to establish the great truth that individual life does
not terminate when death takes place. Life is a progressive
lesson which all must learn; and death is but an event which
passes the individual into a higher'grade' of being, whether
he be matured and qualified for preferment or not. This is universally known in the spirit-world, and many in the natural
world already comprehend the same truth. A band of progressed spirits have surrounded this medium, to teach this
glorious lesson to the world. They are mostly French. It is
intended that you shall render assistance in this great work.
Mother and I are often with you, and impress you when we
can.                                EMMA FRANCIS."
"Has the doctor got a flea in his ear?" said Mrs.
Wood, in her quizzical way.  "What is it that has
taken the talk out of him so suddenly?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.             143
"What is it?" was my involuntary echo, as the
only reply I could make.  "This is certainly the
strangest phenomenon I have met in all my spiritualistic experience. That name-"
" Is your sister's."
"How do you know?"
I don't know; I only guess. Else why call you
brother?"
"But how came it there?"
" What?"
"The name!"
" Just as the writing came!"
"But how came the writing?  It is that which
perplexes me."
" Can't you tell?"
"I would not ask, if I could."
" Can you explain how the speaking was done last
night?"
" Is that a banter?"
" Do you want a fight? ha, ha, ha! Here's more
than a wind-mill for my gallant Don. The'what is
it.' Do you see it?"
" What has the speaking to do with the writing,
Annie?"
"Do they not both belong to the same mysterious
family?"
"Hardly. When a spirit says, I can't speak,' it
sounds very much like a man saying,'Now  I'm
dead!' We are at liberty to doubt the veracity of
both."
" Bah! Did n't they tell you the conditions were
too bad-that they could n't talk much?"




144            STARTLING FACTS IN
"Much?"
"That's what they meant?"
"Why did n't they say so?"
"Why don't you tell how the writing is done?"
" Yankee!"
" Dutchee!"
"I can't speak!"
"Do tell!"
" Come, Annie, let us be serious."
"Agreed! How came the writing? Come, cudgel
your brains! Let's know all about it!"
"'Pon honor, I do not know! Will they write
again?"
Who?"
"The thing-"
"Do n't you dare call your sister by such an opprobrious name! Ain't you ashamed to employ such an
epithet against -?"
"Well, the spirit, then, if you insist!"
"It's an. ill-mannered concession; but it's better
than thing or no thing.  Mrs. Hollis, please hold the
slate again for'Uncle Nep.' I think he is on the anxious-bench.  He has been an arrant backslider, and
another conversion will do him no harm."
"Certainly," said Mrs. Hollis; "but please wash
the slate first with clean water."
I did so, and wiped it quite dry with my hand.
There was a dun spot on the slate, caused by iron
pyrites, which served as a private mark to identify
it, if need be. The slate was one I had used on my
desk for several years. I gave it to Mrs. Hollis, who
received it with her right-hand. I then placed the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                145
bit of pencil on it, when she put both under the table.
After scanning the situation closely, and satisfying
myself that there was no hocus-pocus attempted, I
again spread the shawl over the top of the table, leaving the wrist and arm of the medium fully exposed to
view in a good light. The slate was held about five
inches from the top of the table, grasped in the manner I have stated, with the thumb on top, the fingers
underneath.
It was only two or three minutes after I had completed my inspection, when the mysterious scratching
on the slate began again.  I could hear it distinctly,
and it continued several minutes.  The sound was
irregular, just such as would be made by a person
writing with a pencil.  Again the shower of tiny raps
was given at the conclusion.
" Before withdrawing your hand, Mrs. Hollis, permit me to look at the position of the slate."
"Certainly," she said.
I lifted the shawl from the little stand, and discovered the slate to be held in the same position, precisely as when I put the shawl over the table. No
perceptible change had taken place, excepting that
the slate was almost covered with writing. Mrs. Hollis, without reading the communication, handed it to
me.  The writing was in a large, free, bold hand, contrasting strongly with the lady-like hand of Emma
Francis' note. It read nearly as follows:
"DOCTOR, —Our medium is not in good condition for giv.
ing manifestations. Last night we almost failed, and to-day her
condition is such that we are almost afraid to tax her strength.
This evening we will give you better manifestations in the dark




146            STARTLING FACTS IN
circle. Your mother will try to speak, but may not succeed, as
she has never uttered a human word since she passed to the
spirit-world. Your uncle, Charles Odell, will also try to speak.
Thomas El.ler and Jacob Tyler desire me to announce their
presence.                         JAMES NOLAN."
How mysterious all this is! Not only the writing,
but the facts announced.  I do not know what to
think of it. My mother will try to speak, but may not
succeed'! Uncle Charles Odell will also try to speak!
And, too, there are the names of my two brothers-inlaw announced! How came all these names on that
slate? If by Mrs. Hollis, how, first, did she hear of
sister Emma Francis' name?  She passed to the
spirit-world nearly forty years ago-before Mrs. Hollis
was born-and was but an infant when her little heart
ceased to throb. I only remember her name. It is
too much to believe, even could Mrs. Hollis have
done the writing, that she could have known Emma
Francis, Charles Odell, Thomas Eller, and Jacob
Tyler.  And who is James Nolan, who makes these
startling announcements? The name is not familiar,
and he may be a man of straw, or a "make-up," to
play a part set down in the programme.
And yet my own senses condemn the supposition
before I dare announce it. It would incriminate Mrs.
Hollis and Mrs. Wood both.  Turn which way I
would, I met a dilemma.  My judgment pronounced
against fraud, and to admit the manifestation for what
it purported to be, would unsettle foundations upon
which society and governments rested. Personally,
I was anxious to fathom the mystery to its "deepest
depths." But how to proceed?




MODERN' SPIRITUALISM.             I47
It now occurred to me that James Nolan said,
"Your mother will try to speak to you in the dark
circle."
This gave me new hope; for a man never forgets
his mother's voice any more than she forgets her
child. If my mother speaks, it will be in no uncertain
sense.  No matter; make the room pitch-dark, I will
recognize her voice.
" Is n't it funny, Doctor, to get such letters without paying postage on them?" said Mrs. Wood, as she
finished reading the letter on the slate.
"Rather funny, if it were not so serious!"
"Serious?"
"Yes: or will you let me into the joke, and tell
me how the thing is done?"
"There you are calling your sister a thing again.
I'd rather run the risk of being called a lady, than to
be considered in the more equivocal sense of a thing.
Now, do stop that!"
"Then explain this matter to me.  What is it 2"
"That's as good as any other name, if you are
afraid to call it spiritual phenomena.  Call it a'what
is it,' and send for Barnum.  Why, look here, Mr.
Soberside, if your sister is writing you letters from the
spirit-world, can't you be as jolly over the truth she
writes as if she wrote from  Paris?  It is not necessary to cry about it, that I can see."
"That is true, Annie; but when we speak of the
dead we should not indulge in levity."
"Why not, as much as when speaking of the
living?"
"Because-"




148            STARTLING FACTS IN
What?"
"Well, because-"
"Exactly.  I know what you intend saying.  You
have not outgrown your nursery superstitions of death;
and, you are afraid of ghosts."
"No!"
"Then why not always be truthful, whether you
speak of the living or the dead?"
"Why not?"
"Yes: why not?"
" I speak the truth of both!"
"Then you know  but little, or you would have
been hanged long ago!"
"What do you say?"
"Disguise it as you may, you are too cowardly to
admit the truth of what you have just witnessed."
"Cowardly?  What of?"
"Public sentiment! You may call that a thingg,
if you please; for it is a detestable tyrant, and has no
virtue in it."
"But, Annie, is it not unpardonable arrogance to
set up your individual opinion against the majesty of
the multitude?"
" Yes, if you know  you are right and are too
craven to say so!"
"Your courage is bravado."
"Your prudence is fear."
"What do you mean?"
" To drive this conviction home to you, that, say
what you will, you are afraid to admit the truth, not
so much because it unsettles your own belief, as the
fear you have of Mrs. Grundy's gutter-snipes."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               149
"I do not care to be unsettled.  Is there any
harm in that?"
"That is, if you have wedded a lie, you want to
abide with it forever."
"Why, Annie!"
"Neppy!"
"You will make yourself obnoxious!"
To whom?"
"Fashion!"
"Exactly. She is the ogress that startles your
poor soul with flubdub, night-mares, and hideous
dreams.  She prescribes for her sickly brood what
they shall eat, drink, and wear; and, as if her slavery
were not sufficiently degrading, she emasculates your
mind, and dictates what you shall think."
"There is some truth in what you say, Annie, I
admit; but why break your lance at such a time?"
"Because there is a necessity for doing it. Here
is a phenomenon which, in its importance to the world,
no man can as yet properly comprehend.  It contemplates a radical change in the vast empire of
mind.  Its mission is subversive of the present order
of things.  It will first destroy, then reconstruct, the
social condition of the world; and yet you dare not
look these facts squarely in the face."
"Admitting the spiritual origin of the phenomena
to be true, still I can not anticipate such stupenduous
results as you predict."
"You have not thought of it."
"That is true.  And yet you must admit I have
had some experience in spiritual matters.
"I know; but never in any like this.  Here the




150           STARTLING FACTS IN
spirit, reclad with the elements of flesh, takes on the
conditions of mortal life, and thinks and acts again
as it did before it shuffled off its cumbrous coil of
clay. Why, sir, do you see that death has lost its
sting? the grave its victory?"
I never could argue well with a female. They
have a perverse element about them that unsettles
the steady poise of a man's mind. So I said:
" Mrs. Hollis, who is James Nolan?"
" He is one of the band of spirits that forms about
me to give manifestations."
"You have a band of spirits about you!  I remember, sister Emma said you had a band of progressed spirits, principally French.  How is that?
You are not French, nor of French extraction. Is
James Nolan a Frenchman?"
" I believe not. He speaks of his personal history
to those who desire it, with entire freedom, and will,
no doubt, give you any information in regard to himself that he may have, if you solicit it."
The writing seance and conversation closed here.
When the time for holding the second dark circle
arrived, we again assembled in the room to hear the
talking. I should rather say, whispering. I still held
my prejudice against the darkness; but, as I entered
the room, I had a vague suspicion that I had been
uncharitable in my judgments, if not absolutely unjust, in treating the former dark circle as I had.  I
proposed to atone for this by giving a more candid
and respectful attention to any thing that might occur
on the present occasion. This was not only due the
ladies, but in no other way could a reliable judgment




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               15 
be formed or the truth be discovered.  Prejudice and
bigotry are so nearly allied in character and infamy,
that we can not be too careful how we entertain either,
if we would escape their noxious odor.  Let us be
discriminating and just.
After being again seated, as in the first circle, the
lights were extinguished, and Mrs. Wood was called
upon to furnish the music, and with a charming voice
gave "The Old Folks at Home," and followed it with
"Home Again."
This matter of singing or preluding the manifestations with music, is rather mysterious. I believe
that almost every form of either Pagan or Christian
worship is attended with music. It is thought to be
more acceptable to Deity to address him in aspirated
notes than in commonplace vocal sounds.  But in the
dark circle I thought the exception should be made,
as it was not a place for either -Pagan or Christian
worship. Here the aesthetic was ignored, and all the
faculties of the mind were to be kept wide awake.
The effect of music on the human system varies
in its expression.  If the sounds are harmonious, and
the chant is an old familiar lay, we soon find ourselves
in accord, and helping to hum along. Even the animal, the faithful dog, when the key-note of his sympanthium is struck, as with a reed-horn it may be,
gives us the charming howl which so delights our
ears. But that our spirit friends consider music an
essential condition before they will either orate or
jubilate, is, as I said, a mystery to me. The connection of wind and worship is a subject that may some
day be more fully ventilated.




152            STARrTLING FACTS IN
While the singing was going on, I heard something passing over the floor. It was like the delicate
foot-fall of a cat, at first; but it was soon discovered
to be the horn.  The sounds grew louder and louder,
passing from one side of the room to the other with
increasing celerity, and seemingly coinstantial, until
the horn banged and jarred every-where within six
feet of the medium, and about two feet from  the
circle, making almost a continuous dinning racket
for a minute or two.  It was not worth while to
dodge, as you might hit a post in the dark; so, after
wiping the sweat from  my forehead, I sat upright,
asking myself, "What next?"
I was not long in suspense.  A child's voice repeated rapidly the name "Fanny, Fanny, Fanny," not
less than twenty times.  It then in like manner repeated the word " mother." The voice was an agitated
whisper, which Mrs. Wood instantly recognized as her
little son, several years in the spirit-world. She explained that "Fanny" was the name of a pet spaniel,
to which her child was very much att.ached, and an
almost inseparable companion.  Mrs. Wood had fiequently met her spirit-child in the "dark circle," and
he never failed to announce his presence in this singular manner, first calling his pet's name, and then
his mother's. After his excitement subsided, he talked
in a childish manner of the things he remembered in
his brief earth-life.
The voice clearly belonged to a child. I sat next
to Mrs. Wood while she conducted the conversation,
and there was no affectation in the maternal interest
she displayed.  I managed to engage Mrs. Hollis in




MODERN SPIRITUALISIM.            15 3
conversation several times, while Mrs. Wood and her
child were talking; and there was no other in the
room that could affect such a r61e of deception if their
life depended on it.
Of a sudden, at least when not expected, the voice
said "Good-bye, dear mamma, good-bye!"  That was
the last we heard from  little "Lewie" during the
evening.
There was no ventriloquism in this interview. I
heard the impatient mother frequently ask her child
questions before his prattle was ended. Then, again,
before she finished speaking, the child began talking
on something that had occurred to his fancy of more
interest to him than what the mother was saying. In
this way their conversations frequently overlapped
each other, so that it was impossible for one person
to practice a deception in this matter, no matter how
dark the room might be.
While Mrs. Hollis, Mrs. Wood, and myself were
talking about the child, we all heard, in a distinct
whisper, the words, " Napoleon, Napoleon, my son "
repeated quite near me, and immediately in front
of my chair.  The accent was unsteady, but the
words were clearly articulated, though low and slowly
delivered.
I could not recognize the voice of my mother in that
faltering whisper. Still I said, " Is that you, mother?"
"God bless you, my dear son! I am here!" was
the instant response, though, like the first spoken
words, they were delivered with an embarrassing
deliberation, each requiring an aspirated effort to
pronounce.




154            STARTLING FACTS IN
"Can I be of service to you in any way, mother?"
I said.
A long interval elapsed without any response being given, to my question. When it came, it was in a
strange voice, louder, stronger, the words more distinctly articulated and pronounced. It said:
"Your mother has not yet learned to talk. She
was assisted to announce to you her presence, but
can not speak any herself to-night. She is very anxious to talk to you, but has not the power. I will
speak for her, and deliver her messages."
"Who are you?"
"James Nolan!  Don't waste your time on me;
speak to your mother."
" Very well. Has mother any thing to say to me?"
"Tell my son I am happy, and glad he takes an
interest in this great work."
"What work does she allude to?"
"These new facts in spirit manifestations!"
" If all this is really what it pretends to be, I shall
indeed take a new interest in spirit phenomena. But
how shall I know, Mr. Nolan, that you really represent my mother on this occasion?"
"TRY THE SPIRIT!"
"Very well; that is exactly what I desire to do!"
And I will also try Mr. Nolan in the difficult part he
has consented to play in this.
"Are you quite sure it is my mother you are
speaking for, Mr. Nolan?"
"No, sir! This spirit says she is your mother,
and gives her name as Mary Lockard Wolfe Jordan."
"The name is correct.  But I wish her to give me




MODERN SPIRITUALISM  15 5
a better identification than simply announcing her
name. Will she please state her age at'the time of
her death?"
"If she had lived until May, I873, her age would
have been eighty years.  Had she lived until May
in the year she died, her age would have been seventy-six years; but as her death occurred in January,
her age was seventy-five years and  eight months
when she left the form." *
"I believe the information you give is correct;
and, as she is so exact in her statement, will my
mother please tell whether she has any brothers or
sisters living or dead?"
"She says none are dead; all are living."
"Where do they live?"
"In the spirit-world!"
"0 Oyes, I see!"
"She says we are all here, and the family circle
is again complete.  I was the last to come.  John,
Peggy, Hannah, Sam, Thomas, and Charles, all preceded me.  You did not know  Sam, Thomas, or
Charles. You was too young when they passed away."
"Are any of your children with you?"
"Isabella and  Emma Francis are here.  They
passed from earth in infancy."
"Can you name your children that are still in the
form, and in the order of their birth?"
"0 yes!  Why not?  You still doubt my presence?"
* I do not recognize any characteristics of my mother in this indirect method of answering my question. She always used plainness of
speech, and never failed to speak directly to the point. However, the
information, so curiously stated, is in every particular true.




156           STARTLING FACTS IN
"I can not help it! I am in the dark I If I could
see you for an instant, no more questions would be
asked. I hope you will be patient with me. This is a
marvelous proclamation you are making to the world,
and we can not be too critical ia our examination of
the testimony upon which it rests."
"You are right, my son; investigation can not
injure the truth. Say to Mary and Henry and Charles
(as I say to you) and John and Caroline, that death
can not destroy a mother's love."
" You have done it accurately.  You have mentioned the names of your brothers and sisters and
children, living and dead, in the order of their births.
That is a remarkable testimony favoring my mother's
individual presence. But I have elicited the information by the direct question. Can you, of your own
choice, tell me something by which I may be more
positively convinced that my mother is present, and
is really talking to me?"
There was no response to my question for several minutes, and Mrs. Hollis expressed her doubt as
to whether there was sufficient power for them to talk
much longer. At this juncture a wild and prolonged
howl or hoo-o-o! startled all in the circle. It was
the "big Indian," SKIWAUKEE.  His presence was
instantly recognized by Mrs. Hollis and Mrs. Wood,
and it was soon apparent that they were on the most
familiar terms with him. I think his voice might be
heard in all parts of my house.  It was not harsh,
but preternaturally loud and long. It is this that
startles you, and makes you think of red paint and
the tomahawk.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              157
After talking to the " mejum " and " singin' squaw "
a few minutes, I was formally introduced to him, and
at once was distinguished as "em  old chief."  He
takes this liberty with every one, to give them such
a name as pleases himself best. He is called "Ski"
by those familiar with him, and in his conversation
speaks quite loud enough to be heard distinctly. He
has not yet mastered English grammar, and occasionally makes some very funny remarks in his quaint
mixture of Cherokee and Lindley Murray. Addressing
me, he said:
"Em old chief; want em test?"
" Yes," I said.  "I wished my mother to give me
a voluntary test-to state something unthought of and
unsolicited."
" Em old squaw em here!"
"Well, will you ask her to give me a voluntary
test, something by which I may be positively assured
of her presence?"
"Do em  old chief know how em  got em  name
NopoPon?"
" No! Can't say that I do! I think my mother
had an admiration for Bonaparte, as mothers have for
Washington, and so gave me his name.
"I tell em! Old squaw got em papoose.  In em
morning old Catholic squaw, Sanna Faul [Rosanna
M'Fall] come see em old squaw and papoose. Em say
what em call em papoose.  Old squaw say Nopol'on.
Old Catholic squaw get em  much big mad, em  go
home and call em dog Bonaparte."
* I do not think this anecdote has been mentioned in our family
for forty years, and it is doubtful whether my brothers or sisters knew
16




158                   STARTLING FACTS IN
"Skiwaukee, you have given  me a startling  proof
of the  presence of an  intelligence  which, if it is  not
my  mother, it is  certainly  one  connected  with  the
history  of our family."
Taking  it all in  all, this was the most remarkable
seance I  had  ever  attended.    To  be  sure, the  testimony came in the dark, addressing the understanding
through  the ears.   But examine the whole drift of the
conversation, and what could strengthen  the presumption  of my  mother's presence but the added  sense of
sight?
I  do  not  think  it  possible  that  any  person  in
the  room   could  have given  such  a coherent and  unbroken  chain  of  evidence  favoring  the  actual  presany thing of the circumstances detailed by the Indian.  I was only a
child when I last heard the story.  I'le main facts are given with stfficient fidelity, but a trifling explanation may be addedl.  Mrs. Rosanna
M'Fall was a devout Catholic, and, next to Beelzebub, she hated the
name of Napoleon, who had rol)led the Church and compelled its head
to dance attendance upon him.  For this he was hated.
On pao'licular occasions, as in "harvest," it is said all jokes are
fiee.  So the morning after my mother's tribulation being Christmas,
the neighboring women came in to say a good word and have their
" crack "-Rosanna among tilem.  She teased nmotlier to permit her to
name the boy, promising a present, etc., but it was no go. That prerogative she maintained as personal, and, to get even with the Napoleon
hater, said she was thinking seriously of namin g the boy Napoleon
Bonaparte.  Tis was as a spark of fire to a magazine of powder.
Rosanna exploded her wrath against the little Corporal, ilother, and
myself, until it became a question of metal.  The whole affair started
in a joke, but the big name clings to me still.
To show her disrespect for the name, and to annoy my mother,
Rosanna got a mangy cur, and called him' Bony."  This dog she would
berate on accorunt of his name with the vilest epithets every (lay in her
back-yard, within  ear-shot of mother.  Her resentment against the
name continued for several years; but at last she began to give me
candy, and said she hoped I would not make as big a rascal as my
namesake.  Skizvaukee's allusion to this dog is very remarkable.




MODERN SPIZIlTUALISM.            159
ence of my mother. When I review the scance, I am
amazed.
We had, without intending it, prolonged the sitting
to an untimely hour. Mrs. Hollis complained of feeling very much exhausted; and, had it not been for
the interest awakened by the astonishing tests exhibited, we should have all been in full sympathy with
her feelings, or asleep.
D__ - -




I60           STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER  IX.
A VISIT TO MRS. IIOLLIS-HER FAMILY-A PREMONITION AND PROPHECYI-IO\V SHE BECAME A SPIRITUA LIST'-DARK CIRCLE IN WHICH A SPIRIT SINGS
A GERMAN SONG-MANY TALK, AND ONE SHOWS
ITS FACE.
T HE  morning following, Mrs. Hollis and Mrs.
Wood started for Louisville on the boat.  I
now had leisure to calmly consider the merits of the
manifestations which had occurred in the "dark
circle," and to determine, in my own mind, what
amount of credibility should be attached to them.
In the conversation I had had with James Nolan,
it was affirmed that my mother was actually present,
and dictated to him the information he communicated
to me. This was a bold assumption, and it became
necessary to examine it critically, to find whether it
was true or false.
I was inclined to think that a judicious investigation would disclose the fact that the so-called spirit
phenomena could all be traced to a mundane origin.
In this belief I was strengthened by the circumstance that nothing had been communicated but what
I already knew. I assumed if the spirits could talk,
they would say something to entertain or instruct ustell us something of their spirit-life, the spirit-world,




MODERN SPIR'ITUALISM.              I61
rather than be rummaging through the "old storehouse
of memory," picking out unimportant scraps of halfforgotten information from its waste-basket. How the
"old storehouse" had been entered and explored, was
to my mind the most interesting part of the problem
presented for solution.  The answer to this should be
in no uncertain sense.  It was claimed that the talking was done by the spirits of those who knew the
facts communicated, and that it was from their own
personal knowledge, not mine, that the information
was derived.
There may be some truth  in this statement.
Besides, Emma Francis' note made an announcement that was not only unknown to me, but was
unpleasant in its character, and which I rejected at
the time as impertinently officious.  Nevertheless,
the talking was done in the dark-that invested it
with a doubtful character.  It is true that the ear
reports as faithfully the things that are heard as the
eye informs of the things which are seen; but does
not the eye attest more trultfully than the ear? This
proposition we will not stop to discuss farther than
to record the trite axiom: "You can believe what you
hear, but what you see is truth itself."
I demurred againstadmitting the claim that disembodied spirits communicated the facts presented
in the dark circle, for the double reason that the information' communicated was not only not new, but
that it could have been obtained from personal friends,
or those intimately acquainted with the history of my
family.  I did not make these charges, but these
were the mental reserves upon which I rested; and




162             -STAR TLING FACTS IV
until they were successfully proved to be untenable,
I could not see why I should surrender my judgment
by admitting  the claim  to be true.  I know  very
well that this seems like a suspicion upon the integrity of my guests, but no more so than the situation
placed them  in.  My study is the situation.  I have
nothing to do with personal feeling in this matter.
Per contra, I am  fi-ee to admit that I could  not
discover any purpose to be subserved in the interest
of the ladies by the admission or rejection of these
manifestations; so  they  stand  without any  direct
charge against their "good repute." -I go farther,
and say that, so far as I could judge, it was impossible
for the ladies to have done the talking  under the
existing circumstances.  If either had attempted to do
it, I would have detected the imposition at once. Nor
could they have employed a confederate to (do it without my discovery of the fact.  " Blind though I am, I
am not dumb!" In my own household I could not be
deceived, and no other was present that the eye could
see, even in the light.  Still an intelligent conversation was maintained for an hour, not on important
matters, I admit, but on topics of great personal interest to me.  During all this time there was no effort
made to introduce new, abstruse, or complicated subjects, or to mislead by sophistry, or disguise truths
in glittering  generalities.  Such  subjects only were
discussed with which I was most familiar.  There
was no hesitancy in the speech, ald the words were
articulated so near my ear that I seemed to feel the
breath  with  which  they  were  uttered.  Still they
soullded nIatural.  That again perplexed me.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 163
While struggling, I admit, to find a natural solution to this talking problem, I was met with the still
greater difficulty of explaining the phenomena of the
slate-writing.  This was performed, not in the dark,
but in a sunlighted room, wherein good eyes could
read the smallest print or thread the finest needle.
It is not my habit to retire from every difficulty
that obstructs my passage in the rugged road to knowledge; so when I found that I could not get any light
to my understanding while remaining in the shadow
of the phenomena, I decided to carry forward my line
of investigation in a different direction.  The experience I had had with Mr. Mansfield taught me this
lesson, that, to value spiritual phenomena properly,
you must have some knowledge of the private character of the medium  through whom  it occurs.  Tricksters do not make good mediums.  Good character,
like good blood, will show itself. It has more value
in this business than in preaching, or in editing a
paper.  Whitewash may conceal the prostitutions of
the pulpit and the press; nay, I sometimes believe it
does; but the character of a good spirit-medium, one
selected to represent the higher truths of the spiritworld, must be sans reproach.
With this purpose in view, I visited Louisville inl
the following August, to make arrangements with:
Mrs. Hollis to return to Cincinnati again at an early
day, that I might examine this subject more leisurely
at my own house.  It was my own private enterprise,
for which I was quite willing to pay.
I found her at home, in the midst of her family
and friends.  In Louisville, she is well known and




I64            STARTLING FACTS IN
highly esteemed as a lady of refined taste and irreproachable character.  To the different members of
her family I was introduced, and found them intelligent, interesting, and communicative.
Mrs. Kerns, the mother of Mrs. Hollis, is a venerable lady of quick, benevolent instincts and surpassing
intelligence.  With  her I talked very freely, and
studied the character of her child from her motherly
stand-point.
I was invited to spend the day and evening with
them-, which enabled me to make the very observations I wished. I was made quite welcome, and the
place felt home-like.
During the day many persons called for manifestations, principally for slate-writing, which I was permitted to see. These were given in the open parlor,
in view of persons passing along the pavement or
riding on the street-cars. There was no attempt to
conceal any thing connected with this business.  It
was a fair, open transaction. The persons receiving
the communications were strangers to Mrs. Hollis,
had never before visited Louisville, and yet they bore
ample testimony to the genuineness of the facts that
were communicated on that wonderful slate when
held under the table.  I watched these people staring
at each other, surprised when names were given
of old friends who had long since been dead; and
when some almost forgotten circumstance was again
recalled by which their'actual presence could reasonably be inferred.  Tears would frequently dim  their
eyes as these startling revelations would appear upon
the slate. Surely, I said, this can not all be affected.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               165
People are bad, I know; but can all this be hypocrisy?
These people look too honest to shed their tears for
theatrical display.
Throughout the day I watched the play of excited
feeling, passion, strong and weak, upon the faces of
those who sat beside that little table.  It was a fit
study for the facile pencil of a Hogarth. Here human
nature threw  off her disguises, and, to those who
could comprehend her sublime mysteries, laid bare
her heart for inspection.
Toward evening, visitors began to grow scarce;
and when the sun had just touched the horizon with
his blazing periphery, glaring, as it seemed, like the
unlashed eye of God, the last infatuated investigator stepped through the yard-gate, and followed
the shadow  of his head eastward along Portland
Avenue.
"You have had a busy day, Mrs. Iollis," I said,
as we sat on the porch, in the twilight of the evening.
"The gentleman and lady last here seemed to be
people of quality."
"A preacher and his wife in disguise!"
"In disguise?"
"Yes: preachers are not honest in their profession; so they suspect me for being dishonest in mine!"
"Not all, I hope?"
"No: but what T say of them is true, as a class.
They bring with them bad magnetism, and, by law of
association, attract undeveloped spirits about them.
These will frequently communicate unsavory things,
for which I am  held responsible.  I do n't admire
these people for that."
17




66            STARTL NG FACTS IN
"But you should not lose your patience with the
preachers.  They  are, you know, so influential in
molding public sentiment; if you can convert one of
them  to a belief in spiritualism, you may impress a
multitude."
"I do not lose patience with any one.  I think,
however, your estimate of the preachers' influence in
molding public sentiment is in excess of the truth.
I have yet to find the first one who has had the moral
courage to make a fair exhibit to the public of such
tests as have been given them at the writing-table or
in the dark circle.  As a class, they are too cowardly
to speak of the interest they feel in the subject, and,
Peter-like, they will deny having visited a medium
before they have wiped the tears from  their eyes
which their spirit-fiiends have evoked.  They mold
plublic sentiment! No, sir: you are mistaken.  They
are miserable shams, and they know it.'The multitude lead them  by the nose, as it does the editors.
They may play their pranks before high heaven, as
painted and patched harlequins do before men, but
that they either lead  or mold public sentiment is
a concession  made  purely  through  ignorance or
charity."
"I am sorry to hear this report of the preachers.  I
thought them very much better than you represent."
"They are only actors, playing a part in the drama
of life, affecting virtues which they do not feel. They
are not what they seem, any more than is the donkey
in the lion's skin."
" I hope private citizens are better than preachers
and editors."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                167
"There is not much difference.'Mankind are unco' weak,
And little to be trusted;
If self the wavering balance shake,
It's rarely right adjusted.'
They  simply lack the opportunity or the courage
to be mean.  Place them  in the way of temptation,
and the sturdiest of them  fall from  grace.'Is thy
servant a dog, that he should do this thing?' asked
Hazael, of old. Had he been acquainted with preachers, printers, and politicians of modern times, it were
needless to ask this question."
"You estimate human nature very poorly, Mrs.
Hollis, and, least of all, the preacher, the printer, and
the politician."
"Not more so than they deserve.  I have more
than common opportunities for knowing these people;
and I tell you, if theyshould get their deserts, they
would suffer badly!"
" What have they done to you?"
"Slandered me!  They make  false  statements,
and are shameless  in their tergiversation.  Speaking of these men as a class, they riot in falsehood.
The preacher and printer have given currency to lies
that are little less than infamous; while the poltroon
of a politician plays'puppy,' and barks while they
bite."
"But, Mrs. Hollis, you ought not to complain of
these people.  I suppose they pay you pretty well
for your time?"
"That is the general supposition; and herein is
great injustice done me. I am represented as a mercenary person, and as plying my vocation for its emol



168            STARTLING FACTS IN
uments.  Never was there a grosser falsehood.  This
slander obtained such general circulation and credibility, that the municipal government of Louisville
made it a punishable offense, both by a heavy fine
and imprisonment, for any spirit-medium  to practice
their profession, without first having taken out what
all considered a proscriptive city license. This was
the joint work of pulpit-preachers, pothouse politicians, and boss-printers. 0, they are a pretty set
of mountebanks to stand in the way of God's eternal
providence! Too craven to feel the galling fetters upon
their necks, too stupid to read the signs of the times,
as they are written on the forehead of modern science,
they will be consumed as brambles in the billowy
blaze of the New Era."
"But do you make no charge for your services?"
" I do not; and dare not, if I would. My parlors,
as you see, are filled from morning till night. The
spirit of curiosity and inquiry brings to my house all
kinds of people from all parts of the country. My
doors are open, and my time is placed at the disposal
of the multitude. In this way my family are deprived
of my services, and my expenses are augmented by
the employment of additional help.  Yet the crowd
come and go without being reminded of the facts I
have just stated. I make ino charge for this new gospel of life; but the time is coming when I will.
Ministers are petted and pampered with exorbitant
salaries for preaching a free (?) gospel to purple-robed,
shoddy pew-holders.  Shall I be starved to death
because the angels of God announce themselves in
my presence?  Formerly it was the rack, the wheel,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          169
the stake, the fagot, and  the  halter.   Now  it is starvation.   Let us pray that God's will be done on earth
as it is in heaven."
"Butl do none pay you, Mrs. Hollis?"
" 0, occasionally a pittance, ranging in value from
a dime to a dollar, is left as a charity upon my table;
but in  the  aggregate  such  contributions  would  not
pay for house-cleaning and the wear of my carpets."
"You have not as'soft a thing' of it as I fancied,
Mrs. Hollis."
"About as'soft' as Tom  Hood's shirt-maker."
"Sitting  at the  table so constantly must exhaust
you very much?"
"Yes:  I get tired.   I  can  only  rest myself by
stirring around, or doing something."
"Your mediumship is a very great mystery, Mrs.
Hollis.   I do not wish to tax either your strength or
your good-nature; still, when you feel like talking, and
are inclined  to  gratify  my  curiosity, nothing  would
give me more satisfaction  than  to know  exactly how
you became a spiritualist and a spirit-medium."
"O, I can tell you that in a few minutes, and may
as well do it now  as at any other time."
"Do, please!"
*I was informed, by fiiends, that it was not unfrequent for per.
sons who were quite able to pay, to visit Mrs. Hollis for manifestations,
who, after monopolizing her time for several hours, would leave without even returning her the poor acknowledgment of their thanks for
the sacrifices she had made.  I therefore urged her to correct this
injustice by absolutely refusing to give her time as a gratuity to sucl
cattle; and if the sl)irit-wolld was dissatisfied with this arrangement,
let them select some other medlium to do their vwork. T'here is not a
preacher in the land who would, in her circumstances, give his time to
the rich (or poor) for nothing.  It is literally "casting pearls before
swine."  Why should she do it?




170            STARTLING FACTS IN
"When a very little girl, I was considered'a
sleepy-headed child,' and I was so slow to comprehend the value of the alphabet, that it was feared fby
ma and others that I would never surmount the
difficulty."
"That's true," said Mother Kerns, who had taken
a seat with us on the porch, to listen to the narrative.
"That's true.  I thought at one time Mary had softening of the brain."
"Indeed! Well, you have dismissed all such appreliensions now, Mother Kerns?"
"0 yes: long since!"
"But we interrupted you, Mrs. Hollis.  Please go
ol with the narrative."
"Whenever I would attempt to study, I would
either go to sleep or see a spectral man beside me."
"A ghost?"
" I did not know.  I was very much afraid of him,
though he always spoke kindly to me.  When I became reconciled to his presence, I began to talk to
him, until mother would frequently say,'Child, who
are you talking to?' When I would tell her who it
was, both ma and pa would say that it was only a'trick of the imagination.'  It was all a mistake.
The man was only a figment of the mind, and I
must'nt be dribbling talk to myself in that stupid
way.
"Of course, I tried hard to obey my parents; but
when I would retire to my chamber at night, and after
undressing for bed, then I would see my room  filled
with people. These kept up a general conversation;
and I became so excited and nervous that I would




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               I 71
cry, and call ma and pa to come to me from the next
room.  This they always did; and, after hushing me
to sleep, as they would suppose, I could hear them
say,'That child has worms; she must take some
pink-root and senna tea.'  As my experience was
somewhat singular, I gradually settled into the belief
that I was very visionary, and ought not to talk
about these nightly visitants.
"Still, though I ceased to spealk much about them
for several years, these visions were as real to my
apprehension as the most tangible thing to my sight
or touch.  Very rarely did I go to bed that they did
not occur, and continue until sleep and forgetfulness
surprised my excited brain.
"My father met with a calamity, which suddenly
deprived our home of its head. It was a severe shock
to us all-so unexpected and terrible.*
"One day I was visiting my grandfather, and,
upon the occasion, he had invited the bishop of our
Church  (Episcopalian) to dine with him.  During
the conversation at the table, the bishop said:
"'I have been visiting the Fox sisters, near Rochester, New York, to hear the spirit-raps.'
"'And found them  to be arrant humnbugs, no
doubt?' was my grandfather's reply.
*"0  no,' said the bishop;'there is something
mysterious in these raps. I believe they are made
by bad spirits, or perhaps by the evil one who ensnareth the soul."
"The conversation was prolonged to the end of
* Murdered for a large sum of money he had on his person, near
Seymour, Indiana.




172             STARTLING FACTS IN
the feast, and I remember how strangely interested
I became in what was said. My conclusion was, that
I wanted nothing to do with spirit-raps, as they were
produced by the evil one who ensnareth the soul.
"Two years after the above conversation, I was
making a visit to the house of an uncle.  One evening, several of my cousins gathered around a table
in the sitting-room, and began their fun by asking
the spirits to rap for them.  I did not take any part
in this, and gave but little attention to the entertainment, until one of my cousins said,' Mollie, come
here; your father has spelled out his name.'
" I was so shocked by this irreverent use of my
father's name, that I felt a cold chill run over me as
if I had the real Cromwellian ague.  It was only for
a moment, however; for I soon timidly, through curiosity, joined the circle around the table.  My father's
name  was again spelled, letter by letter, until it
stood in completeness before my astonished gaze.  I
thought of this for several days, and so intensely
that, turn which way I would, I could see his face
plainly before me. Sometimes it was clear and distinct, as when I had seen it in life; then again it was
shadowy and obscure.
"Seeing my father as I did, and speaking of the
fact to our minister, with the hope of obtaining some
information on the subject of his present condition, I
was astounded to hear that he had died in his sins,
without the benefit of clergy, and that he was now
placed at the mercy of God whether he would be
saved or lost."
"0, how wretched I became in thinking over the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               173
impending fate of my good father, for weal or woe,
through all eternity.  God held the decision in his
capricious power whether my father should be saved
or lost.  It was mockery to talk of mercy with such
ruin impending, such wretchedness ever present.' I
will not believe it,' I said. Come weal or come woe
to my father, I will share his fate.
"There were times when I earnestly prayed for a
change of heart, and there were moments when I felt
I was a great sinner; but that my good father should
be lost, was to me a thought of agony.
"While sitting with my children, one evening,
musing of times past, my eldest child asked,'Ma, do
you believe every thing our minister says?'
"The question took me by surprise, and before I
could guard my reply, I said,'No, my son; he tells
falsehoods as well as other men'
"The child was astonished-not at what I said,
but at the vehemence of my manner, and the emphasis
of my words.  As I met the gaze of his love-lighted
eye, I almost began to reproach myself for this infidelity.  And yet I felt I had only spoken the truth.
"At this time my husband was in the army, and
my condition was such as to prey sensibly on my
health.  I wasted into a pulmonary decline, and my
early death was not the most improbable event that
might occur at any time.
"One night, while lying in bed, unable to sleep, I
put a light on the table, and began reading, as was my
habit, from  our Book of Prayer.  I had but barely
commenced, when I heard distinctly a deep-toned
voice reciting, in the most impressive manner, the




174            STARTLING FACTS IN
Episcopal burial-service.  This it repeated again and
again, from  nine o'clock in the evening until four
o'clock in the morningg.
" I could not be mistaken in what I heard; and the
repetitions were made so frequently, that I called my
mother to ask whether she did not hear them too.  I
could not rest satisfied until we had searched the
house in quest of the person who had, in this mysterious way, disturbed our peace.
On the fourth day after first hearing this, my
youngest sister was suddenly taken sick, and, after
only two hours' illness, died.  The same funeral service I had so mysteriously heard was now  repeated
over her lifeless body.
"Was this a judgment of God for my infidelitythe light of our household extinguished in an hour?
And in the funeral service I had heard, was I to find
the discontented murmurs of an impatient and angry
Deity?  Perish the thought forever!  I will not
believe the lie!
"Broken in health, and sick in soul, our family
physician was called in to prescribe for my relief.
His quick eye soon discovered that mine was a sickness of the mind, and not of the body.  He said:
"'Don't give yourself any anxiety about your
father or sister, Mrs. Hollis. I wish you were as happy
as they are.  And there is no good reason why you
should not be.'
"'I hope so.  But it will never be in this world;
and I fear it will not be so in the next.'
"'Your despondency arises from perverted views
of life and death. A little knowledge on this subject,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                           I 75
outside  of your Church  dogmas, would  do  much  to
relieve  your mind  of its  painful  apprehensions.   I
have a letter at home, on my desk, that was written
by  Dr. Franklin  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago,
which  I will senid  you  to  read.   It was written  to a
young  lady  in  Philadelphia, who  had  lost  a  dear
relative, as you  have, and  which, no  doubt, was  a
source of great comfort to her.' 
"'I  will be  very  glad  to  read  it, Doctor.   But
don't you  belong  to  any  Church?'
"'No: I think  for myself on  the  subject of religion, and incline more to a belief in the Harmonial
Philosophy  than  in  the  creeds  or  dogmas  of  any
Church, however ifiallible they  may be pronounced.'
"'What do you mean by the Harmonial Philosophy?'
"'The  philosophy  that establishes  the  truth  of
* "This letter," says the HON. HORACE DRESSER, breathes the sentiments of spiritualism, and is an exponent of those religious views which
ranked that great philosopher and statesman, in the estimation of the
clergy and the Churches, as an infidel."
"We are indebted," says the Chicago Evening' yr1;nal, of January,
1872, "to C. B. Nelson, Esq., of this city, for the privilege of presenting the following beautiful and characteristic memorial of Dr. Franklin
to our readers.  It has never before been published:
"FROM DR. FRANKLIN TO MISS E. HUBBARD.' PHILADELPHIA, Febrzary 12, 1756.
" DEAR CHILD,-I condole with you.  We have lost a most dear
and valuable relative; but it is the will of God and Nature that these
mortal bodies be laid aside when the soul is to enter into real life.
Existence here on earth is hardly to be called life.'T is rather an embryo state-a preparation to living; and man is not completely born
until he is dead.  Why, then, should we grieve that a new child is
born among the immortals-a new member added to their society?
"' We are spirits. That bodies should be lent to us while they can
afford us pleasure, assist us in acquiring knowledge, or in doing good




176                  STARTL NG FACTS NA
spirit-intercourse, and which  enables us to communicate with  the dead.'
"'0, Doctor! can  you  believe  in  any  thing  so
absurd?'
"'Absurd?   Why, Mrs. Hollis, some of the most
thoughtful, learned, and scientific men living are firm
believers  in  this  same  Harmonial  Philosophy;  and
there are a large  number of persons who look at the
subject in  so  serious a light, that  they  consider  its
treatment with ridicule or jest as personally offensive.'
"'But I never heard that spiritualism   was of use
to  any  body.   Our bishop  said  that the  spirit-raps
were  produced  by  the  evil one  who  ensnareth  the
soul.'
"'Your bishop  talks more like a zany than a man.
To  me, spiritualism  is not only a reality, but one  of
the  grandest truths  that has ever been made known
to our fellow-creatures, is a kind and benevolent act of God.  When
they become unfit for their purposes, and afford us pain instead of
pleasure, instead of an aid become an incumbrance, and answer none of
the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent that a way is provided by whiiclh we may get rid of them.  That
way is death.
"'We ourselves, prudently in some cases, choose a partial death.
A mangled, painfil limb, which can not be restored, we willingly cut off.
lIe that plucks out a tooth, parts with it freely, since the pain goes
with it; and he that quits the whole body, parts with all the pains and
possibility of pains and diseases it was liable to, or capable of making
him suffer.
"' Our fiiend and we are invited abroad on a party of pleasure that
is to last forever.  His chair * was first ready, and le has gone before
us,  We could not conveniently all start together; and whiy should you
and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and we know
where to find him?
"'Adieu, my dear, good child, and believe that I shall be, in every
state, your affectionate papa.           BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.'"
* Alluding to sedan chairs, then in fashionable use.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              177
to mankind. It has brought peace and consolation
to many a suffering heart, and cheered many a dying
pillow. It has opened the portals of the future world,
and placed us face to face with the denizens of the
great hereafter, and taught us that there is an omnipresent, impersonal God, who is the Father of all
spirits, and that to love and worship him is man's
highest duty on earth.'
"'Is spiritualism a religion, Doctor?'
"'Yes: but not a creed. It is the religion of science, which is above reproach and can not be reviled.
It stands on the recognized phenomena of natural
laws.'
" Have you any preachers?'
"'Certainly! The earth, the mountains, the rocks,
the sea, the stars, and the brave overarching firmament, all excite the wonder, admiration, and reverence of man.  They preach to him in his hours of
solitude, and they are ever present with him in his
walks.  These do not bear the impress of human
art, but bespeak a power infinitely higher and nobler
than man. The air we breathe whispers of an allpervading God, and these are his works. Why should
a grand religion hesitate to explain these works of
the great Creator from  the pulpit, or call willing
science to her aid?  Would it not be wiser to disseminate tracts embodying the simple truths of nature, rather than the effeminate fictions of the Young
Men's Christian Associations?  The sermons which
the Creator has written on stones, and the hymns
which he sings in the running  brooks, are more
potent for good than all the cant flummery of pulpit




178             STAR TLING FA CTS IN
maw-worms, or all the dignified mummery of scarletrobed cardinals or pontiffs.  If religion be a serious
reality, it must be exemplified in the works of God.
In no other way cal  we comprehend or approach
him.  All the-wisdom  of mortals is but the veriest
nonsense, if not derived from the teachings of Nature.'
"'But I don't see what all this has to do with
"spirit-raps," Doctor.  I should think no respectable
person would have any thing to do with them.'
"After looking me steadily in theface for half a
minute, he said:' Mrs. Hollis, do you know what you
are talking about?  What has respectability to do
with this matter?'
"'O, I beg pardon, Doctor.  I did n't mean you.'
"' Of course you did n't, and it would be very difficult to know  exactly who or what you did mean.
Now, I will forgive your offense on one condition;
that is, that you will go with me to-morrow evening
to a spirit-medium, to see and hear for yourself what
the spirits do and say.'
"To this proposal I consented, as I did not wish
to have the ill-will of the doctor; but no sooner had
he left the house, than I began to repent my rash
promise.
"VWhile in this indecision of mind, and still reproaching myself for my indiscretion, the door-bell
rang, to which I gave immediate attention.  I found
a gray-haired old man standing on the porch, who
half-apologetically said:
"'Madam, I have a son in the army who serves
in the regiment in which your husband commands. I
have not heard from him for several weeks. I suppose




MODERN SPIRITUALISA.               179
the mails have been interrupted by the enemy.  I
come to learn whether you have received any information of the movements of the regiment of late, or
any special news of the boys that would interest us
home-folks?'
"After making suitable reply, and scanning the
anxious face of the old man, he was about turning
to leave, when he looked me in the face, and said:
"'I see you have a sister in the spirit-world, and
she desires to talk to you.  She bids me tell you,
that in less than three months you will see her face;
and in less than five years, you will be a public spiritmedium, giving the most remarkable evidence through
your mediumship that the world has yet had of the
truth of spirit-intercourse.'
"Good heavens! I exclaimed, what does all this
mean?  I-lave the spiritualists conspired against me?
and have I no protection from  the insults of these
people?  I sat down to my table in anger, and wrote
~.
a note to the doctor, in which I positively declined to
go out of my house on the evening appointed to meet
the medium.  I called my brother, and gave him the
note with instructions where to carry it.  As I did
this, a complete revulsion in my feelings took place;
and, thouglh not much addicted to this weakness, I
broke dolwn in tears.
"I did not send the note.  So, on the evening in
question, the doctor, my brother, and myself started to
visit the medium. It was soon after nightfall. Still I
had taken the precaution to conceal my face behind
two veils, fearing I might see somebody who would
recognize me going into a spiritualist's house.  But




I80            STARTLING FACTS IN
we arrived safely at the door, which was promptly
opened to our call, admitting us into an elegantly
furnished and well-lighted parlor.  Here we met an
elderly German gentleman, to whom brother and I
were introduced.  With the most courtly politeness,
he said,'My wife will soon be here.'
"I was no longer embarrassed, but felt perfectly
at ease, and never more happy in my life until the
gentleman's wife entered the room, when I thought
of her as a spirit-medium, and became again fearful
of her extraordinary power. She was a tall, beautiful
woman, with the most elegant manners, and a gentle,
winning voice. She had a boy in the army of blue;
so we soon made up to each other, and seated ourselves at the table.
" Here she became entranced.  It was the first
person I had ever seen in this condition.  With her
eyes closed, and a pleasant smile playing over her
face, she said:'Sis, my darling, the old man told you the truth.
You will see Sallie's face in less than three months,
and in less than five years you will become a remarkable spirit-medium  for giving tests to the public.
You are a selected instrument for doing great work,
and will be gradually prepared for the mission.  Do
not, my darling, defeat the purposes of the spiritworld, but keep your heart from guile and your head
from prejudice.  Sit by a table with your mother for
an hour, every other night, with your hands resting upon the top, and in less than three months you
will be well convinced of our presence.  Good-bye!
precious one, good-bye!'




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                I8 
"This communication was said to be from  my
father; but as part of it was an exact copy of that
which I had received from. the old man, and to whom
allusion was made, I received it with'a grain of salt.'
Still, I determined to comply with the request, as I
could see no harm in doing so.
"After my return home, I informed mother of what
had taken place, and, contrary to my expectations,
she approved sitting at the table, as requested. We
attended to this regularly, and almost fiom the first
we received, as signals of the spirits' presence,'showers of raps' almost every time we sat. After two or
three weeks' experience in the light circle, we were
requested, through the alphabet, to darken the room,
and sit in the dark.  This we did, and it was so early
as the second sitting in the dark that I saw a light
about as large as a medium-sized hand, of an oval
shape, as when the palm-surfaces of two hands are
put together, with the fingers extended.  This floated
about the room  several minutes, and passed over my
head three times, growing lighter and larger as it did
so, until it suddenly stopped a few  inches in front
of my face.  It now gradually began to open, as a
flower unfolds its leaves, when in the center of it my
sister Sallie's face was perfectly revealed, more brilliant and beautiful than it had ever appeared to me
in life.'Thank Heaven!' I exclaimed;'Sallie and
father still live.' The vision soon passed away."
"How did it pass away, Mrs. Hollis?" I asked.
"It seemed to recede and grow dim, like a bird
flying in the night, until it was lost to view.
"The predictions made by the old man and Geri8




182             STARTLINAG FACTS IN
man lady have been singularly verified.  In less than
three months, I saw my sister's face; and, against my
every thought and wish, I became a public spirit.
medium in less than five years."
"It has become a source of great pleasure to
you?"
"Yes: it has taken away fiom  me the fear of
death; but it has invited the reproach of friends and
the slander of foes."
" But you need not care for these."
"It is not pleasant to be called bad names; to
be held up in print as a knave or fool; to be deserted by your fiiends, and shunned as if afflicted with
a leprosy; to be told that you will bring ruin on
yourself and disgrace on your family.  I would be
less than woman not to feel this injtlstice keenly.
And what have I done to deserve all this?  Simply
that I have discovered at my feet a jewel of rare
worth, that has been trodden in the mire for centuries, and which I have picked ulp.  For this I must
suffer all this indignity, though its possession enriches the world.  0  yes! I do care; but I have
made my vows to the spirit-world-and will keep
them  too-that, come what may come, I will steadfastly maintain the truth as I discern it."
This was about the gist of the conversation I had
with Mrs. Hollis in reference to her mediumship.
She  certainly  displayed  some of the material of
which moral heroes are made; and I have no doubt
but, under test conditions, her courage and resolution to. "suffer and be strong" would challenge the
respect and admiration of all persons who were not




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 183
themselves cowards by instinct, and base-born rascals
by nature.
Having satisfied myself of the integrity of the
medium's character, I entered the dark circle that
evening with less suspicion in my mind than on any
previous occasion. The circle was made up of neighbors, and one or two members of Mrs. Hollis's family.
Among the former was Dr. Hugh Preissler, his wife,
and their son Julius.  Mrs. Hollis's mother was also
present.
The circle was held in the front parlor, and, to fit
it for the occasion, no other preparation was necessary than simply to close the window-blinds and the
doors communicatillg with the hall.  The light was
then extinguished, and but a very brief time elapsed
before a spirit-voice, addressing Dr. Preissler in good
German, said:
"Wie gehts, Hugo, mein lieber Sohn?"
"Mutter, wie geht es dir?  Ich freue mich sehr
dich zu sehen," replied the doctor.
Willst du mit mir singen?" again said the voice.
"Ja, Mutter, was wollen wir singen?" answered
Dr. Preissler.' Der Kukuk," said the spirit.
Hereupon the doctor, who had brought his guitar,
and is at excellent performer, began to thrum in low
tones a simple but very beautiful ballad tune.
After a symphony had been played, a voice, said
to be Dr. Preissler's mother, sang most touchingly the
following German song, in an audible and strangely
sweet, clear voice:




184                     STARTL7ING FACTS IN
"KU K U K."
Voice. |:                    EL
Ein'  Schfifeimliadelchen wei - dete zwei Li-nmcheln n dcler
Guitar.    o    _  _    _-    
Htand,  A       Lf e i - ner Fin, No fet - terr tee i nd Ganseblu lchen
F —   4 —-   -                        -i — - }_            0 -0-  _k —A - 40stand.   Da hlr - te  sie dein oft im I- tl  den Vo -G el Kukimll
I~Q ~ -~f ~ —F-F —-- -t                  9  F —F —-  -— e    F_-t — g —---- -
#-l'




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               185
Once or twice the voice faltered a little, when the
doctor assisted by sounding a note or two, which
seemed to give it renewed assurance of its power.
After this spirit-solo was sung, Mrs. Preissler sang
several German songs, in which two or three spirits
engaged, carrying the different parts of the music
with judgment and precision.  Dr. Preissler informs
me that the "Kukuk"   was a nursery ballad, which
his mother sang to him when a child, and that she
passed to the spirit-world in I832.
As soon as the singing had concluded, Jimmy
Nolan saluted every person in the circle, and called
them by name.  To me he said:
"Good evening, Doctor! I'm  glad to see you!
You have come a long way to satisfy yourself, and I
hope you will not stop until you are quite convinced.
Can I be of any service to you?"
"You can.  Is my mother present?"
"She is; but she can not talk."
"Will you talk for her?"
"Yes: for a short time. There are a great many
spirits here who want to talk; so your time is brief."
"I have nothing to ask.  Has she any thing to
say?"
" She says you have been very kind to -, and
she blesses you for it.  She says, don't sell the
house.  He will have no home if you do."
" But is it not better to sell the house than to
encourage the continuance of his infirmity?"
"O no: don't sell the house."
"But I will, unless you convince me that it is not
best to do so."




186            STARTLING FACTS IN
"What will the poor boy do?"
" He must reform, and drink less."
"But you ought to be charitable, my son."
"Is it a charity, mother, to encourage       in his
degradation?  Do you not see that the more means
he has, the more he will indulge in his unfortunate
habit? I deplore his condition as much as you; but
is it not more wise to apply the remedy than to cuddle
the disease?"
"Your mother says you are right; but it is very
hard."
" On the transgressor it is; but is it not best?"
This was the substance of the conversation I had
with my mother.  It was short, and on an unpleasant
subject, in which was introduced the name of one who
is an object of deepest pity to his family and friends.
This familiarity with family matters is one of the
most striking characteristics of the communicative
Nolan.  He seems to know all about your personal
affairs.  He next said:
"Marshal Ney and the Empress Josephine are
here! They belong to your band."
" I was not aware of having a band."
"Yo.U are quite excusable for not knowing."
"I hope  so.  Ignorance  ought not to be an
offense!"
" It is not; but a crime!"
"A crime! In what particular?"
"In every thing that entails suffering on you.
Ignorance is the devil which destroys your happiness, and unfits you for the higher enjoyments of
life."




MODERN SPIR7ITUALISM.               187
"But do you think we ought to be punished for
not knowing a thin?"
"What I think has no important bearing on the
question. That which is, is all that should interest us."
" Well, but there ought to be pardon for mistakes
that are committed through ignorance."
"That would be asking, as a premium  to ignorance, the suspension of natural laws."
"How?"
"Why, by not understanding the law  of gravitation, you would suspend its action, lest it hurt somebody who walked over a precipice.  Disease is the
penalty of violated laws of health, as the hurt of the
fall is a consequence and penalty for disregarding the
law of gravitatioi."' But, James Nolan, do n't God at any time afflict
us with disease as a mark of his displeasure?"
"Always!  Physical law  is the tribunal before
which he tries wicked saints and pious sinners."
"And does he make no distinction in his awards
of punishments and grace?"
"Certainly! But, in his chancery, the verdicts of
men are often reversed, and final decisions of justice
made."
"Always in favor of the saint?"
"Rather always against the sinner, who is sometimes a conventional saint."
"The saint becomes a sinner, if he disobeys?"
"Certainly! Why not?"
" But, James Nolan, we have a great many saints
here who are afflicted with bodily infirmity, who are'patient and long-suffering,' as the man of Uz."




88            STARTLING FACTS IN
"Job had scrofula, and inherited the disease from
his ill-mated parents.  His father was not a saint.
Job's condition is sufficient testimony to show that
fact."
"Your opinions are a trifle irreverent."
"Bosh! Are they true?"
"But, James -"
"Don't be shocked, Doctor; you can stand it."
"But others, you know, may  "
"Take care of themselves.  It won't do them any
harm. I'm pretty well acquainted in this house, and,
by frequently speaking the truth, protect them against
the penalties of error."
"0, very well; if it is a free concert, we can all
sing."
"Sing out!"
"You do n't seem  to have much reverence for
good people, James!"
" I have great reverence for good people!"
" But you speak irreverently of Job's sores.  Was
he not a man of God?"
" You know  what a sore is, Doctor! It comes
either from depravity or poverty of blood."
"But you speak of Job as if he was only a common
man."
"No: he was uncommonly sore!"
"But Job lamented much?"
"He had much cause!"
"He was true to God?"
"But not his laws!"
" How know you that?"
" His sores!"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 189
" Do they make him a sinner?"
"They only proclaim the sil."
"Good health and purity of blood is your standard of saintslip.  Your religion is a physical one."
Yes, and no. Good health is something to value.
It is the rieward of perfect obedience to natural laws.
A man il good health is much nearer the standard of
perfectionl than a man in bad health.  Saintship is a
figment of the mind, as air-drawn and subtile as the
lovely phantoms, sylphs, and gnomes of the mystical
Rosicrucians."
"But good  health is only a physical condition,
which the animal enjoys as well as man."
"And is that any reason why man shoulld not
enjoy it?  Do you think it too good for God's creatures?  Be careful how you strike St. Hog, or you'll
hear a squeal on'change. For shame, Doctor, on your
puerile conception of the goodness of God.  Let me
tell you something, which you may already know.
"The purpose of human life is to mature a spiritual being.  To this end a perfect physical organization is necessary.  If such can not be had, the perfect
spirit can not utfold itself.  The perfect man must
have had a perfect father and mother, inheriting wisdom as well as physical perfection."
Here James Nolan left me to my thoughts, wlile
he spoke to different members of tle circle, with the
same freedom  with which lie had addressed me.  He
is certainly a  vwonder to every man who hears him.
He speaks quickly and pointedly on every subject
presented, and  makes no  mistakes, retractions, or
modifications iln his remarks.
T9




1go             S TARTL ING FACTS IN
After he had concluded, and other spirits had
spoken, a brief interval of silence transpired, when
suddenly there arose, like tiny rockets or fire-flies,
fiom the vicinity of Mrs. Hollis's head, a number of
spirit-lights.  These floated  in beautiful curvilinear
lines around the room, passing sometimes very near
our faces, and with rapid motion. They gradually
lessened their speed, until one of these lights, rather
larger than the rest, stopped for a few  seconds in
front of my face.  While my attention was fixed upon
the luminous body, I discovered  it to be held by
tiny fingers; and, almost coinstantial, the full face of
a child appeared behind the light.  The object could
be distinctly seen, though only for a few seconds.
Several others in the circle were similarly favored.
The light emitted no radiance, and exhibited more
the properties of phosphorus or "fox-fire" than it did
of heat and combustion-a pale, bluish light.
The seance lasted about two hours, and furnished
me much food for reflection.




MODERNV SPIRITUALISM.             191
CHAPTER X.
MRS. HIOLLIS'S ENGAG(EMI NTS-' TABLE-W RITING -A
FRENCI COMMlUNICA'TION TO THIE AUTHOR-OUTD)OOR WRI'TING-SPRING  GROVIE-SPIRIT-H-ANDS
HANDLING  MONEY-THREE IANDS UNDER THE
TABLE.
T HE rminl  becomes peculiarly inlterested when it
begins to inquire after the hidden truths of
spirit phenomena.  The desire for more information
on the subject is unappeasable, the appetite becomes
whetted and keen, the relish more exquisite, and the
craving more intolerant. "I must know more of this,"
is the uttered or unexpressed resolution of every
intelligent ma.n that seeks to explore the mysteries
of spirit manifestations.
Stimulated by feelings of this kind, I made arrangements with Mrs. Hollis for so muLc  of her time
as would enable me to examine carefully, and under
the most favorable circumstances, the extraordinary
phenomena occurring in her presence. For this privilege I agreed to pay her more than she was receiving
from  the public for the amount of time consumed.
In making this arrangement, I was governed by the
maxim, that "whatever is worth doing at all, is worth
doing well."  I reasoned, if these phenomena are
true, a knowledge of the fa.cts will be an ample




i92             STARTLING FAC7S ILV
compensation for all the time and  money I devote
to their investigation.  If they are false, the soonet
I am assured of that, the better for myself.
To afforld me greater facilities to carry out my
purpose, Mrs. Hollis consented, to visit my house
during the time, where the manifestations could be
more critically scrutinized  than  in the house of a
stranger.  Her stipulation was simply a quiet room,
with as little intrusion fiom  the public as possible,
and also that she might not be kept too constantly
engaged, as her health  had  become somewhat enfeebled -by too close confinement to the circle-rooms.
Of course, in all things I acceded to her wishes.
My first engagement was for two weeks.  This
she began on the  ISth of September, 1871, terminatingl it on the 1st of October following, when she
returned to Louisville.  She remained at home until
the Ist of November, when her second engagement
for six weeks commenced, extending to the I2th December. After this, she made a visit to New Orleans,
where she spent the Winter, and on her return commenced her third engagement, for five weeks, on the
25th of April, I872, and terminate(l it on the Ist of
Jutne following.   The fourth  engagement was for
seven weeks, commencing on the 20th of August,
and extending to the latter part of September.  A
month later, she began an engagemlent of four weeks,
beilng the fift/ in the series, and, after filling it, went
south, spending the Winter months in Menphis and
New  Orleans.  She returned home in the Spring,
when I made my sixthz and final engagement with her
foi six weeks, beginning on the I5th of March, I873,




MODERN SPIIITUA  ISAI.                  193
and terminating on the Ist of May.  It will be seen
that I had of her time:
In the first engalgement,....  two weeks.
"   second engagement,.. six weeks.
"   third engagement,....  five weeks.
"   fourth engagement,... seven weeks.
fifth engagement,..        four weeeks.
"'  sixth engagement,.. six weeks.
Aggregating, during  the  two  years, thirty  weeks,
or more than twenty-five per centum  of her entire
time, in which to examine or witness the phenomena
recorded in the following pages.  It is only fair to
state that the testimony I offer was obtained under.most favorable circumstances, and after patient, plodding, and persevering investigation.  I left no reasonable means untried to discover the truth at the bottom
of this great wonder.  And it is but just to say, if I
have not succeeded in my purpose, it was not to the
lack of industry or good-will on my part that the
failure is to be ascribed.  There-may be those who
would have theorized more about the phenomena than
I; but an apple is an apple!  The fool and philosopher can attest alike, and with equal credibility, to
that "fact."
But, now  that I am  about to begin a record of
marvelous incidents, which, because they antagonize
popular errors, will excite a great amount of unfriendly criticism, I am  somewhat confused to know
just exactly how  to arrange them, that they may be
the more compactly  and  clearly  presented  to  the.mind of the reader.  My desire is to make a full and
fair statement of what I saw, heard, and felt, with




94            STARTL ING FACTS IN
as little ambiguity as possible.  In doing this, it is
already apparent to my mindl, after a careful survey
of my notes and memoranda, that I will be unable
to present more tllhl a tthe of the matter in hand,
without transcending  the  prescribed limits of my
writing.  I must, therefore, confine myself to representative phenomena, wherein
But a part is seen, and not the whole."
Let that be borne in mind.
When Mrs. Hollis first came to my house, she
was in feeble health, caused, as she said, by sitting
too constantly in the circle-rooms.  I thought it best,
therefore, to delay holding seances for a few  days,
until by rest she had recovered her strength.  It was
not my intention to examine this matter hastily-to
carry my investigations forward on a swell of excitement, that would leave me floundering on the beach
of speculation, when the tide-wave of facts had ebbed
fiom  under me.  I desired to make haste slowly, to
familiarize myself with the conditions, and to become
better acquainted with the tendency of the medium's
mind.  For I still adhere to the unfashionable conviction, that, if the mental character of a medium  is
unreliable, the manifestations occurring in the presence of such  medium  will, in  some measure, be
tinctured with the same characteristic.  I, therefore,
never entirely disassociate personal character with
spirit-phenomena.  Both  are worth  studying —-the
"Scylla  and  Charybdis,"  between  which  lies the
golden mean of truth.  A  perfect instrument will
make perfect harmony.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                195
In a few days it was evident that the carriagedrives, morning  and evening, over Walnut Hills,
through the charming retreats of Avondale, and along
the imperial highways of matchless Clifton, had a
most salutary effect upon the medium's health. It was
to her wasted strength the "vis mnedicatrix naturw,"
and she soon announced herself well enough to begin
work.
In reply to my inquiry, Mrs. Hollis informed me
that, after sitting at the table for two or three hours,
holding the slate, or in the dark for a similar length
of time, she became so feeble fiom  loss of strength
that frequently she could scarcely get to her room
before entire prostration would overtake her.  I have
since then seen her so muclh exlausted by sitting,
as to fall unconlScious from her chair; and that, too,
while the spirits were givilng thle most astounding
manifestations.
Allusion has fiequently been made to this condition of Mrs. Hollis; and, by those who are most
ignorant of the whole subject of mediumship, it seems
to furnish a fertile theme for personal suspicion, stupid
satire, and abortive wit.  Addle-pated fellows may
sneer and snivel at a truth they can not comprehend.
So may a moth flap its painted wings against a rock;
but what then?
The explanation is, that when the spirits write
on the slate, or speak in the dark circle, or materialize their presence in the cabinet, they must always
put the medium  under contribution for a full supply
of vitalized magnetism, which they make use of in giving the manifestation.  By this is meant the element




i96              START-ING FACTS zT
of strength'-the  life-principle  which  the  medium
possesses.  It is possible for spirits to make a fatal
demand upon the vital resources of the medium, and,
from  the observations I have made on the brevity
of mediumistic life, my mind is not clear that this is
not frequently done.
I speak of this circumstance more particularly
now, because I must refer to it often in my description's of seances hereafter; and also that the: ingenuous reader may understand what is meant when
I say: "The  medium  became  exhausted;"  "Her
strength failed;" " She complained of feeling sick;"
" IIr lpower gave  out;"  or, "She  grew  so  weak
that the manifestation stopped."
Pusillanimous people have, in  their sickly conceits, sneered at these phrases, and commented on
them  as if they were admissions of half-concealed
guilt.  Of course, the drivel of such idiots only shows
how  muiclh tlley "hanker after crow."  Their moral
nature is poisoned with dishonesty, and their mental
condition can scarcely be distilguished from  animal
ignorance.  Indeed, their capacity  for enlightened
criticism  may be measured by the smallest decimal
part of an  intellectual cube.   Well-informed  men
and women wxill seek  to  discover and explain  the
law; but chattering  charlatans of the  pulpit and
the press defame those who espouse and wed eternal
prin ciples.
The mysterious manifestations I have witnessed
in the presence of Mrs. Hollis may be arranged under
three forms of expression; and it is my purpose to
speak- of tlhem  under these several heads,.that they




MODER N SPIRITUAISA..                 197
may be more clearly comprehended by the reader.
The first is the mysterious writing in the lighlt; the
second  is the mysterious talking in the dark; and
the third is the mysterious materialization of faces,
forms, hands, flowers, etc., in the dark, but which are
exhibited in the light.
I have. witnessed all these forms of expression in
one and the same hour.; but I have also seen so much
diversity of manifestation, that, if I attempted to write
of them  in  the order of their occurrence, it would
be  an  endless  task, and  less'instructive  than  if
the phenomena were classified under proper heads.
I propose, therefore, to record  the marvels of the
mysterious writing first; then, such as occurred in
the dark circle; after which I will make a faithful
report of the materializations.
When Mrs. Hollis began her writing, or tablemanifestations in my parlors, I requested her to use
different slates and pencils, such as I would furnish
her from  time to time.  I have already described the
method of holding the slate, and the caution with
which I examined the table, to satisfy myself that it
was physically  impossible for her to do the  writing.  In all announced experiments in the future, it
must be taken for granted  that all these  precautions were observed before the manifestations were
given.
The writing-table has a peculiar and fascinating
interest about it.  You sit beside it, or in front of
Mrs. Hollis, and while you engage her in conversation, you hear the friction of the pencil on the slate.
It moves rapidly or slowly,. making long strokes lould,




98             STAR TLING FACTS Ar
and short strokes low.  That is a curious thing to
think about; but can you guess who it is that is
writing?  Try, for the fun of it!  See how near you
can come to the truth.  You may mention the names
of a score.of friends who have passed to the spiritworld, those who would be likely to write to you if
they could.  Now, make your guess!  It is none of
those you have mentioned; and you can not think
of any other person that would be likely to write to
you, even if they had the opportunity of doing so. Be
patient! The writing will soon cease, then we can
see who has thought of us.  There are the "raps"
that indicate the completeness of the message.  "Ah,
who is this?"  "Isaac! Isaac Pusey:" so it is! My
old fiiend Isaac! Well, what does he say?  Let
us see:
"FRIEND WOLFE,-This is the second time I lhave written
to thee since I passed fiom the form. How does thee do?
ISAAC PUSEY."
Well, is'nt that'cute! Who would have thought
of him writing?
"Who is Isaac Pusey?" asked Mrs. Hollis, as she
read the brief note on the slate.
"He's an old fi-iend of mine.  He says he has
written to me once before.  I guess that is a mistake!"
As I said this, a hard rap sounded under the
table, which indicated a negative reply to my remarks.
I asked Mrs. Hollis if she remembered the name; but
she could not recall it.  I said:
"Friend Isaac, when did you write to me before?
Please answer on the slate!"




MODERN SPIRITUALIS1.                 I99
The slate was held under the table, when the
following was quickly inditedl
"Through Maansfield, iln 860. Thee reported it in Davis's
papel."
I referred to the Herald of Progress, and found
his statement to be correct, my conjecture false, and
so announced the fact.  He immediately wrote:
"My memory is better than thine. Thee finds it hard to
remember; we find it hard to forgel."
I recognized this name. It belonged to a "fiiend,"
an old companion, with whom  many pleasant hours
of my early manhood had  been passed.  He was
"native and to the manor born," in Chester County,
Pennsylvania. That will account for his plain speech.
But I do n't know whether this writing was executed
by Isaac Pusey. Well, that is a matter of indifference
to me.  I take more interest in knowing hozw the
writing was done.  That is the curious point around
which my speculations revolve.  It may or may not
have been Isaac Pusey that did the writing; but if
he did not, who did?  That is a leading question.
It could not do itself.
I will try Isaac again.  "Will you please tell me
something about Columbia, by which I may know
more positively it is you writing?"
The slate was held as before; and, while expecting
a direct reply to my question, when the slate was
withdrawn, the following line was all that was found
written upon it:
"How do you do, uncle?"
The writer was evidently a different person; so
I said, "Who is this?"




200             S TAR TL'NG FA CTS INV
"George M. Booth," was quickly written.
"I'm glad you are here, George.  Have you any
thing to say?"
"Tell mother I have been here!"
"I will! Any thing else?","And Mary!"
"All right.  What more?"
"I'm  happy!"
" What next?"
"Father is here, and the rest!"
"What do you mean by'the rest?'"
" I never thought it was this way! Grandmother,
Jacob Tyler, Aunt Betsy, Uncle  John  Lockard,
Charles Odell, Aunt Hannah, Nathaniel, Elizabeth,
and Ananda."
"Give them my love.  Can any of them write?"
"Good-bye, uncle'; that's all!"
The preceding colloquy took place, one evening
about sunset.  Mrs. Hollis had been out riding, and
had just returned.  Before taking off her wrappings,
I requested her to hold the slate, to see if any writing
would come.  The foregoing was the result.
It was, of course, a surprise. The facts in the
case are these: I have a nephew in the spirit-world
by the name of George M. Booth.  His mother is
my sister.  Mary is the name of his wife.  The
names written on the slate belonged to kinsfolks,
who are all in the spirit-world.  Now, as to whether
Georg-e M. Boolh, my nephew, wrote the communication I transcribed fiom the slate, and have faithfully
reported above, I can not, of course, tell.  It may
have been some other George M. Booth or somebody




IODERN SPIRITUAL~ISI.                201
else representing him.  I only know it was not Mrs.
Hollis who did the writing, and that fact is sufficient
for my purpose.  If the reader will insist on knowing
how it was done, anld who did it, he must furnish his
own explanations.
Thlere is very little in either of the communications that is worthy of a second thought. The importance of both is pivoted on the fact that they afford
testimony to prove that the channels of communication have been opened between the natural and the
spirit-world.  That is the point of interest with me.
The bare fact that a spirit can communicate at all
in this manner is of importance to the world.  It
implies that a million of spirits may do the same
thing, through the same general law.
To. secure the better tests when I sat at the table,
I very rarely expressed or entertained any desire that
a particular spirit should communicate.  I had reason to believe, "when my mind was made up" to
hear from  a particular spirit, whether they had the
power to communicate or not, that I was more fiequently disappointed  than obliged.  To be in the
best condition is to be passive; let come wlat will,
receive it quietly, and as gratefully as possible.  If
you disturb the passivity of the medium, you will
certainly mar the excellence of your communication.
Like a calm  lakelet, mirroring  every  object with
entire fidelity, must be the condition of her mind.
The  slightest agitation  of the placid  water will
destroy the image, or reflect it in grotesque forms.
"Pshaw!  I don't want to hear friom  you!  T
want to hear from dear Charley!"




202             STARTLING FACTS IN
This cool reception of a spirit, who, perhaps, was
preparing  the conditions  for "Charley" to  write,
spoiled  the  whole arra-ngement, and  the  petulant
idiot was disappointed.  My habit was to remain neutral, and to permit any spirit to write that possessed
the power.  Give them welcome, encouragement, and,
if need be, advice.
In pursuing this policy, I always obtained reliable
manifestations.  The conditions became so harmonized, that at times it was not necessaryfor Mrs. Hollis
to hold the slate at all, but simply to place her hands
oni the top of the table, jwhile I held/ the slate beuneath.
The wzritizg at such times would comei the same as i
she herself had hctel the slate.  That was the triumph
of harmony over discord, and the key that unlocked
the outer door to the mystery of mediumship.  If I
had entertained any unfair suspicion, up to this time,
that Mrs. Hollis had been, in any culpable sense, the
author of the writing oni the slate, the reception of
the following commullication in French, while I held
the slate myself under the table, entirely removed
every shadow of such doubt fiom my mind.
I said, " Mrs. 1Hollis, as an experiment, allow me
to hold the slate under the table, while you simply
place your hands on the top, in full view."
"I don't think they will be able to write," she
replied; "but I'll do it."
After cleaning the slate well, sitting opposite to
Mrs. Hollis at the  table, her two handls lying oil
the top, my left-hand resting on them, and with my
right-hand holding the slate under the table, in a
few  seconds  I felt it touched, then  stroked  or




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        203
caressed; and finally I felt a pressure -on the slate,
and heard  the friction of the pencil gliding over its
surface.  I spoke of it, I fear, with some excitement;
for it was a new  sensation, and a new  experience to
me.  On withdrawing the slate, I was amazed to find
the  following  upon it, written  in good, legible characters:
"7e veux trouveir hoImme que est honnele voudrez-vous
concerez vois bien ce que je vous dis.                  NEY."
What did it mean?  Neither Mrs. Hollis nor myself were  qualified  to  translate the  writing.   So  I
copied  it hurriedly, and  may  have made some mistakes in doing so.  The writing was a little strange,
and  it may  have been  written  incorrectly.   I now
regret that a frc-simile of the communication  could
not have been obtainied.  It would have been so much
more accurate and satisfactory to the reader than the
transcription I made of it.  It might have saved such
a useless criticism  as the following fi-om  being made-e
useless, as it does not meet the  object intended  in
presenting it to the public.  The critic says:
"Why should the spirit of Ney write imlerfect or ungrammaticnl French when disembodie(l, unless when emblodied he
could write no other?  Tlere is no such verb in French as
concerer.  The verb considerer is prolalbly meant.  And if
writing, "' I wish to find a man," certainly no Frenchmlan wouild
omit the article-indefinite articles in French being the precedlent of all nouns; nor wonld a Frenchman fail to repeat theje
in the second sentence, for I tal<e it whlat is meant to be said is
this:' Je veux 1in /zhonoze a trouter qu?'est hounete. Je voudrez-vouls a conzsiderez-volus bien ce queje a vous dis.' "
From  these grammatical errors in the communication, the  critic  proclaims the whole an imposture




204            START1 7LINZ'G FAC7TS IN
Are we, then, left to infer that it would not have
been imposture had the grammar been perfect in the
construction of the sentence?  He tells us "what is
meant to be said," but signally fails to tell us wiho
meant it.  I care little about the grammar or the
French; for both are insignificant when you consider
the greater fact, as to how the writing came on the
slate.  The admission that the writing is French is
enough for my purpose; for I do not pretend to say
it was Marshal Ney that did it, nor do I say he did
not.  The reader- has permission to form  his own
opinions about the matter.  It might have been some
other Ney.  Had friend Isaac Pusey communicated
in French, I should have pronounced the writer an
impostor; but the writing would have remained the
same mysterious fict to be accounted for.  Ney or
no Ney, account for the writing.  What is Hecuba to
you, or you to Hecuba?  Do n't slash at a phantom,
when a fact is before you.
I soon begat to apprehend that more marvelous
things were in reserve than had as yet been exhibited. The writing on1 the slate was not to be confined
to the table; but the power accompanied Mrs. Hollis
wherever she might be, and could be employed under
what seemed to be the most unfavorable circumstances.  Thus, in our evening drives, I would often
take with me a slate and pencil, a(nd as a test, one
evenig-, while crossing the Ohio River, on the Ludlow ferry-boat, Mrs. Hollis laid the slate oil her lap,
and covered it witl the linen lduster belonging to the
~carriage.  She then took hold of it with one hand on
the )utside of the duster, and with the other held up




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 205
the cloth, so as to form a canopy beneath.  Amid the
crowd and confusion and noise and clatter on the
boat, Skiwaukee wrote several communications, commenting upon his "big canoe ride."  Below Bromley,
on the Kentucky shore of the Ohio River, is a cluster
of locust-trees.  Here, beneath the linen cluster, for
an hour at a time, the spirits have written many communications, while Mrs. Hollis held the slate.  All
that was necessary was simply to throw  the duster
over a thistle-bush or an upright stick, so as to form
a small air-chamber beneath it, and place therein the
slate and pencil.  If the medium  sat near the place,
with her hand resting on the outside of the drapery,
it was sufficient; the writing would take place.
One  Sunday afternoon, with  Mrs. Hollis and
members of my household, I drove to Spring Grove.
While the ladies were loitering over the lawns, and
reading monumental inscriptions, I hitched the horses,
and threw the carriage-robe over a small head-stone
of a grave.  Under this I placed a slate and pencil,
and then called Mrs. Hollis to come and sit near.
She did so, when almost instantly could be heard a
scratching on the slate.  When it was announced as
finished, the slate was withdrawn, and found to be
covered with written characters.  It was "old Ski"
again displaying his peculiar chirographic art.  He
has a terrible fist for writing; still we could make
out clearly the following edifying message:
"Much big fun! Write em in big bone-yard! Much
plenty bones; no spirums here! Spirurns no care for bones 
Spirums no come here; don't care for em big fuss-fuss over
em bones! So!"
20




206             STARTLING FACTS IN
Here is another opportunity for our carping critic
to display his talent in detecting the faulty language
of the Indian.  Of course, the intelligent reader will
understanld that the object I have in view for introiducing this communication, is to show that an intelligence independent of Mrs. Hollis did the writing.
Before leaving  the place, upward of twenty  slhort
com lunications were received in this man ner, from
what purported to be six different spirits; one of
whom, a child named "Grace," reminded me tlat I
had bought her a little airing carriage wlhen she was
yet but a "toddlin' wee thing," less than  twenty
years ago.
On another occasion, while driving through the
country with Mrs. Hollis, I stopped before a gentleman's house, and called him to the side of my carriage.
While engaged in conversation with him on business
matters, the slate lying on Mrs. Hollis's alp, covered
with the linen duster, attracted the attention of the
gentleman by the usual sounds of writing. Of course,
I had to explain, which only (drew from  the astonished man a smile of incredutlity.  He intimated that
I was playing a prank upon him, until the slate was
produced, when, to his utter amazement, he read an
affectionate  message, signed  by  a  lauglhter's  full
name, who had been in the spirit-world over twenty
years.  "How  wonderful!" exclaimed the surprised
parent, with his voice almost stifled with emotion,
and his eyes liquid with tears.
One evening I drove my carriage to the top of
tle large hill just east of the "Brighton," to give
Mrs. Hollis a fine view  of Mill Creek Valley, the




MODERN SPIRIT7UA L ISA.             207
city, and a most gorgeous sullset.  While on this
mount, "old Ski," with a pebble, wrote on a flat rock,
beside which Mrs. Hollis sat, the following message:
"Em  go home!  Mejum hungry!"
This "new commandment" was so peremptory,
and the reason for obeying it so urgent, that we
stood not " upon the ceremony of going," but went
at once.
All of which tends to show  that we are never
alone, though our company may not be visible to
mortal sense.  It was this thought that inspired Mrs.
Sigourney to write, " I never turn a beggar unrelieved
f-om  my door, for fear of offending  the beautiful
angel that guided his footsteps to it."
Generally, after returning from a ride, in the dusk
of the evening, Mrs. Hollis would sit for writing at
the little table. The power to write seemed to be
greater then than at any other time in the day.  I
thought it might be owing to the invigorated condition of the medium after a ride; but have since been
told that when the solar rays have been withdrawn
from  the earth, spirit-power is increased.  Hence the
necessity of absolute  darkness as a condition to
enable spirits to talk.  Whether this is true or not,
is not my purpose to discuss; but I only wish to
notice the fact, and, in connection therewith, ceytain
phenomena that I deem worth while to record.
"Ney" was a fi-equent visitor at the table, and
wrote many short notes, to which I attached no particular importance.  On one occasion, it occurred to
me to ask him  somewhat of the political outlook of
European governments, and tell me what he thought




208                STAR ZTLING FACTS IN
of affaiis as he saw  them  from  his stand-point.   This
was in  1871, at which time  the following were substantially his views:
" It is written in the lestiny of all nations, that all men and
women shall be equal before tile law.... T'ese principles
will ultimately be established in the fundamental laws of all
governments,
"Spain  will cease to exist as a monarchy.  Her end is
n igh.''Italy will struggle and triumph over the intrigues of tlhe
Pope and the Jesuits.
"Francis Josepl will receive another chastisement.  The
House of the Hapsbuirgs will cease to govern Austria.
"It will require an avalanche to crush tile hosts of tyrannical priests that now  govern France.  Na7aoleon will never
return, nor yel will the Reepiblic stand.
Clurclh rule is swallowing all kinds of liberal sentiment in
the United States.  Tyranny comes fioml bigotry.... An
ecclesiastical war is imminent. Already its dark wing is spread
over your 1 land.  It is so close that you can almost feel the hot
breath of its cannon, and hear the drum calling for recruits."
One morning  it was written by Ney, that, in the
twilight of the  evening, spirit-hands would  be projected from  under  the table.   This  was a startling
announcement, and excited  much  interest.  Evening
was impatiently awaited.  When the designated time
arrived, Mrs. Hollis sat, as usual, near the table.  The
different members of my  family  then  selected  positions on  the  floor favorable  for  seeing  the  hands.
It was only about twenty  minutes after we began to
watch, when the selvage of the cloth began to shake
at the end of the table.  Very soon the points of four
fingers were indistinctly  seen, just below  the tassels
on the shawl.  They quickly retired, and, after several
minutes, returned, with more of the hand exposed to




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                209
view.  Indeed, all the fingers were fairly exposed to
sight this time, about fifteen inches from  the floor.
These came again and again, until a full hand was
fairly seen.  This exhibition was repeated  several
times, when two hands were distinctly visible at the
same instant.  This was marvelous, and excited great
surprise among the members of my household.  We
all saw the same thing at the same time, and sufficiently long to be assured of what we saw.
I now  folded a new  ten-dollar bill, lengthways,
and held it just beneath the edge of the cloth, until
the hands appeared and seized it.  It was carried up
to the slate held by Mrs. Hollis, where it was rumpled
crisply, and creaked quite loud in the handling.  It
was then dropped to the floor.  I next held my portemonnaie near the edge of the cloth, when it was instantly seized and carried to the slate.  My knife was
also taken up; and very soon followed my comb and
bunch of keys. These were rattled around on the slate
for several minutes, and were then all thrown into
the room, one by one, upon the floor, excepting the
pocket-book.  This was retained, and opened.  The
roll of bank-bills was taken from  it, and, with as
much dexterity and skill as a bank-teller could display, the notes were sent flying over the floor in
every direction from  under the edge of the tablecover.  I gathered  them  up, and, holding them  in
my hand, requested  the spirits to take the notes
aga.in and replace them  in the porte-monnaie.  This
they quickly did, throwing it afterward to the floor,
with the money all nicely folded and put in the proper
pocket, not forgetting to fasten it with  the clasp.




210              START LING FAC7TS IN
There was no money missing; and, "by that same
token," in these degenerate times, I call them  honest
spirits.
After these experiments had been concluded, the
writing,  was again resumed, and the spirits seemed
to be in high glee over their success.  I confess, my
curiosity was aroused, and I determined to see more
of this thing.  I accordingly placed myself in such a
position on the floor that I could command a view of
the position of the slate, as it was held by Mrs. Hollis
under the table.  1B  slightly elevating the cover, I
was enabled to do this.  I waited until the writing
commenced, anl, as soon as it was fairly under way,
I took a fair view of the situation.  It was an inhibited look, a flank movement on the domain of the
spirits, for which I was subsequently reproved.  My
object, lhowever, was  accomplishled.  I saw  AJrs.
Hollis's hand holding   the slate, and a well-formed
hand movingc over the top of it, as if writing.  There
/were two others, not so distinctly fornmed, nuder the
slate, but accuzrate in all the anatomical outlines of the
/human hand. The hands were not alike in size or shape.
T/he one which I t/holight to be employed in writing
was noticeably a /large, masculine hand, with t/zick,
hea7y 3fingers.  The two under the slate were slender,
nmore dcicately org,'ati'ed, and of different size.  All
these hands were scen to termiinate at the wrist-joint,
where they seemed to be lost in a ha zy, cloudy aura.
The desire to look had been gratified, but now
came the perplexing problem  to filnd out to whom
these tlands belonged.  TIhey were not attached to
Mrs. Ho' is by any visible connection, and, so far as




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 211 
I could judge, floated about and acted without her
volition or control.
I have spoken of this strange or singular experience to several soler-minded people, who never, until
then, exhibited any doubts about the integrity of any
statement tley have known me to make. Neither did
they doubt my integrity in this; but, to get out of a
difficulty  in an easy way, they allege that I was
deceived; the hands were an illusion.  I was quite
willing to accept tils statement in good pairt; but
what of the hands that took my pocket-book, knife,
etc., as already  described?  Four persons besides
myself attest to this fact.  All witnessed the same
tling.  Admitting their power in the one instance,
why doullt them  in the other?  I am  not so old
that any of my faculties are impaired, nor yet so
young that I would form  a judgment on any other
than upon the most accredited testimony.  I may be
fretted by doublts, but I will not allow my j u(lgment
to be swayed by passion.  I am  only bearing testimony to a fact which I do know.
There were three hands visible under the table
in the positions I have described, besides the hand
belonging to Mrs. Hollis, with which she held the
slate.  These  were all in view  at the same time.
They differed in size and shape.  I had sufficient
time to make that observation, although they faded
firom  my view  while I was gazing at them.  Had
they  been  hands composed  of flesh  and  bloo(l,
they. could not have faded in this manner fiom  nmy
sight.  The testimony of my eyes has never been
brought in question.  The same sense that recog



212             STARTLING FAC TS IN
nized the natural hand of Mrs. Hollis testified to tile
presence of the three ephemeral hands.  If it were
capable of attesting the truth in the one instance,
why not also in the other?  Say, if you please, that
I was optically deluded; but, then, I must insist that
you are not a competent judge.
What differs more, you say, than crown and cowl?
I'11 tell you, friend-a wise man and a fool!"
But a valiant doubter said to me: "What of all
this?  Suppose I admit you have seen what you say
you have-three hands under the table belonging to
no visible arms-what does it amount to?  Are you
any wiser or better for it?"
These are impertinent questions.  They do not
relate to the matter in issue. My object is simply to
testify to the truth.  A fact is an organized truth,
and as indestructible as time.  Every fact we discover is a treasure to the world.  Facts are the basis
of all philosophy, and the great teachers of the human
race.
It may be urged that I have been quite particular
in speaking of these hands.  That is true.  I aimed
to be critically exact.  When we discover a fact, we
must be right sure it is a "fact!"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               213
CHAPTER XI.
SPIRITS WRITING ON PAPER-FRENCH AND SPANISH
WRITING-LETTERS FROM JIM NOLAN AND NEYNAPO IEON'S REINCARNATION  PREIDICTED - SIX
LETT'ERIS FROM  JOSElPHIINE-A  SLANDERER UNMASKED BY SKIWAUKEE.
ANY communications were written upon the
slate which were not at all intelligible, because
of being written in languages I did not understand.
Those that were written in English, I, of course, had
a sincere desire to retain, because of the general
interest they seemed to possess.  Many of these I
transcribed, alnd to some of them  I have referred in
the preceding pages.  To most of them, however, I
simply gave a casual reading, and then rubbed them
off.  I did this, however, always with some qualms.
It occurred to me at last that there was no reason
why spirits should not write as readily on paper as
on a slate.  If I could succeed in retaining their own
writing, a double interest would be attached to what
they might say. Copying a communication, and reading it in your own familiar writing, destroys its freshness, its novelty; the fi-agrance of originality is gone.
Then, too, how much more the curious would be interested in reading a letter that had never been written
by mortal hands!  The very thought of holding a
2I




214       SATARTLING FACTS IN
letter in your hand that had been traced by spiritfingers, looked upon by spirit-eyes, and conceived
by a spirit-brain, was more than interesting; it was
fascinating.
I fastened a sheet of paper on the slate, and
placed upon it a small lead-pencil.  In a few minutes
after Mrs. Hollis put it under the table, the writing
began.  The experiment was a success, though I was
slightly "obfuscated" in my faculties by the first
communication, of which the following is a fac simile:
//y CC-LU (&L  o   7i-T      9 /yDJoP&LC
//O
So much was assured.  For the better conservation of this idea, I had constructed from  a sheet
of heavy tin, a rack or frame, which would retain,
in a stationary position, a number of sheets of paper.
This frame was made simply by turning a half-inch
edge on one end and two sides of the tin-plate, which
formed a groove or rabbit.  In these grooves I fitted
the paper, sometimes as many as twenty half-sheets
of large commercial note.
With these additional facilities for doing business,
the spirits worked with a will.  They seemed pleased
with their success in writing literal letters to their
friends in the form.  In this manner they wrote a
number of quite lengthy ones to their friends living
in different places, with the request that I would deliver them in person or send them by mail. I did this
for some time, but soon discovered it was a thankless
task I had undertaken to perform, and accordingly




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               215
shut down on the "dead-head" business.  There is
nothing like making people pay for what they get.
It quickens their appreciation marvelously.
It was admitted that many of these letters bore a
close chirographic resemblance to those written by
the putative authors while in the form.  Others, however, did not exhibit the slightest trace of similarity.
This was especially true of those who communicated
for the first time.  They seemed not to possess the
knack of writing well at the beginning; but, by practice, gradually improved, until they not only attained
their former skill, but even surpassed in style the penmanship of their earth-life.  When investigating this
subject through Mr. Mansfield, I noticed the great
variety of styles in his writing, which satisfied my
mind that different spirits controlled it at different
times.  Still, a large number of his communications
were given in one strongly-marked and individualized
form of penmanship.  I spoke to Mr. Mansfield one
day about this, when I was quickly informed by his
control (General Seth Cushman, an uncle, I believe,
to Charlotte, the distinguished tragedienne,) that but
few spirits had the ability to write; and, in all cases
when they could not, he acted as their amanuensis.
I have reason to believe this statement entirely accurate, as it is confirmed by an example which came
within the range of my personal knowledge. I have
in the spirit-world an old "Auntie," who received her
education at a time when schools were not so common as now. Being informed that the line of communication was open, she took a strong notion to
drop me a letter from  the spirit-land.  As her head




216                S 7TA R 7ZZN'G FA C TS IN
andl  hand were not in good reciprocal relations with
each other, her head dictated the letter, to which her
hand simply  subscribed  her X   mark.  Her amanuensis  expostulated,  but she  said,  in  good  Jack
Blnsby style: "Never you milnd; gis you write my
name.'Apoleon  will know  it werry well."   And  I
did, bless her good heart 
Independent of the interest attached to these letters, as emanating  from  those we have been taught
to  esteem   as dead, many  of them   are  entitled  to
consideration  for  the  intrinsic  merit  they  display
in  thought and  expression.   It is  my  purpose  to
transcribe a few  of these  for the  edification of the
reader.   I will select those  only  which  possess a
public interest.
One of the first letters I received on  the paper
slate purported to be written by Mfarshal Ney.  It evilently was meamnt as a reply to a remark made by a
gentleman, who said he could take no stock in spiritualism, unless it could  be  shown that it had  done
some good for the world.  It was the next day, while
I was  sitting  with  Mrs. Hollis, that the  following
communication was received:
"MY FRIEND, Time writes its mark on all tlings. We
change by a wise and beautiful ordination.  Earth would cloy
us were it eterna:l.  The Sl)ring-time of our existence is a gladsome time, but wlho would not enjoy the Summer glory of life?
It has been asked,' What good can spiritualism  do?' You
need no information on tlis sulject; but for those who cdo, I
answer, It takes away the (lark veil that has been so long over
your earth. To know yourselves immortal is more than all else.
It gives the assurance that )your friends still live.
"Why slould people reject a doctrine that tells you your
friends still take an interest in you, that they love with the same




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                     21?
love?  It takes away all dread of death.  It has carried all the
thorns and thistles out of the dark valley your preachers so
often tell you of. It ha-s brought all y)our friends near you; in
fact, it has brought all good, and no evil. The lessons it has
taught you, lhave been of the purest moral character. To me
it seems strange tlat even a pacgan should reject it.
"I am, your fiiend,
f,, h C.cI/        /Le     
f aItC. d b  7a    toor   abot 
If any  doubt has  existed  heretofore  about the
identity of the particular "Ney" who writes so frequently at the table, and speaks in the, dark circle,
the foregoing signature, which is a fac simile of the
one attached to the letter, will settle the question
effectually as to whom  is meant, at least.  The criticism  of Ney's French  may  be all right, but this
English  composition  will represent a  more  exact
knowledge of the rules of grammar.
With some writing of a personal character intervening, the  following  verses  were  received, which
are said to be written in the old Castilian language.
As I have no knowledge of Spanish, I will furnish
the  original writing  as copy  to  the  printer, from
which  he will "set" it in  type.   If there are any
inaccuracies in the composition, the printer must be
held  responsible  for them, unless he  has followed
copy.   I can  not even  attempt to  punctuate  this
composition; and, without a knowledge of the language, it is difficult to  know  whether the  letters
forming words are accurately given or not, as both




2 18                 STARTLZING FA CTS IN
consonants and vowels are almost undistinguishable.
Thus, i, e, o, a, in, z, look as much alike as the sheep
in Elisio's "flock."
"Ju EVES, Diciembre.
"Tras su manada Elisio lamentando
Mil reces este verso repetia
Ay quien se viera cual se vio algun dia
Viiee yo tan senor de ni fortuna
Tan libre de dolor tan prosperado
Que no tenli jamas mudanza alguna
Dle aquel primero y venturoso estado
Yo todo mi ventl-ra se ha trocado
No soy ni yo sere quien ser solia
Ay quien se viera coral se vio algun dia
Ragu cuenta sobre mi
"MARTINEZ DE IRUJO."
Of course, I was very  curious  to  know  what all
this was about, and, after a great deal of painstaking,
I  succeeded   in  finding,  among   my   most  valued
fi-iends,  one  who  could   give  me  a  literal  translation of the stanza.   Here it is:
"THURSDAY, December.
"After his flock Elisio lamented,
Thousand tines this verse he repeated:Will one see again "what he has once been?
I have seen myself master of my fortune,
Free fiom grief and so prosperous
That I never feared any chanlge
From that first and happy state.
But now all my fate is changed;
I am not now, or never will be, what I have once been.
Alas! who will see himself what he has once been?
Count upon me.
"MARTINEZ DE IRUJO."
Now, what does  it amount to?   Well, not very
much; especially  to  those  who  take  no  interest in
the misfortunes of Elisio. It seems to have been
written  by  one  who, in  his life-time, stood  upon the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                219
dizzy height of wealth, surrounded by all the luxuries that a capricious taste could crave; and, by some
means or other, the wheel of fortune turned (and the
old, creaky thing is always turning),_ when Elisio
went under.  He might have commenced speculating on'change, or become a debauchee or stockgambler, or a dealer in gilt-edged paper, or engaged
in the oil business,-who knows?  It is no matter
what.  He failed, and, like a paltroon (if he was not
an old sinner), he whines and desponds as if the possession of wealth did not, ninety times in a hundred,
make knaves, dolts, or impotents of its cowardly
slaves.  In this exhibit of himself, it is quite apparent that all he lacks is the mean capacity of a city
thief or boss contractor, to enable him to "see himself as he once had been."  And what had he been
but a contemptible, shallow-pated, daisy-decked daffodown-dilly of a whining, wealthy blatherskite? To be
sure, he might have been an opulent pew-holder, whose
gilded presence gave inspiration to the priest, while,
in slumber, he dreamed his pleasant time away," Free from grief, and so prosperous
That' he never feared any change
From that first and happy state."
Death seems to have shaken him  up, and he fancies
he has fallen, whereas he has only found his level.
He has, to be sure, lost his paint, as a peacock may
his tail.  That only puts an end to his strutting; for,
"Pigmies are pigmies still, though perched on Alps,
And pyramids are pyramids in vales."
Bat my object in calling attention to this writing is
simply to show that neither Mrs. Hollis nor myself




220             STARTLING FACTS IN
should be held responsible for its appearing on the
paper. The llypercritic, I know, will ascribe its evolvement to the circuitous action of the spilozial gland,
inzfuencing the unconscious cerebrum  of his ozen pighead,; but such opinions never amount to very much,
only with unconscious idiots.
On a subsequent occasion the following line was
given, without any apparent motive, unless it was
to demonstrate that they had selected the most incapable man upon whom  to play their pranks.
In this manner spirits would  communicate in
Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Swede, Celt, and Arabic,
until a perfect maze of roots and derivations filled
the paper.  Of course, I discouraged all this contemptible nonsense, and threatened  a muss if the
tomfoolery was not promptly discontinued.   I had
no idea of squandering time on such useless scribble.
Very soon my opposition to the language testsfor that is what they were intended for-began to
show its fruits.  A  number of good, readable communications were given in fair English upon interesting subjects.  The  following was addressed  to
Mrs. Hollis:
"DEAR MEDIUM, The Spring-time of spiritualism has just
dawned upon the world.  Its primroses and daises are just
peeping through the cold soil of a fast-vanishing orthodox




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  221
Winter. The fiagrant flowers of Summer, in all their beauty,
will soon be here to complete the transformation. Stand firm,
medium; we will protect you withl our might. You are surrounded by a host of mighty spirits. We have selected you
for a grand purpose-a mission that a queen would be proud
to fill. You shall be honored above woman. Stand firm, and
believe in your friend,               JAMES NOLAN."
If Jim  Nolan is insincere in this note, it is the
first time I have discovered him to be so. And yet
the announcement of "a mission that a queen would
be proud to fill," borders somewhat on the extravagant, I admit. But see what this woman has achieved
already, and then say, if you can, where her "mission " will end.
It has been announced that Josephine Bonaparte
belonged to my band of spirits.  For this information I am  primarily indebted to Jim  Nolan.  Since
his announcement of the fact, I have received many
letters which  purport to be written by her.  Some
of these were written at my suggestion for public
use; others were given voluntarily.  I did not affix
dates to these letters; so I will not present tlem
in  chronological order.   This, however, is of  1no
consequence, as there is no connection in the separate  subjects  discussed.   Notwithstanding, there
is some literary excellence displayed in their compositions-it is for no such purpose I present them.
It is simply  to furnish cumulative  proof of spirit
intercourse  being  established   between  the  two
worlds, with the added interest of learning what the
views of such a woman as Josephine Bonaparte are
since her translation to the Summer-land.
I will preface these English letters by presenting




222            STARTLING FACTS IN
a frc simile autograph note, which will be read with
intense interest, by such of her countrymenj at least,
who are hoping and believing in the second advent,
or reincarnation, of Napoleon Bonaparte:
The following translation of this remarkable note
has been made by one quite well qualified for the
service:
(TRANSLATION.)
"The French nation will receive a person in 1902, who
will deliver the country fiom obscenity and bigotry. His name
will be Napoleon Bonzaparte. Then the glory of France will
return with double brilliancy.
"JOSEPHINE BONAPARTE."
It is of no public consequence what I believe
about this prediction. It is unquestionably an important one to the French nation, if it turns out to
be true. That's the point of interest to a Frenchman.  The interest I attach to it consists simply
in the phenomenal fact which it presents.
There was one extraordinary circumstance connected with the reception of this note, which struck
me at the time with amazement.  While Mrs. Hollis
was holding the paper slate for the communication,




fMODERN SPIRITUAL&SfM.              223
there was a feuz de joie of spirit-raps in several parts
of the chamber. This was extraordinary; and while I
was speculating as to the object of this grand display
of power, Mrs. Hollis called my attention  to the
action of a chair, which sat in a remote part of the
room.  This was seen to balance itself on its two
hind-legs, rocking to and fro for as much as a minute, describing with the back of the chair one-fourth
of an aerial circle.  It then began to move toward
the table at which we sat, one leg pushed forward
at a time, until half the distance had been overcome.
It then put all legs to the floor, and slid over the
carpet to the table, where it again resumed the balanced, oscillating condition on the two  hihd-legs,
which it maintained for as much as two minutes,
when it fell backward heavily.  As it did this, the
raps were loud, and  so rapid  that you  can describe them  only by saying they came in showzers.
At the same instant the self-propelled chair made
its demonstration, the prophetic note of Josephine
was being written under the table.  It was subsequently stated by Ney that the demonstration was
made by a band of French spirits, to express their
gratification at the success of announcing to France'
and the world the reincarnation of their beloved chief.
The reader may take this statement for what it
is worth. I only record the fact.
There was another curious fact in connection
with this morning seance, which I offer no apology
for recording. It was this: When Mrs. Hollis arose
from the table to repair to the breakfast-room, downstairs, the chair that had excited so much attention




224.              STARTLING  FACTS IN
volunteered  a peripatetic  movement  to  accompany
her.  It started  from  the  center of the room, and
slid  by jerks  to  the  door communicatilng  with  the
stair-hall.   Here  the  toes  of its  legs  became  entangled  with  the  carpet-strip, and  brought it to  a
stop.  In a few  seconds it was lifted by an. unseen
power over the strip into the hall, where it fell to the
floor, when  Mrs. Hollis fled in consternation  downstairs at this unusual display.
In  presenting  the  following  letters, as  already
stated, I have no other motive than to increase the
presumption   in  favor of  their  spirit-authenticity.
Still, it would be sheer affectation to say they were
devoid of interest to the intelligent reader:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. I.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,  The memory of the past comes over
me tlis morniing, and almost overwhelms me with its power.
My husband's voice I hear echoing througlh the nation, and the
earth trembles beneath the heavy roll of artillery and the tread
of his soldiers.  I see his manly form, an(d feel all the pride and
joy of being the wife of Napoleon.  Like some distant strain of
music are the slloutings of my people-Vive la France!
6 But now, alas! comes that anguish of the heart, when we
see the sacrifices that must be made for the good of the land.
My beloved must be torn away, and the soil receive the baptism
of the best blood of the people.  All this passes before me. A
few more dark, weary days, when the angel of deatli gave me a
release, and kindly took me home to the quiet Summler-land.
Here, with my beloved, my worshiped one, I rested awhile..
"Napoleon startled me by saying:'My darling, I canz inot
rest! T7he people of France are callinzg ie / Come, go wi/h me!'
"At first I felt that I wanted to stay in the spirit-land, but
now all the fires of ambition that fills my dear Napoleon's soul,
sweeps over mine.  I join him in this great work, and only
know the feeling,-Onward, Onward! No rest till France is
FREE!                                         JOSEPHINE."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          225
The following letter presents a picture of "homelife" in the spirit-land, which requires but little exercise  of the  imagination  to  realize.   The  presence
of birds,  fruit,  flowers,  paintings, and  books,  surrounds the  place with  an  atmosphere  of home  comforts,  quite  pleasant  to  contemplate.    Napoleon's
reincarnation  and  mission  is  distinctly  pronounced,
"But is it only a dream?"
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. IT.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-This morning, when I left my spiritho0e, it was filled with music and beautil il flowers.  0, wlat
a contrast does earth present!  I often wislh I could take the
material veil fiom  your eyes, and let you look into my lhome
as it is.  Anld now remember, to you it shall be a restilg-place
when you come to the spirit-world.  We have in the spirit-land
all you have in life: birds, firuit, flowers, Ilaintings, books, and
whatever else that can charm  the taste or improve the understanding.  Here all is beautiful, all is harimony and peace,
"When I turn to earth, alas! what wretchedness (lo I see!
And yet, with it all, I feel happy and glad this morning.  Is
it because you have (lecided to visit France?*
" I was tlere last week, and 0 how my heart aches over the
unhappy condition of my people; and how much they need my
husband's presence!  Do you notice how restless the Government is at present, and how  the people suffer?  0, we know
their needs, and to my husband's strong arm are the people of
France looking for deliverance.
"When you visit my country, you will find tliere is a delivqrer expected; and now I say to you, my husband will fulfill
that mission. Of his reincarnation I dream both day and niglht.
Its success is the foundation-rock of all my hereafter.  In his
lhands will be placed the welfare of his people-the glory of
France and the heart of,                 JOSEPHINE."
* I contemplate malking a tour through Europe next season, and
said to Josephine I would certainly visit the historic localities of Fiance
with more than common interest, especially those with which herself
and Napoleon were identified.




226                 STARTLING FACTS IN
After I had decided to write this book, and finding  my  purpose  met with  the  approbation  of the
communicating spirits, I requested Josephine to write
a letter or two specially for its pages.
I desired  this, as  the  public, I  thought, would
be interested  in  any  thing  she might communicate
respecting the after-life, and the conditions of the
spirit-world.  To this request she wrote the following
reply:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. III)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-YOu ask me to write something for
the book.  I will do the best I can.  I never wrote much when
on earth, nor have I accomplished myself in this particular
since my spirit-life began.  Indeed, I have written more to you
than in all my other correspondence put together; so you can
judge of the extent of my writing.  I will furnish for your book
a few ideas. You must arrange and dress them with presentable
language for the public eye.*
"You desire me not to express my gratitude for the kindness you have bestowed upon me.  You might as well say to
the ocean,'Hush thy sounds!'  What is the music of the
soul, if it be not gratitude?  The grand old ocean feels it, and
rushes with its gladsome waves upon the shore.  That is its
life, its gratitude, its joy.  Next will come the wind, singing
through your trees, and rushing wildly, with delight, over your
house-tops.  0, that is its gratitude to the power that gives it
motion! The flowers you cultivate come smiling  with their
beautiful tints, and fragrant with their joy, to tell you the same
story of their thanks.  They all pay you for the work you
do for them.  And now  word-writing and acts are the only
*It is proper to say that Josephine's modesty, in this particular,
compels me to state that I lave taken no such liberties with her writings as she here permits.  I have omitted such parts of her letters as
were too personal for general interest, and have edited her punctuation; but in no instance have I substituted my own ideas for hers,
and rarely has it been necessary to borrow any new dress of language
to make them presentable to the "public eye.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        227
expressions I can make of my thanks, and, as I am a French
woman, I must give vent to my soul, so full of gratitude.  I
will hold my peace, but I must tell you sometimes how grateful
I am..
"It has often been asked by tlose who entertain but imperfect ideas of the spirit-life,'You tell us your homes are so beautiful, why do you leave them to come to this valley of shadows?'
To such my reply is, I could  not rest in ease and splendor
when so many hearts are calling me to earth.  I am magntetically bound to earth, and can not free myself until sympathy
deserts my heart, and every human tie is severed.
"The souls of all men and women are crying for knowledge.
Your people are starving for truth, such as the spirit-world alone
can supply.
" Do you think I could idly fold my arms, as the oars cross
over a boat, and let the waves of chance drift me to and fro? I
have a mission more noble than that.  I lhave come fi-om  my
beautiful home to repeat the story, that I live beyond the earththat I am  the same Josephine Bonalarte, the same individual,
that I was on earth; to tell you that beyond the tomb there
are many bright faces and lovely forms to meet you with outstretched hands when you come to immortal life; to tell you
that death is a beautiful angel, which disrobes you of your soiled
garments, and clothes you in the beautiful dress of the spirit,
as the Spring takes off the iron mask of Winter, and spangles
the earth vwith sunshine and bright flowers.
"Remember, my friend, in all your earthly trials there is
for you a crown of sunbeams across the waves of time.  When
you come over, you will not be a willing drone in the hive of
progression.  Soon the pathway to earth will be a familiar
roadc..
"The growth of spiritualism is far greater than is supposed.
Its truths are falling among the people, silently as snow upon
the earth.  Some morning you will awake and find you have a
white robe, and yet scarcely know from  wlience it came.  Day
and night your spirit-fiiends are wearing away the bulwarks of
ignorance and superstition.  They are instilling noble and pure
ideas of life where all before had been darkness and misery.
"We do not desire to establish a new Church.  The spiritworld will disfaivor any organization not founded on individual
freJo'-,    and universal truth.  God gives his sunshine to all.




228                 STARTZ ING FACTS IV
Let it penetrate your souls, and quicken into life the beautiful
flowers of your spirits.  You well knlw spiritualismn is not to
found a new sect or to establish a new creed.  You may thank
tlhe spirit-world for all progress you make in knowledge and liberal thought.  The power is exhausted.  I can write no more.
"JOSEPHINE."
The  following  letter seems to  have been  written
to  expose  the  inconsistency  of  believers  in   Bible
spiritualism,  who   reject  similar  manifestations  in
modern  times
(JOSEPHINE'S LETITERS, No. IV.)
"MY DEAR  FRIEND,-Spirit intercourse is called'a new
revelation,' and yet it has existed in all ages of the world that
have found ai place in human history.  In olden times, slirits
were received by the inhabitants of the earth as honored guests;
but to-day they are rejected as denions or as emissaries of the'Evil One.'
"Wlat has made this great revolution in the minds of men?
Has tle wisdomn of modern days discovered all that was anciently good to be modernly bad:? or have the laws enterilng illto
the constitution of nature, changed, so that to-day tley invert
the order of tle things tley formerly established?  We are told
by modern savants that the laws of nature never change. Tlen,
why may not spirits return to-day, and hold conversation with
the living present, as tley did in the (lays of Moses and the
prophets?  Or was God so very partial to the Dark Ages, that
lie permitted his embassadors to visit those only  who were
ignorant of the facts which modern science reveals?  Do not
those who die to-day pass into the same spirit-land that those
did who died centuries ago?  And, if so, is their love any less
for those they leave on earth than was tlhat of the old Jews
who returinedl to communie witli their friecnds and kiindred?  0
no! The law of cause aii effect is unchangeable. If one spirit
lives, all live.  The law whlich develops the growth of a cliild
is urniversal in its operation.  Doubt this you may1,; but tlhe fact
will confront you forever.  Do not cldaw your skeptical robes
too closely, or you will make your form  ungaiiily.  Your better
judgment tells you that the doctrine of imlmortality is true.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM&.                      229
or why these longings, this unsatisfied feeling, tlis unrest of
mind?  Stand firm! The trutli will uproot all error in your
soul.' I fear I have failed to interest you this morning; but such
as I have, I give.      I remain, )our true friend,
"JOSEPHINE."
The following may be termed an interesting business-letter.   It opens a chink, which, if it does not
reveal specifically the purposes of the spirit-world,
fairly  intimates  the character of their grand  enterprise. The spirits applaud discrimination among their
workers, and  have intrusted Mrs. Hollis with one of
their most important missions:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. V.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-Whlen I entered the spirit-world, I
was amazed as the spirits disclosed to me the greatness of the
work they lhad undertaken to accomplish. To successfully carry
out their purposes, old institutions of eartlh'many of them hoary
with the age of centuries —had to be swept away; and, in doing
this, t le foundation of things seemed to be,broken up, and
nature itself convulsed.
But the scales soon dropped from mly eyes, and I began to
see all this was for the best.  The great Creator had set our
feet in firm places, and established our goings forever.  I now
know that the foundation upon which we stald is rock, and no
waves can wash it away.
"Every movement of the spirit-world is male in accordance
with God's system of laws. All these will succeed in good time,
as soon as the proper instrumentalities are employed to work
them out.  These are now being selected and set to work.  All
over the earth, men and women are engaged in doing the work
arranged for them by unseen and unrecognized superintendents.
We do not doubt our victory will come.  All we want is workers; intelligent men and women w\ho possess that priceless
gift-energy, invincible determination, with a purpose fixed.
This quality will accomplish any thling we wisl —'t will snatch
victory from the very jaws of despair.
"But few are qualified to do our work.  Our best vork is
22




230               STAR 7TLING FACTS IN
reserved for a class of workers yet to be. Our medium will
stand foremost among our grand agents, and to her we have
intrusted one of our most important missions.  Many are zealous in the cause of spiritualism who do it more harm than good.
Still they serve to agitate the muddy waters, to liberate the
offensive odors fiom  the mire of society.  But even here the
bright sunliglt of truth will finally penetrate, and these unclean
places will be made pure.
"Our band are grateful to you for protecting our medium
from thle intrusion of the ulthinkingl multitude.  We are grateful for the discrimination and nerve evinced in excluding from
our circles the presence of those who are uncongenial to the
conditions through wlich w\e work.  For these good services,
we one and all -tlank you.                   JOSEPHINE."
As a "police detective," spiritualism  promises to
take high rank.  Jim  Nolan has stated  many  times
that a criminal may be brought into the presence of
Mrs. Hollis, in company  with twenty  innocent persons, and that she will, while blindfolded, designate
the malefactor simply by touching his hand. A knowledge of this fact will be "cold  comfort" to  those
who think they can depredate on life, character, and
property, without detection  and  punishment.   But,
more, I have reason to believe that the spirit-world
can reveal the name of a person who has been guilty
of a misdemeanor or crime, if they deem it best to
do so.  I will illustrate this by citing a case in point.
The  morning  after Mrs. Hollis commenced her
fourth engagement at my house, she received a letter
fi-om  home, which, upon opening, was found to contain  an  inclosed  anonymous  letter, that had  been
written in  Cincinnati and  mailed to  her in  Louisville.   She  opened  it at the  breakfast-table, and,
after reading it carefully, passed  it to  me, simply
remarking, "You will be interested in that, Doctor!"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                231
The letter was exclusively about myself. It was
of the most scandalous personal character, dealing
in defamation with the most reckless license.  After
reading  it, I lost my appetite for breakfast, and
became furiously annoyed.
I never refute lies, and do not fear them.  There
is something more than political wit in Ben Butler's
grim declaration, that "he never enjoyed life until
he lost his character."  Reputation ought to be able
to take care of itself, and when it must be looked
after and watched and guarded every hour in the
day, lest it do something very naughty, the cost of
keeping it prim  is really more thal  the thing is
worth.  But this letter annoyed me-not because of
the charges it made, but because it was-written by
a cowardly assassin, who lay in ambush.
Any man is liable to be struck in the back, and
it is sheer bravado to say he does not fear the stiletto.  Society is full of Thzugs, who are always to be
feared; those especially who control a depraved press.
Their weapon is noiseless, but fatal.  They strangle
you under the guise of Christian fellowship.  0, it
were better to be accompanied by the ocean pirate or
the midnight assassin! But my business now is to
disclose how  the spirits aided in dragging one of
these cowardly miscreants from his hiding-place into
the open light of day.
As I could not tell who had slandered me, I felt
annoyed and restless.  This was uncommon; for lies
ordinarily are short-lived, and I let them  die.  Mrs.
Hollis, seeing me fretted, suggested that we should
consult the spirits about the authorship of the scan



232            STAR TLiVG FACTS IN
dalous letter. This we did, and "old Skiwaukee"
came up to the work promptly.  He had found out
all about the letter, and the author of it; and after
imparting all the information he had, and disclosing
the writer's name, he supplemented his statement by
declaring it as his opinion that "'em old dog was'em
dam old muscle-shell! So "
As I was no longer in doubt, I felt easy.  Such
a scamp could  not injure the reputation  of any
person, no matter what he might write, only by
withholding his odious name.  This is what he did.
He knew  that he was impotent to do harm  if he
were unmasked; so he became a concealed-character-ku-klux.  I determined to circumvent this old
slanderer, let him  turn on his track which way he
would.
Mrs. Hollis and I agreed to polish the "shell"
of this old " trilobite."  I said: " He has been guilty
of these dirty tricks a long time, and it will be doing
a good service to bring him  to grief. Now, we will
carefully remove fiom this letter our names, wherever
they occur.  Cut them  out, so that no clew may be
had of the person sending it.  We will now tear the
letter into little bits, leaving no piece of it large
enough to write a monosyllable upon. Put these in
an envelope. Now you write on this slip of paper as
I shall dictate:'Rascal! the whole spirit-world knows
of your villainy! The avenger is on your track, and
you can not escape him! Make your peace!' There,
that will do; no signature; put it in the envelope,
with the little pieces of his own letter. When he gets
them  he will know what it means, if the'chickens




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  233
belong to him.  He will be a little more than surprised that they have'come home to roost.'  Now
superscribe the envelope to this address; there it is,
in the Directory.  All right."
That same evening "Skiwaukee" reported  progress; said the letter had  been received, "that em
old rat was sick;" and said, " What will em do? what
will em  do?  I press em to come see em  old chief.
Said em  come in mornin'."
True, the sickly old scamp came to my door the
next morning, and I met him. He was much excited,
and said he had received a singular letter fiom  me,
which he wanted some explanation about.  "How do
you know it came from  me?" I said.  He replied he
discovered my name on some of the bits of paper
inclosed.  Whereupon I took him  by the throat, and
shook him.  I then gave him  my promise, that in
the future, if he did not take morepains to conceal
his lies, especially those that he felt it his duty to
write about me, I would choke the "daylights" out
of him.  It was this affair, and another " cold-blooded "
lie which Murat Halstead published in the Cincinnati Comnmercial, about the same time, concerning a
spiritual seance held at my house, that induced the
writing of the following:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. VI.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-I greet you again, as a faithful
worker in the harvest-field of principle and truth. What you
have written, the poodles may bark at, but it will strike lhome
to the consciences of thinking men.  Tile loving messages
we bring will dwell in their hearts, alnd they will carry them,
like waving banners, throlgll every lanl.
"People often say,'Why lo n't Napoleon say something




234                STARTLING  FACTS IN
wortllhy of hi mself?' Say to such that'the greatness of a man
is not measured by tlhe number or thle length of his speeches.'
My husband's ex'ecutive abilities wvere without a parallel in
human achievement.  Those people who tlhink to put our work
down, reckon without their host.  The serpents who sting in
the dark can not penetrate  iron with their poisoned fangs.
Their own venom will return to their craven souls, and destroy
them.  Ye who attempt to thwart us, beware how you take tlhe
step; for it will be thle signal for your passing into nothingness.  When the spirit-world is aroused, it never sleeps until
the wrong is righted.
" We have no time to make idle promises.  When my husband's face shines on any one, it means work.  It will again
appear in France with power, and thrill the hearts of millions
witll the resolution to lil)erate our beautiful coutntry fiom thle
degradation of priestcraft antl obscenity.
"We watch the progress of the book with great interest.
It has an aggressive and fearless ring of truth about it, that will
command thle attention and respect of its readers.  It will be
bitterly assailed; but fear not.
"' We stand by you, beloved firiend.  Good-bye I
" JOSEPHINE."
f__  = —L~ —= —~ —---
f~-~-~ —~=-= 




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      235
CHAPTER XII.
SEVERAL  LETTERS  FROM  JOSEPHINE-EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT OF MARSHAL NEY RESPECTING
LOUIS NAPOLEON'S FATHIER.
A    FEW   more letters from  Josephine will not fail
to interest the thoughtful reader.  The seventh
in the series will attract special attention, because it
discusses a question of absorbing interest to a majority of thinking people.  It joins issue squarely with
the dogmas of sectarianism, and, in the spirit of true
catholic charity, states plainly that the doctrine of
separating  loved  ones in  the spirit-world  is a libel
upon the Divine character:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. VII.)
"FRIENDS OF EARTH,-Time flies! Many years have sped
since I left my earth-form, to become a dweller in the realms of
truth and love.  Great changes have taken place since then in
the affairs of men, but the laws governing matter remain without variableness or shadow of turning.
" How few there are among you who comprehend the grand
truths that are wrapped up in your being, or the glorified destiny that awaits you! Bound to earth by selfish passions, all
your better nature lies asleep, and will, I fear, remain so until
death transforms you with its loving touch, and opens to your
soul's enraptured gaze the flowery portal of the spirit-world.
Out of this stupor you must be aroused.  Life has its practical
lessons, whicl ye must be taught. The purposes of being must
be understood, if you would fulfill intelligently the great mission




236                 STAR TLING FACTS INV
of existence.  The law of creation is motion; its manifestation,
progress. Labor disencumbers the soul, and enables it to give
forth higher expressions of its divine claracter. It is written on
all things, Work is progression; idleness is rust and retrogression.
"Friends, the progress you make on earth will be aids to
you when you enter tlie spirit-world.  Divest your mind as mucl
as possible  of all corroding  error.   Stand firm  in thle pure
atmosphere of truth and god-like principle.  One of the first
lessons you learn on eiitering spirit-life is, that knowledge is
a power tlhat can not perish.  Nature wastes notling; a force
created will live forever; all knowledge gained by man on earth
will be profitable to him after the death of his physical body.
"'The Church condemns to eternal separation the spirits
that have loved each otlher on earth, and makes tlhem  exiles
fiom joy and peace forever.  This dreadful penalty is attacled
to some error committed  in earth-life-some  law  of nature
disobeyed, some inhibited commandment of the Church disregarded.  I come to tell you tllis is not so.  You may have
stumbled on the path, and while you were staggering under
the weighlt of your errors, and the evils of misdirection, your
more favored companions may have advanced beyond you; but
you  are not to be separated forever.  You  will outgrow all
errors of earth-life in the spirit-world.  You have committed no
fatal mistake, no wrong which time will not rectify.  The cl.asm
of separation  will again be closed, and again you will rejoin
your fiiends, their equal in purity, their peer in wisdom, and
their companion in love.   These are the grand teachings of
modern spiritualism.  Deatl  does not rob you of your loved
ones.  Tley  are waiting for you  oil the threshold of their
shining homes, and  vwhen you enter the spirit land they will
guide you along  flowery pathways to their sublime abodes.
Tlhat will be the reward of your virtues and the triumph of
your suffering.
"0, lear friends, it is our privilege to know these reunions
will not be thwarted.  Here there are no accidents, no mistakes; law governs all.  Listen to the spirit-voices; they will
teacli you good and  pure  lessons, and  bring  joy  to  your
hearts.
"The tiny'ralps' blring messages fiom  your loved ones;
but ye fear them, or affect to believe them not.  Ye say tley are




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       237
beneath the dignity of glorified spirits.*  Do they not preach to
you more eloquently of the after-life tlhan all the pulpit-orators
in your land?  They assure you of continued existence beyond
the grave.  Faith you have, but not knowledge.  0, faith is
a dead form —an idol of clay, beautiful, but deceptive! Like
motlis sporting in a Summer-day, men and women, in a giddy
throng of fashion, follow it.  Being blind itself, where will it
lead, but into spheres of vice, crime, and discord?  The power
fails.                                          JOSEPHINE."
Somewhat similar in  character to  the foregoing
is  the  following  letter, a careful perusal of which
will show  that the  dogmas taught by  creed-bound
theologians are not in high  favor in the spirit-world.
We  learn, when  we  enter spirit-life, that we must
give  up  many  conceits, which  we  were  at special
pains to  acquire  in  this.  Among  the  most worthless "rubbish" cast away as detrimental to  spiritual
progress, that will litter the road leading to the Temple of Truth, will be catechisms, surplices, crucifixes,
chalices, holy  candles, wafer-plates, and  puddles of
holy water.  These will lie scattered, in bitter mockery of our fear and ignorance, all along our pathway:
(JOSEPHINE'S LE"TTERS, No. VII.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,Thee wlhole world is trying to explain away the mystery of spirit phenomenai, but, as yet, with
indifferent success.  A number of so-called scholarly men lave
advanced theories  whlich only tend to show  the poverty of
*And so they may be. Glorified spirits never condescend to address people of sucli inconsequential caliber.  Those who receive
inferior messages, find in them but the reflex image of their own instincts. Josephine ought to know that people who laud themselves by
such remarks belong to the new order of "shoddy," who alone deal in
such profligate dignity.  What could these well-dressed idiots dohow could they live-if they did not themselves occasionally administer such a sop to feed their inordinate vanity?  0 tempora! 0 mores!
NEP.
23




238                STARTLING FACTS IN
their resources, and the poor material of which great men are
sometimes fashioned.  Those who make no claims to scholarship, think more clearly on this subject, in many instances, than
the savants.
"It should be understood that the manifestations of spiritpower, now dawning upon your planet, are the legitimate result
of ages of hard work in the spirit-world.  The purpose is to
establish, among the people of the earth, social, political, and
religious freedom.  To be thwarted in this design by a cramped
and ignorant theocracy, is an exigency not to be tolerated hereafter.  The path of progress must be left unobstructed.  The
underbrush and rubbish must be cleared away; the work of
redeeming the world fi-om  ignorance and superstition must go
forward; and all who oppose its completeness will be made to
sink out of sight.
" The world has suffered by ignorance too long. The destiny of man will henceforth be better understood.  Those who
have misled the multitude by their fears, and built temples by
the tribute of'Peter's-pence,' will seek shelter in them fiom
the maddened passions of an outraged humanity.  Human
nature can endure much, and is of long suffering; but there is
a limit to the sublimest virtues.
"Spiritualisnm  has taught more truth to man, respecting
his post-mortemi existence, in the last twenty-five years, than
lad been slhed upon the world in the preceding five hundred.
It has educated people to think without fear; and thought is the
life-principle of the great center of intelligence.  It lhas aroused
the finer impulses of the soul into action, as the sun and dew
quicken into life the beautiful flowers of the earth.
"The Churches lhave attempted to impede its progress by
throwing their dark shadow athwart its shining pathway, but
in vain.  Men have become god-like, and now think for themselves.  What kills the plant so soon as to exclude it fi-om the
sunlight?  If it lives, it is only to maintain a feeble, sickly existance.  So with man, when you deny lim the freedom of reason
and the sunlight of truth.  He exhibits the unskilled accents
of the babe, the tottering step of the invalid, the vacant stare
of the demented.  Day by day they are taught the dogmas of
Church creeds.  They are commanded to believe, until reason
totters to its center, and existence becomes a purposeless blank
and life a living curse.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                    239
"Into these dark abodes of ignorance and superstition spiritual light is now streaming, and fear is being banished from
the minds of men.  Stand firm, ye noble workers in the form!
Back of the curtain of time there is great reward for ye who
do your duty well.                          JOSEPHINE."
On the reception of the foregoing letter, I asked
why the spirit-world did not develop good mediums
in  the  Churches, where  they  would, like  Oakes
Ames's pewter, do most good; to which the following was given in reply:
"Around every one is formed a band of spirits, and, when
in the Church, the magnetic influence fiom the members of the
congregation go out and surround the medium. This forms a
chain that holds the spirits back, and binds such to their old
doctrines and dogmas. This is the reason that no good medium
can attend an orthodox Church, and remain so. This is the
cause of so many failures.                  JOSEPHINE."
These letters of Josephine  were frequently suggested by conversations I held with Mrs. Hollis, or
others in her presence.  While a subject would be
under discussion, raps on  the table would  indicate
that the spirits had something to say on  the question  in  dispute. Mrs. Hollis would  then  hold  the
slate under the table, where they would write their
views freely.  In this way I ascertained that, whatever was being  said, was heard  and understood by
the spirits.  One day we were discussing the subject
of Napoleon's return to France, Mrs. Hollis having
implicit faith  in Josephine's  prediction, and I hesitating in my loyalty to such doctrine. The slate was
called for, when  the following was promptly  given:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. IX.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-We work by circles. The higher
gives to the lower. So from the bright sphere of wisdom comes




240                STARTLING FA CTS IN
many of the directions I give you from spirits who have long
since left the earth.
"Did the thought never occur to you, that those grand outbirths of geiiuzs wlich always startle the world, were but reincarnations of some brilliant mind that had lived before?  Think
of that.
We are working very hard to fiee this first sphere of many
errors that are choking out the higher truths.  We depend
upon workers to help us who are still in the form.  To aid in
tearing away the slavish fetters of creed from the human soul,
and to arouse to active thought millions of Church-sleepers, is
no ignoble mission.  We have no time to trifle..
" JOSEPHINE."
The  following letter is somewhat personal; but
in  it is  shown  the  disinterested  character  of the
writer, so much so that it will be read with satisfaction
on that account.  It contains other points of interest
as well, which will not escape the eye of the observant reader:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. X.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-All streams flow to the ocean.  So
it is with man, who is ever propelled by a grand law of his
nature, toward the sphere of inmmortal life.  Some pass along
without thought, others with indifference, and some with dread
approach the destiny that awaits them.  Now, what we want
to do, is to refine their coarse fiber, and put wisdom into their
thouglhtless brains.  This will bring out the nobler attributes
of tleir souls.
"All people need transplanting.  The old ground becomes
impoverished.  Memory must live, but we do not want that
memory to be darkened.  It is pleasant, when people.come to
spirit-life, to possess the remembrance of something good.
"We have not ruslhed into this work without thought.  Indeed, we never do any tling without first considering well.
There are some spirits, like mortals, who will say or do any
thing to please.  This class do great harm; but it can not be
helped.  The same law that opens a pathway for one to return
enables a million to do the same.  Now, if you have noticed












MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                     241
closely our communications, you will have observed that we
lhave very often directed our medium  to do many unpleasant
things, such as almost took her breathl at the time.  In this
way we do our duty, no matter whetlier it is pleasant or oilierwise.  We do not wish to cause menital or physical suffering,
but if they are incidental to the discharge of our duty, we do
not hesitate to inflict both. What we do is for the good which
may result from our action.
"Remember, I gave up my beloved husband that France
might have an lheir to her throne. Ah, sir. no woman's heart
ever suffered more than mine wlen making this sacrifice. I now
see it was for the best, but could not think so tlhen.  Work on
with a cheerful heart and a wise head. All will be well. The
whole spirit-world are your friends and fellow-workers in the
cause of justice, free thought, and truth.
"JOSEPHINE."
One of the most remarkable cabinet seaizces, which
will hereafter be more minutely recorded, was that in
which a number of French  spirits materialized, and
presented their faces at the aperture in the door of
the cabinet.  As they did this, their names were first
audibly announced.  When the beautiful face of Hortense Bonaparte was presented, I said to those in the
circle, "That is the mother of Louis Napoleon, but
I do  not observe  in  the  pictures  of the  son  any
resemblance to the mother."
As she retired  from  the light, the stalwart arm
of Marshal Ney  was projected into  the room, and,
picking tip the pencil fi-om the slate, wrote on it:
"The conditions under which the child was begotten
were not harmonious; so he does not look like either
of his parents."
I audibly  made  answer, " Was  not Hortense's
marriage a love-match?"
"She loved the emperor more," he wrote,




242            STARTLING FACTS IN
" Still, would her platonic affection for Napoleon
affect the organization of the child?" I asked.
"Napoleon," answered Ney, "was not much given
to sentiment.  His relation to Hortense was more
than platonic."
"But the child was born in wedlock?" I persisted.
"O yes: and so have thousands been; but it is a
wise child that knows its father."
"As I have but quite recently read the Life of
Josephine, I remember she speaks of Hortense charging her with being over-zealous in bringing about a
marriage that would separate her from the society of
the emperor.  I suppose Josephine had some cause
for desiring her daughter's marriage?"
"That was unkind and unjust in Hortense to
Josephine.  Her mother would have made any sacrifice for France and the emperor.  Her marriage to
Louis was a diplomatic affair. -It was arranged by
the emperor himself, and only urged by Josephine
on that account," wrote Ney.
"The relation you intimate as existing between
Napoleon and Hortense was pre-marital, of course?"
"Pre and post. The time I specifically refer to
was in the generation of Louis."
"Do you mean to say that the first emperor was
the father of the third?"
"As much so as of the second!"
"This is not generally understood or believed. I
never heard this statement before, nor have I ever
seen it in print. I do not think many suspect what
you have just said: though, of course, I do not know
what people think; but there is so little personal




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              243
resemblance existing between the first and third emperor, and their habits of thought and action are so
dissimilar, that your statement stands in vrai-semnblance to the facts, and may be fairly questioned."
"Are you quite sure you fully understand the law
of geniture?"
"Certainly not  But, on the contrary, I am quite
sure I do not understand it.  The only thought I
have on the s:ubject is, that physiological science
ought to prove the maxim of physical science true;
that is, that'like causes will produce like effects.'
Do n't'like beget like?'"
"Yes: but that implies the necessity of complete
spiritual harmony, and  perfect adaptation in the
begetting relation."
"Now  you obscure the whole matter.  If you
involve the subjects of temperaments, affinities, conjugalities, and the other fogities, in considering this
question, I must beg leave to remain quiet, and
receive whatever statement you make, without further
interruption or comment."
"Please yourself best.  The law of procreation
can only express itself perfectly when the conditions
are reciprocally harmonious. The emperor could npt
give a perfect expression of himself if there was not
a corresponding receptivity. The germinal third emperor was more beset with dancers to life and limb
than the daring leader of Lodi, or the coroneted
victor of Austerlitz."
"Taking this view of the subject, Marshal, the
begetment of a child in the likeness of its father is
a ram  avis, and to expect it to be a perfect type of




244              STA  TLING FACTS IN
both  parents, is-well, to draw  the first prize in a
grand lottery scheme."
"You are apt in your conclusions.   You now
understand how  the third emperor may be the son
of the first, without possessing either the mental or
physical characteristics of his father."
"I can understand that very well; but still the
fact remains that Louis Napoleon was born in wedlock, and there is no testimony on record to invalidate the  claim  of Louis, the  brother of the first
emperor, and the husband  of Hortense, from  beiing
the father of the present exiled Emperor of France."
At this juncture Ney began a most extraordinary
oral statement of the intimacies of Napoleon and
Hortense, in which he named circumstances, places,
persons, giving dates which are historically correct,
all tending  to prove his declarations true.  It was
the  most plausible circumstantial statement I ever
listened to.  He was proceding to clear up some obscure part of the testimony, when an audible voice
in  the  cabinet said, "Stop, Ney, you  have  said
enough."
Hereupon this remarkable revelation was brought
to a close.
All this is given as an introduction to the following communication, which was received next morning:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XI.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-Each day brings to light some hidden mystery of the past. Last night you were rather startled
by the revelations made concerniig my daughter. That which
was disclosed to you is true and well known in the spiritworld.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                         245
"When there is entire compatibility of temperaments, andl.
an interior love, these relations are well; but, if that does not
exist, then no such intimlacy should be maintained, as resultant
orranizations will suffer from  inharmony and discord.  The
spirit, however highly developed it may be, can not express
itself through  an  imperfect matrix.   Those who are  thus
wrongly begotten may struggle and writhe under their unfortunate conditions, but they will ever suffer, while in the form,
the penalties of the violated laws of the conjugal relation.
"So, in ttis instance, my daughter loved Napoleon; but
there was not that mutual adactationi for a plerfect expression
of the procreative law.  Therefore Louis is not an entire success.  The flowers drink in the dew  and sunlight, anld become more beautiful and lovely.  So slould the soul-love and
heart-sympathy be attracted.  If tie emperor Ilad been to Hortense as the sun is to the flowers, tleir offspring would have
been all that could be desired, and the necessity for another
Napoleon being born in France obviated.  The medium  is
exlausted.                                       JOSEPHINE."
We will present but one  more of these interesting letters at this time.  A  second  series will follow,
in  connection  with  the phenomena occurring  in the
dark circles and the table-manifestations, during Mrs.
Hollis's last engagement:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XII.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-I will try again to give you some
ideas to enlighten -mankind.  The only religion that will save
the world fiom its sins, and raise it from  its degradation, must
find its way to the hearts of men through the filtering process
of human reason.  Science and philosophy will be its handmaids, and eternal laws and immutable truths its gospels.'Deep down in the soul, there is an intense longing to
know  something of man's future life-to know really whether
le is immortal or not.  Churches have been founded to gratify
these desires, but their speculations arie unsatisfying.  Wordy
declamation will not feed the soul.  It can only subsist on tile
bread of life, which must be leavened with knowledge.  To a
mother who has lost her child, the teachings of the Church




246               STARTLING FACTS IN
can give but little consolation.  Her heart aches the more
when she is told it is God's will to take her darling away. The
criminal sinks beneath a load of laws he never understood;
and in his ignorant extremity he is told to repent, and put his
sins on Christ, if he would be perfectly happy.  No man born
with the common instincts of justice in his soul, ever believed
that story. He may say what he pleases; deep down in his
spirit he accepts no such doctrine.  He hopes it may be true;
but that will not make it so.  0, let it be understood, that
when the spirit-world opens wide to your view, you will then
learn that an eternity is too short to lose the memory of a
broken law of nature; that a darkness will ever hover around
the sin, until the spirit becomes pure and enlightened. All sin
must be atoned for by the sinner.  Reparation is the only
acceptable repentance, saith the law.  Sin and suffering go
hand in hand.
"How many are hungering for light and knowledge, and
yet how few there are who have the moral courage to grasp
the truth when it is presented to them! They start in trepidation when it comes in the simple words of a mother,'I still
live and love you.' When in the form, these were welcome
words that warmed your heart, and inspired your soul with
love. Why should they be less so now?  Laying aside the
physical does not change their character.  0 no, my dear
fiiends: your loved ones are still human, possessing the same
love that filled their souls when they were with you in the
form. Death has not robbed them of a single faculty.  Their
love has grown more intense, and they desire you to listen to
their voices. 0, my dear fiiends, you are throwing away golden
opportunities when you reject us.  Let us tell you of our bright
homes, where you will one day come, and from which you may
return to earth, if you desire to talk to your loved ones again.
Listen, and treat us with common politeness.  This is all we
ask.  The spirit-world will give you knowledge you do not
possess. This is the savior you have been expecting so long.
"My dear friend, how grateful I am to you for your kindness! Accept the love and devotion of
JOSEPHINE BONAPARTE."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.            247
CHAPTER XIII.
SPIRIT TELEGRAPHING-FRANK STEVENS'S MESSAGES
WRITTEN IN TELEGRAPHIC CHARACTERS-NOLAN
DESCRIBES SPIRIT TELEGRAPHS-INSPIRATIONAL
IDEAS-BRIDGE-BUILDING —ROEBLING AS A MEDIUM.
IN  Mrs. Hollis's second engagement, about the
middle of November, 187I, at the close of a dark
circle, held in the back room of the third story of
my dwelling, the first sounds of spirit telegraphing
were heard. I made a minute of the circumstance
at the time of its occurrence, from which I extract
the following:
"The usual manifestations had ceased, when the
spirit of a telegraph-operator began to write by'taps.'
There was not a person in the room that could'read
by sound;' so whatever the import of the communication may have been, it was not understood. The
experiment continued for a quarter of an hour, the'taps' varying, as I have heard them, when the key
of an instrument was being manipulated by a regular
operator in transmitting messages. I make a record
of this circumstance, with the belief that the spirits
inten I employing this means to communicate with
their friends in the form."
After this manifestation had terminated, and before




248             STARTLING FACTS IN
the conditions of the circle were changed, I said to
Jimmy Nolan, "What does all this mean?"
"It was an experiment in telegraphing," was his
reply.
"By whom?" I asked.
"A spirit entered the circle by permission of our
band.  He brought a telegraph instrument, upon
wlhich he operated.  He did not give his name, or
speak while he remained."
" Had I known he was coming, I would have
engaged the services of a'sound-reader,' to receive
his messages."
"This, I understand, was only an  experiment,
which will be hereafter repeated."
"Was it a success?"
"I don't know.  The operator seemed to be satisfiec, but said nothing."
This was about the substance of the conversation
I had with Mr. Nolan at the time; he promised,
however, to keep me advised if any thing important
should be disclosed in that direction.
I began to reflect on this new method of communicating with the spirit-world, and fancied, if it
could be accomplished, its success would mark a
new and important era in the history of mani.  My
notions, of course, were crude and vague, almost' without form, and void;" still, to my apprehension,
these "taps" foreshadowed a new revelation of divine
law, which, in its operation, would exert an elevating
influence upon the destiny of the human race.
When the Atlantic cable was first submerged,
great anxiety was felt for the success of the experi



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               249
mernt.  Men looked at each other anxiously, as if the
Great Eastern  contained  their personal treasures.
The success of the enterprise was felt to be important to all; and it was only after the electric
pulse of the Old World throbbed through the heart
of the New, that the painful suspense was broken,
and the people shouted for joy. The names of FIELD
and MORSE became immortal as their spirits.  Their
god-like intellects had struggled with the imponderable forces, and won another victory over ignorance,
bigotry, and superstition, more potent for good and
elevating purposes to the human family than all the
pious pulpit, platitudes that have sounded since the
reign of Caesar.  Let their names and fame be enshrined in gratitude forever!
On the other side of the great ocean of Life
there are grand spiritualized minds working out more
intricate problems, for the uplifting of the human
family, than any known to mortal.  Having demonstrated the actuality of the after-life, they now seek to
open communication between the two worlds, which
will enable our loved ones, dead, to speak again.
More than this, they seek to place the people of our
planet in spiritual communication with those who
inhabit the incomprehensible systems of suns and
moons and stars, which scintillate, like tiniest nebulae, upon the unmapped bosom of space. When they
shall have succeeded in this, our poor groaning earth
will for all time shake off its hideous nightmare of
priestcraft, and kingly rule shall curse it never more.
The public notice I gave to these telegraphic
"taps" attracted the attention of a gentleman in




250            STARTLING FACTS IN
Cincinnati, an accomplished "operator," who had long
been connected with the telegraph business.  In an
interview  with him, he suggested the propriety of
placing a telegraph instrument in the dark circle,
for the spirits to operate with.  I did this, but they
could not use the key any more than to give a "call."
The spirits said a battery must be formed, and an
operator taught before a success could be pronounced.
My suggestion was to take time, but stick to it until
completed.  Before any  headway could be made
with the new experiment, Mrs. Hollis's engagement
expired, and she returned to Louisville.  Soon after,
I forwarded an instrument to her, with the request
that she would continue the experiments, and report
to me fiom time to time the progress being made.
I wrote also to James Nolan that there was a telegraph-operator in the spirit-world by the name of
Frank Stevenzs, who, perhaps, would assist in carrying forward the work in hand.  Stevens was well
known in Cincinnati as a telegraphic expert, and a
man of untiring energy.  His name was suggested
by one who knew him well.
The experiments continued almost a year without
giving much satisfaction. It was not until the 30th
of October, I872, that Nolan wrote: "It will take
us some time to get this thing to work. Do not feel
discouraged. I think we will succeed; and, if we do,
it will certainly revolutionize the whole system of
telegraphing."
I had no thought of being discouraged; so I
wrote in reply: "I am hale and hearty, with my'first
wind.' Go ahead, Jim, if it takes another year! Write




MODERN SPIRITUALISZM.                  25 I
no such nonsense to me!  Success will compensate
for all!  Patience  and perseverance will win!  Get
Stevens to aid you!"
On the 6th  of November, just one  week  after
Jim had written, Josephine wrote me as follows:
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-We are very desirous that this new
manifestation shall be given through our medium, and will make
strong efforts to effect perfect results. We are trying to get
our instrument in order. If we succeed, it will be one of the
great sensations of the day, for by it we will bring some new
ideas to earth in regard to telegraphing.
"Yesterday I went to Franklin and Morse, and talked to
them on the subject. They will join in the work, and are sanguine of success."
On the  12th of November, just one year from
the time these experiments were commenced, Mrs.
Hollis wrote:
"While holding the paper-frame under the table,
this morning, I got these dots.  You may get some
one to tell you their meaning, if they have any.  I
was going to throw  them  in  the waste-basket, but
JIM insisted that I should send them to you:
I soon found an interpreter for "these dots," and
placed'the paper on which they were written in his
hand.  As he scrutinized the characters, I watched.
closely his face, to read thereon the purport of this
mystery.  I felt assured, before he spoke, that "these




252            STARTLING FACTS IN
dots" were intelligible, and my anxiety abated. Still
I was curious to know  what they signified.  Without speaking a word, he wrote with his pencil on the
bottom of the paper:
"We will do our best to give you telegraphing.
It may take time, as all things do.
"F. STEVENS."
"That's all," he said, handing me the paper again.
" Well, that is enough," I thought.  It was the
very thing I wanted.  This writing was a success!
but I decided to await further developments.  On
the day following the reception of "these dots," Mrs.
Hollis wrote again:
"The instrument works well without my hands
being near it, but whether it works intelligibly  or
not, I do not know.  Come and see what you think
of it.  It is certainly very wonderful."
I accordingly arranged to visit Louisville on the
I7th of November, and, in the afternoon of that day,
sought to "interview" the spirits on the subject of
establishing telegraphic communication between the
two worlds.  It turned out not to be a good time
for "interviewing," as they not only refused to give
me a tap on the key, but, by a provoking reticence,
ignored the subject ii toto.  Several spirit-friends
wrote letters of a personal character; but these were
not exactly what I wanted.  They did not make any
allusion to the subject I was most interested in.
" Business is business," I remarked on the following morning, as we again sat to the table, "and I
wish the spirits to make the best use of time, as
I am on the limit." It was only a few minutes after




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              253
this gentle reminder, that the following characters
were traced on a commercial sheet, and flung from
under the table:
24




254            STARTLING FACTS IN
I am told, by a gentleman who is well qualified
to know, that there are but few errors in this telegram, and that the characters are made with accuracy.  To this gentleman I am  indebted for the
following translation of the communicatiol:
"TO THE PEOPLE.
"I am trying to perfect telegraphing. It will only
be one of the countless steps of a never-ending development, which began far back in the past, and is
to extend through the infinity of future time. We
will first give you raps, then will come the long messages of assurance there is life beyond this earth.
What other doctrine is so reasonable? so logical? so
consoling? so encouraging? "What other can offer
such powerful incitements to activity? We are putting aside the material that has covered the faces
of the dead. We are bringing a purer atmosphere,
causing the upturned eye of mortals to behold the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                255
light. We are breaking away the clouds of ignorance
and superstition which have so long obscured their
vision.
" Telegraphing will add another link to the mighty
chain. I shall be glad to do all that will be in the
power of immortal to aid.
"FRANK STEVENS."
A  few minutes after receiving the above address,
another communication, in  telegraphic  characters,
was thrown from  under the table, of which the following is a translation:
"MY FRIEND W.,-I am glad to be able, in so short a
space of time, to give these marks. I shall leave nothing untried to perfect this work. Many spirits with myself think it
will be a grand and glorious achievement. My friends who
knew me on earth will cheerfully attest that I was a man of
energy, and I can assure you I have lost none of it by putting
aside the physical. I never knew the word'failure' on earth.
I don't now. I am happy, and will often communicate with
you. Good-bye!                    FRANK STEVENS."
"November I8, I872."
These  two  communications were written in a
space of time not exceeding ten minutes, on paper,
in excellent characters, in a lighted room, while Mrs.
Hollis was talking freely of her proposed trip south,
to spend the Winter months.  I made this statement
to a young man-a telegraph-operator-who is not
very modest in the estimate of his own ability, when
he proceeded to enlighten me how these things could
be done by the person holding the slate.  Of course,
I listened until he had finished, when I proposed to
pay him  a year's salary, not exceeding five thousacnd
dollars, if he would get me two as well-written communications, of equal length, in the same space of
time, and under precisely the same circumstances.




256            STARTLING FACTS IN
The proposition was made to reward him  for his
uncommon modesty. I will now make a similar offer
to any telegraph-operator in the United States or
Europe, and will modify it so as to make the amount
ten thousand dollars, providing there is a forfeiture of
one hzunzdred dollars for every failure that attends the
effort.  I think this a good chance to any man of
ability to make a small fortune if he has only confidence and modesty enough to try the experiment.
The interest excited by the reception of these
telegraphic communications induced me to seek an
interview  with Jim  Nolan on the subject; so the
room was darkened, and it was only a few minutes
after when he said:
"Doctor, you have the writinzg'
"Yes: but will it ever amount to any thing?"
"Certainly! Why not? The time is not very
distant when telegraphic communication between the
two worlds will be as much established as it is now
between Louisville and Cincinnati."
"Do you really think so?"
" Did you not receive two communications, written
in telegraph characters, an hour ago?"
"I did; but-"
"That should convince you there are spirits here
who understand how  to handle a telegraph instrument."
"That's very true. But does it follow that you
can establish conditions by which the instrument
can be worked? The communications I received were
written on paper, in telegraph characters, I admit;
but could they be given through an instrument?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              25 7
"Doctor, it is no more difficult to telegraph a
word than it is to write it.  In both cases it requires
practice.  That which is needed here, is a band of
electricians to sustain the communicating spirit, while
he handles the key of the instrument."
"Will you succeed in organizing such a band?"
"To be sure we will."
"Will you be able to dispense with human mediums then?"
"0 no; we can do nothing without human magnetism.  We can not form a hand to work the key
without it."
"It will be necessary, then, to keep a medium
near, to supply the element with which you materialize the spirit-hand that manipulates the key?"
"That is it, exactly!"
"It is said, Jim, that all inventions, all the discoveries we make in science, are common with you
in the spirit-world. Is that true?"
"Nearly so. We have them  more perfect than
you.
"Had you the electric telegraph in the spiritworld before it was discovered by Morse?"
"Yes: and as fast as we c!an find better mediums
than Morse, we give our improvements. To him was
given as much of the principle as he could make use
of in constructing his machine.  He was a medium
of our will to that extent.  Others have received additional information, and  still further acquisition
of knowledge will enable you to make still further
improvements."
"I perceive, then, you impart your ideas or infor



25 8           STARTLING FACTS fN
mation by installments?  Can you improve on our
present system of telegraphing? or have you any thing
better in the spirit-world?"
" Baron Swedenborg revealed a great truth to the
world in his disclosures of the law of correspondence."
"I understand by this, that whatever exists on
earth has its counterpart in the spirit-world."
"If you transpose your proposition, you will be
more accurate."'  0, you would have me state it, that whatever
exists in the spirit-world finds its correspondence
here?"
"You are approaching exactness.  Let me state
it:'Whatever you possess, exists with us more perfect than with you."'
"Have you any thing more perfect than metallic
wires for conveying electric currents?"
"Yes: we have electric currents without the wires.
These are as appreciable to our eyes as your metal
conductors, and the battery  which  enables us to
transmit our thoughts is simply zwill-power.  We
not only send thoughts, but we go ourselves faster
than you can conceive.  Your metal conductors are
simply the channels through which electric currents
flow.  We see these currents in the wire as you see
the wire.  We can outstrip them, as light moves
faster than sound."
"I understand, then, that you make this distinction between our wires and their correspondence in
the spirit-world.  Over the first are transmitted electric currents alone, while over yours are thrilled
electro-magnetic currents.  Now, I am  a little con



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              259
fused in apprehending this distinction.  It sounds to
me like'tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee."'
"I can't help that!  By the aid of electricity
and Puck, you say, you can put a girdle around the
world in twenty minutes; by the use of our electro— mnagzetic currents and will-power, I can make the
trip myself in half the time."
"You are quick as lightning, Jim.  We have no
use for such celerity.  But, tell me, do you think
these electro-magnetic currents will ever supersede
the metal wires we have in use?"
"The time is near when, with an improved instrument, these celestial currents will be utilized
for the benefit of the world, and not only convey
messages from  city to city, but they will become
channels for the transmission of thought between
the natural and the spirit world."
"You are getting me a little befogged on this
subject. Let me think a little. This doctrine of correspondence is a little new. Will it bear a general
application?"
"Certainly   That is, whatever you possess, exists
with us more perfect than with you."
"You strip us, then, of all creative power, and
make us merely imitators?"
"Not exactly! It is only when you come in competition with the spirit-world that we surpass you.
Man in the form  has created nothing valuable to
the world that is not found existing  here. You
model our ideas the best you can."
"Jim, have you seen the great' suspension-bridge
which spans the Ohio River at Cincinnati?"




260            STARTLING FA CTS IN
"0 yes; and have crossed it frequently with my
medium and yourself."
"Well, isn't that rather creditable as a human
achievement? You will admit that, to Mr. Roebling's
brain we are indebted for this noble monument of
his genius?"
"Do you know what a brain is, Doctor?"
"I have seen a brain!"
"Of a man?"
"Of many men, and horses too!"
"Well, the brain of a horse and the brain of a
man, in substance, vary but little."
" You quibble, Jim. You know very well I meant
Mr. Roebling's mind, not his material brain!"
"An intangible principle, which exists independent of matter, and expresses itself as intelligently
through the brain of a bird as through the brain of
a man.  I will accept your substitution of mind for
material brain, but wish to ask you a few  questions, which may assist us to consider this bridgebuilding in a somewhat clearer light.  First: What
relation does mind  sustain  to  matter?  Second:
Does mind exist independent of matter? And, third:
Is mind so individualized that we can emphatically
say it was Mr. Roebling's mind that originated the
bridge?"
"It is easier to ask perplexing questions than it
is to answer them. I fear, instead of simplifying the
bridge question, you are making it more intricate.
Still, I answer in general terms, that mind and matter, if not identical, are at least so intimately related
that the destruction of the one involves the loss of




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               261 
the other. That is, I do not think they exist independent of each other; therefore they become unitized,'flesh of one flesh, and bone of one bone.'"
"That is a monstrous doctrine you profess to
believe.  Let us examine it.  Mr. Roebling, as you
knew  him, no longer exists.  His mind, inseparably
wedded to matter, has been buried with his brain
and body.  That means annihilation, according to
the infallible laws of chemistry.  The body becomes
disorganized, and ceases to exist in a tangible condition.  Your logic compels the mind to share the
fate of the body."
"Jim, you have arrived at a conclusion repugnant
to my feelings.  All the instincts of my nature recoil
at the thought of annihilation.  I now perceive I have
been entertaining a conceit-an undigested notionwhich, like an iridescent soap-bubble, collapses when
touched. Make clear to my understanding the knowledge you possess on. this subject of mind and its
relation to matter.  I will listen more, and talk less."
"Death is the act of divorcement of the mind
from the body.  The body perishes; that is, its form
is resolved into elemental conditions.  Essentially, it
is indestructible, but the mind pervading the body is
eternal in duration. On earth, mind clothes itself with
matter, in the elemental world it clothes itself with
spirit. In its purest condition, mind is supreme intelligence; but when expressed through matter, its
wisdom  is less perfect than when it speaks through
a spirit-form.  It will thus be seen that there are
two conditions or forms through which the Supreme
Mind expresses itself.  First: The earth, or material
2.5




262             STARTLING FACTS TN
form  composed of concreted elements called matter.
Second: The spirit-form, which is really matter in
its more sublimated or discreted condition.. The latter form enables the expression of the higher truths,
and  transmits them  to  the coarser forms, which
move on the elemental plane of life. Hence, the ideas
of the natural world originate in the spirit-world,
and the truths of the spirit-world emanate from the
Supreme Mind.  Perfect organizations are unfolded
for the expression of purest thought.  Faulty organ- 
izations-alas! the world is full of them-can not i
grasp the higher truths of spirit-life.
"I will illustrate my thought with the case in
point. The suspension-bridge is but an actual expression of an idea-the tangible of the intangible; the
materialized, immaterial thought.  The thought was
spiritual, and found its expression through Roebling's
brain, as sounds are reflected through the bosom of
the winds.  Thus he only becomes the medium  of
the thought, not the originator-the inspired, not the
inspiration. History is full of the grand achievements
of men and women who have been but mediums for
the outbirths of spiritual ideas.  The natural world,
you will now perceive, is a necessity of the spiritual
world.  It completes the circuit of unfolding and
progressing life.  Through matter, thus, the spiritworld proclaims its grandest truths.  All men are
mediums, to subserve some special purpose; but few
there are who possess such fine-strung harmony in
their natures, that the highest truths may, through
them, find expression.  Of such was Haydn, whose
soul thrilled with spiritual harmonies, which found




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               263
expression in his immortal'Oratorio.'  Raphael's
spiritual vision opened upon the sweet face of the' Madonna and Child,' before he transfixed them with
enduring pigments upon the glowing canvas.  Phidias gazed upon  his'Nemesis' and  his majestic'Olympian Jupiter,' as they lay dreaming in the unshapely blocks of marble, ere a chisel-mark was
made or a hammer-sound was heard, fashioning them
with dignity and expression. Shakespeare caught the
inspiration of eternal verities, and marshaled them in
deathless procession along the lines of his immortal
verse.  0, my dear friend, there is a world of beauty
which the natural eye doth not see! It is a world of
melody that the natural ear doth not hear.  It is
peopled with intelligences which but few understand.
It is the source of natural life, supplying you with all
that is true and beautiful and good."
"Now, Jim, stop this rhapsodizing.  I have no
doubt but you have spoken the truth; but we started
to talk about material things, and here you have
whipped me off into airy nothing, into the realms of
intangible speculation.  Please answer me this practical question: Could this bridge have been built without Mr. Roebling's brain to superintend its coustruction    Now, stick to the point squarely, and no
dodging."
" I have already stated that brain-substance, essentially, is the same in man and beast.  You mean the
mind flowing through  Roebling's material organization? Mind is impersonal."
"Well, if that suits you better, answer!"
"No: not: that. particular bridge.  It would be




264            STAR TLING FA CTS IN
impossible to find another organization precisely like
Mr. Roebling's, through which Ynmilzd could so exactly
express itself.  The bridge embodied  the highest
truths which Mr. Roebling was capable of receiving
at the time. But, one year later, he became the recipient of a new influx of ideas, which discovered to
him  errors that would have been corrected in the
construction of another bridge.  Man is eternally unfolding his faculties, placing himself thereby in more
intimate relation with the-causative world. The Mr.
Roebling who built the bridge at Cincinnati was not
the  same gentleman  who constructed  the bridge
across Niagara River.  Organizations through which
min;d develops itself are changing day by day. The
mind of Webster, almost god-like as it was, flowing through a different organization, might be stale,
vapid, and commonplace.  Or it might, under more
favorable conditions, exhibit itself with such grandeur and strength that all its former achievements
would be dwarfed in comparison.  Mind will exhibit
its quality whenever a medium  is found, whether
it be through the brain of a Webster or'Blind
Tom.'
"There are no two things exactly alike in the universe. All organizations of matter are individualized.
That is the reason the suspension-bridge could not
have been constructed by any other than Mr. Roebling's mind. I fear the distinction I make between
brain and mind-or, the better statement would be,
mind and matter-is a little obscure."
"No: your distinction is well made; still I can
not surrender my brain-theory to your mind-theory




MODERN SPIIITUALISM.              265
without further illustrations. In the organization of
the brain, is there not some center of motion wherein
thought is generated, where there is a galvanic action
of brain-glands by which all your spiritual ideas may
be explained?"
"If there is such a self-acting organization in
which a spring of intelligence spontaneously flows in
the structure of the human brain, you should point
it out, else you will be charged with the insincerity
of following a devious fancy, rather than the guidance
of a fact.  The French writer, Descartes, advanced
the thought that the pinealf gland, which is a little
soft, gray substance of a conical shape, situated just
above the quadri gezmina, was the seat of the soul
and the center of mind.  It is in this little glandno larger than a marrow-fat pea-where the great
creative power (of bridge-building) is born.  Its tiny
chambers become the picture-galleries of all the ideas
you illustrate in matter.  All thought, all passion, all
impulse, all acti6n, springs from this common center.
Do you think Descartes was a philosopl4er, Doctor?
But spare your breath, for he has presented the best
theory for the material origin of ideas that has yet
been essayed. It is the only demonstrated argument
that has as yet been attempted."
"As I am not a follower of Descartes, I may speak
of his pineal gland hypothesis with entire freedom.
It seems absurd to my mind."
"And yet no more absurd than to talk about'a
change of heart,' which thirty thousand or more paid
priests are doing all over your land, every day and
night in the year."




266            STARTLING FACTS ZN
"I fear you are irreverent, Jim.  You have so
little respect for the cloth."
"I fear so, too, I have but little reverence or
respect for men or cloth, when they impede the influx
of truth to the understanding of the world.  It is
good for us all that this'pineal gland' theory is not
true, else the old'infallible' blatherskite would concentrate all his official cursings into one word, and
call it lizh/ztzninzg, with which pineals would be St.
Bartholomewized in a jiffy, or be damned as'flat as
fips.'
"Well, let the pineal glands go, and return to the
bridge. I fear I do not understand you exactly. Suppose I admit the idea of the bridge to have been
imported by Roebling through the custom-house of
his brain: now  that we have it in a materialized
expression, have we not secured it for all time?"
"A  prisoner you would make it?  No: you have
only secured the shadow of the idea. The idea itself
is indestructible."
"But the bridge-"
"Is a mere shadow!"
"A hundred thousand tons of granite and iron?"
"Yes, a hundred thousand millions.  Ideas are
eternal, but matter has no permanent form.  There
are reciprocal forces ever at work building up new
and destroying old forms. Children come, and men
go.  So granite and iron.  The destruction of your
bridge is only- a question of time, which, measured
by eternity, is but half a swing on the pendulum of
the clock of the universe."
"And these forces will destroy my body?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                267
"What if they do?"
"But I-"
"Will live, like the idea of the bridge, forever!
Your body is nothing but a crystallization of elements about the form of your spirit.  It can't think!
It is not you, no more than is your old coat!"
"But your logic annihilates my body; and that is
all I know myself to be."
"You are to be pitied! You are startled by the
tholught of having your body annihilated.  How does
the allnnihilation of two cities irmpress you? Two have
recently expired in flames.* Do you expect them to
be reorganized as they were before their elements
were liberated by fire?"
"But,: Jim, there is a difference in the building
material of a city, and the material of a human body?"
" Human bodies were burned with the cities. Did
the fire discriminate in their destruction?"
"No i"
"Of course not!  The same elements are found
in building-material for houses that are found in the
building-material for bodies.  Lime in the stone, lime
in the bone.  When chemistry discovers an element,
she calls it by name, and does not say it belongs
exclusively to a cow or a dog or a pig-headed man;
does she?"
"The body of a horse, I understand you to say,
is composed of the same elements as the body of a
man?  What difference, then, is there  between  a
horse and a man?"
Mind! And that only in quantity, not in quality.
*The destructive fires of Boston and Chicago are here alluded to.




268             STARTLING FACTS IN
Thorough-bred horse-sense compares favorably with
the'scrub-sense' of the uneducated clod-pole."
"Jim, you have trotted around'Robin Hood's
barn' several times, and have got me in a perspiration.  Will you please tell me just exactly, and in
few words, what you are drivinz   at?"
"Don't stultify the subject by'lingo.'  Do you
not see that all niy illustrations prove that ideas have
a spiritual origin; that they are organized forces,
seeking material expression  to  benefit the world;
that they find you, not you them?  Thus the ideal
bridge found a medium for giving the best expression
of itself throu~gh Roebling's organization.  The telegraph found one in Morse. Steam begged of Fulton
to utilize it for the benefit of man. The spirit sewingmachine could find no better medium  at the time
than Howe.  And impersonal truths have poured
their inspirations into  the  receptive brains of all
men that have lived in the world since the morninog
of Brahma to the high noon of Walt Whitman."
"I understand you, then, to reverse the accepted
order of things. All our great discoveries, you allege,
are but inspirations from  the spirit-world; that man
creates nothing, only as he is acted upon by intelligence outside of himself; that he does not even
discover law, but law discovers him?"
"Your statement is nearly correct."
"I fear this sort of spiritualism will find but few
advocates?"
"That makes no difference in the status of truth.
The multitude do not think.  They follow the lead
or the most noise.  The'still, small voice' is never




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               269
heard by the boisterous rabble.  Don't talk to me
about the ui-thizikingz herd. One clear-headed, brave
thinker, through whom  the senate of the skies delivers its grand truths to the world is worth more
to mankind than a million purblind, bigoted, creedbound moles and bats, who chatter and grin about
their  creeds, their  baubles, and  their  splendid
ch urches."
"You would be crucified, Jim, for uttering such
sentiments, if you lived in Cincinnati."
"I know that very well; but the truth would live
without me.  And yet Cincinnati is no worse than
Boston, Baltimore, or Philadelphia.  All cities are
made up of money-changers, stock-jobbers, pawnbrokers, factors, venders and drinkers of lager-beer,
butchers, soap-boilers, tobacco-dealers, shop-keepers,
hucksters, and fashionable wine-drinkers.  What appreciation can spiritual truths receive at such hands?
Such people believe in the commodities they handle.
Have they not stomachs to feed, backs to clothe,
and respectability to maintain?
"But, Jim, are they not happy?"
"O yes:'t is true, and pity't is,'t is true, that he
is happiest who has most flesh and blood, the strongest sinews, and the stoutest stomach. But what of
him as a spirit?"
"I do n't know!"
"Think a little! Good-bye!"




270           STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XIV.
A HOST OF SPIRITS-TWO PRIVATE LETTERS-COLONEL PIATT MYSTIFIED-A SINGULAR VISION-MOHAMMED'S AUTOGRAPH —JOSEPHINE  EXPLAINSNEY AND NOLAN TO BE SEEN.
O N the morning succeeding the remarkable interview recorded in the last chapter, I proposed
leaving for home; but, before starting, I desired to
say " good-bye " to those spirits who felt an interest
in my movements.  For this purpose Mrs. Hollis
again held the slate; and it was only a few minutes
when, from  the frame, a sheet of paper dropped
upon the floor; then another, and another, at intervals of three to five minutes.  These were covered
with written signatures, mostly the names of spirits
that had at different times written or spoken to me.
They gave no messages, but in this manner simply
announced their presence. I have had one of these
pages engraved as a specimen, thinking that the
-varied chirography might interest even the most
casual reader. There are four capital J's that look
as if they might have all been written by the same
penman; but who is he? Yet the capital J in Mary
Jordan's name is as unlike the others as possible.
Excepting Josephine Bonaparte, John H. Bradley,
James Nolan, and Daniel M'Dowell, the remainder
are signatures of kins-people:




MODERN SPIRITUALSM.    271
^^^^ ^^^
d~es~ L~h,k
^C^^t^it~tc </6  ^<J1




272            STARTLING FACTS IN
While we were examining these autograph sheets
on the top of the table, almost continuous rapping
was heard underneath, which we understood to be a
call for the slate.  Mrs. Hollis held it as before,
and it was not more than five minutes when a letter
was written, which purported to be from the wife of
a congressman by the name of Goforth, living in or
near Lafayette, Indiana.  There was nothing in the
letter that could be of the least interest to the public, and I only mention the fact because it occurred
precisely in the manner stated.  I mailed the letter
to the M. C., by request of the' writer, but have not
heard whether it ever reached him  or not.  At the
time, I had no knowledge of such an individual being
in existence, but since then have been informed that
a person of that ilk had really a habitation and a
name in and about the vicinity of Lafayette.  Alas
for congressional honor!
"It seems to be a good morning for the spirits,
Mrs. Hollis," I said.  "See if there are any others
who desire to say something."  Again the slate was
put under the table, and again we succeeded in capturing another letter.  This time the communication
was for Colonel Donn Piatt, Washington City, D. C.,
and, like the preceding one, was also of a private
character. The letter was accompanied by a similar
request, that it should be mailed to the given address.
Of course, I obeyed instructions, and in due time
received the Colonel's acknowledgments for the same.
The following extract from  Colonel Piatt's letter
contains the exceptionable views he entertains in
reference to the spiritual origin of these mysterious




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                   273
communications.  And yet he does not seem  to be
more satisfied with his own theory of "subtle characterizations" than  with  the  startling  facts  which
stare  him  in the face, and  "will not down at his
bidding."  He writes:
"For myself. Doctor, all that I can say is, that I am puzzled
without being convinced. I know that the medium has nothing
whatever to do with the manifestations beyond furnishing the
power, whatever that is; but I must yet lhave other and better
proof to convince me that the intelligence is fiom the spirits of
the departed. The more I strive to convict my understanding,
the more unsatisfactory it becomes. For example, tlhe letter
before me is not the voice of-. The namses mIentioned, and the
facts referred to, are startling; but those subtle characterizations
that convince as' soon as seen,' are wanting."
The italicized parts of the above show very clearly
that Colonel Piatt's position is similar to that of many
others who have had to deal with mental phenomena.
He would have our fiiends speak, write, and think, just
as they did before leaving the earth.  It seems, however, in the vicissitudes to which the spirits are exposed in obtaining power to manifest their presence,
that they do compromise in some manner their individual characteristics by which they were known as
"soon as seen."  Jim  Nolan has said, many times,
that when spirits return  to communicate with their
friends, as soon as they take on the conditions which
enable them  to manifest, they are influenced or limited in their expression  by the mental and temperamental conditions of those constituting the magnetic
sphere in which they work.  For the time being, they
are  entirely  dependent on those  persons for their
power to speak or write or think, just as a musician




274              STARTIXNG FACTS IN
is dependent upon the instrument through which to
give expression  to  his inward harmony.  Had the
colonel been  present himself, by  the introduction
of a new element, the whole character of the communication he received  might, and probably wou1a,
have been entirely changed, and those "subtle ~,naracterizations" supplied.that are now  wanting.  We
experience a similar phenomenon in our intercourse
with people. There are those in whose presence we
are almost stifled to find words to convey our most
familiar thoughts in an intelligible manner. Others
become a source of inspiration to us, and by their
unconscious aid we grow  eloquent, elegant, and elevated in our thoughts, expression, and action.  Public
speakers especially have observed  this difference in
their audiences.  The effect is obvious, but the cause
obscure.  In view  of all the circumstances, my surprise is, not that the spirits are able to individualize
so little, but so much.  We expect too much and
think  too little ourselves.  They do  their best to
manifest; do we to understand?  May not our intellectual standard of criticism  be faulty?  Are we
so clear in our apprehension that we see every effect
in its right relation to the producing cause?  "I see
two objects," says the mal-formed optic.  I can not
see one, says the blind man.  Both are right wronzg.
"Go, wiser thou, and, in thy scale of sense,
Weigh thy opinion against Providence;
Call imperfection, what thou fanciest such;
Say here he gives too little, there too much.
In spite of pride, in erring reason's spite,
One truth is clear, whatever is, is right."..........




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               275
By closely scrutinizing the ideas in the communications, however imperfect their verbal expression
may be, we are always able to discriminate between
a developed and undeveloped intelligence. Cultivated
thought will exhibit somewhat of its quality or refinement, however much it may be restrained or modified
by the conditions through which it is expressed.  In
the letter to Colonel Piatt this sentence occurs:
"O, Donn, I believe those were our happiest days.
It was the white-bread of life."  I don't know how
that paragraph may sound to other ears, but it strikes
me as being so refined in thought, and so exquisite
in sentiment, that none but a highly cultivated intelligence could give such an utterance.
But whether the spirits whose names were attached to these letters really communicated  them
or not, is no part of my purpose to discuss.  They
came in the manner indicated, and, as neither Mrs.
Hollis nor myself did the writing, it would interest
me very much to know  exactly who did, and how
it was done.
But this was not all that occurred.  While Mrs.
Hollis and I were talking about the letters just received, she seemed to forget our conversation and
lose all knowledge of her surroundings.  Looking her
in the face, she appeared'to be dreaming, with her
eyes wide open-an absent, introspective expression,
that impressed  me with a sense of listlessness or
vacancy.  I suspected that a vision had broken in
upon her normal senses, as I had seen her in this
condition before.  I sat quiet for a few  minutes,
when she said:




276            STARTLING FACTS IN
"I see an extensive plain, a wide-spread, low, flat,
singular-looking country.  It seems to be an interminable, verdureless waste. There is no shrub, no bush,
no tree, or any symptom of vegetable life, as far as
the eye can reach, excepting along the banks of a
turbid river, which stretches through the center of this
muddy plain.  The stream seems to be stagnant, and
filled with hideous reptiles, who lash its dirty waters
into boisterous waves.  The banks on either side
are fringed with leafless trees, from  whose boughs
are draped long reaches of decaying moss, descending to the water's edge. The monsters in the river
make a most hideous. and  pitiful sound, as they,
flounder and furiously beat the waters into wildest
commotion.
"There is a solitary man standing near the river
bank.  He is large, muscular, and of comely shape.
He wears a turbaned sash about his head, and is
covered with a scarlet mantle reaching to the ground.
This he opens, revealing the costume of a Turk. Hanoging to the girdle about his waist is a broad, crooked
cimeter, or sword, which flashes in  the sunlight.
Over his forehead he wears a brilliant ornament in
the shape of a crescent, wllicl sparkles like fire.  His
beard is white and flowing to his waist.  His complexion is olive, and his eyes large and intensely
bright.
"He now points to the sky with his right-hand,
and now to the earth.  He speaks vehemently, but
I can not understand what he says.  He now strips
himself of all his clothing, and flings them  in the
ugly river among the monsters.  They wrangle and




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               277
tear them  *to pieces.  Extending his two hands, he
says:'Kingdoms rise and fall; nations come and go,
but Allah rules forever. His truths are eternal. His
laws are changeless.  His eye never sleeps, and his
hands are never idle.  I come to help in his great
work, and this day dedicate myself to his service."'
"How  strange this is!" said Mrs. Hollis, as she
seemed to recall herself as from a reverie.  "What
does it all mean?"
"You have been dreaming," I said, "and became
a trifle rhapsodical."
"No: I have not been dreaming," she said; " but
what I have told you, that have I seen. I don't suppose it amounts to any thing; but what.do you think
of it?"
"From  the topography of the country you describe, I guess the river is called'Styx.'  Did those'hideous reptiles' roar you like preachers, or slobber
you like idiot editors, when they lie about spiritualists and spiritualism?"
"You are only joking!"
"I'm not good at divining.  Your vision is very
singular, and has, no doubt, a special and important
significance, if we only knew  how  to translate or
interpret it.  Perhaps the spirits will tell us what it
means.  Please ask them."
Mrs. Hollis now held the slate again, and, as shed
did so, said: "I smell sandal-wood and odorous spices.
Do you not smell the almost suffocating perfume?"
Hereupon she began to cough as one who is stifled
for breath, when the raps indicated  the communication finished.  The following edifying message was
26




278                STARTLING FACTS IN
then found,, written on the paper, a fac-sinile of which
is here presented:
IW -  ta^^ o  2    _ g
) 33  tS   9Sgh
t L-^  2/a 3 %
"Well, I can  see  nothing  in all this but confusion  worse  confounded.   Will the  spirits  please
state what is meant by  this vision  and these characters?"
Il  reply  to  this  request, Josephine  wrote  the
followiing letter:
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-The vision described to you has an
actual correspondence in tle spirit-world.  It is a type of the
con(lition of the world under the teachiings of a pagan religion,
and the spirit described is Mohammed.      His writings continue
to exert a controlling influence over the minds of millions of
his tawny worslipers.  He beholds the error of his teachings,
and the debasing effects they exert upon the lives of his followers, and has come to renouLnce them.  He now disclaims
his pagan worshilp, and enlists himself in the great work of
opening coiimmunication between the two worlds. He has given
his pledge of loyalty to the cause, and sealed it with his royal




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 279
cyphers. Receive him.with dignity. He is a great acquisition
to the cause for which we all labor, and exerts a controlling
influence over millions of spirits who continue to revere him
in the spirit-world.                    JOSEPHINE."
It is my turn to ask, " What does all this mean?"
Assuming  the statement of Josephine to be true,
what purpose is to be subserved by this vision with
its co-related circumstances?  If it is intended as a
joke, the point is obscure.  However, it is not my
business to explain all I see and hear; but it is my
business to record facts as they occur, for others to
cogitate. Still this is no more a mystery than the
reception of the letters for Colonel Piatt and hundreds of others, which come in the same manner.
Marshal Ney then wrote that he would try to
materialize his entire form  in the cabinet, when he
next visited Cincinnati with the medium, and show
himself with the door open.
Jim  Nolan also wrote that he would be able to
talk to me in the light, that I might see him during
the conversation.
With  these promises, the seance closed, and I
returned home.
Here I will conclude this phase of manifested
intelligence, which, for the want of a better name
to express its character, I call "spirit."  If exceptions be taken to this, I will waive my assumption,
providing a better designation is offered. "Manifestations of the Devil" has been suggested, by a clergyman of the Presbyterian persuasion, as a substitute;
but, on weighing them  both-the preacher and the
devil-in the balance, they are found even.  Give to




280            STARTLING FACTS IN
the manifestations any name you please, but let it be
reasonable. The subject requires plainness of speech.
Sensible men and women demand it.
In the order prescribed for my writing, I will next
record the phenomena I have witnessed in "dark
circles."  In  doing  this, I must pursue the same
course I have with the spirit-writing; that is, to
present the facts, without strictly adhering to the
chronological relation they sustain to each other.
It is of less interest to the general reader to know
the exact time when a thing occurred, than it is to
know.that it really did occur, and how it occurred.
The difference in time between Sunday and Saturday is not of much consequence.  I am  placing on
record phenomena which  occurred exactly in the
manner related.  Many witnesses could testify to
these occurrences if they would; but as they will
not voluntarily, they shall on compulsion.  A large
number of the witnesses I will call to testify, have
the moral courage to do so voluntarily, and say openly,
in no mincing manner, what they knozv about spiritual
phenomena.  Moral cowards shall be treated as such;
and they will be known by their whining.




MODERN SPIZRZTALISM.              281
CHAPTER XV.
THE DARK CIRCLE-CHARACTER DISCLOSED-SPIRITS
SINGING-CLAPPING HANDS-A GRIP-SKIWAUKEE'S TACTICS — ON  A RAMPAGE-FLOATS THE
MUSIC-BOX-MRS. HOLLIS LEVITATED TWICECLAIRVOYANCE-JIM NOLAN'S ELOQUENCE.
T  HAVE already described, at page 125, the manner of forming a dark circle.  It simply consists
of three or four ladies and gentlemen going into a
pleasant room, from which the light is excluded, with
Mrs. Hollis, to witness spirit phenomena. That is a
fair statement of the premises. There is nothing extraordinary in this to excite suspicion; and were it
not for the manifestations which occur when Mrs.
Hollis is present, the circumstance would not be
worthy of special remark.
Sitting in the dark, in the momentary expectation that something extraordinary will occur, has a
tendency to make the hearing very acute.  Every
sound, however trifling it may be, seems to be heard
distinctly, amid the profouLnd silence and darkness.
No movement can be made to change the position
of your feet or body, without the fact being made
klown by the now alert sense.  I have, to test this
sense in those in the dlark room, upon several occasions, extenlded my hand forward, and moved it




282            STARTLIIVG FACTS IN
quietly from  side to side. There was no noise, but
simply gentle waves of the air, and yet this was
appreciable, and excited inquiry.
A little experience in the dark circle will enable
you to judge very accurately of the character of your
company, by the tone of their voice.  It is remarkable how you learn to sense almost their very thoughts,
when in the dark.  Darkness affords no facilities for
concealment.  If I desired to understand the true
character of a man or woman, I could obtain all the
needed information more readily by a conversation
with them  in a dark room  than in a light one.  It
has, in fact, almost become a fixed conviction in my
mind, that you can not fully appreciate the worth of
your friend, until you interview him in the dark circle.
Here he betrays the quality of his manhood, not in
what he says so much as in the indescribable manner
or tone he employs in speaking.  If he "affects a
virtue," or a style of speaking not natural to him, he
might as soon proclaim it in so many words, to escape
the harsher criticism which his duplicity invokes.  In
the dark circle, I have observed that persons who are
very fastidious in their taste for dress, are sadly at a
discount.  Their gewgaws fail to divert the attention
of the hearer from  the speaker, and, notwithstanding
the wealth of bodily adornment, there is a poverty in
their expression, which "makes them  (appear) poor
indeed."  " The costly ornaments and studied contrivances of speech" have no eloquence in the presence of the spirit-hosts.  There must riig out the
sound of true metal in every word and accent, or the
base alloy or spurious coin is at once detected.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               283
How sadly people deceive themselves, when they
enter a dark room with the view to practice deception!
A  young man, to be smart, agreed with his companions before entering the circle, that he should be
known as  olzoes.  When he pronounced his assumed
name in the dark, it was evident a lie had been spoken;
and, a few minutes after, the spirits disclosed his real
name, and refused to give any other test.
Spirits talk best in the presence of intelligent
people.  Like men, they can not display their powers
of rhetoric or elocution in the presence of "sticks,"
no matter how  fashionably dressed they may be.
The dark circle very soon discovers all such people.
They do very well to make up fashionable audiences
for such peacock orators as Gotggh, where they exclaim, when he tosses up his coat-tails: " How beautiful! how delightful! how entertaining he is!"  I say
such people ought to keep out of the dark circle.
They can not appreciate the pl)ilosophy of Nolan,
or the stolid, matter-of-fact utterances of "Old Ski,"
who rises to the sublimity of scorn when he calls
them "papooses'"
In most of the popular modes of worship, the
services are begun with music.  In our most fashionable places of worship this is a "hired service," and
is paid for as any other entertainment.  Exquisite
music commands the best price.  The prices paid are
graduated to the quality of the voice.  Richness,
volume, purity, compass, are the desired qualities of
sound to render the worship more impressive.  The
fortunate possessors of such gifts command  good
wages-they are staple endowments, and not grudg



284             STARTLING FACTS IN
ingly paid for.  Nose singers are not in requisition.
One organ with large pipes is worth more, in devout
worship, than a whole congregation of poor squealers.
The only thing that astonishes our pious devotees is,
that the Lord slould pay any attention to these nose
singers, when he could be better entertained with the'delightful operatic playing of Mr. Morgan. "We can,"
say they, "give him'Opera Bouffe' in our cathedral,
at one dollar a head, which is certainly very much
more edifying than to hear a hundred poor devils
drawling through their noses:
"Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore!"
What does he care about that class of people?  We
never associate with them; and if the Lord does not
elevate his taste, and be a little more select about
the  company he  keeps, he need n't come to our
church.  We can get along very well without him!"
As I was going to say, before the spirits begin to
manifest in the dark room, as a general thing they
request the circle to sing, or somebody to play a flute,
guitar, or harp.  Why they make this request, I do
not quite clearly understand.  Jim  Nolan says it is
because the electric vibrations of sound excite a freer
discharge of magnetism  from  the medium; and that
music also has a tendency to  blend the magnetic
spheres of the individuals composing  the circles.
Both of these, he avers, are valuable adjuncts to the
power for giving good manifestations.
"Sacred" music being a necessary appliance of
worship, and not being able to supply the dreadful
demand upon my limited ability, I invested a hundred




MODERNv SPIRITUALISM.              285
dollars in a large, sweet-toned  German music-box.
It was the very thing-good, fashionable music, that
would entice St. Peter from his post, if he were musically inclined.  It answered the purpose, and gave
satisfaction to the spirits.
But now commence the manifestations.  During
the singing, a number of spirit-voices will join the
concert, which can readily be distinguished by the
volume of sound, the  clearness, purity, and  precision of articulation.  They will sing alto, air, and
bass, sometimes without human  aid of any kind.
They prefer, however, to be assisted with singing or
playing by some one in the circle.  With no other
person in the room  but the medium and myself, I
have heard the vocalization of the spirits for half an
hour, and, though "unused to the melting mood,"
these "heavenly  choristers" have moved  me with
their sweet voices, as neither Lind, Parepa, or Nilsson
could do. The scientist takes no more interest in
this phenomenon, however, than  he does in  the
"cackle of a hen," and is ready to pronounce it all
fluzmmery.  But not so fast, my Sir Oracle!  I want
you to disclose, just here, how that music was made,
and by whom.  You will, I fear, not make these
discoveries with  the aid of your square, compass,
steelyards, and crucibles.  Electricity and magnetism
elude the grasp of figures.  You can not define love
with mathematics.  You can not wrap up all creation
in formulated  problems.   You gentleman of subtraction and division, multiplication and addition  I
ask you again, and charge you to answer, Who sings?
If any one entertains the  thought that it is Mrs.
27




286             S7'AR7IN rG FACTS IN
Hollis, she will, if your bad manners insist upon it,
engage you in conversation while the music is also
heard.  These melodists sing at times more sweetly
than Methodists at a love-feast.
On one occasion, Judge W. J. Berry and Captain
Edward Air, of Newport, Ky., and myself, sat together two hours, in one of these spirit-concerts,
during which time Captain Air, who is a fine vocalist,
sang not less than twenty test songs," old and new,"
in every one of which the spirits joined, frequently
carrying the air, and supplying  the forgotten words
when the captain's memory was at fault.
This singing is a feature in the dark circle; and
is so real, so life-like, that it is most difficult in
thought to  disassociate it from  human vocalization.
If every facili.ty was not afforded to prove the absence
of human aid in its production, it would be most difficult to believe in the spirit-origin of this pleasant
and instructive phenomenon.
The next manifestation of the dark circle I shall
notice, is the presence of spirit-lights.  These, as a
general rule, appear in the vicinity of the medium's
head; and vary in size from that of a fire-fly to that
of a man's hand.  The small lights, like titly rockets, fly in a straight line, from  three to six feet,
when  they  take a curvilinear course, and  expire
in different parts of the room.  I have seen  as
many as ten of these small meteors glowing at the
same instant, though never more than one of the
large ones at a time.
The large light makes its appearance in a cloudylooking haze, growing each moment more luminous




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 287
until it becomes of a brilliant orange color.  The
lights float slowly about the room mostly in front of
the  circle.   These  spirit-pyrotechnics  are  seldom
given, for the reason that they are very debilitating
to the medium.  Some persolns affirm they see spiritfaces in these lights; but, excepting the single instance witnessed il the circle I attended in Louisville,
I have no personal knowledge of such facts.
Equally noteworthy with the singing and lights,
as occurring in the dark circle, are the manifestations
of power which can only be exhibited in a materialized
form of the spirit.  During the singing, or before or
after it, the spirits will touch your hand, take you by
the arm, pat you on the head or knee, and clap their
hands so loudly  that you can  hear them  in  the
adjoining room.  It occurred  once, just as I extinguished  the light, at the beginning of the circle,
my arm  was graspedl with such a " grip" that the
imprints of "old Ski's" huge, muscular fingers were
ecchymosed uncde-r the cuticle for a week after.
Most generally, I observed, at the conclusion of
the music, the spirits would clap their hands, if they
made any demonstration at all.  Many people have
seen Blind Tom, the negro pianist, and will remember, at the conclusion of each performance, how jubilantly he claps his hands.  This spirit hand-clapping is analogous-so it seems at least to me-to that
of Tom's.  I have heard as many as half a score or
more spirits clap their hands rapidly at the same
instant, in different parts of the room.
Millions of people have heard the spirit-raps; but
not so many have heard them  in the "dark circle,"




288            STAR TLING FACTS IN
They are quite a different article here from the little
feeble sound so often heard at the table of a family
circle.  A green persimmon and a ripe pear could not
be more unlike.  Here the raps have volume, force,
power.  They startle you, when made near your head
or heels, like the crash of a fore-hammer striking
near you in the dark; you do not know  but that
some of the strokes are intended to brain you.  This
makes you feel decidedly uncomfortable.  That is the
way "Skizwaukee" takes the starch out of upstarts.
I have heard such' cry pitifully not to be hurt.  After
the old savage had scared his victim half out of his
wits, he would soothe his agitation, with the tenderness of a woman's voice, by assuring him  that he
"won't hurt'em  papoose!" (baby.)  I never knew
"old Ski" to undertake a job of this kind that he did
not succeed in putting his victim  on his good behavior for the remainder of the evening.  Sometimes
he would put a reed-horn uncomfortably near the ear
of the badly behaving gentleman or lady, and give it a
sudden blow that would almost " split the ears of the
groundiings!"
" One blast upon his bugle-horn
Could start a thousand men!"
How piteously they would plead to be let alone!
Ski would then kindly tell them  he knew they were
cowards; that brave men were always men of sense,
and  knew  how  to behave  themselves when they
came to talk to the spirits.
Many persons have been profited by the lessons
taught them  by "old Ski," and will not forget him
easily.  FRED DOUGLASS said, when HENRY WARD




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              289
BEECHER'S defection  from  the abolition party occurred, and  he had given in his adherence to the
policy of ANDREW JOHNSON, " If I had Beecher on a
plantation, and  he was my nigger, and I was his
master, I could, with a good limber raw-hide make
him change back his opinions in twenty minutes."  I
believe Douglass; and so does "old Ski."  If the raps
fail to interest you, do n't go to sleep; for " Ski " has
the horn.  He will be very likely to disturb your
"nap," by gently tapping your bump of veneration.
He don't intend to hurt you, but simply to let you
know that he is a phrenologist at times; and when he
fails to find the bump of politeness on your cranium,
he makes one with the big end of the "horn," you
know! But, not to have a wrong impression entertained of "Skiwaukee," I declare him to be "ye most
gentle savage;" and, in all that appertains to the
quality of true manhood, the elements are so mixed
in him  that we honor ourselves when we call him
broAter!
A  little spirit-child, "ANNA HANCOCK," a niece
of Major-General W. S. Hancock, United  States
Army, cut, fashioned, and made, in a dark circle, a
beautiful rosette, out of material which was taken into
the dark room  for the purpose; and, after its completion, pinned it nicely on the lapel of my coat,
frequently touching my face with her little delicate
fingers while doing so.  In making this rosette, it
was necessary to thread a needle with silk, and to
stitch the fabric in a pitch-dark room.  This child
subsequently made a nice little doll-baby from  materials placed in the room, which has excited the admi



290            STARTLING FACTS IN
ration and wonder of many ladies.  She also made
a regalia of rosettes, and hung them about my neck.
Being only six years old, including both her natural
and spirit life, I asked her who had taught her to do
these things, when she replied, "Miss Josephine and
grandmother;" meaning Josephine Bonaparte and my
own mother.  She thought to please me by calling
her doll "Neppy."  I have already intimated that the
sense of touch sometimes leaves the imprint of spiritfingers on your arm, which is sufficient to carry conviction, to the understanding of some people, that they
have uncommon power in that way.
Carrying the horn about the room is mere child'splay for them. It don't amount to any thing as an
achievement, especially when compared to the feat
of carrying the music-box, which they have frequently
done.  It weighs twenty-three pounds, eight ounces.
"Ski" will take this box, and float it about the room
with  wonderful rapidity, frequently a distance of
twenty feet almost as quick as you can wink your
eyes. This is always done when the music is playing, which serves to guide the mind to the locality of
the box. It is quite interesting to listen to the transitive tones of this floating orchestra. Upon one occasion, the music stopped while the box was in transit,
and the wonder was where it would be found when
the light was introduced.  It was found half under
my chair and between my feet.  The room was pitchdark, of course.  On another occasion, we had failed
to throw a red blanket over the chair of the medium.
This blanket the old chief claimed as his personal
property, and its absence gave great offense to " Ski,'




MODERN SPIRITUAL /SA              291
who still retains his love and admiration for a "red
article."  He said it gave him  strength, power to
speak and act; besides, it was grateful to his feelings.
He loved the red blanket.  There was no excuse for
not putting it in its wonted place, but carelessness.
This put him  in ill-humor, and a rampage was the
consequence.  In the room  was a chest of drawers
and a wardrobe, both of which were filled with sheets,
pillow-slips, unseasonable clothing, table-linen, and
other store-away things.  He started on a hunt for
his blanket.  He commenced ransacking the bureau
at the top  drawer, and ending  with the bottom.
Things flew through the room like frightened pigeons,
here and there and every-where, until the drawers
were empty. He next went for the wardrobe, and
gave it such an overhauling as it never had before,
and will hardly ever get again. At last, almost on
the very bottom  of the shelf was found the muchprized article-the red blanket.  The success of the
search was pronounced with a guttural grunt, "Got'em!"  It was not loud, but deep.  "Ski" was madmad as a " March hare "-and not to be trifled with in
that way, much.  When the light was brought in, the
room was found to be littered with the contents of
the drawers and wardrobe; and, what I have overlooked until now, the furniture of a wash-stand occupied a prominent place in the middle of the floor.
He had given us a splendid display of his power and
wrath; though that, I believe, was not the actuating
motive.  "Ski" will not wear zuizigs for some time yet.
But the most marvelous manifestation of power
in the dark circle is yet to be noticed. There were




292             STAR TLING FA CTS IN
five persons in  the room, including the  medium.
The conditions were unusually good.  No public
seance had been given for several days.  The medium
was rested.  The seance I am  about to notice was
attended only by the several members of my family.
As soon as the room  was darkened, "the birds
began to sing l"   I never heard such singing-the
many voices blending in perfect harmony, clear, loud,
musical, and bewitching.  It was a love-feast of celestial melody, which we, one and all, enjoyed to the
full capacity of our appreciation.  This charmingi
concert continued about twenty minutes, unassisted
by a human voice, until it suddenly ceased, and Mrs.
Hollis seemed to be surrounded by a multitude of
spirit-voices, speaking quick, confusedly, and in an
undertone.  I could not comprehend what was being
said; neither could Mrs. Hollis, who became alarmed,
and asked me what they intended to do.  I quieted
her fears, with assurances that whatever they did, no
harm  would inure to her-to keep quiet, and offer no
resistance to their will.  What next transpired, I will
copy from my note-book:
"A spirit-voice began to chant a part of the Episcopal service, and then improvised a rhapsody that
was indescribably sweet and beautiful.  This musical
manifestation continued about ten minutes, during
which time we commented fieely upon the quality of
the voice.  The singing  had  but scarcely ceased,
when an indescribable sound, resemblillg that which
is made by a startled flock of birds, was heard, and
coinstantial  Mrs. Hollis, affrighted, was heard over
our heads, floating along the ceiling of the room!  She




MODERN SPIRITUALISMI                293
pleaded piteously to be let down!  "Don't let me
fall! Please dont hurt me!  0, do let me down!
Please let me down!"  This aerial flight continued
only for a minute, during which time I ordered her
to clap her hands against the ceiling, and mark the
wall with the pencil she had in her hand; all of
which she dil.  She no sooner touched the carpet
than she sprang forward into the arms of one of the
ladies, begging us not to permit the spirits to carry
her up again.  Several efforts of this kind had been
previously made, but never with such success.  It
always frightened her, notwithstancling she felt assured
no harm  would befall her.  Ordinarily she was a
courageous woman, but this lifting unnerved her.
"I can not tell, Mrs. Hollis," I said, " what object
they have in view, in levitating you in this manner;
still I feel assured they will not injure you."  As I
said this, Jim  Nolan spoke in a more than usually
sympathetic voice, saying:
"Why, Doctor, we could not be induced to hurt
our medium.  She is to us as precious as your eye to
you, always an object of our deepest sympathy and
most tender care.  What could we do without her?
If she iwere lost to us, we could not replace her among a
million of zuomen."
"But, Jim, what's the use of this manifestation?
If it is only pastime, you ask her to make too much
sacrifice for your pleasure."
"We seek to show our power, and, by that means,
convince of our presence.  We could float her like
a feather, if she were entranced.  But to this she
objects; and we prefer to float her while she is in




294            S TA RTLING FACTS IN
the full possession of her faculties.  If she would submit to our wishes, we could in six weeks carry her
over the heads of an audience in good light, to be
seen by all, while she held conversation with  the
spectators.  0 no! we will do her no injury, nor will
we permit harm to come to her.  We guide her footsteps, and guard them  from  peril.  We know  her
every wish, and seek, when it is proper, to gratify
them."
" But, Jim, why do you permit her to suffer so
much with terror, when you lift her?  A  fancied
danger causes as much mental suffering as a real
peril. Imagination can kill or cure, as its power may
be directed."
"It is not from  apprehension of personal harm
that her terrors arise, but from the peculiar condition
of her mind, after depriving her physical system of
its magnetic relation to the brain.  In this de-magnetized condition of the body, the will-power becomes
abeyant, when the faculties of the soul, alarmed and
disordered, start up as in a hideous  dream.  We
want gradually to overcome this condition; we will
then be able to lift and float her at pleasure."
l"But why," I interposed, "do you disturb this
magnetic relation of the brain to the body, when
the consequences of doing so will plainly thwart your
efforts and distress the medium?"
"We can not succeed without doing this! Besides,
the distress is not real," he replied; " the panic is
unpleasant, but it passes away as soon as the magnetic relation of the brain to the body is re-established.
By intercepting  this magnetic  relation, the body




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               295
becomes more buoyant, and if completely broken off,
the spiritual forces would express themselves with
such  power, that its avoirdupois would be almost
destroyed.  It would'take to itself wings and flee
away.'"
"Do you mean literal'wings, such as Raphael's
cherubs have?"
"0 no! I only wish to symbolize the celerity of
spirit-action, when not harnessed in the service of
human magnetism."
Before the conclusion of the seance, Mrs. Hollis
was again lifted to the ceiling, and floated through
the room.  She made pencil-marks on different parts
of the plaster, indicating the direction of her aerial
movements.  When the light was restored, the pencil
and right-hand were covered with lime-dust, as well
as the sleeve of her dress.
Though the name "dark circle" conveys the idea
of entire obscurity from sight, this impression is
erroneous, as many persons can testify. Mrs. Hollis
in the dark room not only sees the persons composing the circle, but also the spirits manifesting, whom
she describes with  accuracy, and calls by name.
This power of clairvoyance is one of the most interesting studies in the whole range of spirit phenomena, and excites our admiration most when we
give it most thought.  But few  persons have attempted to account for this wonderful clear-sight.  I
have my theory, and will briefly state it.
In the anatomical construction of the human eye,
two chambers are necessary to perfect the visual
law.  These are known to anatomists and opticians




296            STARTLING FACTS IN
as anterior and posterior, or front and back, chambers.  They are filled with aqueous, crystalline, and
vitreous humors, through which are transmitted images
upOn the membranes, which serve as mirrors to reflect
them  upon the  sensorium.  These  are called  the
sclerotic, choroid, and retina.
The uses of these several organs are: first, to
reflect images along the optic track to the sensorium;
and, second, to exclude solar rays, by a process of
filteringc, from entering the picture-gallery of the soul.
However paradoxical it may seem, we are nevertheless
indebted to darkness for all the pleasure we receive
through the sense of sight.  I will give a familiar
illustration of this proposition..
The camer-a obscZlra is fashioned after the structure
of the human eye.  It has its anterior and posterior
chambers; also lenses, to correspond to the humors
of the eye.  The posterior chamber, in both cases, is
dar/k.  Over the back wall of the back chamber of
the eye is spread a dark-colored secretion, through
which the almost invisible fibers of the optic nerve are
woven.  This finds its correspondence in the sensitized plate of the photographer.  It is not necessary
to trace strictly the analogy of structure any farther;
so we will present the more interesting details of
the phenomena.
Artists tone down the light while a picture is
being taken.  So the circular band of muscles which
forms the  pupil of the  eye  contracts  and  tones
down the light on the first lens, that it may be almost or entirely  lost on  the  second, leaving  the
background black.  Hence, darkness is an absolute




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              297
condition of vision.   Solar rays falling in a direct
vertical line upon the sensitized retina of the eye,
would destroy its quality, and paralyze it forever. The
action of the sun upon the whole structure of the
eye is to lessen rather than augment its power.
The converse of this proposition is equally true.
In the absence of solar rays the integuments of the
eye become so highly sensitized, that they develop a
more perfect luminous condition  than they can in
the face of day.  Thus the dark room becomes to the
eye what the dark tube of the microscope becomes to
sight, an augmenting power which reveals the wonderful phenomena of millions of creatures in a dewdrop.  The telescope, in like manner, with its lenses
and dark chamber, assists the eye to penetrate space
so remote, that the added power makes the senses
ache.  Telescope the earth, and from the bottom of
a well you may see stars at the high noon of day.
To sit in a dark room  several hours every day,
for a year, the humors and attachments of the eye
become so sensitive to light, that their sensibility
becomes painfully acute.  But sit in a dark room for
only one hour, once or twice a week, for six months,
and what will be the effect on the optic structure?
The testimony of those who have patiently put themselves under such a discipline is to the effect that
darkness at first makes the whole nervous system
excitable, and the effect is quite painful.  But after a
while, the system becomes tranquil, when the brain
begins to idealize most vividly.  Between "dreaming and waking," the room grows light, the outlines
of furniture, and at length the face of " the old clock,"




298             STARTLING FACTS ZiV
can be distinctly seen.  Persevere in the dark baths,
and not only will the dark room become light, but,
under the scrutiny of the new vision, the human form
becomes transparent as glass, with the action of every
organ in its complex structure distinctly appreciated.
The brain, heart, arteries, and glands are seen, brilliant with flames of life, and more beautiful than
auroral splendors.  But now "the wonder of wonders"
is revealed! Intangible, incomprehensible space becomes peopled with living forms.  Be calm, and the
faces of old friends will be seen, and their voices will
again be heard.  Thus the spiritual sense of hearing
and seeing become unfolded, and thus a latent power
we little thought belonged to us, disclosed.  But to
return to the phenomena of the dark room.
You may test the clairvoyant powers of " old Ski"
or Jim Nolan-but especially the former-by holding
in your hand, in a dark circle, any article you may
wish, and ask him to name it.  He will do it, if he is
at all familiar with its name or use, thereby proving
conclusively that, in the entire absence of light, the
power of vision remains good.  A lady, who thought
to please " Ski," promised to present him with a fine
red feather, designating an ostrich plume as the gift.
"Ski" was much pleased, and reminded her several
times, during the evening, of the promise she had
marle. She forgot all about it when she next visited
th  dlark circle, but " Ski" had not.  She was severely
reprimanded for her neglect, the old chief saying,
"Em  squaw  lie!"  She pleaded forgetfulness, but
promised not to forget again.  She brought the feather
the next. visit, but made no- allusion to the fact, not




MODERN ASPIRITUALISAM.              299
even after she entered the dark room.  She now quietly
placed the feather in her hair, and while in the act,
"Ski" ogave a shout: "Em  squaw  bring em! em
nice squaw!"  But, alas for the short-lived reputation of the squaw! when "Ski" gave a closer inspection to the article, he discovered a fraud, and
felt indignant at the deceit.  He scornfully rejected
the  gift, saying:     Squaw  bring  em  old chickezfeather!  Don't want em  old chickenz-feather! old
chicken-feather squaw!"  He had made an intelligent
discrimination between an ostrich-plume and a very
beautiful chicken-feather of his favorite  bright-red
color, in  the dark, to the surprise and  merriment
of every one present.  But mark the feeling he displayed!  He will also tell the exact time by your
watch, or, as stated, name any article of dress or
toilet you may call his attention to, in the blackest
atmosphere.
Marshal Ney wrote to me at the table, that if I
would sit in a dark room with the medium, for three
or four mornings, he thought he would be able to
draw  a picture, while I held  the medium's hands.
Of course I consented; and, procuring the necessary
paper and pencils, Mrs. Hollis and I took position
beside a table in the dark room, on which the articles
lay, I taking her hands in mine.  The sitting continued half an hour or more, but with no other result
than a few straggling marks.  Three trials were given
on three consecutive mnrnings, but with very little
better success.  On the fourth morning, we had resumed our usual position but a few minutes, when we
could distinctly hear the pencils moving rapidly over




300  STARTLING FACTS IN
the paper.  In half an hour after the light had been
extinguished, the signal was given that the seance was
closed.  The room  was again lighted, when the accompanying picture was found to have been drawn
during the time we had sat in the dark.  (See next
page.)  As a work of art, this picture has no merit
whatever.  If it symbolizes any occult idea, it is quite
valueless to me.  I am  told some of the emblems
belong to Masonry.  I have no knowledge of thisam not a Mason, and believe Mrs. Hollis is not-but
the  picture is interesting when viewed as a spirit
production, and as being executed in a dark room.
But spirit conversations are the most interesting
features of the dark circles.  I have already spoken
of these, and reported interviews which I had with
my mother, Jim Nolan, Josephine, Marshal Ney, and
others.  The reader, howevers, may want more exact
information in regard to their occurrence.
When persons first visit the dark room, especially
if there are strong influences antagonizing their power,
the spirits are unable to talk for some time.  Those
who belong to Mrs. Hollis's band can speak freely
almost from the moment the singing ceases; but your
own friends require more time to master the situation.
What difficulties they have to surmount before they
can manifest, I have already hinted; but this subject,
I am  well convinced, is but little understood.  The
spirit of a person who died with a lingering disease, in
whom  the strength gradually wasted before death, I
have observed, exhibits a voice so feeble as almost to
be indistinct.  The victims of pulmonary phthisis experience the same feebleness and difficulty in talking




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.     301
(:('  (6-.,ff   //
r-r^ ^l^^^^ ^iI //i;;;i




302            STARTLING FACTS IN
that they had before passing into the spirit-world.
I have heard them cough, to remove what seemed to
me secretions from the air-tubes, that they might be
enabled to speak more distinctly.  They often allude
to this disability, and deplore their want of strength
with sincere regret. To my questionings they reply
that it is only when they come into the circle-room
that they feel the infirmities of the body-life; and
this only at the beginning of their visits.
The gradual increase of power to talk is quite
noticeable as they appear from time to time. They
get accustomed to the situation, and, like old hands at
the business, can "hew  close to the line" without
making mistakes.
The spirits forming the band that controls Mrs.
Hollis's circle, of course speak without impediment,
loudly and distinctly. Jim Nolan has spoken to me
two hours without exhibiting the least symptom of
fatigue or exhaustion.  He never grows weary; his
endurance would  sustain  him  for a month, if the
medium could supply the requisite power. Jim Nolan
speaks loud enough to he heard distinctly in every
part of the largest public hall in the city of Cincinnati, and when I say he could entertain as many
thinkers as could be seated in the hall, with his
grand ideas and compact reasoning, I but iterate a
fact that is well known to hundreds of the best minds
of our country, who have been amazed at the splendor
and rapidity of his thought, the profundity of his
logic, and the grandeur of his eloquence.




MOD1ERN SPIRITUALISM.           303
CHAPTER  XVI.
CABINET FOR THE SPIRITS-EXCITEMENT IN HADESWONDERFUL PHENOMENA — MY MOTHER'S FACE,
HAND, AND VOICE-FACE OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE-SPIRIT-FLOWERS-SPIRIT PLAYS THE HARPMARSHAL NEY IN UNIFORM, MATERIALIZED.
T HE extraordinary manifestations I am about to
record began on the 25th of May, 1872. The
time was near the close of Mrs. Hollis's third engagement. I spoke to Mrs. Hollis several times about
constructing a cabinet-something similar to the one
used by the Davenport Brothers, in giving their public
exhibitions-simply as an experiment; but she seemed
to think the results would be an expensive disappointment. Hence, she advised against it. Nolan and
Ney took similar views; and Josephine gave timid
counsel-not committing herself either for or against
the experiment.  I had no alternative but to back
down or go ahead, and I could n't back down.
Accordingly, I gave my idea of a cabinet to MR.
JOHN H. BROWN, a well-known mechanic on Third
Street, near Central Avenue, with an order to materialize it as soon as possible. He did this to my
satisfaction, and brought it to my house, and placed
it in the center room, on the second floor of my
rear dwelling. The following diagram will show the




304                  STAR TLING FACTIS IN
position of the room  and cabinet, where the manifestations occurred:
North blank wall —36 feet.
West Room.             Caiet.             East Room.
W
A                    B                     C
D                  D'"LI                               H
W                                                                     w
------      [ —-- 61']          1             [E-lie  [[t-E
I.       I  i I I II  I  II  I lI ss  I  ss   I  II  1 I    I I  II III I I
A. WVest room, used as reception-room... onsulting-rooml, i which the cabinet was placed.    C.  list lrooi; office  t1r writigi. etc.   1).:litratnce dornways to
cabinet-room, with tral.som lighlts. o o o. Tle position of (llairs fin. spect;ltors when
witiiessilg spirit manifestaliolls. E 1, E. I)oorlways. H H. Halls.  SS. Stairways
fiom first floor. WV V. Viindows. F. MIusic-box.
The cabinet is fairly represented  by any  ordinary
full-sized  wardrobe, six  feet high, five feet wide, and
two feet deep.   The back  and two ends were factoryplaned  one-inch  pilie  boards, tolngried  and  grooved.
The  fiont had  but one door, three  and  a  half feet
wide; in length, the whole height of the cabinet.   In
the center of the door, about four and a half feet from
the  bottom, was  cut a diamond-shaped  hole, about
eight inches in  longest diameter.   This aperture  was
covered  on  the inside  by a thick  piece of cloth  fastened over the top, and  permitted  to hang down loose
over the opening, and several inches below  it, in such
a manner as to  effectually exclude the light from  the
interior of the cabinet.   In  the cabinet was placed a
chair  for Mrs. Hollis.   This completes  the  appointments of this much-talked-of structure.
Mrs.  Hollis  entered  this  little   dark  room-for




MODERN SPIRITUALIStM                305
that is all it really is-on the 25th of May, I872, for
the first time, in the presence of myself and two lady
members of my family.  I closed the door, and she
fastened it on the inside with a wood-button.  Her
exclamation  was, "How  very dark!"   After being
seated a few minutes, she asked me to sing.  I began
to choral the " Old Folks at Home:"
"Away down on the Swanee river."
But before I had proceeded far, there was a regular
plantation racket in the cabinet, which convinced me
"the old folks" were not "at home," but the young
folks were having a " highl old time " in their absence.
My first impression was, that Mrs. Hollis had gone
daft; and the impulse to tear the door away, to liberate
her from her insane asylum, was very strong.  In the
dil, however, I could hear her speak; so I bated my
zeal to demolish until I had more evidence of its
necessity.  The fact is, I expected to see that cabinet
fall to pieces; for it was banged, and pounded, and
shaken, withl an uproar and confusion of noises, from
every part of it, that was startling and dreadful to
hear.  There could not have been less than half a
dozen spirits hard at work in that cabinet, for fifteen
minutes; and yet not half so many could get into it,
had they been inthe form.  The racket continued
about twenty minutes, when a lull occurred, and Mrs.
Hollis came out.  Under the closest scrutiny, I could
not discover the least excitement in her face, or any
evidence that she had been at work.  She seemed
rather languid, and looked pale.
" Did you ever hear such a confusion!" she said;




306             STARTLING FACTS IN
"the cabinet was full of spirits, and they were wild
with excitement!"
" Could you see them distinctly?" I asked.
"No: they were more like shadows. I could only
get glimpses of them occasionally."
" Was Ski among them?"
"Yes: he stood beside me, and told me not to be
afraid, I would not be hurt."
"And did you have no fear, Mrs. Hollis?  It was
almost terrifying.  I thought the cabinet would be
battered down about your head."
"At first I was afraid they would hurt me; but
the old chief's assurance satisfied me all was right."
"Will you go in again?"
If you desire me."
"Why, certainly; but I hope the spirits will be
less violent in their demonstrations.   They'outbanged Bannegar.'"
Mrs. Hollis again entered the cabinet, and the
door'vas closed.  I assured her the cabinet was a
nice place to sit in, and entirely free fiom  danger.
" It's all right; only be cheerful; be happy if you
can; good-bye!"' I said, as I shut the door.  I expected, of course, a re-enactment of the first sitting; but fifteen minutes elapsed without giving the
slightest symptom of any occurrence appreciable to
our senses.  I was on the point of starting in on
the "Last Rose of Summer," when a noise in the
cabinet began to attract my attention.  This gradually
increased, until it seemed as if two or three carpenters
were at work sand-papering the inside of the cabinet.
This continued about five minutes, when there was a




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              307
slight motion to the cloth over the aperture in the
door, which increased, until finally it was pushed aside,
and a large brown hand was projected through it.  It
remained in view about twenty seconds. I called to
Mrs. Hollis as much to ascertain her position as to
inquire if she saw the hand.  She replied from her
place: " I can only see a haze about the aperture.  I
can hear spirits talking, but can not see any."
The hand was not like Mrs. Hollis's; and while I
was speculating as to whom the proprietor might be,
it was withdrawn, and tzio little  hands, such as
might belong to a child two or three years old,
were quickly presented.  While looking at these, a
third hand-the same large brown hand-appeared
the second time, and seemed to hover above them,
"keeping watch and ward" over these helpless ones.
This concluded the first of Mrs. Hollis's cabinet seances.
It was held in the evening.
On the following morning, we again visited the
cabinet room, bringing the music-box. This I placed
on a little stand, and set to playing.  It was a decided  improvement on my vocalization, and it so
seemed to the spirits; for Mrs. Hollis had entered the
cabinet but a few minutes, when they began to play a
rub-a-dub accompaniment on the boards, the noise
sounding as if made by muffled drumsticks.  After
they had ceased, a peculiar, sharp, explosive noise, as
when a table-cloth is shaken violently, was heard
for a few seconds.  Then of a sudden a yard and a
half of Brussels carpet, which had been placed on
the floor of the cabinet, rolled  tightly, was shot
swiftly through the aperture into the middle of the




308             STARTLING FACTS IN
room.  I should have premised, when  Mrs. Hollis
entered the cabinet, I placed with her a small tin
horn, a French harp, and a bunch of flowers.  These
were ejected  in quick succession after the carpet.
Wondering what next would come, the curtain was
suddenly drawn aside, when  through the aperture
was projected into the room, the long, muscular naked
arm  of a manrz.  It was of full length, the shoulder
articulation being exposed to view.  The hand, when
it first appeared, was closed, but it opened and shut
often; and, when doing so, the muscles were seen
to enlarge and lessen in the fore-arm.  Tle elbow articulated freely, flexing and extending with apparent
ease; and the arm swung around, reaching over the
top of the cabinet.  From  the development of that
arm, I slhould think it belonged to a man not less than
six feet in height.  I looked at it closely, and was not
more than six feet distant from it.  When this arm
was withdrawn, Mrs. Hollis came out of the cabinet
for recuperation.  As on the day before, she seemed to
be exhausted of her vitality; her face was pale, and
she complained of languor.  In reply to my inquiries,
she said she could see nothing but a hazy atmosphere
about the  aperture of the cabinet, when the cloth
would be pushed aside; and, though she could hear
distinctly the spirits talking, she could not discern
them.
Subsequently, I asked Jim Nolan to explain to me
the condition of the medium  when in the cabinet,
wlich he did, to this effect:  "The medium," he said,
"had a horror of being entranced; so we permit all
her faculties to remain uninfluenced, excepting her




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               309
sight.  We influence the optic-nerve during the time,
so that no impressions of the eye are transmitted to
the sensorium.  Examine the pupils of her eyes as
soon as she leaves the cabinet; they will be found
preternaturally large and morbidly sensitive.
Why do you make this discrimination against or
in favor (which?) of the optic-nerve?"
"It is necessary that the medium  be perfectly
calm while we materialize the arms and hands.  If
she could see, she would not maintain this passive
condition.   Music has a tendency to  tranquillity;
that is why we desire it."
Observing the dexterity of the arm, hand, and
fingers that were projected through the aperture, it
occurred to me that there might be sufficient intelligence guiding them  to write a letter.  Up to this
time, spirit-writing had all been done in the dark.
Here, now, was the hand and arm exposed-cou/ld tey
write in the ligazlt?  I'1 soon ascertain.  I procured
a large walnut bracket, and fastened it on the outside
of the cabinet-door, so that the top was an inch or
two under the aperture.  On this I placed a slate and
pencil, and, as soon as the arrangement was completed, Mrs. Hollis entered the cabinet.
I started the music-box to play, and had scarcely
resumed my seat, when the same muscular arm  we
had formerly seen was projected, full length, into the
room.  There was no noise this time in the cabinet
preceding the materialization. " Order, reigns in Warsaw!" thought I.  The arm  now swept almost the
entire front of the cabinet with its reach. The fingers
ran along the little cornice, as if manipulating the
29




310              STARTLING FACTS IN
keys of a piano, and continued to wander around, in
this manner for a minute and a half, when they picked
up the pencil, and proceeded to write as decorously
as though it were a common occupation.  While the
writing was going on in full view, I called to Mrs.
Hollis, who  made answer from  her remote part of
the  cabinet.   She  did  not know  what was being
done, and reiterated her former statement that she
could see nothing but the smoky atmosphere at the
aperture.
After two minutes, the writing was completed,
when I took the slate from  the shelf and found the
following communication upon it:
"God bless you, my fellow-worker in the cause of liberty
and truth. I greet you this day:'Well done, thou good and
faitllhful servant!' Work on; your reward shall be great!
When the world asks,' Who is your control?' tell them the
words I said to Dumas long years ago,'I am the rear guard
of the Grand Army;' for so it really is. We are a host, and
you shall have the cross of honor. My voice never went forth
to the Grand Army of France, to cheer it on to victory, as it
does to you! Work on!  Be firm!  You are the firont of that
army, and I the rear. It can not fail.
"Yours, in truth and honor,
" MICHAEL NEY."
This was a singular communication, to be sure,
but entirely too personal for my appreciation. I could
not understand why I should be designated for such
distinction, and was not conscious that I was at all
deserving of the decoration promised. I was, however,
much interested in the fact that the spirit-world could
thus  hold  communication with  the  natural world;
and I was particularly gratified with the success of




MODERN SPIRITUALISM,               3 I 
the experiment, and as being the first to witness this
startling phenomenon.
I transcribed the message, and replaced the slate
for further developements.  As I was placing the
pencil on the slate, within twelve inches from  my
face three hands were presented at the aperture.  I
looked at them  curiously and closely; they were
strange hands, belonging to adults; and on one was
worn a large, plain gold ring, on the finger next to
the little one of the left hand.  The light was such
as to enable me to examine the texture of the skin.
They remained on exhibition about half a minute, and
were then withdrawn.  I had scarcely resumed my
seat, when the large arm again appeared and wrote:
"WVe can do no more this morning; our medium is exhausted! We will try to show you a face to-morrow.
6 NEY."
"Very well," I said, "you'll see me to-morrow at
Philippi! Keep your engagement, and I will keep
mine."
Punctual at the appointed time, our little circle
assembled in the cabinet room. As soon as the music
started, Mrs. Hollis entered the cabinet; when, as
the door was closed, hands were exhibited at the
aperture.  I should think there were as many as
ten materialized, in as many minutes, some of which
were projected into the room, but at least half the
number retired after barely getting an exposure to
light.  They were single at first; then two, three, and,
finally, five hands were finely materialized at once,
four of which belonged to children.  These were all




312            STARTZING FACTS IN
open, with the palms to the front.  The fifth hand
was large, and moved over the tips of the fingers of
the children, touching them gently, as I conjectured,
to impart to them strength.
Mrs. Hollis complained of exhaustion, and took
a recess for half an hour.  So interested inl watching
the manifestations was I, that when she entered the
cabinet again, I neglected to start the music, of which
fact I was reminded by a spirit saying, distinctly, at
the aperture, " Start the music!"  The table on which
the music-box was placed, stood not more than two
feet from the cabinet.  I proceeded to wind it up, and
was just turning to resume my seat in the circle, in
doing which I had to face the aperture.  As I did
this, I belzeld iy mother's face in the opening of the
cabinet door!"
" Why, mother," I exclaimed, "is it possible!"
I riveted my gaze upon her for twenty seconds,
during which time she smiled, bowed, and pronounced
my name.  The curtain then swung between her face
and me.  All in the room saw and heard the same as
I did.  I was not more than two feet from the cabinet
and aperture.
I am  not given to illusions, and rarely dream
when asleep, much less when awake. I am  a very
cool, quiet man in emergencies, and was never more
so than upon this occasion.  Every person in the
circle saw this face; but I only recognized it.  It was
my mother's face.  She recognized me, and called me
by my given name.  To make assurance doubly sure,
I said, "Mother, please materialize your left-hand,
and present it at the aperture!"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                3 3
In a very brief space of time a left-hand appeared
at the opening, wit/ the forefing'er shuz  at /ate middle
joint.  My mother had just such a finger on her lefthand.  When a child, she received a burn which contracted the tendon, and fixed the forefinger of her lefthand permanently in that position.  I did not require
this additional proof of my mother's identity; but, as
it came, it was "a confirmation, strong as Holy Writ."
It is not necessary to say any thing about my
sensations on this occasion.  The reader is only interested in the bald fact, and such I give.  I was
glad to see my maother's face again; and speak of it
now simply to vindicate the integrity of my senses.
To those who charge me with giving undue prominence to this manifestation, I have but this to say:
I respect my own judgment on all occasions, caring
little for the applause of men, less for their criticism,
and least for their censure.
After the materialization of my mother's face and
hand, Mrs. Hollis came out into the room  and remained for half an hour.  She was much interested
in the manifestations, and regretted that she could
not see them as we did.  When she returned to the
cabinet, I placed with her a bunch of flowers and a
French harp.  The door had scarcely been closed,
when Ney's long arm  came out into the room, and
began to ambulate in front of the cabinet. This he
continued to do for several minutes, when he wrote
on the slate: "Josepziine zwill salute yozl this morninig!"
Scarcely had his large muscular arm  been withdrawn, when a more feminine and beautiful arm and
hand were projected.  The arm  was covered with a




314              STARTLING FACTS IN
sleeve of tulle or illusion, from above the elbow to the
wrist.  Here the delicate fabric was gathered into a
band, fastened with a narrow ribbon of a pale cherry
color.  Beyond this  gathering, partly covering the
hand, was a small ruffle formed  by the end of the
sleeve.  The  hand was slenderly and symmetrically
formed-two of the fingers  being ornamented with
jeweled  rings.  A  spirit-handkerchief, looking  like
gossamer, was held and gracefully waved several times
in a sweep of a foot or eighteen inches.  The hand
then retired, and in a few seconds reappeared, holding
the flowers I had placed in the cabinet.  These were
subsequently  distributed  by this hand  among  the
members of the circle, as souvenirs of the occasion.
When the last flower had been given, the spirit-hand
picked up the pencil, and wrote:
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-There is much I would like to sav to
you, respecting the reincarnation of my beloved husband.  I
will write you more fully when the medium has been rested.
These mater-ializations are very exlausting to her. I will try
to show my face before the medium leaves for home. You aid
us very much, for wlich our wlhole band are grateful. We
shall always esteem you our good friend.    JOSEPHINE."
At the conclusion of this writing, I went forward
to remove the slate, and as I did so, Ney's hand came
out, and patted me on the arm  and the back of my
hand almost caressingly.
I was about resuming my seat, and  had  retired
half the distance between the cabinet and the chairs,
when the curtain covering the aperture was put aside,
and the dim outline of a face presented.  It was quite
indistinct, and remote fiom the opening; but it gradu



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               3 I 
ally came to the front, and grew brighter and brig nter,
until every feature was distinctly limned, and the tint
of the skin and the color of the eyes discerned.  The
face wore a pensive expression, and the large dark eyes
seemed sad.  The hair was gathered up in bunches,
looped with strings of pearl, and studded with brilliants. It was Josephine, following, so soon, her promise with its fulfillment.  She could only maintain her
best materialization for a few  seconds, when she
seemed to retire from  the front to the rear of the
cabinet, fading, fadi, fadinag,     into utter darkness.
After an interval of a few minutes, her hand appeared through the aperture, holding a phantom flower.
It remained for a few seconds, then retired, when another, and another were presented quickly in succession. These "celestial exotics" were plainly presented,
but could not be identified.
But a few minutes had passed, when there appeared at the aperture the lower part of a man's face,
plainly seen from  below  the eyes to the chin, which
was covered with a heavy beard.  A  French harp
was held to the mouth, and the notes sounded several
times, though no tune was attempted.  These could
be distinctly heard in the adjacent rooms.  It was
subsequently stated that Jim  Nolan was the harpist.
After this unique concert was over, and the cloth
had fallen over the aperture a few minutes, the door
of the cabinet was suddenly pushed open, when, to my
utter amazement, I saw, as plainly as could be, for an
instant, the form of a man standing beside Mrs. Hollis.
His head was uncovered-large and full round face.
lie wore a military uniform, with medallion decorations




316              STARTLINrG FACTS IN
upon  the  breast of his  coat.   I could  see him
only for a second, and was in such a line of observation as to obstruct the view of others in the circle.
When the light fell upon him, he melted into air, as
melts
" The snow-flake onl the river;
A moment white, then lost forever.",,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.             317
CHAPTER  XVII.
A NEW  CABINET AND NEW  PROGRAMME-CHARLES
REEMELIN-PURCELL AND MANSFIELD-CORRYPARENTS RECOGNIZING  CIIILDREN- CHILDREN
RECOGNIZING PARENTS-OLD FRIENDS —THE TESTIMONY OF WELL-KNOWN CITIZENS —- RITING —
SPIRITS CONVERSING THROUGH THE APERTUREF. B. PLIMPTON AS AN INVESTIGATOR-HIS ABLE
REPORT.
T HE cabinet seances, recorded in the last chapter,
ended Mrs. Hollis's third engagement in Cincinnati. The following morning she started for home.
I now wrote a statement of the manifestations that
had occurred in her presence, and published it in
the Cinciinnati Commercial. My object was to direct
public attention to the subject, and, if possible, enlist more general interest in the marvelous character
of spirit-phenomena.  In this, I but partially succeeded. The chief editor of the Commercial very soon
discovered himself to be neither friendly to spiritualism nor to the investigation of its phenomena.  He
was master of the situation, and with as wayward a
fancy as if he swayed an empire.
Under such circumstances, "discretion is the
better part of valor;" so my best policy was to " Sage
nichts so lange als der verdammte hanswurst faselt."




318            STARTLING FACTS IN
Give him  scope, and he and his corps of sniveling
correspondents will soon  dafzgle.   And they did.
To mention  spiritualism  in the presence of some
people, is like displaying a red flag before a wild
steer, or throwing water on an animal with hydrophobic proclivities; they get mad-very  mad.  In
fact, they take on duodenal cramps and epigastrical
spasms of *the brain.  "Why this is thus," I can not
exactly tell! It is as perplexing a problem  to me as
spiritual phenomena itself.  I only notice the fact
because it is a fact.  These people are generally the
escapes from lunatic asylums, or the inmates of pagan
Churches, in which the milder forms of insanity are
populatly manifested as devotion.
So m uch had been- printed that was alike "foolish
and false" respecting the spirit-manifestations I had
publicly recorded, that I deemed it necessary to have
Mrs. Hollis return again to the city.  I did this to
enable me to cite other witnesses to the facts when I
came to make my final report, which I now had decided to do in the present form.  Her fourth engagement commenced on the 20th of August.
As I had disposed of my cabinet, it was necessary
to construct another; but this time I directed Mr.
Brown to put up a close board partition across the end
of the cabinet room, four feet from the north wall.
In  the center of this partition  a batten-door was
hung which opened into the room; and in the center
of the door a circular aperture was made, twelve
inches in diameter, four feet and a half fiom the floor.
This was covered with black cloth hanging on the inside, to make the chamber perfectly dark. When com



MODERN SPIRITUALISIM.               319
pleted, the interior dimensions of this cabinet were
ten feet long, seven feet high, and four feet deep.
The door fastened on the inside with a wood button.
Under the aperture, on the outside, the bracket was
adjusted to hold the slate.  This was the new cabinet.
As soon as it was completed, Mrs. Hollis entered
for manifestations.  The membersof my family only
were present; among these a lad fifteen years old, who
had never been in a spiritual circle, and who had but
recently come to the city.   Several hands were presented at the aperture in the course of fifteen minutes, when, after a lull of ten minutes, my mother's
face appeared.  I said nothing while the materialzation
was taking place, nor did I give it recognition until
the lad referred to exclaimed, "Look, zncle,; see, there
is grandmother!"  This boy was reared by my mother,
and was quite competent to identify her familiar face.
The spirit seemed to be gratified with Tom's piesence and recognition, as she smiled, and pronounced
his name in such audible tones that all present could
hear it.  She remained at the aperture two mizutes.
Several other faces, besides a number of hands and
arms, were shown, when the seance came to an end.
It was evident the power to manifest had increased
rather than diminished in the new cabinet. I therefore
at once decided to invite a number of representative
people to witness the manifestations, and examine the
conditions under which they were produced, with the
understanding that such persons would make a fair
written statement of what they saw and heard, over
their own signatures, for public use.
The invitation was given in the Commercial of




320                 S7ARTLING FACTS IN
August 30, 1872, of which the following  is about the
substance:
SPIRIT PHENOMENA  IN  CINCINNATI.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
Editor of Commercial:
SIR,-YOU have published several articles recently, over the
signature of " Nep.," in relation to spirit phenomena, wliich have
attracted attention.  The statements contained in those articles
were of such an extraordinary character as to elicit a great deal
of unfriendly criticism  by yourself and correspondents.
I now propose to afford a limited number of intelligent men
and women an opportunity to witness similar manifestations at
my dwelling, on condition that, over their own signatures, they
will make a written statement of what they see and hear appertaining to the same, for public use.
To facilitate tliis object, I propose to form  several circles
composed of three persons each, and give from four to six sittings to each circle, all to be subject to the rules governing the
formation of circles, which are known to establish the best conditions for spirit manifestations.'
To enter these  circles, there  shall be no discrimination
between Jew and Gentile, Pagan and Christian, editors and
preachers, but representative men and women of all classes
slhall be welcome, " without money and without price."
To stimulate the wavering to engage in this good work, /
promise that int a lighted room will be realized the presence of
our suepposed dead friends, who will WRITE, SPEAK, AND SHOW
THEIR FACES SO AS TO BE RECOGNIZED.
If these manifestations are frauds, now is a most propitious
time to "smite them, lhip and thigh!"  There sliall be no effort
attempted to protect them from the closest scrutiny.
This  invitation brought letters in  response from
about two hundred representative (?) men and women,
all willing  to  come and  see these wonderful things.




MODERN SPIRITUALISMf.               321
The Queen City may well be proud of her jewels
I did  not think the crop so prolific.  Some of
them  signatured themselves with an X; and others
(E. A. among them), claimed to be such because they
scribbled occasionally for a newspaper.
"0, wad some power the giftie gi' us
To see oursel's as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion,"
I discovered my mistake. My intention was to engage the attention of such men as Mr. John B. Purcell,
Mr. Max Lillienthal, Mr. Edward Purcell, Mr. Thomas
Vickers, Mr. Charles Reemelin, Mr. E. D. Mansfield,
Mr. F. B. Plimpton, Mr. Granville Moody, Mr. Win. M.
Corry, and one or two others who really occupied positions which commanded the respect and confidence
of a limited number of their fellow-citizens. To most
of these gentlemen I was personally unknown; and
when I spoke of my intention to call upon them for
the purpose indicated, I was assured that I would be
denied by every one of them.  I could not see why
it should be so; for truth seeks neither place nor applause, bows at no human shrine, but only asks a
hearing.  When men deny this, they openly manifest
their own error, and write their own condemnation.
On a careful inspection of my list of representative men, I found so little homogeneousness of character among them, that I gave up the conceit of getting them  together in a common circle.  The next
best thing to be done was to select three or four, and
handle them the best I could.
I found, in my intercourse with people who had




322           STAR TLIANG FACTS IN
adopted Church creeds for their guidance in spiritual
matters, that they were either afraid to investigate
spiritual phenomena, or were ready to zealously condemn without examining it at all.  I therefore began my operations with Mr. Charles Reemelin,who, I
understood, was not at all trammeled with dogmas  or
fettered with creeds. I drove to his residence, near
Dent, and found him superintending the gathering of
grapes in his vineyard.  After introducing myself, I
stated the object of my visit as briefly and fairly as I
could.  M. Reemelin is not a man to be trifled with;
and it is plainly written all over his face that he entertains decided opinions, whatever they may be.  He
said: " What is the use of talking about seeing spirits,
when there are no spirits to see?  You can't see a
thing that is not. A woman told me she expected to
meet her husband in heaven, and I said,'Madam, you
wouldn't want to look at him  after he is rotten;
when the breath leaves the body, that is the last of
the man.' 
"But, Mr. Reemelin," I said, "that which you say
can't be, is! Come and see. You limit possibility to
the operations of your own mind. The impossible to
you, may be the possible to others; we are all students yet, and have much to learn. I would like you
to see these manifestations, and know what you think
of them afterward. Your opinions before seeing them
are of no value.  After you have seen them, that
which you may say will have some influence with
other men."
"This is all a trick, a species of jugglery, got up
for a purpose.  I heard of a ghost-story in Germany —"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              323
"Mr. Reemelin," I interrupted, " allow me to introduce you to Mrs. Hollis, the spirit-medium. Talk to
her about the trick."
Mr. Reemelin changed the topic of conversation,
and spoke to Mrs. Hollis of his grapes, his family,
and some fiiends with whom she happened to have
acquaintance.  We left him about sundown..
This interview with the great fiee-thinking Charles
Reemelin convinced me chat "the pride of opinion"
made a man as intolerant a bigot as if he had no
opinion at all.  If he is not fast settling into fossilism, it is because I could not engage his mind
with the grandest thought that has been given to the
world.
"I fear your representative men will all fail you,"
said Mrs. Hollis, as we drove homeward from  our
fruitless visit to the sage of Dent.  "You will hardly
get a circle to suit you."
" I have given up the idea of a circle. If we can
only get one or two to begin with, we will go ahead.
I will next try Mr. W. M. Corry.  He has been a member of the Legislature, when it was more honorable
to be such than at present; and, as an independent journalist, has won a national reputation. Colonel Piatt says he is the bravest thinker in America,
and also the finest parlor orator.  From  what I
have heard, the impression on my mind is, he is a materialist in belief; but, I hope, not so bigoted a one as
Mr. Reemelin."
Your original idea, I think, is impracticable," said
Mrs. Hollis; "if you could get all your representative
men to come together in one circle, there would be so




324            STARTLING FACTS IN
much personal antagonism, I fear, the spirits could
not manifest.  Harmony is an essential condition."
"There is not so much personal antagonism  as
you think. If Purcell and Mansfield, who are about
the same age, were placed, like Selkirk, on a solitary
island, where the sound of church-going bells were
never heard, how long do you suppose their personal antagonism would be maintained?"
"Until they became hungry!"
"Exactly! The bishop would forget his infallible
dogma, and swallow gopher on Friday; while Mansfield would soon consider him as one of the elect,
and be as fraternal as was Tam  O'Shanter with
Souter Johnnie, when  they  were'fou for weeks
thegither.' It is their devilish creeds that disunite
them, and'break up nature's social union.'"
" It will always be so!"
"No, it won't!  Nature will develop men too
large to sit in pews, and too noble to be fettered by
creeds.  To these the door-way to the spirit-world
will be open, and the dread and mystery of death
will be removed.  Such men are now  living, and
their number is increasing day by day."
"Will we hold a circle to-night?" asked Mrs.
Hollis, as she adroitly gave a new direction to the
conversation.
"Yes: I forgot to tell you I have invited some
friends to the house this evening; and I suppose they
are there by this time."
It was eight o'clock before we got home, where we
found awaiting us, MR. W. W. WARD, MRS. ROSEANNA C. WARD, and MR. GEO. W. SKAATS. With




AODERN SPIRITUALISM.               3 25
these, and several members of my family, we soon
visited the cabinet-room, and Mrs. Hollis entered the
dark closet.
It was only a few  minutes after the door was
closed, when a large, muscular hand presented itself
at the aperture, which at first seemed shadowy, but
gradually grew to be as substantial looking as one of
flesh and blood.  It remained a minute or more, and
was then withdrawn.  Very soon after, my mother's
head and face, with all the details of her head-dress
fairly delineated, appeared at the opening in the door,
and remained two minutes.  After bowing, she retired,
and was followed soon after by the materialization of
a head and face of a young woman that had not appeared before.  Mrs. Ward instantly recognized the
spirit as Anna Clemfort, and spoke to her.  The reply
and acknowledgements were made by bowing the
head and rapping loudly on the inside of the cabinet.
Mrs. Ward herself is a fine clairvoyant, and has often
seen, while in her supersensuous condition, the spirit
of Miss Clemfort, looking exactly as she presentedc
herself at the aperture.  As this spirit retired, another
face and head of a beautiful woman appeared, and
bowed to Mrs. Ward.  It was one who had stood
by her as bridesmaid many years before.  Mrs. Ward
called her by name; in response to which, she smiled,
bowed-her head, and rapped, as the preceding spirit
had.  It was not long before the aperture was again
filled by another head and face of a lady, evidently
of the Society of Friends, for she wore a plain cap.
The materialization was good for half a minute, during
which time the spirit was recognized as MRS. RACHEL
30




326              START~ING FACTS IN
FISHER, by Mr. Skaats, to whose family, during her
natural life, she was quite well known.
It was but a short time after she had retired, when
the head and'face of Mr. Thomas Eller, the father of
my nephew, appeared at the orifice in the door.  All
these were presented in good light, and, as they were
strongly individualized, could not be mistaken.
A  hand  was now  projected into the room, and
wrote upon the slate:
"We do not wish to tax the medium's strength any more
this evening. Good-night!                      NEY."
This concluded the seance.
When Mrs. Hollis came out of the cabinet, her
pulse was sixty, her face pale, her ha.nds cold, and
she spoke of a general feeling of langtuor.  She was,
to superficial inspection, the least excited person in
the room.
The next seance I shall notice was held in the
evening of September 3d.  It was attended by Mrs.
Angeline Madison, Dr. A. J. Hazelwood, and Mr. G.
W. Skaats, and two members of my family.  In five
minutes after Mrs. Hollis entered the cabinet, hands
of various sizes began to appear at the aperture; some
Were projected into the room, but most of them  appeared at the opening only, inside the cabinet.  This
exhibition continued for a quarter of an hour.  Following this digital display, was the head and face
of a sweet little girl, who was immediately recognized by Mrs. Madison as her own child.  The materialization  was very  good, and  continued  for a
minute.   The  mother's heart was filled  with  joy,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                327
at meeting her darling again.  Following closely was
the beautiful face of another angel child, radiant with
love-light and smiles. Mr. Skaats at once recognized
her as his little daughter.
It is no part of my business to preach, but I may
be indulged to say, that to be present when these
angel visitants return to show their shining faces, and
to assure parents that there is life beyond the tomb,
is a most exquisite privilege.  I envy not the head or'
heart of the man who can ask, "Of what value is allI
this?"
Seemingly as a guardian to the little girls, the
motherly face of Mrs. Rachel Fisher appeared almost
as soon as the last one had retired.  She was instantly
recognized by Mrs. Madison and Mr. Skaats, to whom
she bowed her head several times in token of satisfaction. As she passed from the light, the face of an old
and well-known citizen appeared, which was at once
recognized by Mrs. Madison, Mr. Skaats, and Dr. Hazelwood, as being Mr. R. A. Madison.   He was better
known to old citizens of Cincinnati as "'Squire Madison."  Mrs. Madison was his niece, Dr. Hazelwood his
grandson, and Mr. Skaats his kinsman by marriage.
The materialization was good, and the light sufficient
to distinguish every feature of his face.  No more faces
were presented during the evening, but a pecdzlir hand
was projected into the room, and wrote on the slate:
"Andrew, beware of following in the footsteps of!
The wine-cup is fatal!"
To this message no name was signed; but the hand
was recognized, and both the message and the hand
sufficiently indicated the identity of the author.




328            STAR TLING FACTS IN
The voice of a child was now heard in the cabinet,
addressing Mrs. Madison as mother.  The conversation that ensued soon disclosed the fact that the living
and the so-called dead were again in communion with
each other, with only the thickness of cloth separating
them.  The interview lasted about twenty minutes;
and when it concluded, the seance closed.
On the morning of the 5th, I was agreeably surprised by a call from Mr. F. B. Plimpton, whose attention had been arrested by the publication of my Card
in the Commercial.  Mr.'Plimpton is well known as
an editorial writer on the Commercial, in its literary
and scientific department, where scholarly and scientific attainments are required to fill the position well.
I had never met this gentleman until he presented
himself at my door, and, to the best of my recollection,
had never before seen him.  He said:
" Good morning, sir.  Are you Dr. Wolfe?"
" That is my name, sir.  What is yours?"
"Plimpton."
" Of the Cozmmzercial?"
"I represent the Commercial as a reporter this
morning, and am here to witness the phenomena, an
account of which you have published as occurring in
the presence of Mrs. Mary J. Hollis."
"You are welcome. I will afford you every facility in my power to carry forward your investigation
of these strange occurrences.  I am  as anxious to
know the truth of these marvelous manifestatiois as
yourself.  Do not be in a hurry in making your report
or in forming  conclusions.  Examine  closely, patiently, and perseveringly; and at any time, if you think




MODERN SPIRI TUALISM.                        329
I can be of assistance to you, command my services.
Come  when you will, as often  as it may  please you,
and stay as short or long a time as your convenience
will permit; you shall be welcome."
I  now  introduced  Mr. Plimpton to  Mrs. Hollis;
and of what followed the ensuing five days may be
ascertained by reading the report he gave through the
Conmmercial, which is here appended.
THE BORDER LAND.
AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE SPIRITS.
IT was a condition of the seance, which I was invited to attend at the house of Dr. N. B. Wolfe, No. I46 Smith Street,
that I should make fithful report of what I saw and heard, orif it better please the reader —wlat I seemed to see and hear;
what, if any  thing, was failure, and what, if any tiling, success.  Mrs. Mary J. Hollis, of Louisville, Kentucky, an unprofessional developing medium, I)ut notable for the extraordinary
character of the manifestations made tllroughl her, was the temporary guest of Dr. Wolfe.
It is the purpose of this writing to fulfill that condition.   It
is proper, however, to say at the outset, that spiritual terms and
phraseology Nwill be used by the writer as simply convenient,
and to add, personally, that in the capacity of a reporter he rec.ords olly witnessed plhenomena, indifferent wletler they help
or hurt the cause of spiritualism.  In thalt capacity, lie has no
theories to advance, no opinions to state, no conclusions to
publish.   He has but otne duty to perform: "to report proceedings," as lIe would, if detailed, those of a convention, massmeeting, or any public affair.
I.
SLATE-WRIT I NG.
THE first sitting took place on the 5th of September, and
commenced at nine o'clock A. M.
1 was conducted to a clambler-room on the second floor of
the house.  It was furnislled as such rooms ordinarily are.
The window, looking southl, had inside lattice-blinds, through




330                  STARTLING FACTS IN
the slats of which the morning sun looked cheerfully in, making
the  room  "liglit and  as a lily  ii bloom."   This  condition
remainedl unchanged tlloughouL the sitting.
A  liiht walnut toilet-stand, without drawers or compartments-a simple oblong wooden top, on slender stupports-was
brought fiom an adjoining apartment, and placed in the center
of the room.   A  plaid-grleen  and  black-worsted  shawl was
tlhro\n over it, and a liglit checked carriage-robe spread over
the shawl, and falling to tile floor on all sides of the standl.
Upon tlhe stand was placed a six-by-ten school-slate, wlich was
carefully sponged off, and a bit of pencil half an inch lo1ng, and
whittled so small that it was difficult to handle it, and almost
impossible to write a legible word with it.
l'lhese arrangemensts completed by myself, and again examined in detail and in general, to detect mechanical hocus pocus,
if there were any concealed about the stand, Mrs. Hollis entered
tle room, anld seated herself at the right and about eighteen
inches from  the stand.  Dr. Wolfe was on the left, and not less
tlhan three feet away).  My own position was at tile end fionting
botli, so tlat every motion could be observed.
Taking the slate, on which was the bit of pencil, in her righthalld, and lifting the stand-cover with her left, Mrs. Hollis projected the slate and hand to the wrist under the stand, letting
tlhe drapery fall around it.  At no time did sle change her position, nor did any part of lier dress or person, except the hands,
when used to project or withdraw tlhe slate, come into contact
with tlhe staind or its covering.
Some minutes elapsed, during which a lively conversation on
social subjects was kept up.   There was time to take personal
observations of the medium.  Mrs. Hollis is of middle age, but
looks yountger than she is; of good form; rather stoutish; has
lustrous black eyes and hair, and regular and pleasiig features.
Her manner is rather retiring, always modest-that of a cultivated, sensitive  woman, who  has, however, been  enough  in
society to acquire an easy and graceful self-possession.  On
this occasion, slle  was dressed  in a liglht morning-wrapper,
tastefully but plainly trimmed.
In tile midst of the conversation, a scratcling sound, as of a
peiicil drawn across a slate, was heard.  I narrowly watched,
during this and subsequent writing, the portion of tlle medium's
wrist exposed between the sleeve-cuff and the stand, but could




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          331
detect no  motion of the muscles; on the contrary, they had
assumed a fixedness or rigidity which comes of supporting a
weiglht i; one position for a space of time.
Suddenly the  sound  ceased; the pencil dropped  with a
click, and raltled over the slate as though it had been liftei
some incies and let fall upon it.  Tlis was the signal, in each
instance, that the communication v. as finished.
The first writing proved to be only a signature, written in
an  irregular, running  hand,  in whicn   our family name was
phonetically sfpei/ed "Plyrnton," nearly its old English forn..
John  tried repeatedly to communicate, but with discouraging
success.  James Plylllon came next, and "Elizaleth Pii/iton,
of Farlmington," (after it was suggested to John that we spelled
the name differently now,) but none of them  was able to go
further.  They were possibly repelled  by the assurance that
they were all unknown to me.
Wlhen  the  slate was next witldrawn', there was written
on it: "I am Willie Potter, son of Dr. Potter.  Do you know
me?"  Willie was told tliat I had not the lhonor of his acquaintance.  Il reply lie wrote, and  with  some ral)idity. " I iwas
always with  my pai in  his buggy, and thought every body
knewv me."
The question was then orally put: "Is any one whom  I
know with you?"
"Yes," was the reply in writing; "your aunt Mary, and she
says tlat —"
Here the pencil dropped.  Tlhere ensued a series of confused answers, as if the spirits were considerably "mixed" as
to identity.  For example, I wrote a question on one side of
the slate, land, turning it over, handed it to Mrs. Hollis, who
passed it under the table.  Tlle answer was, "Yes, my son,"
which  was entirely  irrelevant.  As, again, "Emily  is with
me now."
The following intelligible communication was nlext received:
"Your fiiends are here, but not able to write.
" M. D. POTTER."
This specimen  of so-called spirit-writing I preserved for
comparison.  It seemed at the moment that tlere was a resemblance between the signature and Mr. Potter's, as I rememebered  it.   A  subsequent  comparison, however, showed  a




332                 STARTLING FACTS IN
material difference.  In his life-time, Mr. Potter never varied the
form of writinog his name.  To those familiar with it, it was as
instantly recognized as tlhat of Mr. Spinner, on the United States
treasury-notes.   He wrote a deliberate, decided  hand, plain,
firm, business-like, and very clharacteristic of the man himself.
The capital "M," in the slate-writing, was constructed radically
different.  He never so wrote it.  The "D" lad some general
resemblance.   The  " P" and  the final "r," in the Christian
name, were unlike his.
It may be that the pencil (which, as I shall show, is taken
between  the fingers of wlhat is called a "materialized" hand)
was too small for manipulation, and modified the writing.  This
was suggested by another experiment.  The point of a leadpencil was broken off, and the point again broken; the smaller
anti almost infinitesimal part was placed on a sheet of wilite
paper, an(l put under the table.  A few words, of no importance,
)but purporting  to  have  been written  by Mr. Potter, were
written, but the writing was as labored as that of a sclool-boy
just mastering his pot-hooks; showing  that the instrument
employed by the spirit-hand modifies the writing as it would
hiave been if held by a hand of flesh and blood.
Next came a request tlat I sliould be at the cabinet the
following morning, at eleven o'clock, and then this:
"We want to stop all manipulation now.
"JOHN PLYMTON."
The sitting was over.
It was noticeable that the writing-for example, of Johnwas consistently characteristic, first and last, and each was distinctive fiom the other.  Nothing of conceivable luman interest
was imparted, and in the only instance where it was possible
to trace a resemblance of writing, the experiment was a failure.
The spelling of a name phonetically was not creditable to a
spirit of intelligence.  That there  was no mechanical fi-aud
or ambidextrous jugglery in the slate-writing, I was entirely
satisfied.  T'hose wlio seek to solve the myslery must give it
patient investigation.  To denounce it as trickery, intentional
tleception, and humlbuggery, is simply to display dense ignorance
or unsavory prejudice.  I have thus been minlutely particular
because of what follows.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        333
II.
THE CABINET-MATERIALIZATION.
THE cabinet, as it is called, is on the second floor of a brick
ouilding, in the rear of the dwelling-house.  It is in a small
middle-room, between  what appeared  to be two  consultingoffices, with doors opening into each, and transoms above them
admitting enough light to read coarse print, or to see local color.
A carpet on the floor, a book-case, three or four chairs, a small
stand, upon which was a  Swiss mutsic-box, constituted the
furnishing.  The cabinet was on tile wall side of the room.  A
space, about the size of an ordinary clothes-closet, had been
partitionedl off, from thle ceiling to thle floor.  The door opening
into it was peculiar only in having an aperture sometlinhg hlighler
than a man's hea(l cut into it.  This aperture was round. and
perhaps twelve or fifteen inclies in diameter.  A curtain of dark
cloth, falling on the inside of the door wllen closed, shut out
the light fiomn the calinet.  A few inclies below  the aperture,
and on the outside of the door when sliut, was a plain wooden
shlelf, on wvhich were placed a slate and small pencil.
I carefully examined this contrivance, sounding the wall.'The brick wall of the building formed the one side, the board
partitions the opposite side and the ends.  Witli the exception
of a strip of carpet on the floor and a wooden chair, it was
absolutely bare.  Not a nail or nail-hole was visible, nor was it
possible that tlhere were traps or concealed openings, doors,
panels, or other pantomime contrivance about it.
The palm  of Mrs. Hollis's rightt-liand was deeply marked,
in my presence, with burnt-cork.  As I vacated  the cabiniet,
slhe entered, closing the door after lier.  I had hardly time to
cioss the floor and take a seat by the side of Dr. Wolfe, wlho
had wound up and set the music-box in play, when an open
hand appeared at the aperture, the palm  toward us; it moved
twice slowly fi-om  riglit to left, and disappeared.  Other hands
followed with like demnonstrations. Presently another presented
itself, palm open toward us, tlhen turning slowly down, groped
over tle slate on the shelf below, and, finding the pencil, began
to write, holding it between tle tllumbl and forefinger.  The
writing occupied a full minute, and the hand was visible quite
another.  Elevating the pencil some inches, it was let fall on
the slate, producing.rine rolling sound I had heard during




334                  STARTLzING FACTS IN
the slate-writing seance.  Again displaying the bpen palm, the
haind  was withdrawn.  The  messages purlported to be fiom;t sister, long an invalid, who died some years ago, and was
couched in phrases of affection such  as she frequently used
during her life-time.
Some time now elapsed.  The music-box contillue( to play.
The eye, accustomed to the half-light of the room, easily took in
all objects. The local color of the paper on the wall, the figures
in the carpet and its texture, were readily perceived.  I was informed that the spirits preferred this softened liglht for cabinet
materialization.  The time seeming tedious, Dr. Wolfe said the
spirits were eiigaoed  ill materializing a face.  Soon  after, an
apparition —at first indistinct, then brigliter and more defin)ed —
appeared at the aperture.   It was a female face; but it was
<known neither to the doctor nor myself.   Asked if it was one
of my friends; it nodded a reply, and withdrew.
Again some time elapsed, and anolther face appearedl, but so
dlin that we were only able to make out tle outliies of a man's
filce.  " You Imust (lo better tlan that," said I, "if you want to
be recognized."   Tw'o other efforts were made, the last so successful tlat I involuntarily exclaimed, " Potter!" anid instantly
a roll of shlarp.  knockilngs, while the  face was still visible,
sounded along the partitiion.  Wen the face disappeared, the
knocks-were rapidly repeated with intense emphasis.  The face
was life-size, hlad the compact full forehead, the hair   tibrusled
away from  it after the manner in which Mr. Potter wore it.
The mlixture of gray in the hair and chii-whiskers was visible.
Dr. Wolfe did not recognize it till the name was mentioned.
This manifestation lasted three minutes.
Presently another face appeared.  "Who is that?" said Dr.
Wolfe.  " It is a woman, wearing a cap," he added.  I thought
of all the graiidinothers and aunts I had known.  Tlere appeared to be great difficulty in the materialization of this face.
Three or four times it appeared, but was told it could not be
made out.  Again it came forwvard.   What the doctor had mistakeii for a cap was the hair, combed dlown over a very high
forelead antd drawn plainly over the tips of the ears.  The large,
serene blue eyes, the oval of the face,: the retreating clin, the
languid expression about the moutlh the light color of the lair,
were unmistakable characteristics of the face of an invalid sister who died ten years ago in the.northern part of Ohio, who




MODERN SPIR1TUALISAI                         335
was never in Cincinnati, and of whom no picture is in existence,
except an old  faded daguerreotype, taken, perhaps, sixteen
years ago.  The peculiar mode of wearing the hair was ldue to
protracted illness; it was put up in the readiest way an invalid
could do it with comfort to herself.
Next appeared the face of a female, recognized by Dr. Wolfe
as Lizzie Odell-a pretty, full face, with a profusion of black
curls, and a cherry-colored ribbon bound across the forehead at
tile edge of the hair, and running back over the ears.  Lizzie
smiled, nodded twice, and passed on.
A  hand again appeared, took up the pencil, and wrote.  It
was a communication purporting to be from my sister.  Two
other messages were written by the same hand.  Tlle last time
it appeared, after writing andI dropping the pencil, it was suddenly projected into the air, higth above and forward of the aperture in the door, displaying tile fore-arm bare to the elbow, and
so sharply clear and tangible tlhat the modeling and veining of
the arm were distinctly seen.  It was so unanticipated that I
confess to have been startled.  I had been prepared to-see
hands and faces, but this was a sensation.  Swaying to one side
and the other for the space of thirty seconds, it was withdrawn.
A  rap on the wall indicated tile conclusion of the seance.
Mrs. Hollis came out.  The black spot in the palm of her righthand was unaltered.  In every instance the right-hand had been
shown, with open palm, to show us it was not marlked.  The
cabinet-was as it had appeared before the sitting.
I had abundant leisure to observe these apparitions.   The
han( and arm could not have been those of Mrs. Hollis.  Tile
fingers were long and delicate, the arm fair in slhape, but slender; the texture was that of a blonde, which Mrs. Hollis is not,
and the modeling was that of a girl's rather than a woman's
arm.  Hands were shown much smaller tlan the medium's..By no possibility could they have been hers, and there was,
about them  what seemed to me a soft filminess, as distinguishable from  a living lhand, as to the eye tlhe outline of a distant
snow-capped mountain is distinguishable fiom tle fleecy, sunilluminated clouds which surround it, and through the rifts of.which the snowy summit is revealed.   It seemed to me, also,
that there was a constant effort, especially in tlhe case of faces,
to maintain the status of materialization, as if the tendency were
to dissolve and "melt into thin air."   At moments when lhe




336                STARTLING FACTS IN
materialization was most perfect, there was a curious glow upon
the face, not destroying, but rather heightening, the effect of
local color in the hair, eyes, and skin.
I  have thus endeavored  to  state plainly  what I saw,
or supposed  I saw, and to give the reader as clear and
intelligible an idea of tie phenomena as it is possible for me to
convey.
III.
THE DARK CIRCLE-A SPIRIT INTERVIEWED.
THERE are three forms of manifestation through this medium:
slate-writing, materialization of forms, and vocalization.  The
last, and said to be the most difficult, takes place in a room
from whic  all liglt is absolutely excluded.
The dark circle was appointed for the evening of the same
day.  It was given in a sleeping-room on the third floor of the
dwelling-house.  Bed-quilts were tacked over the two windows.
Four chairs were placed against the wall, between a bed, over
which a mosquito-bar was drawn, and a wardrobe containing a
lady's dresses.  Upon the dressing-bureau was the music-box.
An ordinary speaking-trumpet of tin stood by the door; a clair
was placed in the center of the room.  Dr. Wolfe, myself, and
two ladies occupied the chairs by the wall, and tlhe medium that
in the center of the room, about eight feet fiom us.
Tlie night was intensely hot for the season, and this room
under the roof, from which the air as well as the light was excluded, was oppressively close.  Tile fans, with which all were
supplied, were kept in unceasing agitation.  I could hear that of
the medium whenever, during the sitting, there was a moment
of silence.
The music-box was wound up by Dr. Wolfe, and set to
playing, and the liglts were turned off.  A  conversation was
kept up between Mrs. Hollis and all of us while awaiting some.
manifestation.   Presently there was thumping and pounding on
the floor in various parts of the room, sometimes unpleasantly
near, suggesting the propriety of taking care of tender corns.
It ceased, and now  voices were heard in the room  singing
snatches of the opera-airs which the music-box was playing,
and in remarkably good pitch and time.  Tley were not the
voices of tlie persons about me, 1 knew.  They did not come
from  the direction of Mrs. Hollis' chair, and they seemed to




1MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        337
proceed from a source much higher than her head, and to float
about the room.  It was al unworded so1ng, unless a language
unfamiliar to us was used.
Tlhe music-box having exhausted itself, there was a space of
silence, anld presently there was a hoarse vocal effort at speaking, but not clear to my ear. Then an infantile voice was heard,
which Dr. Wolfe recognized as that of a clild who had died at
six.  At lhis request, she sang a verse of the song, " I want to be
an angel,'' in compaiy  willl im.  It wavs a child's voice, unmistakably, in its limited vocal power and range, immature tone
ancl accent and articulation of words, andl very near to us.
Again, the hoarse voice, as of a man speaking through a
trumpet, was heard.  It alnounced the presence of James Nolan.  He was described as materialized, speakin  through tile
trumpet, which he held in his materializedl land, and as visible to
the medium, who also described several spirits standing by us.
This communicative gentleman, after an introductioni to the
strangers of tile party, and a familiar "How are you, tils evening?" to Dr. Wolfe and the medium, undertook to explain some
of tie mysteries of spirit manifestation.   For the space of an
hour lie was pretty smartly plied with questions by all of us,
tile medium not unfrequently joining in the discussion with him.
I was in no position  to take note, as the reader will readily
imagine, and have to rely upon memory for an outline of thle.
conversation.
He was asked why it was necessary to darken the room
after such fashion.
He  said:'"You have noticed a ray of sunlight passing
through the slats of a window-blind, and filled with fine particles
of dust.   Well, so the atmosphere is pervaded with electricity.
Light increases its activity, and makes it difficult, almost imposible, for us to control it.  This force, in its refined form, surrounds the human body, and passes in currents over it.  It is
least active in darkness, and hence you fall to sleep easier in a
darl than in a light room.  Does this seem reasonable to you?"
It was admitted to be at least plausible.
The conversation was continued at great length; but I shall
not attempt to report it in detail.  The conditions of tle spiritworld were inquired into.  Was it light always tlere?  Yes.
Do you take cognizance of what transpires on thle earth? Yes:
all men and women are attended by their own spirit-friends,




338               STARTLING FACTS IN
who see their good and bad acts, try to impress them with good
impulses, seeking to elevate them; feel sorry for them when
they fail to control them, and rejoice when their progress is
toward that which is good and pure and lovely.  Then you feel
as we feel-have emotions, passions, joys, sorrows?'Yes: but
we have no sickness, no death.  And you have volition and the
power to pass from place to place?  Yes: with the rapidity of
thouglht.
The question of moral responsibility was raised by a lady of
the party, growing out of some remark of Nolan's touching inherited temperaments and dispositions.  Nolan maintained that
whatever is, is righlt, quoting Pope's language, and practically
denlied moral responsibility for what is clone in the body.  He
was pretty sharply examined on this head, and said much which
lias lormed the matter of speculation, reasoning, and analogy
among thinking men, into which I slall not enter.
He gave an interesting account of himself.  Was born, lie
said, in Harrison County, Indiana; went to Gosport; enlisted
in the Fifty-fourth Indiana (I think he said); served three years;
was with General Pope at Island No. IO, and went with Slierman in his famous march; was taken sick with typhoid fever
somewhere near Atlanta; was sent back to Nashville, and (lied
in the Maxwell House, tlen used as a hospital; was insensible
some days beforehe died; saw -his spiritual leave his physical
body, but still seemed unconscious of the change till two or three
of his comrades, who had gone before, came to his side and
said, " Well, Jim, you have come over;" whereupon he replied,
" Good God! am  I dead, then?" to which they answered that
lie was.
An incident of this conversation I must not omit.  He asked
me if I had not invited a Presbyterian deacon to be present that
evening. I could think of none.  " Didn't you ask a man named
Reed to come?"  I then remembered to have met Mr. Reed, of
the Gazette, by clance tlat clay, in Fountain Square, and said
I was going to a seance tlat night, inviting him, in a jocular way,
to accompany me, to which an equally jocular' reply was given.
Jim had possibly confused the " truly good man " of the Gazette
witll his wicked partner.
Nolan's question surprised me, as the incident had wholly
passed out of my mind.  I had not mentioned it to any person,
whatever Mr. Reed may have clone.




MODERN SPIlRTUALISM.                        339
At the conclusion of the conversation with Nolan, I heard a
voice not much above a whisper, seemingly within a foot of my
ear.  It announced the presence of my sister.  My mother, she
said, and a very dear aunt (whose name she gave, and one
that could have been known to but one person in the room
besides myself, and she an utter stranger to the medium, Dr.
Wolfe, and tie other lady) were present, but could not talk.
She did not use tie trumpet, and articulated with difficulty and
in so low a tone that it required attentive listening to catch her
wolrds.
The heat in the room by tils time hald become stifling, and,
to the relief of all parties, bodied and disembodied, tlhe seance
was brought to a conclusion.
All that had been said by Nolan concerninig the spirit-life,
the laws and conditions of manifestation, the difficulties to be
overcome, the subtleties of the medium whicl they employcalled by him refined electricity, by many animal magnetism, by
others odic force-tle positive and negative characters of this
force, the power of mind over mind in the body, and of spirit
over mind under certain favorable sympathetic conditions, was
familiar to me fiom investigations made more than twenty years
ago, and dropped after satisfying myself of the assumptions of
mesmerism and clairvoyance.
This dark-circle business is least satisfactory of the three
modes of manifestation.  You have to depend upon tlhe single
sense of hearing.  There is reasonable opportunity for trickery
and intentional deception.  Yet if what I heard at this seance
was ventriloquism, I have no hesitation in saying Mrs. Hollis is
the most extraordinary ventriloquist in tile world, and is endowed with as many voices as Orator Puff.  Sle has capacity
not only to direct her voice to all parts of a room, to advance
and retire it, but to speak in her natural voice at the same moment she speaks ventriloqually, not only articulating different
words at the same moment, but constructing different sentences,
and  conveying  entirely different ideas upon subjects wlolly
irrelevant to each other.
The reader can draw his own conclusions.  He may pronounce this so-called spiritualism  illusian, trickery, jugglery,
sleight-of-Ihand, tlhe work of the devil or his imps; it is a matter
of total indifference to me what he thinks, or how much lie believes or disbelieves of this statement.  Having  never been




340                SSTARTLING. FACTS IN
troubled by dreams, premonitions, illusions, prophetic monitions, apparitions, ghosts, or other evidences of indligestion or
disordered nerves myself, I do not believe I have suddenly
fallen into a condition in which I may not credit the reasonable
evidence of my own senses as to wlhat I see and hear.  But how
these phenomena come to pass, it is not the business of a reporter to explain, if lie could, wlhile employed in that capacity.
My duty is discharged, and the conditions fulfilled.
"And so you are going to make a report of this stuff?" said
a firiend.
" Ad why not?"
"And inteld to publish the statement?"
"And stil), why not?"
"And subscribe your name?"
"And yet again, vwhy not?"
" But what good will come of it?"
I do n't know; I have nothing to do with consequences."
" But you will be sneered and laugled at."
"Very well; I am but a reporter of things which have taken
place.  In this, as a matter of good failth, and a guarantee that
I cdo not seek to tax incredulity, or plactice upon the popular
love of the marvelous, I have no hesitation to attest it in tle
best form  tlat a man having respect for his reputation for
veracity, can give it."
As an act of good faith toward the reader, I depart fi-om
the imp)ersonality that ought to characterize journalism,   in tlis
single instance, and subscribe myself respectfully,
F. B. PLIMPTON.




MODERN SPIRITU',ALISM.            341
CHAPTER  XVIII.
PLIMIPTON-CORRY-PRIVATE SEANCES-RECOGNIZING
FRIENDS-SPIRIT-IFLOWERS - BUCIIANAN READS,
AND SPEAKS AUDIBLY-A SPIRIT PRINTS HIS IHAND
IN FLOUR-ABOUT CONDITIONS-"A BET"-GEO.
1). PRENTICE -- COLONEL PIATT -TRANSFORMATION —I LUMINATED SPIRITS.
MX     R. PLIMPTON'S report was read with amazement by those who had previously treated the
whole subject with ridicule.  It was copied in several
papers, and awakened general interest in the subject of
spirit phenomena.  It was the voluntary testimony of
one who had spoken and written effectively against
spiritualism.  His mission was to persecute, when he
began to investigate-to punish Mrs. Hollis and myself for daring to invite the public to examine the
manifestations.  The fact was quite patent that Mr.
Plimpton's hostility to spiritualism amounted to a persecution of those who believed it, and his check was
almost as sudden and unlooked-for as as was that of
the infatuated Saul who fell by the way-side.
After the publication of his article, Mrs. Hollis
and myself invited Mr. Corry to examine the phenomena, which were now beginning to challenge so
much public attention.  Mr. Corry is a cool, deliberate
man, with very little "speculation in his eyes" or




342            STARTING FACTS IN
conversation.  Still he is not a bigot, and, in this particular, is unlike Reerhelin. He is a progressionist,
but moves slowly. "Be patient!" is the axiom  around
which his whole system  of philosophy revolves.  He
seems to move only on compulsion, if his understandilng is not clear. Nature never designed this man for
a leader-though  he is a brave  thinker.  He can
plan a fight well, but will lose the battle by tardy
movement.
Mr. Corry consented to join Mr. Plimpton in the
further investigation of spirit phenomena, in the presence of Mrs. Hollis; and while these two gentlemen
are prosecuting their researches, I will record the
results of a few seances given to other well-known
citizens.
On the I2th of September, Mr. Charles Graham,
Mrs. Mary Graham, and their son " Freddie," entered
the cabinet-room  to witness manifestations.  The interior of the cabinet was first carefully examined,
and  then  Mrs. Hollis's right-hand  was blackened
with burnt-cork before she went in.  The door had
scarcely been closed upon her, when a large hand and
arm seized the pencil, and wrote on the slate:
" We will give you uncommonly good manifestations tonight! A large number of spirits will appear!"
At the conclusion of this writing, the pencil dropped, and the hand was held open, with the palm  to
the front, for inspection.  It was a clean right-hand,
almost transparent, without any trace of burnt-cork
to be seen.  I could not desire a more conclusive
test to prove the materialization of a spirit-hand.  It
was certainly not more than ten seconds after the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               343
door was closed, that the clean hand appeared. Only
half a minute after the writing, a brilliantly illuminated head and face of a lady were so clearly seen
at the aperture, that the color of the eyes and
hair could easily be distinguished.  Her dark-brown
hair was looped up Pompadour, with a cherry-colored
ribbon.  It was the sweet face of my cousin, Lizzie
Odell, who had appeared several times before.  When
she left the aperture, the matured face of a woman
appeared, whom Mrs. Graham recognized as her sister,
Mrs. Elizabeth Parker.  The spirit bowed, and retired.
Very soon the curtain was again drawn aside, to show
the face and head of ROBERT GRAHAM, a sturdy old
man, who was at once recognized by his son Charles.
This materialization lasted two minutes, during which
time father and son saluted each other by words and
bows.  My mother next appeared, but only for a few
seconds, though a good materialization, when she was
quickly followed by the head and face of a young
girl, who was immediately recognized by Mr. and Mrs.
Graham  as a long-buried daughter.  Following the
fading-out of this face, were presented two  baby
hands and arms, partly projected through the aperture.
These had scarcely been withdrawn, when the familiar but sweet face of'Katie Kerns, the medium's
sister, came fully in view, and maintained a good materialization for four minutes.   The next face presented was a strongly individualized one, whom  Mrs.
Graham  instantly recognized as her half-sister, Mrs.
Celia Rix, saying, as she did so, "There is no mistaking that face!"  Immediately after she had retired,
Washington's face came forward to the light, and




344             STARTLING FACTS IN
remained a minute.  He had scarcely retired when the
long, muscular arm of Ney was projected throLugh the
aperture, holding iil his hand a spirit-painting or portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte.  This I was permitted
to closely inspect.  I am not an art-critic, and know
little beyond the fact that when a painting, no matter
whether it is a portrait or a landscape, pleases me, I
say so.  This picture of Napoleon pleased me.  It
was most exquisitely colored-the flesh-tints being
soft, natural, and life-like.  I inspected it closely for
five minutes before it was withdrawn.  On a subsequent occasion  this portrait was presented, when I
examined it with a lighted stearine candle, which I
held not more than six inches from it.
The face of an elderly woman followed the withdrawal of the portrait, which Mrs. Graham recognized
as her mother.   The light was good, and the materialization faultlessly presented.  Following this one
was the bright, smiling face of little Anna Hancock;
after which, that of a negro girl, by the name of
Caroline, who had been an attached  servant to the
medium.  Her color was that of a quadroon.  She
had barely retired, when the face and head of Josephine Bonaparte appeared, her dark hair strangely arranged with strings of pearls.   She remained perfectly materialized four minutes.  After she had retired, Mr. Buchanan  and  Mr. Douglas  presented
themselves several times at the aperture.  They were
quickly followed by a lady's face, which Mr. Graham
pronounced to be his sister-in-law, "Jessie." - This
spirit remained  three minutes at the aperture, and
nodded several times to Mr. Graham.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              345
Jim  Nolan now spoke at the aperture, thanking
us for the conditions that had enabled so many good
materializations to be made.  They had exceeded all
preceding  efforts in number and completeness of
detail.  He then projected his arm  into the room,
waving a spirit-handkerchief for several minutes.
This closed the seance.
This circle was distinguished for the number of
materializations that had taken place, being no less
than sixteen, six of which were the recognized friends
of Mr. Graham and his wife.
The same parties, with Mr. J. A. Tyler, of Newport, Ky., formed a circle, a week after.  Mrs. Hollis
was in the cabinet only a minute or two, when a
jeweled land appeared, holding a flower, which looked
like a camellia or japonica.  The light was sufficient
for a most critical inspection; still, I availed myself
of the privilege of examining it with a candle.  It
remained perfect for a minute, when it began to fade.
I then placed my hand in fiont of the light, throwing
its shadow upon the flower, which enabled it to revive
somewhat; at least, the shadow would arrest its decline,
But for the complete renewal of its form and beauty,
it was withdrawn to the interior of the cabinet; it
would soon appear fresh-looking and perfect again.
This process of renewal was repeated five times, and
the last time green leaves were added to the stem
upon which the flower was supported.  My attention
during this exhibition, was about equally divided between the flower and the beautiful arm and hand of
the spirit sustaining it.  Both were inspected closely,
and both claimed an equal share of admiration.




346             STARTLING FACTS IN
The next materialization was a pond-lily, so perfect in its size, form, and constituent parts, that I
almost fancied I sensed its perfume.  I examined
this flower with the same care I did the first, and had
ample time to satisfy myself that the material fiom
which it was formed was not the same we find in the
natural flower.  This floral exhibition was closed by
Josephine waving  a spirit-handkerchief, as if selfapplauding the success of the manifestations.
Scarcely had the handkerchief been withcdrawn,
when a face appeared at the aperture, which Mr. Graham identified as BETSY PARKER.  Then followed, at
intervals of a few minutes each, the presentation of
Lizzie Odell, an unrecognized lady, a little boy, and
MRS. SARAH Rix; which latter spirit was immediately  recognized  by  her daughter, Mrs. Graham.
Following closely in the order of time, two faces of
children appeared, which their parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Graham, recognized as Walter and Emma.
For the first time was now presented a perfect
and full materialization of the head and face of Elwood
Fisher.  This spirit had made several attempts to
show himself to his fiiend Mr. Corry, but never with
entire success.  Mr. Corry's anxiety, I think, was the
cause of his failure.  He_ now  materialized  in good
light, and maintained his form a minute and a half.
This face of Elwood  Fisher is a remarkable one,
evincing power and  will of an uncommon  degree.
He has an immense head and ponderous brow, much
like Webster's; and yet the face reminded me more
of John C. Breckenridge's.
After Elwood Fisher had retired, several faces




MODERN SPI'ITUALISM.                  347
appeared, which were recognized as spirits that had
manifested before; and when a lady's appeared, and
nodded to Mr. Tyler, she responded to the name of
SARAH PARISH.  After her, Mr. Tyler's wife came to
the aperture and remained long enough for complete
recognition.  She subsequently wrote a letter to her
husband, on private  affairs, which gave  him  much
satisfaction.
Following  this spirit, very soon, came Mr. Buchanan.  He maintained his materialization so loIng
and firmly, that I had time to fetch an autograph
letter, framed  and  hanging  in  the  east room.  I
handed  it to  him, and  asked  if he  remembered
writing it.  He received it fi-om  my hand, and withdrew about half a minute.  When lie reappeared, t/he
view  of his facewas s cangged from  a f/ll fonout to a
profile.  He held the letter before lhim, as if reading.
Perhaps a minute elapsed, when lie retired, and almost instantly reappeared, full front face, handing me
the letter.   As he did this, he said, audibly, "I remember it very well, Wolfe; it is a letter of introduction to Forney!"
This  manifestation  of Mr. Buchanan will arrest
the investigating  innd by its more than common interest and significance.   It will be noticed that two
views of his face were presented; and yet he could
not rotate his head, to do this, in the light.  I have
seen the spirits change position during their appearance, but not to turn round.  To the charge that these
faces are flat, these materializations of Mr. Buchanan
are sufficient refutation.   The letter was evidently
read by Mr. Buchanan, for he announced audibly its




348            STARTZING FACTS Iiv
character.   The materialization was one of the best
I have seen, and, with one exception, the speaking
as good as any I have heard.
After Mr. Buchanan retired, Mr. Douglas, Mrs.
Jessie Graham, Mr. Robert Graham, David Wolfe,
and CATHERINE HOLLIDAY appeared, seriatim.  This
latter spirit identified herself to Mr. Tyler, as being
fiom Natchez, Miss.  He i-emembered her well, after
she referred to corroborating circumstances.  This
closed the exhibition of faces for the evening.  The
remainder of the time was consumed by writing messages, on the slate, to Mr. Tyler and Mr. Graham.
The.seance was remarkable-eighteen spirits having  materialized, besides the flowers, hands, arms,
and writing.  It lasted two hours, and left Mrs. Hollis
very much exhausted.
September I4th was set apart for Mr. Co.rry and
Mr. Plimpton to hold a dark circle; but Mr. Corry not
appearing, it was decided to change the programme
for the evening, and have a cabinet circle, with Mr.
Plimpton and my whole family present.  The evening
was quite inclement; so we expected but indifferent
manifestations.
It was not five minutes after Mrs. Hollis was
closed in, when the spirit-hands began to appear at
the aperture.  These varied in size; one, especially,
was noticeably large.  This was Marshal Ney's, and
seemed to possess more power than any of the others.
I asked if it could leave its impression in a plate of
flour, if I placed one on the bracket.  The reply, by
raps, was, "Yes."  I filled an oblong steak-dish with
flour, and set it before the aperture, sideways.  This




IMODERN SPIRITUALISM.                349
position was not favorable, to receive a good impression.  The spirit-hand changed the position of the
dish, and co mmenced a kind of magnetic manipulation
over the surface of the flour, which lasted several minutes.  It then retired for a dark-bath, but in a few
moments appeared again, and settled on the dish,
till the hand and fingers were buried in the flour.  It
remained there half a minute, when it rose, carefully,
to a vertical position, exposing the whole palmn-surface
of the hand to view.  It was thickly coated with the
adhering flour, not dust, but thick spread, as if the hand
had first been wet. The flour began to dribble off, beginning at the points of the fingers, and wasting toward
the base of the hand.  The remarkable character of
this manifestation was, that the fingers and hand
wasted as the flour fell away, the same as if they had
been formed of snow, and melted under the heat of a
midday sun.   At the conclusion of the seazce, there
was not a hand in the circle that could fill th~ wellpreserved matrix in the flour; and Mrs Hollis's hand
could very little more than half fill it.  I requested
Mrs. Hollis to leave the impression of her hand in a
plate of flour, and the two compared about as well as
a lady's slipper and an Irishman's brogan.  Following
this experiment, Lizzie Odell appeared, with her hair
very tastefuilly secured with the usual light cherry
ribbon, and, after smiling and bowing, retired, to make
room  for the sweet but pensive face of Mary Plimpton.  There was a bright light about her head, which
at first was mistaken for lace; a closer inspection,
however, discovered it to be a spirit-halo.  She could
only materialize about thirty seconds.
32




350             STAR TLING FACTS IN
In this connection, this seems to be a good time
and place to say something on the subject of cabinet
and writing  conditions.  I have observed  that any
mental or emotional excitement among the members
of a circle has a tendency to disturb or destroy the
conditions through which the spirits maniifest.  As
in the case of Elwood Fisher, he has never, in all his
efforts, been able to materialize fully in the presence
of Mr. Corry; but in the presence of my family, or in
the presence of Mr. Vickers, and.others, he has materialized well. Is it because Mr. Corry waints to see
him, that he can not do it?  We can see the effect of
one positive man's will over another who is magnetically negative to him, but do not understand just
how it is.  In this instance, the will to assist seems
to produce the opposite effect intended, disabling
rather than aiding the efforts of the spirits.
I am quite aware how much incredulity this statement may excite in the mind of an inexperienced
reader; but the fact remains, and will compel us to
recognize it at last.  But few people have any proper
appreciation of the delicacy of the conditions through
which manifestations are given.  These can be so
disturbed by the most triflinlg and seemingly inconsequential circumstances and causes, that the spirits
can no more manifest through them  than they could
in a slaughter-house or distillery.  I have heard the
spirits command Mrs. Hollis, peremptorily, to wash
every bit of pearl-powder fiom her face, when she had
been silly enoutgh to " whiten up" to receive company,
alleging that they could not give manifestations while
her skin was pasted over with such trash.  She is




MIODERN SPIR'ITUALISM.              35 1
also required to keep her hair loosely clone up, entirely free from  oil or perfume of any kind.  The
odors of some flowers are odious to the conditions;
and a hankerchief, rank with the extract of pole-cat
or frangipanni, will so stifle the spirits, that they are
quite incapable of manifesting.  A camphor and chloroform  liniment applied to a strained  ankle in the
morning will unfit the medium  for manifestations in
the evening.  A  drop of onion-juice or touch of asafetida upon the frame of the slate will disable spirits
from writing.  So, also, the presence of some persons
with repulsive magnetisms and discordant minds will
utterly unfit the medium for the delicate uses of the
spirit-world.  The spirits utterly refuse to manifest
in the presence of intoxicated persons, and they dislike the odor of tobacco.  It may now be un.derstood
why the spirits will manifest much better in the presence of some persons than they can in that of others;
and also why the experience of one man may not corroborate the experience of another. Opportunities may
be similar, but conditions as varied as temperaments.
It follows that, mentally and physiologically, men may
be so constituted that the spirit-world can not reveal
itself to them. Of course, they can no more help their
hapless condition than the leopard his spots, or the
Ethiopian his skin.  Nature, through violated physiological laws, puts her stamp of disability upon some
organizations, so that they may commiseratingly be
called "cripples," and  treated  as such, when they
essay to deal with spiritual affairs.  A monstrosity of
this kind, to make his deformity the more obtrusive,
wanted to bet five hundred dollars that the spirits




352              STAR'TLLNG FACTS N'.
could not manifest in his presence!  I think it a safe
bet; and the rascal, with as much certainty, knows he
would win, as if he were playing with loaded dice.
But to return to the point of digression.   Mary
Plimpton  had  left the  aperture  but a few minutes,
when the following spirits appeared, in the order of
naming: M. D. Potter, James Buchanan, Stephen A.
Douglas, Mrs. D. P. and son; Anna Hancock, Sarah
Powers, Josephine Bonaparte, "Caroline," and George
Washington.  There was a spirit of a fair-haired lady,
who could not be recognized, and she gave no name.
Josephine  presented  the same portrait of Napoleon
we had before seen, which she said was a most difficult materialization  to  accomplish.   Sarah  Powers
wore a beautiful red  flower in  her hair, on the left
Side.
The  remainder of the evening was occupied by
the  spirits writing  messages  to  their friends.   Of
these, the following seems to be the only one possessing any public interest:
"I come from the brigiht land of peace to greet you, my
friends! Beyond the ken of mortal eyes I have found a world
of wondrous beauty. There I am no longer a suffering man,
but a glorified spirit. All is well witl me.
"GEORGE D. PRENTICE."
Mr. Prentice was requested  to state his feelings
when dying-whether conscious  or not?   In  reply
he wrote:
"When the shadows of death were over me, my breath;
little by little, sank apace. The phantoms of destiny gathered
tlick and fast around me. I felt, like a limed bird, powerless
to arrest my doom  the approach of the dreaded messenger.
As an unworthy servant of His will, I prayed God's mercy;
take me hence; thy will be dlone forever."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                353
Again, as soon as the foregoing message was'transcribed, Mr. Prentice was asked if he wished to say
any thing more, when he quickly wrote:
"Farewell, my fri'ends. You will soon walk witli me- the
broad road of progression. Fear not the clip of the oar that
bears you over the river of death, for it brings you to the land
of peace.                     GEORGE D. PRENTICE."
This concluded a very interesting seance, which
lasted two hours.  It was intended to hold a dark
circle during the evening; but, as stated, Mr. Corry
not appearing, the cabinet entertainment was substituted.
Mr. Plimpton and  Mr. Corry had now become
deeply interested in the phenomena which they day
by day witnessed, and were regular and constant in
their attendance, dividing their time about equally
between the writing, the da-rk circle, and the cabinet
manifestations.   I made. no engagements with the
public for seances that would at all interfere with their
investigations.'My desire was to afford them every
facility to examine the premises, and to assist them to
discover the exact means Mrs. Hollis employed  to
produce these wonderful "tricks."
One evening, without announcing their intention,
these gentlemen introduced COLONEL DONN PIATT,
the well-known writer and satirist, as an investigator.
I requested COLONEL PIATT to join the party of representative men, and give the subject a thorough sifting;
which he consented to do.  He was introduced to
Mrs. Hollis, who became so much agitated that I.almost despaired of the success of the circle that




354                STARTLING FACTS IN.
evening.  The colonel's reputation as a satirist was
a great bug-a-boo to her.
This trio-Plimpton, Corry, and Piatt-formed an
able circle, to investigate the phenomena and discover
fraud, if any existed.  Neither of these gentlemen eentertained friendly views of spiritualism, but rather a
feeling of hostility, believing, as thousands do, the
whole affair to be a cunningly devised system  of deception.  As their purpose was to examine the phenomena for public use, to which end they took minutes
of that which transpired in their presence, I will in
due time submit their personal statements, instead of
my own, respecting the results of their investigation.
I will here report the occurrences of a seance which
my family and Mr. Plimpton witnessed, a few evenings
subsequent to the holding of the circle just reported.
Mrs. Hollis had been closeted but a few minutes,
when a strange object was projected about six inches
through the cabinet aperture into the room.  After a
close inspection, it proved to be the elbow of a flexed
arm.  It remained in this position about a minute,
when the whole arm  was suddenly extended into the
room.  The arm was symmetrically formed, and almost transparent; of a delicate rose-tint, and entirely
nude.  It remained four minutes before it was withdrawn, and then only to reappear, after a few seconds,
covered with a sleeve of white tulle or illusion.  This
remained on exhibition a minute, when; presto! the
arm retired, and reappeared, in a few seconds, dressed
in a rich black silk over the first, the white protruding
an inch or two fi-om under it at the hanld.   Different
positions were now given to the arm and hand, which,




MODERN SPIRIT'UALISM.               355
to an artist's eye, would have been deemed exquisitely
graceful.  The manifestation continued three minutes,
when the arm was withdrawn, and quickly reappeared,
clad in a green silk wrapper, fitting more closely than
the black sleeve, and il the hand was held a phantom
handkerchief, which was waved, like "a banner of
beauty," half a dozen times before our astonished eyes.
Another transformation, quickly succeeding the last,
was the substitution of black lace for the former sleevenmaking materials; the handkerchief still being retained in the hand.  Very soon the arm was divested
of all covering, and, as at first, extended into the room.
The hand opened and shut rapidly, making an "awful
fist" for a woman.  If William  Horace Lingard had
been a woman, and in the spirit-world, I would have
ascribed  this transformation  entertainment to his
genius; but as he is neither a woman nor "dead,"
so far as I know, unless it be in "trespasses and
sins," the show was a trifle mysterious.
It was only a few  minutes after, that the same
comely hand  held  by the stem  a beautiful, pure
white, and  strangely shaped flower, resembling  in
size and form  a "Spring sparrow, with wings extended."  The leaves seemed vibrant with life, and I.
almost fancied I could hear the hum of their tiny motion on the still air.  Our inspection of this " gem 
continued about three minutes.
The next materialization was a spirit-lily.  This
was much admired, as it is always a graceful beauty;
and on this occasion every part of its structure was
perfectly presented.  Following this was a cluster
of violets and a purple morning-glory.  These were




356             STAR TLrING FACTS IN
followed by a delicate-pink flower, resembling in shape
the blossom of the Virginia creeper. All of these were
nicely materialized, and strangely beautiful.  The next
flower presented was a rose, about twice the size of
our jacqueminot-colorless and phantom-like.  The
last single.flower presented was a huge pond-lily,
which filled the entire aperture of the cabinet.  It
was the most imposing representation of the floral
kingdom displayed during the evening.
It was followed by a vase filled with flowers.  This
was held in the left-hand of the spirit, while, with the
right, the flowers were picked out one at a time, presented to our view for inspection, and again replaced.
This was a most interesting ceremony to witness.
As a fitting fiaile to this entertainment, little
Anna Hancock first showed her smiling face, then
her little hands filled with rosebuds.  This floral exhibition was followed by the  materialization of a
number of faces, among which were Anna P., Katie
Kerns, my my other, and sister Emma Francis-the
two latter at the same instant.  When they appeared,
both were in profile-mother being nearest the aperture.  That which  I deemed noteworthy in these
m-aterializations was that sister's face was the most
brilliantly illuminated, though most remote from the
light in the room.  Subsequently I was informed that
the power to illuminate varies as much as temperaments in the form.  All spirits can materialize, but
all can not illuminate.  This was a new thought.
My mother spoke twice while at the aperture, pronouncing distinctly first my name, then my nephew's.
After  they  had  retired, Mary  Plimpton  gave  a




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               357
prolonged and beautiful materialization, frequently nodding to her brother, but unable to speak. After her,
Mr. Potter, of the Commercial, and Lizzie Odell, appeared; which closed the seance.  Mrs. Hollis was
then liberated after a two-hours' confinement in her
prison-house; and as she came out, I could not help
scrutinizing her closely to discern, if possible, where
and how she concealed about her person the many
flowers and delicate fabrics which had been so handsomely presented through the aperture.
The weather was warm, and Mrs. Hollis wore a
thin dress; not even a stuffed " bustle," or "pannier,"
wherein such articles as we had seen, could have been
kept.  I employed a lady detective-a room-mate of
the medium-to discover the hiding-place of her
" traps," and promised, as a reward of her success, an
"Antwerp silk;" but even tlat did not bring a satisfactory reply.  The answer was, unless she swallowed
them, there was no other cunning place of concealment.
33




3 8            STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XIX.
COLONEL PIATT REPORTS- HAS THE FUN KNOCKED
OUT OF HIM-DISCOVERS SOMETHING TOO SACRED
FOR HALSTEAD, THE "BRUTE," TO TRAMPLE ONHE SAND-PAPERS HALSTEAD'S NOSE, AND DRAWS
"BLUD."
COLONEL DON  PIATT was the second member of the representative circle to make his report to the public, through the columns of his Washington paper, Tze Capital.  It will be seen that this
brilliant writer, humorist, and satirist, began his investigation of spirit-phenomena, as Mr. Plimpton had,
under the belief that Mrs. Hollis was an impostor,
I her confederate, and the manifestations a fraud.
Of course, they had predetermined the whole affair.
Their intention was to make an az/fzil example of
somebody, as soon as somebody was discovered trying
to impose upon the credulity of the people.
The announcement of this intention did not scare
or surprise me in the least. I knew my men better
than they knew me. I was well aware there was no
fraud intended; and that I would rather assist in
exposing trickery than aid in concealing it. If any
man denounced  me on suspicion, I would  treat
him  as a poltroon and calumniator.  The peer of
any good citizen, why should I accept affronts, or




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                    359
be subject to  insults, for presuming  to investigate
the claims of modern spiritualism, any more than I
should be for exercising  the same right in making
choice of a religion?
I invited investigation, that the public might obtain, through representative men, reliable information
respecting the facts of modern spiritualism.  To the
prosecution of this object Colonel Piatt gave eight
days, devoting seven hours each day to the study of
its phenomena.  The time was not sufficient to witness a tenth part of what I have seen; but he could
spare no more.  He saw enough, however, publicly
to acquit the medium of fraud; and of his humor and
jesting he says, "All this ends when a coffin-lid is
lifted  from  a loved  face; and, after many years of
longing grief, the  well-remembered  features return
to us."
The following is the published statement of Colonel Piatt, dated Cincinnati, September 25, I872:
AMONG THE SPIRITS.
I WAS sitting in the editorial room of the Commercial, talking to one of its versatile editors, who answers to the name of
Plimpton, and who ought to be known throughout the country
as one of our most accomplished journalists, and who is known
to a wide circle of fiiends as the best sort of a fellow, when
William M. Corry, late of the Commoner and Kentucky Resolutions, and now for all time the most brilliant conversationalist
ever endowed with breath, came in, and immediately opened a
conversation concerning a message that he had received the
night before fiom  his grandfather, long since deceased and
quite forgotten. Tllis message, it seems, came in tle shape of
advice, directing William to drop the Commozner and stick to
bricks. This was certainly good sense, and showed that the
grandfather's head was level, if not brilliant.  I thought the
gentlemen were joking, and put in my little jest accordingly.




360                  STARTLING FACTS IN
There has always been sometlling extremely ludicrous to me in
tle spiritual business.  At best, it seemed a sort of rat-hole
revelation and an unseemly attack- on furniture.  I had known
the little Foxes at an early day, when tley were quite pretty,
plump as partridges, and as full of the animal as tley claimed
to be of spirits.  Through tlese little girls, we used to interview St. Paul and Julius Caesar.  They were both represented
to me as small men, with bald heads and hooked noses.  Julius
lhad a good deal of a stomach on him, which came, I suppose,
on account of his unboun ded ambition; at least, that is wlat
Queen Catlerine said of Cardinal Wolsey.  I soon discovered,
however, that my  two friends were in earnest, and not in a
firame of mindc  suited to  joking.  They went on to tell me,
first one, and  then tle other.  of the wonderful thing s tley
had witnessed at a Dr. Wolfe's, on Smith Street, in tlle presence
of a medium, called Mrs. Hollis, of Louisville, Kentucky.  I
was, of course, interested; and, when invited  to accompany
them  that nigit to a seance at the house of said Wolfe, under
the direction of the said female medium, I readily assented.
At eight o'clock, we were at the house of the doctor, a
charming  residence on  Smith Street, just out of Fo.urth.  I
was introdulced to  Mrs. Hollis, quite a handsome, dark-eyed
brunette, weighingl about a hundred and forty, and some tlirtyfive or forty years of age.  Like the little Foxes, she is personally attractive; but, unlike my former mediums, I found her
quiet and unassuming, and rather diffident.  Aside from  her
personal attractions, tle chief characteristic that impressed me
was the exceedingly frank atnd honest expression of ler face.
A judge of human nature would dismiss all suspicion of fraud,
after taking one good look at ler kind, gentle countenance.
We were at once conducted through a long porch to  lhe
rear building, where, between the library and laboratory, the
doctor had erected for Mrs. Hollis what was called the cabinet.
It consisted of a partition run across one end of the small room,
in the center of which was a door, and in the center of the door
a circular opening twelve inclies in diameter and about four feet
from tl e floor.  This aperture was covered with bLick cloth, while
on the outside lay a slate wilth a minute slate-pencil upon it.
The doctor made us examine the walls and  floor to satisfy
ourselves that there was no machinery about, while in the cabinet
there was nothing but a common chair.  Into this cabinet went




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                         361
Mrs. Hollis; but, before so doing, the doctor blackened the
palm of her right-hand.  Thedoor was closed, fastened on the
outside, and we then sat down to the rattle of a large musicbox that had borne about as much music in it as a tin-pan
covering an  insane bug.   The gas-light shone through in a
dim  way from the adjoining rooms on eitler side, and we sat
watching that dark spot upon the door, like three terriers gazing
into a rat-hole.  In about ten minutes, a delicate, white hand
appeared, that seemed to waver and flicker before us and then
disappear.  As it went dowin, it seemed to melt into darkness.
Directly the hand came back, and again went out as before.
Tlhe tiird or fourth time, it seemed to grow  steadier, reacled
out, seized the pencil, and wrote something with easy rapidity.
It then opened so as to show the white paln, and disappeared.
The doctor seized the slate, and we all rushed into the other
room to read tills message from the spirit-world.  It was to the
effect that some figliting character felt certain that lie could whip
somebody a second time.  I thought tle message was addressed
to me, aind so said, with the opinion to tile ghost, that it couldn't
be done; but it turned out subsequently to have been addressed
to  Mr. Corry, fiom  a venerable defunct, who, in the remote
ages of Cilcinnati, had thrashed his (William's) grandfather
and, unwilling to clasp hands over tile bloody chasm, was prepared to fight again.
This message, wvith the subsequent ones, accorded with my
sense of the ludicrous, and I quite annoyed my friends witil my
levity.  After receiving four or five messages, a lumillous ball,
very dim, appeared at the aperture, grew lighter, resolved itself
into a head, with tlhe features clearly defined, and, for a second,
gazed at us fiom the opening.   Mr. Plimpton told me that that
was his sister Mary, dead some years, and was very striking in its
resemblance.  After tllis, came a message addressed to me,
purporting to come fiom a cousin deceased some time since in
Boone County, Kentucky.   Then came another face, appearing
and disappearing like the other.  After this, we saw the late
President of the United States, James Buchanan, that was so
like the common lithograph head of the old Ptb. Func. that my
sense of humor grew stronger than ever.  I thougiht that if
James Buchanan, dead these many years, had only got so far as
Smith Street, Cincinnati, he was as slow in the spirit as he used
) be in the flesh.  It seems, however, that Dr. Wolfe had, at one




362               STARTLING FACTS IN
time, been the private secretary of the solemn old pump, and
through life quite intimate with hiim; so that his appearance
was not so extraordinary as it otherwise would have been.  We
then had the pleasure of seeing Stephen A. Douglas.  Stephen
came, I suppose, because Buchanan did, and my doubts overtook my fun when I saw that the bow each gave in response to
the "good evening " of Dr. Wolfe, was precisely that which
would come from a crayon sketch on a paste-board if the upper
end were dipped forward suddenly.
I had made up my mind that the whole affair was an ingenious, innocent sort of fi-aud, when the luminous appearance at
the opening resolved itself into a head that so shocked me, that,
for a second, my heart seemed to stop its action.  I was so surprised tlat, for a second, I was stunned, and my first feeling
was that of indignation at what struck me as a wanton outrage.
This was not, however, well defined, aind the moment I could
reflect, the fact forced itself upon my mind, that probably I had
deceived myself.  My sight is quite dim. fiom over-use, and I
had only caught a glimpse of what had so startled me.  It was
too sacred a subject to be trifled with, and I determined to investigate the matter closely, and if I found any fraud in the
business, to make an example of one medium, at least.
The face appeared but once afterward, and then more indistinct than before; so tlhat nothing was given me upon which to
solve my doubt.  I had enough, however, to satisfy me that
there was something more in this than is generally attributed to
such manifestations.
To tell the honest truth, I had gradually settled into that
unhappy state of belief, so common to this materialistic age, that
we possessed nothing in the way of spiritual life that could be
administered upon after death. This had been jammed into me
by being knocked on the head, when I found, by actual experience, that as the physical ceased to operate, that part of me
which thinks, wills, and remembers, ceased to exist also, and all
was blank until the blood began to circulate, and the material
engine got under way again.  For thousands and thousands of
years that chin of death has been tied up, and the napkin folded
over the mouth, never to be removed by any message from the
world beyond.  So, like the more eminent theologians of our
day, 1 had come to the unpleasant conviction that all there was
of it we could feel, taste, hear, smell, and see. And yet, through




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       363
this rat-hole came what purported to be facts, upsetting my
settled opinions, and putting me all at sea upon this subject.
It is a common error for us to reject a truth because it does
not come to us in a dignified and imposing manner.  All the
miracles of Christ failed to overcome the disbelief of the Jews,
that grew out of the melancholy fact that the Messiah had come
up out of Nazareth, and had been born in a manger.   Newton
got his idea of a great law fi-om the falling of an apple, while
Franklin with his kite identified the lightning.   And so this
startling disclosure of a great truth is as likely to come when
least expected, in an obscure way, as others have done before.
With this spirit of skepticism, and with no belief in any tlling,
not even myself, I entered upon this investigation.  I do not
propose to go into the details of it, for others are at work upon
them; but I can say in brief, that at the end of a week, in which
I gave fiom five to eiglht hours daily to the investigation, I was
forced to the conclusion that if I had not been holding intercourse with the dead, I had, at least, been in communication
witli a mysterious intelligence, outside tlhe humanity subject to
the laws of flesh.
Mrs. Hollis gave me, for example, a seance to myself, in
which I was to receive communications in writing.  I repaired
to the house at ten o'clock A. M., and, in broad daylight, we
two sat down by a small tea-table, over which the medium threw a
woolen cover, and, giving me the slate, she requested me to ask
any question, eitlier mentally, or to write it.  I did the first.
She placed the slate under the table, and, while talking about
otler things, held it there with her right-hand.  By means of a
mirror tlhat was hung accidentally in such a way that I could see
her entire person, I noticed that her left-hand rested in lier lap.
In a few minutes I heard the pencil drop upon the slate, and,
bringing it out, sure enough, I found written upon it an answer
to my question.  This continued for two hours and a half, in
which time I asked forty-one questions, and received the same
number of answers.  In some respects tlese were not satisfactory; tlat is, I could not realize that the person wlho purported
to be in communication with me would send precisely such
messages.  They were answers, and they were reasonable, but
in the answers I could not feel the source indicated.  There
was one peculiarity which struck, and somewhat annoyed me.
Every question I asked was a test, while nearly every answer




364                STAR TLING FACTS IN
was an avoidance of the test.  And yet, while this was going
on, quite unexpectedly, and, of course, unasked-for, the most
conclusive evidences would be given.
There was a circumstance that occurred that amazed me, for
it was so unexpected.   I had written a message upon the slate
that I rlidl not wish the medium  to see; and so turned it down,
putting the pencil upon the upper side.  In this position she
placed in under the table.  We heard the pencil drop directly,
and, fetcling out the slate, found no writing.  Turning it over,
however, under my written interrogatory was the response.  The
spirit had written it on the under-side; and the medium told me
of a fact that I immediately put to the tes —that the writing
would go on upon the upper side, with the slate pressed to the
bottom of tile table.
The most striking manifestations were made in the dark, when
the voices of tile spirits became audible to us. The spirit whose
face I had seei-an(l, by the by, this had been repeated to me until
there could be no question about the resemblance, at least, if
not the identity; for I had procured a p)owerful opera-glass tlat
revealed to me the very color of the eyes and hair-this spirit
whispered to me long messages that could be heard by others,
which fact saved me fiom the doubt as to whether my imagination had not played me false.  But the most striking and conclusive manifestation was in an interview  between Mr. Corry
and his former friend, Elwood Fisher.  This was introduced by
the medium asking if any one knew Elwood Fisher, and giving
a description of his personal appearance.  Mr. Corry said lie
would be glad to communicate with his fiiend, but asked for
some evidence tlat it was Elwood Fisler lie conversed with.
Elwood, the Friend, then began:
" Does thee remember the little store on Fifth Street?"
"Yes, very well," responded Corry.
"Does thee reiember the first time thee saw me there,
sitting on the counter?"
" Very distinctly."
"Does thee remember taking me to thy father, who expressed
an approbation of me?"' I reemeber it all."
" Does thee remember Daddy Bassett, with his long queue,
and ruffled shirts?"
"I do; and I have not thought of him these thirty years."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        365
And this sort of thing continued, it seemed to me, for nearly
an hour-this talk of the two friends over the events of tleir
lives, in which the one fiom the spirit-land sought to convince
the other of his identity, and succeded, beyond doubt.   While
this was going on, Mrs. Hollis informed me that quite a stout
gentleman was examining my arm, lately twisted in a buggywheel, who claimed to be a surgeon, and called himself Jesse
Judkins.  She described him as a merry gentleman, fond of his
jest.  Poor Jesse! no truer word was ever said.  After these
whispered communications, that we were assured wouldl grow
stronger, and become more distinct, we had a talk with Jimmy
Nolan.  Jimmy spoke rihll out, very like a man talking thlrough
a horni, which I have no ldoubt le was doing, for tlhere was a
tin horn in the room; and having decided that the medium was
honest, tils strange, hollow voice, speaking to us in a familiar
way, withl ease aind fluency, had a very strange effect.  I could
not help asking Jimmy, however, wlether Greeley was going to
be our next President.
"Tliat I can not answer, sir; and you know as muchalbout
it as I do.  I can only say that he seems to have a first-rate
chance."
I wish I could write more at length upon this interesting
subject, but I find myself, since making the attempt, shrinking
from the task.  I am not ashamed. as many are, of my experiences, or afraid to avow my convictions; but, unfortunately for
my testimony, the proof came to me in a shape too sacred for
common use.  Dr. Wolfe had invited this lady to his house,
after what I understand was ratler an unfortunate experience
as a medium, at Cincinnati, for the purpose of calm, careful investigation of spiritualism generally, and tlis lady's power and
honesty in particular.  Of all tlhe l)rominent men invited in the
city, two otnly could be found possessing interest enoutgh in tle
subject to look into it and report the results of their investigation.  I happened, accidentally, to make a third.  I join heartily
in tle report which says that the medium is above all suspicion,
and I can add my conviction that the intelligence witll whicl
we communicated was beyond, if not above, the experiences of
material humanity.                                      D. P.
This report of Colonel Piatt was extensively circulated through the press of the country, and variously




366                STARTLING FACTS IN
commented  upon-not always  with  commendation.
Among the journalists who did not read it with complacent feelings, Mr. Halstead, of the Cincinnati Comzmercial, may  be distinguished;   This man  exhibited
so  much  zeal and  ignorance in his denunciation  of
spirit phenomena, and its claims to public confidence,
that Colonel Piatt deemed  it necessary to rebuke the
"brute" by the publication of the following card:
MANIFESTATIONS AT DR. WOLFE'S.
To the Editor of the Commercial:
IT seems absurd in any one to exhibit feeling in a discussion of the reality or humbug of the manifestations at the house
of Dr. Wolfe.  But tlis wrath or indignation is natural, when
you reflect that to question one's conclusions, after a careful
investigation, is to attack one's understanding il the most aggravating manner.  The doubting party says, in so many words:
"Here's a precious ass; he believes a Punch-andl-Judy show
to be a manifestation of the spirits!"  This aggravation is not
alleviated when the party making the attack confesses that he
or she has not looked into the business; or, starting to investigate, is satisfied with the first glance that leveals beyond question the slallow humbuggery that has taken in the other fools.
I incontinently admit that in the preparations and surroundings there are much to excite suspicion, and the rat-hole revelations provoke one's sense of humor.  But all this ends, when
the coffin-lid is lifted fromn a loved face, and, after many years
of longing grief, the well-remembered features return to us.
Now, under this state of fact, ridicule becomes insult; for
if the thing is a fiaud, tlhere is no punishment sufficiently
severe or degrading for the perpetrators of the outrage.  If,
on the contrary, there is any truth in the manifestation, a
right-minded person will see that to attack it with sneers and
laughter, is to trample, like a brute, upon what one holds to be
sacred.
I am, through  temperament andl intellectual training, a
skeptic.  Possessed of a keen sense of humor, I am given to
jesting.  I was startled out of both l)y what I saw and heard




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      367
in this so-called Punch-and-Judy slow, and, after eight lays'
careful investigation, I was driven  to the conclusion that,
whether the spirits of the dead had appeared, spoken, and
written to me, or not, the medium, Mrs. Hollis, had nothing
whatever to do with the business, beyond being present at the
manifestations.  What the evidence was that brought me to
this finding, is exclusively my affair.  I could not, if I would,
force it upon the public.  But as I never yet recognized a truth
I was afraid to avow, or shrank fi-om the defense of a course,
or a creature, through dread of ridicule, I assure you that any
attempt to account for these strange things by a charge of fraud
and collusion is a wrong to an inoffensive, unassuming woman;
and a refusal to investigate what is considered of enough importance to print columns about, is a wrong to ourselves.
All I wish to say, however, can be put in one sentence.  I
am not satisfied that I saw the faces, heard the voices, and read
the written messages of the dead; but I do know-for it would
be a miracle, were it otherwise-that the manifestations were
not the result of any fraud, design, or even effort on the part of
the medium.                                           D. P.
CINCINNATI, October 6, I872.




368            STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XX.
EXTRAORDINARY CONVERSATION WITH JIM NOLAN,
IN TIlE LIGIIT —A NUMBER OF DISTINGUISIED
FRENCHt SPIRITS-CALLING DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS TO TESTIFY-PARIENTS RECOGNIZING CHILDREN-1THE DEAD SPEAK AND WRITE AGAIN.
JIM  NOLAN  said, on several occasions, he would
be able, before the termination of the engagement,
to talk to me twenty minutes, while he stood before
the aperture, with his face filly in view.  Still, one
morning, when he wrote upon the slate he wished
me to go to the cabinet-room  for that purpose, I
confess I was a little surprised.  He said the medium was in excellent condition, and I should not apprise her of his intention.  I gave my promise
to  be inter nos, and, so  pledged, went to  the
cabinet-room.
This imposed silence, I subsequently ascertained,
was for the purpose of keeping the medium passive.
Had she been apprised of his intention, her anxiety or
agitation would have been sufficient to defeat his puirpose by dissipating the power he employed.  Mrs.
I-ollis has much to learn, and a great deal of discipline to receive before she will, of her own accord,
establish conditions through which the spirits may




MOD1ERNX SPIRITUALISM.              369
best manifest. Both Nolan and "Ski" have often
written me to do certain things without permitting
the medium  to know  their object until after it had
been accomplished.  To her credit, however, it must
be said, that she rarely opposes their wishes, when her
compliance  does not inconvenience her too much.
Like  most people, Mrs. Hollis, when she is commanded to do a thing, wants to know the motive in
view, before she implicitly obeys-asserting that she
is no longer a child, and will not consent to be treated
as such.  Still, she is the most patient and passively
obedient woman to the wishes of the spirits that I
have known.  Their word is law, but she requires the
reason of the law; yielding an intelligent subjection,
but not indulging in an unreasoning faith.  "I walk
with my eyes open," she said, " and will not be led." 
As requested, I went with Mrs. Hollis to the cabinet-room, and as I was pushing the door to, after she
had entered  the cabinet, a voice spoke distinctly,
"Stand still!"  It was Jim Nolan's voice, I knew; for
I had heard it a hundred times.  I obeyed the command, standing about two feet in fiont of the aperture,
upon which  I fixed my gaze.  About five minutes
elapsed before the cloth was put aside, when, far back
in the dark chamber, was discernible the outline of
a man's head. It approached slowly to the light, until
it was plainly seen, though it wanted the spirit-halo
to brighten it, as I have seen with many. The light,
however, was sufficient to discern the color of the eyes
and hair.  The skin of the face was sun-tanned and
dark, while the beard was brown-black and full.  From
my position, I could have "pulled him by the nose" if




370            STARTLING FACTS IN
he had been a lying spirit, and would have done so had
I detected him in a fraud. I looked steadily in his eyes
for a minute, when he defended himself from  my
aggressive stare by shading them  with his hand.
He seemed to be perplexed or confused, and, in a
hesitating, stammering  manner, at the beginning,
said:
" Do-you-see-me,-Doctor?"
" Certainly I do, " I said; " I see you very well."
"Do I look like a mask?"
"Not much! You look more like a man."
" I feel so just now."
"I hope it is a comfortable experience," I said.
"' It is not; I feel my old fever again."
" Do you mean the fever with which you died?"
"Yes: the old hospital-fever."
" And will it kill you again?" I asked.
"No: but it makes me feel very uncomfortable;
and, when I retire, I w 11, in some measure, be as infirm in the spirit-life as I was when I entered it from
the hospital."
" You are speaking better. Please tell me: do all
spirits, when they return, take on the conditions of
the disease with which they died?
"Mostly so.  If they remain long materialized
they do; but if only for a short time, then they do
not suffer with their old disorders."
"Does that account for the difference in the
displayed power of materializing by different spirits?"
"Partly.  Some spirits can not materialize at all,
with all the instructions and aid we can give them.
Others are diffident and incapable without aid; and




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              371
others, again, materialize without embarrassment or
effort. The conditions surrounding the medium have
very much to do in influencing the power to materialize, and in maintaining the organization."
"Why is it that some spirits speak, and some
do not?"
"It requires a completely passive condition to
speak-a power but few attain. Perhaps never before
has a spirit been able to speak so long in the light as I
have upon this occasion. I am getting sick, and must
soon retire."
"This is really wonderful!-the living and the
dead again exchanging ideas.  Who will believe this,
when I make my report?"
"Neither fools nor bigots!"
"And I fear a great many who would take offense
to be thus classified will be incredulous."
"Does that disturb you?"
"Not very much; but it is not pleasant to have
one's integrity impeached by the world."
" Do you remember the story I told Vickers?"
"I do not: what was it?"
" A German fable about a man, a boy, and an ass."
"I believe I recall it now.  It was to the effect
that a man who sought to please every body, succeeded in pleasing nobody.   Instead of riding the
ass, the ass rode him."
" You have the juice of it.  Keep that in mind.
Be true to yourself, you can not then be false to any
one.  I must now leave you. There are a number of
distinguished spirits here, who will materialize after
the medium has rested awhile. Good-bye."




372                STARTLING FACTS IN
After ceasing to speak, Jim   Nolan  remained  at
the  aperture, stroked his beard with  his  right-hand
several times, made an effort to whistle, " winked very
wickedly" three or four times, opened  and. shut his
mouth twice, displaying  tongue and  teeth, and  then
vanished.    This  remarkable  inverview   continued
twenty minutes.
Mrs. Hollis now came out of the cabinet, for fresh
air and recuperation, after giving the most remarkable
spirit-manifestation  that I have yet found recorded
in the  literature of spiritualism.   The  time was exactly twenty minutes fiom the beginning of the materialization to its fading out.  The voice at first, as already stated, was slow, hesitating, and  feeble, but a
gradual amendment in  all these  particulars  supervelled.  He was at his best vocalization when I said,
" You are speaking better," and rapidly declined after
replying, " Neither fools nor bigots."
MR. THOMAS WICKERSHAM, of Memphis, Tenn., a
gentleman  of  fine  poetic  temperament,  after  an
interview  with Jim  Nolan, apostrophizes him  thus:
"'THE ANGEL, JIMMY NOLAN.
" GOD bless thee, Jimmy Nolan, and bless thy spirit-band!
My soul salutes thee, angel, a guest from Summer-land.
I hear the spirit-voices; they whisper in my ear;
I know I am immortal; departed souls are here.
Thy coming, Jimmy Nolan, is wonderful to me;
My fervent prayer is answered, my soul from doubt is free;
I thought not, in my weakness and gathering despair,
That God would send an angel in answer to my prayer.
Thy presence, Jimmy Nolan, as messenger of truth,
Is'fulgent with the glory of an immortal youth;
It floods with light that river —the unseen country's bourneStreams through the secret portal, bids mortals cease to mourn.




MODERN SPIRITUALISMI.                        373
In wonder, Jimmy Nolan, I here confess my soul
Before an unseen power, of mystical control.
Who will believe this marvel-that I, with mortal breath,
Have talled with thee, immortal, beyond the gate of death?
In myst'ry, Jimmy Nolan, our fiiendship thus began;
Though not thy Brother Mason, I am thy brother man;
In faith, in works, in worship, in love and holy prayer,
"We meet upon the level, we part upon the square."
In duty and in kindness we ever work and toil,Not with that emulation that seeks the victor's spoil;
But with high aspirations, in common brotherhoodOur great reward for action, the joy of doing good.
We own that mystic worship the ancients used to know,
Beside the sacred Ganges, in ages long ago;
That worshiping in spirit, with souls in sweet accord,
When sitting down in silence to wait upon the Lord.
We know not by our wisdom what is that wondrous power
That renders every lover oblivious of the hour.
It fills and rules all creatures in earth and heaven above;
Therefore the loved disciple has written, " God is love."
Not in the crowded temple, not where the priest attends,
But from our secret closet, our fervent prayer ascends.
And prayer thus breathed in secret, like incense upward rolls;
Joy fills the waiting angels; their hearts pray for our souls.
0, may that Holy Spirit, heard in the wild-bird's song;
Heard in the voice of waters that, gushing, foam along;
Heard in the angel-voices, that cease their music never,Become a light to cheer us, to hover round us ever!"
Before Mrs. Hollis entered the cabinet again, several members of my  family  came  into  the  room   to
witness the remainder of the manifestations.  As soon
as  the  door was  closed, the  hand  of Marshal Ney
was  projected   from   the  cabinet,  and,  seizing   the
pencil, wrote upon the slate:
" J. Napoleon.               4. Hortense.
2. Cardinal Richelieu.   5. Maria Antoinette.
3. Josephine               6. Ciarlotte Corday.
34




374              STARTLING FACTS IN
7. Madame Lafayette.    io. Rousseau.
8. Talleyrand.           ii. Madame De Stael.
9. Murat.                12.
"These spirits will appear in the order they are numbered.
4" NEY."
I had scarcely time to make a minute of the
above, and  replace the slate on the bracket, when
the cloth at the aperture was lifted, and a full, fairlighted face of Napoleon appeared.  It was, of course,
instantly recognized; and after a half minute he spoke
quite  distinctly, though  evidently  with  an  effort
V Yive la France!"   Having  said  this, he instantly
vanished.
The cloth  did  not fall over the aperture again
before the great cardinal appeared just opposite  to
where  the  emperor had  retired-the  head, large,
angular, and  almost square, with  unusual breadth
between the eyes; a close-fitting black velvet cap,
with a fr-ine of gray hair below it; the eyes large
and prominent; and the mouth wide, with their lips
compressed.   He  wore a full, thin  beard, several
inches in leingth.  He had upon his neck a chain, to
which was attached a crucifix.
No. 3.  A  beautiful oval face, with  large dark
eyes, prominent nose, small mouth  and chin; hair
confinled with strings of pearls; and a crown, sparlkling
with brilliants, worn upon the head.  The neck and
breast were almost literally covered with strands of
pearl, fiom  the center of which a medallion likeness
of Napoleon  was suspended.   It was richly set in
brilliants or costly stones.
Following Josephine, was her daughter Hortense;
her hair lighter than her mother's, done up in short




I                                                            ii1'i`~~~K








MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              375
curls, with features much like her mother's; also
wearing a likeness of Napoleon on a necklace of
brilliants. As she was finely materialized, I said to
those present:" That is Hortense, the mother of the
present Emperor of France.  I do not observe the
pictures of the son bear any resemblance to the
mother."  If the reader will refer to page 24I, it will
be seen what these simple remarks called forth.
No. 5 appeared, after the long colloquy with Ney,
with head and neck well developed; hair very black,
and combed smooth, and close to the face.  No
ornaments.
No. 6 looked like a sick person, in a reclining
position, far wasted with disease; the face pinched
and shrunken, and very pale, with the eyes closed.
Lips seemed colorless; a white bandage was worn
round the head, which, Ney subsequently said, was
put on by request of the unhappy woman, a few
minutes before her decapitation, to prevent her beautiful hair from being draggled with blood.
No. 7 was a plain, republican face, but finely materialized and life-like.  The face was oval like Josephine's, but more gross, Her chest was a marvel of
beauty, well seen, the dress low. She wore a medallion likeness of Napoleon on a necklace, larger than
either of those worn by Josephine or Hortense.
No. 8 has a singular-looking face, with a hawklike nose, an aggressive crook on the end, bearing a
strong resemblance to the nose of the late William
H. Seward.  The hair was grizzly and gray. The
general expression of the face was "foxy," cunning;
which I did not like.




376            STARTLING FACTS IN
The materialization of No. 9 was fine; but the
style of dress decorations and curly hair would be
more befitting a priuce of coxcombs than a prince
of men.  The angles of this fellow's mouth were
puckered up in the most contemptuous manner, though
the face seemed the very picture of repose.  I should
call him a game-peacock, who wore his decoration for
holiday display, but laid them aside when he went
into a fight.
The other materializations were not distinct, as
the medium complained of exhaustion, and asked to
be relieved.
It will now be asked. "Do you really believe the
faces presented  at the aperture  belonged  to the
persons whose names were announced in connection
with them?"  To be candid with the reader, I must
say the question is impertinent.  What I believe or
disbelieve should not affect my statement in this
matter. I simply record what I saw and heard. The
spirits I have mentioned appeared in the order I
have given, and in the manner described.  If there is
any doubt about their identity, pass it over, and interest yourself in the major proposition, "How came
they there at all?" They were not automatons manipulated by Mrs. Hollis.  Of that I was well satisfied.
I am not easily deceived. At least, I was all the
time on the lookout for the presence of fraud. There
was none in this case: I assert it at the risk of my
reputation; The conversation with Marshal Ney was,
to say the least, a most wonderful disclosure!  Is it
possible that Mrs. Hollis can do every thing, and know
every thing, and conceal herself so well as to defy




MODERN SPIRTUALISM.               377
detection in her frauds? I will call other witnesses
to the stand.  I may be deceived, but surely all can
not be.
On the 4th of September, Mrs. Augusta Stone,
Mrs. Jennie Paul, and Mrs. Apoline Smith had a
cabinet seance with Mrs. Hollis.  She entered the
cabinet, and, in a few minutes after, the spirit of a
young lady materialized and appeared at the aperture.
Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Paul, almost at the same instant, exclaimed," Lizzie Donaldson!"  Following this
spirit, was an old lady with a peculiar head-dress,
which was recognized without difficulty as Lizzie
Donaldson's mother-Mrs. Paul, Mrs. Stone, and Mrs.
Smith, all attesting to the recognition.  Who next?
Why, Miss Amelia Drewer, of Stockbridge, Massachusetts.  How do we know?  Mrs. Smith says so.
Several other spirits were presented, but not recognized.
The next witnesses had a cabinet seance on the 7th
of September.  They are Mr. D. H. Hale and his
son, Clinton B. Hale, from Indiana.
These gentlemen had been in the cabinet-room
but a few minutes, when a young lady, giving her
name as Melvina, appeared at the aperture, and Mr.
Hale recognized her as his daughter.  The young
man claimed her for his sister. Daniel Hale, an uncle
of Mr. Hale, appeared, and wrote a characteristic
message, saying, " I am  here, thank God!"  Mr.
Hale says he recognized his uncle. A little girl appeared, and gave her name as Emma Beam.  She was
but five years old-an adopted daughter of Mr. Hale.
He says it was she. A young lady appeared, after
this child, and wrote:




378             STAR TLING FACTS IN
"Dear Mr. Hale: how kind you were to me!
"JENNIE BILLINGS."
Mr. Hale wept, as he recognized this face as belonging to one whom he had assisted in her poverty.
With the knowledge that our good deeds are thus
remembered, a belief in this kind of spiritualism  won't
make  people uncharitable.  The daughter Melvina
then wrote a private letter to her father and brother;
and, after several other unrecognized faces had retired,
the seance closed.
Mr. Robert Mitchell, Mrs. Robert Mitchell, and
Mr. Stephen H. Burton had a cabinet seance with Mrs.
Hollis, on the gth of September.   Quite a number
of spirits appeared, flowers were materialized, and
arms and hands presented.  Among the spirits, General Joseph Wright, of Indiana, and  Mrs. Harriet
Mitchell, were recognized.
Mrs. Maria J. Lemon and Mrs. L. A. Chandler engaged a cabinet seance with Mrs. Hollis, on the Ioth
of September.  The aperture was soon made interesting by the face of Mary L. Andrews, which was quite
familiar  to  Mrs. Chandler.   Mrs. Lemon's sister,
Lizzie Tucker, then appeared, and brought with her
Mary Fairchilds, the daughter of Mrs. Lemon.  The
next face presented was one familiar to Mrs. Chandler,
which she called Adeline Durant.
September I2th was set apart for a cabinet seance
for Mr. W. G. Morris, Mrs. Matilda Withers, Mrs.
Mary J. Ball, Covington, Kentucky.
To these persons a number of spirits appeared,
giving the names of relatives accurately, but were not
recognized.  Among them a boy, who wrote:




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                   379
"Grandma: I will show you a better picture of myself,
to-niglt, than that old faded photograph is.
[Signed,]                       "CHARLEY."
The  grandchild  came, but was not recognized.
The  name and circumstances were given correctly.
The  only  seance where  there  was  no  recognition.
No one so blind as she who will not see."
The  next witnesses are  MR. RUFUS  SLOCOMB
and his wife.  They came for a cabinet interview  on
the I7th of September.  Fifteen good  materializations were given in the presence of these witnesses;
amongo them, their daughter CELIA, a lad. and CLARA.
RESOR TAYLOR were distinguished very readily.  Celia
wrote several messages of a private character to her
parents, besides exhibiting a variety of flowers.
On the g9th of September, Mr. Samuel R. Bates
and  wife and Mr. Edward  C. Urner had a cabinet
seance with Mrs. Hollis.  Eleven very fine materializations were given, amoing which were quickly distinguished Mrs. Elizabeth Bates (by a portrait), Mrs.
Lilly Gaylord, Miss Catherine Urner, and Mlr. Philip
Grandin.   This last spirit wrote  to  his daughter,
Mrs. Bates:
" Do n't cry, my dear child; I'm very lappy!"
Mrs. Elizabeth Bates appeared four times at the
aperture.  She wrote:
" Samuel, you do not remember me. You were an infant
when I passed from earth!"
The following communication was written to Mr.
Urner:
"MY SON,-I have made five efforts to sow my face, but
could not succeed. Give my best love to your mother-. I am




380            STARTLING FACTS IN
ever near her. George and Catherine are with me. I am very
happy. This is my first writing. I will be able to do better
after a while. I see you every day.    BENJAMIN URNER."
A  seance was engaged by Mr. Joseph Abrams,
Mrs. Zerlina Cahn, Mrs. Fannie Hellman, and Misses
Louisa and Jennie Cahn, for the 20th of September.
In the presence of these witnesses there were ten
pirits materialized  and presented, besides hands,
flowers, and handkerchiefs. Among the spirits were
JULIET  LEWIS, MRS. JULIET BLOOM, MRS. CAHN,
SARAH  DREYFOOS, ANNA  ABRAMS, and  ISADORE
DREYFOOS.   These were recognized  by the witnesses.  Mrs. Cahn wrote to her daughter, Mrs.
Hellman: " Out of the dark waters of sorrow joy will
spring!"  Anna Abrams wrote a note to her father.
On the following day, September 2Ist, Mr. William Sumner, Mr. S. Harvey, Mr. Sidney Omohundro,
and Mr. J. C. Moore visited the cabinet-room, and
saw at the aperture ten spirit-faces, among which were
a sister of Mr. Harvey, and his little boy "Joey;"
Mrs. Samuel Shock, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and
J. Moore.  The first three were recognized.  There
were also presented hands, arms, flowers, and spirithandkerchiefs during the hour and a half they sat in
the room.
On the 22d of September, a cabinet seance was
given to General Rees E. Price, Mrs. Price, Mr. Rees
Price, Mr. John Price, Mrs. Mary M'Duffie, Miss
Estelle Matson, and Mr. Rees M'Duffie.  In their
presence, twelve spirits appeared at the aperture;
among whom were James Price, Judge Matson, Miss
Sallie Price, Annie Price, Grandma M'Duffie, Mary




OMODERN SPIRITUALISM.                381
Whipple, and "Uncle John."  These were recognized,
and some of them  wrote messages to their fiiends.
There was also a fine display of spirit-flowers, arms,
hands, and handkerchiefs.
Captain  James  Drouillard  and  Mrs. Florence
Drouillard, of Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., and Mliss
Marie Drouillard, of Gallipolis, O., had a seance on the
29th September, in which eight spirits appeared at
the aperture.  Among these, Mrs. Drouillard's mother,
Uncle Chambers, Emma Robb, and Sadie Drouillard were recognized.  General M'Pherson, a personal
friend and comrade-in-arms, was also recognized by
Captain  Drouillard.  Jacob  Hornberger wrote his
name, which was recognized, and then Charles Campbell wrote:
"My wife, child, and I were killed by the accident on the
railroad, near Nashville, when the bridge gave way."
The name and circumstances were  recognized.
Mrs. Drouillard's mother wrote to an old servant,
" Dear old cooky, God bless you!" after which, the following message was written, and the author identified:
MY DEAR FLORENCE,-I am often with you. Jimmy is so
glad to have you come here.  0, darling child! our cear ones
are all here; we have a beautiful home, and we are so glad to
tell you..
"Your devoted             AUNT KIT. "
Another message was as follows:
"DEAR COUSIN FLORENCE,-Tell my dear wife I am happy.
I tried so hard to write to my fiiends, but was so cold I could
not. The papers were found near me.          JIMMY."
It was stated, in explaining the last message, that
35




382             STARTLING FA C7S IN
this person fioze to death, and that he essayed to
write something by which his body might be identified
when discovered, and his people apprised of his fate.
After projecting several hands, arms, and flowers,
the seance closed.
On the following clay, Mrs. Robert Mitchell and
Miss Lizzie Couden  visited  the cabinet-room, and
witnessed the materialized faces of eighteen spirits.
Among  their friends and  acquaintances appeared
Edith Couden, Mrs. White, Mrs.D. P., Henry Chase
Couden, William Craig, James Craig, Governor Joseph
Wright, of Indiana, and Captain Pogue, of Madison,
Ind.  Arms, hands, handkerchiefs, and flowers were
also displayed at the aperture.
Mr. J. W. Hardman, of Louisville, Kentucky, had
the  most prolific cabinet materialization  that was
given.   There were  twenty-six  faces well distinguished, in good light, besides a number of arms,
drapery, jewelry, flowers, and  handkerchiefs.   He
recognized a number of fi-iends and acquaintances.
Rev. Thomas Vickers began his investigation of
the phenomena in the cabinet-room, on the 2d of
October, but had been in the dark circle previously,
and also at the writing-table.  As he will make his
own  report, the next, and last, cabinet seanrce I will
record, was held on the 5th October.
This circle was composed of Mr. F. B. Plimpton,
Hon. Fisher Ames, U. S. Minister to San Domingo,
Miss Maggie Baker, Mrs. M'Kee, Mr. Andrew  De
Ford, Mr. John Price, and  three members of my
family.  Quite a number of spirits appeared; but they
were  those  mostly  who  had  materialized before;




f MODERN SPIRITUALISM.          383
among them, Elwood Fisher, James Buchanan, Stephen A. Douglas, Katie Kerns, my mother, Lizzie
Odell, Mary Plimpton, and M. D. Potter.   The
spirits recognized were, Sallie Price, Emma De Ford,
and Mrs. Helen M. Willet.  Others came to the
aperture, but their recognition was not so well pronounced.  There were also fine materializations of
arms, hands, handkerchiefs, and flowers, making the
occasion an interesting one.
For the present, I will close my citations of witnesses, but continue the testimony in the ensuing
chapter.




384            STAR TLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XXI.
REMARKABLE INTERVIEW-ELWOOD FISHER IDENTIFIES HIMSELF TO MR. COR1Y-JIM NOLAN IS
PHONETICALLY REPORTED BY BENN PI'ITMANTHE MARRIAGE QUESTION FROM A SPIRIT STANDPOINT-NOLAN' S VIEWS ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS-" THOUGHT INDICATOR."
T often occurred to me that a phonetic report of
1  the remarks of Jim  Nolan, in the dark circle,
would afford matter of much interest to the reading
public.  The same thought occurred to Mr. Plimpton,
after interviewing Jim two or three times. But could
it be donze il the dark?  That was the question of
interest!  I commissioned Mr. Plimpton to engage
MR. BENN PITTMAN for a trial, if he thought well
of the experiment; and it was agreed that CORRY,
PLIMPTON, PITTMAN, and myself should interview
"Yim," on a certain day, with the stated object in
view. Mr. Pittman, it is hardly necessary to say, has
a reputation coextensive with the country, as the
most accomplished expert in his profession; still, it
was an untried experiment to report a protracted
conversation in a room so dark that you " could not
see your fingers before your eyes."  To master the
situation satisfactorily, was-a matter of some anxiety
to us all, but especially to Mr. Pittman.  Writing in




MODERN SPIRITUALISAM.                     385
the dark was sufficiently embarrassing; but to report
the words of a spirit was an added novelty, not calculated to quiet his nerves upon the occasion.
At the appointed  time, the parties named were
all present, and, with Mrs. Hollis, entered the room.
Before  extinguishing  the light, the room  was carefully  examined, and  no  concealed  confederate  was
found.  The  door was then secured; and, after Mr.
Pittman arranged his writing appliances, sitting next
to  Mr. Plimpton, I next to him, and Mr. Corry next
to me, the light was put out.  Mr. Pittman has made
a most faithful report of-what followed, which is here
appended:
AN ACCOUNT OF A SPIRIT SEANCE
HELD IN THE DARK:
Being an Interviewz witah the Spirits of Elwood Fisher and 7ames Nolan.
by Hon. William M./. Coror, F. B. Plinmpton, Esq., and Dr. N. B.
Wolfe.
PHONETICALLY REPORTED BY BENN PITTMAN.
AFTER a few minutes' desultory conversation, Mr. Corry
said: "Do you see any spirits, Mrs. Hollis?"
Mrs. H. "Yes: but not very distinctly.  I see a peculiar
light around your head."
Q. " What is it like?"
AIrs... "An illuminated atmosphere."  (Taps of the horn
on the floor.)
Q. "Do you wish us to sing?"  (Several quick raps.)
Mr. Plimpton sang, "Oft in the Stilly Night," and was
accompanied by a female voice, I supposed to be Mrs. Hollis's,
and inquired if it was she.
Mrs. H. "I never sing; am not able to carry a tune!"
Dr. WI. "I have never heard Mrs. Hollis sing or hum a
tune, since she has been an inmate of my family."
Mr. Plimpton sang, "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon,"
with a female voice accompaniment, said to be a spirit-voice.
AMrs. H. "There is a spirit standing beside Mr. Corry, in




386                STAR TLING FACTS zIN
plain clotles.  A Quaker, I should suppose.  He has his eyes
closed.  He stands with his armls folded across his breast."
C. " Does he announce his name?"
Mrs. H. " He will speak to you."
C. " I vill be very glad to have a communication."
A. (A whisper.)  "William, I am glad to meet thee!"
C. (To the spirit.)  "Is it well with thee?"
A. "It is well."
C. "Will thee pronounce tly name?"
A. "Does thee remember thy Faneuil Hall speech, when I
told thee I thought I should have to save thee, like Actaeon
from Ilis hounds?"
C. "I remember it very well.  The crowd was raging, fighting, yelling, and stamping, to prevent me being heard; but I
did not not care whether they heard  me or tiot.  I made my
speech, and it was printed.   Can tliee make thyself audible
to tlis circle, so that every syllable can be heard, as if thee were
on the rostrum where w\e admired thee so much?"
A. (A whispered reply.)
C. " lThee holds me in too ligh estimation! What is tlhy
reason for thinlking so?"
A. (A whispered reply.)
C. "It may be a mistake, but it is ingenuous."
Spirit. "I thank thee for it.  I know thou art a true fiiend."
C. " Of that there can not be the least doubt in thy micnd."
Spiri/. "I know tliee will never betray."  (Low whispering,
heard by Mr. Corry only.)
C. "7Thee has iTdelztifed lhyself pejfeclly to me, and to those
who were at the last silting.  Can thee relate any circumstances
by wlhich thy identification would be made absolute?  Thee
knows what a yearling 1 have to establish the fact; and how
the world scoffs at the imperfect evidence vwhich is presented in
these investigations."
Spirit. (Wlhispers).  " Palmetto-cause-not lost-Vallandigham.  Farewell, William!"
C. " Farewell, Elwood!"
Dr. T. W " Mr. Corry, (do you recognize that spirit?"
C. "Yes: that is Elwood Fisher."
Airs. ". Near you, Mr. Pittman, I see a spirit who gives
his name as William  Glenn.  He says lie died on Fifth Street,
between Smith and John, of disease of the brain.  He gives




MODERN SPIRRITUALIS.                      387
the names of his children as William, George, David, Anna,
and John.  He was a partner of M'Gregor in the lock-. I
can get no more.  I see the name of Joseph Langdon. Mr.
Corry, I see the name of Barnett, and a small foot.  What does
it mean?"
C. "Do you get his initials?"
Mrs. H. "G. W. are given."
C. " G. W. Barnett was celebrated for having the smallest
feet of any man in town.'
Mrs. H. "I see an old man, very mucl  stooped, his clothes
much worn; looks as if in distress.  He gives the name of
John Clingman."
C. " I knew him very well.  He was a hatter."
AM'rs. H. " He says, Yes; his dauglhter Eliza is living on his
place.  He can not tell where his son John is.  I thouglht you
was n't coming, Jim."  (Spoken in an under-tone.)'7iI Nolanl. " I only stood back to give them  old fellows a
chance.  How are you, Mr. Corry?"
C. "Quite well, tlhank you, sir!"
Spirit. " How are you, Mr. Plimpton?"
P. " Very well; I'm glad you've come, Jimmy."
Spirit. " Thank you, sir  How are you, Doctor?"
Dr. "Tip-top, Jim!  Hope we'll have a good time this
morning."
Spirit. " I hope so! How are you, medium?"
Mrs. H. " I am not feeling very well to-day."
Spiril. " I'm sorry for that, but can't help it."
P. "Jimmy, we have Mr. Pittman here to report your
conversation.   Any thling you have to say, we will be glad
to hear."
Sptir-it. "You had better indicate the topic upon which you
desire information, Mr. Plimpton.  You have a preference, of
course."
P. " In a former conversation, you said, when death takes
place, we are provided with spiritual bodies.  Can you tell us
something about these spiritual bodies?"
Spir'it. " I did not say you were provided with spiritual
bodies.  You have them all the time with you.  Your spiritual
body dwells in your natural body, and is of the same shape, and
only a trifle smaller in size.  The natural body is like an old
garment over it.  When you lay that aside, the spirit steps out




388                 STARTLINIG FACTS IiV
like a new-blown flower!  You are tlen free, sit, from  al.
physical defects."
P. "What is the first consciousness after the spirit is freed
from the body?"
Spirit. "I felt as if I had stepped out of an old pair of boots.
1 did not know  I was dead.  I thought I had shaken off an
old garment.  I never dreamed I was dead, until my comrades
told me."
Q. " How long have you been in the spirit-world?"
Spirit. "About six years."
Q. " Where did you die?"
Spir-it. " In the hospital, in Nashville, Tenn.
Q. "You were a soldier, then?"
Spirit " Yes: I enlisted in Company K, Fifty-ninth Indiana
Volunteers, and served until my death.  I was at the surrender
of Vicksburg."
Q. "How did you get to Nashville?"
Spirzit. "I was witl Sherman on his march to the sea.  At
theEtowah River I was taken sick with typhoid fever, and from
that place was sent back to Nashville.  The Maxwell House
was then a hospital, and in it I died."
Q. "What were your sensations when dying?"
Spi-it. "It was like going to sleep.   You may remember
some tlought you had before sleeping; but when passing into
sleep, you are oblivious.  So, in passing into death.  My mind
had been very active.  I thought of every incident and circumstance of my life.  I could see and hear all that ever transpired
with which I was associated.  I remembered jokes, fun, and
frolic, and enjoyed them as I did when first I heard them around
the camp-fire.  We had a Dutchman in our company that was
always taking care of things.  He would permit nothing to go
to waste.  One hot day, in June, we had a halrd march through
the swamps, in Mississippi, and'tle boys lighted up,' tlat is,
they threw every thing away that could be dispensed with.  The
line of march was literally strewn with blankets, shoes, caps,
canteens, and other traps.  Several car-loads of valuable goods
were thus wasted.   The Dutchman tried to carry all lie could
find, but he found too much.  The pile on his back grew higher,
higher, until it loomed up like a pack-saddle on an elephant.
Under this load he staggered for several hours, sweating and
blowing.  He spied the shliing blade of an army ax lying in an




MO DER A  SPIRITUA L SAM.                  389
out-of-the-way place. He could not resist the temptation; so lhe
went for it, with tie exclamation, " Icli muss liese axt haben!"
As he stooped for it, he fell, and it almost broke his heart when
he found he had to leave thle ax, and traps lie had carried for
miles.  It became a rallying word with the boys-" Ich muss
diese Reb haben!"
Q. " Is it possible that you could think of this anecdote while
dying?"
Spirit. "'It was before I died.  As already stated, dying, to
me, was going to sleep.  You are not conscious when you slumber, and you have no memory of the exact time you became unconscious.  The clock strikes ten; that is the last you remember.  When it strikes eleven you do not hear it.  I reemembered
the anecdote-a hundred of them-and went to sleep like a
tired person."
Q. "When you awoke, how did your new situation impress
you?"
Spirit. " I felt as if I had but arisen from a slumber, a trifle
bewildered. I did not feel sick; that surprised me most. A faint
suspicion passed over m y mind that somlething had occurred,
but could not tell exactly what.  My body was lying in the cot,
and I recognized it.  That was strange.  Looking around, I
saw  three of my old comrades, who had been killed in the
trenches before Vickslurg.   I buried them; and there they
were.  I looked at them in amazement, and they at me. One of
them  said,'Hallo, Jim! ihave you come over?'
"' Over!' I said,' over where?'
"' Why, here; in the spirit-world, to be sure.  It's a mighty
nice place, old fel.'
"lThis was too much.  Almost in agony, I exclaimed,'My
God  I am not dead!'
"'No, you are not dead, Jim, but you are in the spirit-world.
If you have any doubts about it, look there at your old body.'
" My body was there, sure enough; and in less than an hour
I saw it carried from  the place I left it, to a shuffle-board,
that slid it into a wagon below.  I followed it to the grave,
the only interested spectator at the funeral.  I returned to
the hospital, and saw the surgeon, the nurses, and the cots in
the room.
"It was some days before I went to the spirit-world.  I
went to my mother, in this world, first.  I remained with her




390                STARTLING FACTS IN
until after she received the news of my death.  Then I got a
singular longing for rest.  I seemed to walk the atmosphere, or
rather sailed through it, like a bird with wings extended.  I can
not tell how long it took me, but I think in five minutes I was
told I was sixty-two and a-half miles above the earth.   Do you
understand me, Mr. Pittman?  In five minutes.
Q. "What was your first experience in that world?"
Spirit. " I was just going to relate that my soldier-friends
never deserted me, singular as it may seem to you, during the
time from-the period of my death until I went to the spirit-world.
I never saw any relatives, only my soldier-fiiends, tlough I had
several sisters and brothers and grandparents in the spirit-land.
I seemed to step on veritable ground.   An old lady them came
towardl me, saying,'Jimmy, you have come home.'   I looked
again and again at her face, and then I said,, grandmother, is
this you?''Yes, dear boy,' sle said.  Then I walked with ler
over actual ground, wlere there were flowers and trees, and I
noticed birds in the limbs; I heard thlem singing. We walked a
distance, aud came to a dwelling.   I went itl.  She told me I
must rest now.  I lay  ow      n on tile lounge, or couch, and slept
for hours.  From  the time of my death and my return to my
motler, I have no recollection of sleeping until that moment."
9. " Did that house appear like our houses?"
Spirit. "Yes, sir: it was just as tangible to me as your
houses are to you.  But there seemed to be pillars instead of
walls, and the light shone straight into tlle house.  It was perfectly white.   There were flowers and vines twining around it;
there were musical instruments in it; books, tables, and many
things."
Q. " How high was it?"
Sphirit. " It was only one story, but we have houses with five
and six stories."
9. "Are the houses already provided, or do you construct
them?"
Sp5ir-it. "Some construct them  themselves, and some have
them  constructed.  I never built a house, but I have planned
them.   In the spirit-world you can create all that is beautiful
that your spirit desires."
Q. " How far is it possible for our aspirations to be realized?"
Spirit. " Every holy and pure aspiration of your soul will be
realized to the fullest extent, and all the beauty that you desire




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        391
to create in this world, you will create in the spirit-world; for
that portion of you will live and grow forever."
Q. " Now go back to your sleeping experience in this house."
Spirit. " After I awoke, I found myself surrounded by some
twenty or tlirty friends, some I had never seen before; and I
asked tile question,' Am I in heaven?'  The answer was,'You
are in the spirit-land.''Then,' I said,' I suppose I can rest forever.'  At this there was a smile passed over the countenance
of each one.  I was puzzled for a moment or two, when one
stepped forward, and said,'If you were to rest forever, you
would not go beyond what you are. The spirit-land is no place
for folded arms; you have a greater work to do than you ever
dreamed of.'  Immediately after my death I resolved, if it were
possible, I would return, and convince the world of the after-life,
because I was a materialist, and believed in no lhereafter."
Q. " Did you  form  that resolution  after your death, or
before?"
Spirit. "Imnmediately after, sir, as I stood in the Maxwell
House, looking on my body."
Q. "Now, as to these spiritual bodies-do they grow  in
stature, as we grow here?"
Spirit. " Clildren do; children arrive at maturity of size."
Q. "But do you grow old?"
Spirit. " Well, no, sir; not in personal appearance."
Q. "Have you  seen  the  spirits of any men  of note, in
the spirit-world; say, Michael Angelo, Shakespeare, or Swedenborg?"
Spirit. "I have seen Shakespeare."
Q.' How old, judging by our standard, did he appear to be?".pirit.  "About twenty-seven."
Q. " Have spirit-bodies a spirit-anatomy?"
Spirit. "Yes, sir: if you ask a man who has lost his limb, he
will tell you that he feels it still.   The physical portion of that
limb is gone, but not the spiritual portion.  He will tell you
that his foot actually grows cold; and physicians will tell you
it is only the nerves that give him that sensation, but that is a
mistake.  If you were a clairvoyant, you would see the missing
limb to be as perfect as the otlher."
Q. "Is it made use of in the same way, if the limb is taken
off?"
Spirit. "Yes: it moves with the other foot.  There is no




392                 STARTLING FACTS IN
deformity fiom our stand-point.  I assume, sir, that all spirits
are horn witll equal capacity.  Now, gentlemen, I shall have
to explain. Take, for illustration; an idiot; you will say tliat such
spirit is born with inferior endowments.  I say no!  It lias a diseased organization which can not work perfectly, and therefore it
gives forth an imperfect expression.   Do you understand me?
You know, gentlemen, that if you have a bad piece of machinery,
it turns out bad work.  So it is with the maclinery of the human
brain; if it is imperfect, it gives forth an imperfect impression. 
Q. " I would like to ask about your opportunities for mental
culture since you left the body.  What have you learned in the
spirit-world that you did not know when you were here?"
Spirit. "Well, sir, I could not tell you all."
Q. "Tell us one thing you have learned."
Spirit. "I have learned that I am  immortal."
Q. " Did you never suspect that here?"
Spirit. "No, sir, I never did.  I used to think I would believe it when I saw it."
Q. "Can you tell us something more that you have learned,
since you left this world?"
Spiirit. "I was twenty-two years old when I passed fromn
tills world, and all I have told you this morning is what I llave
learned sillce I left it."
Q. "Now, come back to your spirit-life, and tell us how, in
the first place, you came to find this medium, and how it is you
work through her.   Could you explain the process to us, so
tlat we can understand it?"
Spirit. "I will try, sir; but it will be rather a difficult
matter. You want to  know how  I first found her.  Well, I
knew her husband in the army; and, as I visited all the men
of my regiment, I went to him, and I found a wonderful attraction about ler house.  I remained tlhere for weeks, and tried to
give manifestations.  She saw tlem, but did not pay any particular attention to them.  I found that I could get particles
from  her body that I could materialize a hand with, and after
she had retired, I could lay tlat hand on lher head so that slie
could feel it.  Tlat was the first.  After I found that I could
materialize my hand, I thoutght I could my whole body; and I
came so that I could materialize the organs of speech, wlien
the room  was darkened after night, so that I could whisper;
which I cid,.aind fiightened the family very much."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                         393
Q. "Whly is it that you require darkness?"
Spirit. "By all spirits and mediums you will be told that
darkness is negative, and light positive.  You notice a ray
of sunshine entering a darkened room, through a crevice; the
room  seems to be filled with dust.  Well, sir, that motion is
electricity and life in the atmosphere.  Light keeps it in motion,
and in that light we can do notling.  But when the room  is
dark, and there is quiet, we can gather those particles, and form
hands and bodies."
Q. "Then you need those electrical particles?"
Spirit. "Yes, sir: the atmosphere is filled with life, just as
water is.".2 "In what sense, then, is it necessary, if you can gather
these particles fiom  the atmosphere, that you slould have a
meldium?"
Spirit. " Well, sir,  why does brown sugar have to be refined
to make it white?  It arrives at this condition  by  passing
through a medium; so we pass the electricity we gather from
the atmosphere, through our medium, and refine it.  Then it
becomes human magnetism?"
Q. " Then magnetism is nothing but refined electricity?"
Spirit. "That is it, sir; yes."
Q. "And when it is filtered, you call it magnetism?"
Spfirit.  "Yes, sir."
Q. " And you have to remain in what is called her magnetic
sphere, when you speak or materialize?"
Spirit. "Yes, sir; and I can not go away from it."
Q. "If you did, could you then materialize?"
Spirit. " I could not speak, sir."
Q. " For what length of time can you speak?"
Spiirit. " As long as the medium  can supply the materializing element.  That is my power-as steam moves machinery."
Q. "Will you ever be able to speak in the light?"
Spirit. "Quite recently, with my face fairly seen at the
aperture in the cabinet, I spoke to Dr. Wolfe for twenty
minutes.  The doctor can attest to that fact."
Dr. W. "You did; and a very interesting  conversation
we lhad."
Q. " Why couldn't you speak to me as well as the doctor?"
Spfirit. "We could, if you supplied us with the magnetic
element he does."




394                 STARTLING F4ACTS ZN
"Q. "How  extensive  is this magneltic sphere  about the
me(lium?"
Spirit. " It varies.  Sometimes it is not more than two feet;
but sometimes it extends ten feet, according to the condition of
her health."
Q. "Are you now on a segment of that sphere?'
Spirit. "She is not in a very good condition this morning
for manifestations.  I am only a slort distance from  her."
Q. "Do otiler spirits assist youl in materializilng?"
Spirit. "Yes: we assist one another."
Q. "Can you see us when you are in an unmaterialized
colnditiol?'
i5irit. "Yes: better, sir, than I can when materialized.  I
can see no more, as a materialized spirit, than a clairvoyant."
Q. "In an unmaterialized condition, is tllis room dark to vou?"
Spirit. "No, sir."
Q. " There is one question I want to ask further.  I see, in
these manifestations, that you require the assistance of music.
In what way has music any effect or ilnfluence?"
Spirit. " It really does not do us aly good.  It only concentrates the thoughlts of the parties present, and makes them
more passive."
Q. "Tlhen, if we could be harmonious without the music,
you could manifest yourself as well?"
Spirit. " Yes, sir: sometimes we hlave music that is not very
pleasant, but still it tends to harmonize the sphere of the circle."
2. " Have you a clearer consciousness of tile great Creator
than we lave?"
Sphirit. "O  1o, sir: we don't believe in a crowned God, in
a king.  One thing I was going to say, gentlemen: I presume
you know tlat you all make your own God?  I have frequently
remarked,'A/ n ho/iest God is the noblest work of iIalz./  "'
Q. "That is, each of us creates an ideal, wlich we imagine
or think is God?"
Spirit. "Yes, sit."
Q. "And the hligher our conception of him, possibly, the
nearer we approach to it?"
Spirit. " That is it, sir."
Q. "Does that Creator manifest himself to you speciaily in
any way, that you are conscious of, in the spirit-world?"
Spirit. " 0 no, sir: only ias you are conscious."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                         395
Q. "You remarked, the other night, that there were spheres
beyond or hihler than ours.  What is it that divides you fiom
those splleres?"
Spiirit. " Conditions!"
Q. "How do conditions distinguish the' spheres?"
Spirit. " Now, Mr. Plimpton, one question I will ask you:
You meet, on the street, a drunken,, iserabe,  mean, degraded
wretch; what is it that divides you from  that man, but your
condition?"
Q. " Certainly, I understand  that; but you do not quite
comprehend what I was trying to get at.  You say tlat when
you entered the spirit-world, it \was about sixty-two and a half
miles fiom the surface of tllis earth; tlat then you entered into
what was a real world to you, witll its mounltains and valleys,
and all the incidents of reality.  What I want to know  is, if
those spirits who,o fiom you, and return to you, and tell you
of wliat they have seen and experienced-whethler they go, also,
to an entirely different sphere, a new-created world to them?"
Spirit. "Yes: you lave a worl(l, and you pass fiom your
condition to ours, just as we are preparing to pass to a world
beyond our spirit-land; that is, fiom  one condition to another
still ligller."
Q.'Will tis go on indefinitely?"
Spirit. " Well, sir, I am told there is no end to progression;
but men in their infancy can not help putting an end to all
things."
Q. " If spirits are so anxious for the welfare of people, why
do not suchl men as Howard, Wesley, and  Swedenborg, or
men whose whole lives were given up to tile instruction and
elevation of their fellow-men, come to us and give us the benefit
of their spiritual experience?"
Spirit. " They do try; but there will be no material change
for the better till tie conditions are changed, and till the laws
and systems by which you are governed are done away with."
Q. "Wlhat law, specially, will be changed?".Spirit. "Your marriage law."
Q. " When will it be changed?"
Spirit. " I can see no prospect at present."
Q. " Is any change desirable?"
Spirit. " 0 yes, sir; and I will say this: that your conventional marriage is the root of all evil."




396                STAR TLING FACTS IN
Q.  But people should marry?"
Spirit. " Yes, but not without knowing each otler, and be
held together for life."
Q. " Give us your best tloughts on this subject."
Spirit. "I can scarcely give you my thoughts; but it is my
opinion that if a man and woman are married, who are not
suited to each other, the sooner they separate, the better.  Let
me illustrate my position: A young man is enamored with a,young  girl who has been brought up in the lap of luxury;
and they are married.  He is determined to be a great man, if
wealth will make him so, even if, in his ambition to attain tlat
end, every good feeling witlin i   im is cruslled out.  Tliey are
married scarcely a year, before they learn one thing-that they
are separated in affection tlousands of miles, altlough living
under the same roof.  Tle loveless wife soon learns deception.  She has to steal from tlat man what she actually needs.
After he has retired, and gone to sleep, she will search his pockets for a dime or half a dollar, to get some little needed thing.
Tley live together year after year, but in ler heart of hearts
she feels that, if there was no law to take her in hand for it, she
would take his life, to rid herself of the one she positively hates.
She raises a family.  I ask you this question, gentlemen: do
you wonder that thieves and murderers are the result of this
kind of marriage?  I tlink you require law in the present day;
but I am not speaking of low conditions, but of the very highest.
I have looked through the world often, and seen the misery fiom
inharmonious marriages, and I lave almost come to the conclusion that it is sinfil to remain in those conditions.  It may, perhaps, surprise you, but I tlink people should live togetler for a
year, so as to know one another before marriage.  I would like
to know, gentlemen, how many men there are in this city who
act, in the presence of a young lady, as they appear to us; and
how  many ladies are there who appear before gentlemen as
they do in the presence of each other.  We are frequently
charged with bringing mischief from  the spirit-world, in separating men from their wives; but we only discover thle mischief,
do not cause it."
2. " In the spirit-land, do you communicate with each other
in a language that is articulated as ours is?"
Spirit. "Yes: it would be a disagreeable thing to live in a
world where there were no sounds."




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       37
Q. "If you died without a knowledge of the French or
German language, could you acquire a knowledge of either, in
the spiri-t-world?"
Spirit. "r I could, sir, by impression."
Q. "Then it would be difficult to have any secrets."
Spirit. "There are no secrets.  I am going to tell you something that is coming, and that will do awvay with all crime.
The two worlds are ever drawing nearer to each other.  You
know, gentlemen, people are afraid of tlheir deeds being known.
They are not afraid to act, but if they thought that their acts
were seen and known, they would -try to act differently fiom
what they now  do; and then there would be no criminals.
Hence, there would be no deception between those who are
to be married; and if there were none but harmonious marriages, that would bring about harmonious children.  Now,
I will ask you one question.  If one of you were tempted to
steal, would you not look up and down the street first, to see
if any one saw you, before committing the deed?  And if you:
knew their eyes were upon you, would you do it?  It is just
as natural to avoid eyes as it is to live.  Do you see, if you
had a  real vivid consciousness that a spirit-friend was by
your side, you would avoid, or be restrained from, doing many
things tlat you now do?  Let me ask you, if you knew that
your mother's eyes were upon you, would you do any thing that
would grieve her?"
Mr. P. "It would certainly operate as a restraining  influence."
Spfirit'. " I will tll you one thing.  My medium  is impressional.  You may bring five criminals and five good men into
her presence, and blindfold her, and let eacl one take ler
hand, and if she does not detect which are the good and which
the bad, I will never come back and speak in this world again.
People never have thoughts with regard to her that she does
not comprehend at once."
M1r. P. "I want to ask you a question, a little personal in
its nature.  My mother spoke to me, and I have no doubt it
was her voice, but I have never seen her face.  Now, do you
think you could assist her to materialize?"
Spirit. " I do not know, sir.  I will try, before my medium
goes home."
36




398                STA RTLING FACTS IN
Q. " Have you any inventions or instruments in the spiritworld that we have not?"
Spirit. " All the inventions you have come from the spiritworld. I stated this to Dr. Wolfe, when speaking of the electric
telegraph and big bridge. [See page 247, chapter xiii.]  We
lhave an instrument now ready to be given to the world, as soon
as a proper medium  is found to receive it.  It is called a'THOUGHT INDICATOR.'"
Q. " How does it act?"
Sir'it. " It in an ist  itant i ndicates thouglht."
Q. "Does it do this by means of symbols, such as our
letters?"
Spirit. " It does it by means of characters. The instrument
I speak of will be used on earth in sixty years from now. You
will not live to see it; but reemmber wlat 1 have told you."
Q. "How does this instrument work?"
Sp;irit. " It indicates thought on paper as rapidly as if done
by electricity-as rapidly as we think."
Q. " Are such records now made in the spirit-world?"
Spzrit. " Matny of our finest writings are given il this way."
At this  point of the interview  Mrs. Hollis complained of feeling exhausted, and Nolan, after thanking us for our patience and enterprise, became silent.
The seance was ended.
EV,.n




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                   399
CHAPTER XXII.
SPIRIT PHENOMENA  SEEN BY HON. WM. M. CORRYSPIRIT-WRITING, TALKING, AND MATERIALIZINGA TROUPE OF OLD CITJZENS COME TO THE FRONTELWOOD FISHER INTERVIEWED-SHOWS PART OF
HIS FACE-ASTOUNDING MANIFESTATIONS.
H ON. WILLIAM M. CORRY'S report of his
experience with spirit manifestations will attract
special attention, as he is widely known throughout
the country.   This is the third report in the series,
given by representative men, and bears upon its face
the characteristic ingenuousness for which its author
is distinguished.   Without further introduction, his
report is subjoined:
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS.
W. AM CORRY'S STATEMENT OF HIS EXPERIENCE.
FIRST SEANCE.
I WENT to Dr. Wolfe's, No. 146 Smith Street, at his request,
last September, for a spiritual seance, there being much discussion of the subject in the city.
It was ten A. M. when Mrs. Hollis seated herself at the side
of the small stand, with a light cloth on it, in the center of the
room, and I sat near her, at the end of the stand.  There was
light enough to see objects distinctly, and to make notes.  She
held a small slate, on which was a bit of pencil, in her hand,




400                 STARTLING FACTS IN
under the stand.  The whole arlm, above the wrist, was x\sible,
and the other hand liung by her side.   She conversed on ordinary topics with me, while in this position, for tel minutes,
when  I heard  the -pencil fall on tle slate.  She immediately
produced the slate, and there was nothing on it but a mark like
the letter V; the pencil was tl)ere, and I requested the spirit
who made the mark to write me a message.
After a few minutes' delay, came the following, which is my
first communication.   t was in two lines, thus:
"John Corry.
William."
I tlen wrote, " Describe yourself, so  that I can  identify
yotl."
The answer was given:' William  Corry, your father.  I am
here."
Tills took five minutes, at least.
I wrote again'  Please write a sentence about any thing you
desire to say."
Five more minutes elapsed, wleii came  this answer: "I
respect your stanclingf^   to yourl p;irty."
The word( firf/z wavis tlnderscored.
Prompted  bIy  tlhis allusion to politics, as I had just suspended ny weekly democratic newspaper, tle Cotzm oner, 1 put
this questionl:  Ought the Cozmmoner to be continued?"
In labout three minutes, the answer was: "No, I fear not."
The answer not being  positive, I repeated the question,
thus: " Shoulc tle Commlonler go ol?"i
In other three miniutes, the answer was given: " Let the
Commoner go.  Make brick."
The  writing  was not clear, and I said: "Write plainer,
please.  WYly should tile Commoner stop?"
After tle usual interval, the answer was:' Make brick,
Williaml."
This was the end of the conversation, at that time, witll what
purported to be the spirit of my father.   It is proper to expllain
the injunction about making brick, by saying that I am in tlle
business of manulfacturing  lpressed  brick, under George  C.
Bovey's patent, by steam machiniery, and lhave, for several years,
been giving it attention, thought, time, and money.  This is tlie
first encouragement I have received fiomn  any quarter; the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          401
living- appearing to have a holy llorror of brick-machines.  I may
add, however, that if the dead hadl also been against me, it
would be soime time yet before I would give it up, such is my
confidence in the inveltion anid my associates.  I make tiis
statement to  show  that mly own mind has been full of the
subject of brick-making, whicl some may think explains the
paternal injunction.
The seance went on.  The next message was fiom another
spirit, who wrole, "Do you remember Joseph Gest?"
I inquired, " Are you Joseph Gest, the old city surveyor?"
The prompt answer "was, " Yes."
I inquired again, " Whly do you ask?"
The answer came: " He wants lIis daughter Clarissa."
I asked:'; What does he want with ler.  Will lie write to
her?"
No reply.
I continued: "Wlat have you to say?"
The answer was: " I want thee to tell her I am  here."
I inquired, " Have you any thing to say to her?"
In a couple of miinues, tills came: "Tell Clarissa tliat my
wife and her father, Dr. John M., are lere."
I could not make out the doctor's name; Ilie whole message
being badly  vritten, andi the name, altlhough it was on the slate,
was not legible.   I asked to have the name made plainer, and
wiped out the message.   In  a minute  or so, the slate was
produced, with the wordc "Moore," in very plain characters.
I then asked, " What more do you want, and who are you?"
In two minutes, the answer was: "I am Joseph Gest."
1 tlen asked, " What have you to say?"
The reply was:'"Thee knows Erasmusl?"
I answered: "Yes: have you anything particular to say
about Erasmus, or your wife?  She is dead."
At the usual interval, thle answer was: "Yes, no.   Tell
Clarissa, that my wife and the doctor are with me."
I continuedl   "What about Erasmus?   I told you I knew
him?"
After three minutes, tlle answer came: "'He must take care
of himself."
I then asked,:' What dlo you mean?'
To this, no answer was made.   Mr. Josepli Gest was a city
surveyor many years, and lie died here, not long since, at an




402                STARTLING FACTS IN
advanced age.  He and his family were Quakers, and used the
plain language in conversation.  Clarissa and Erasmus are two
of his children; and, on inquiring of the latter, lie told me,
what I never knew before, that the name of his grandfather was
Dr. Johzn Moore.
In a few minutes more, the noise of the writing on the slate
was heard, and, when it was shown, there was written quite
across it, in a bold hland, the name of " Lafayette Neville."
I inquired, " What have you to say?"
lThe answer was: " I aml glad to see you, William."
I asked: "How  can I serve you?  I will be glad to do it.
Do you want to send any message to your widow?"
The answer was: "Only say to Carolinie, that I am happy."
"Any other message?" I asked.
No answer.  I knew Mr. Neville well; and Caroline is his
widow's name.
Next, there was an illegible writing.  I said, "Write that
over."
The answer was: "You have Dr. Curtis's house."
I asked, " What of it? and what do you want to say?"
The answer came: " Are you not " —illegible.
I requested to have the illegible word written plainer.
The answer was: " Are you not afriaid of ghosts, there?"
I inquired, " VWhat do you ask that for?"
The allswer was: "The doctor (word illegible) men."
I asked: " Please answer plainly.   What is the middle
word?"
"Dissected.  He cut me up.  I am James Nigger."
What do you mean by' Nigger?'"
Answer  " Colored, I mean."
By tlis time we had spent an hour and a half, and there was
a lively knocking, which made Mrs. Hollis inquire if tlhere were
any more spirits wishing to communicate.  The reply was by
the single negative knock.
SECOND  SEANCE.
IN the first seance which I have described, there were no adjuncts at all discernible; but in the cabinet seance the musical
box is wound up at the beginning, and never ceases to play till
the end.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        403
I was present with Mr. Piatt and Mr. Plimpton at a cabinet
seance, held at Dr. Wolfe's house, but in another room, which
has been arranged for the convenience of the medium and the
visitors.  It is on the second story, in a small room, between
two others which are lighted with gas. At one side of tis room,
a thin board partition has been run up, from  the floor to tle
ceiling, about two and a half feet fiom the wall.  We examined,
and found nothing but a chair for Mrs. Hollis to sit upon.  The
ligllt was turned low, but not so that we could not distinctly see
each otler's faces and forms. and the furniture.  The doors
communicating withl.the two end rooms were nearly closed, to
exclude the light.   Mrs. Hollis's rihllt-hand was marked in the
palm witl burnt-cork.   She entered the cabinet, and shut herself in, the door having, at the height of four feet, a round aperture, of a foot in diameter, over which a piece of square cloth
hun  dcown, inside.  I do n't think this cloth was ever lifted, but
I am told the doctor believes otherwise.  The musical box was
playing, and soon a hand and wrist appeared quickly at the aperture; then another, and another.  All these hands were feminine in appearance, and moved about freely, up and clown, forward  and backward; but always, wlhen one disappeared, it
showed the palm  the last thing,, and there was no mark on it.
The hands were all right-hands, and each withdrew before anotler appeared.  They looked natural, and I asked, several
times, to touch them, or be touched by them; but the doctor,
who was always present, did not consent, although he said that
lie had dolle it himself, and it could be done.
A hand took up the bit of pencil lying on the slate, which
was placed on a shelf just under the aperture, and wrote: "Judge
Burnet"-that, and nothing more. We asked if Judge Burnet
would communicate, but there was an answer in the negative
by knocking.  Dr. Wolfe himself asked the questions generally
during the sitting, although every one felt at liberty to converse
and to ask explanations of the spirits.
A hand came out of the aperture, in plain view, and wrote a
message on the slate, picking up the pencil and holding it just
as any body would.  The message was: "Major Ben, I can
whip'em yet!"
Some one inquired, " Who are you?"
The hand came out again, and wrote the monosyllable, " Barr.'
Mr. Piatt thought lie understood  the question, and that




404                 STARTL NG FACTS IN
it was to him, but lie asked, "Was that message directed
to me?"
The lhand came againl, and wrote, " Sam B. Keys will know."
Mr. Piatt asked the spirit to be more particuilar.
Tlle hand came again and wrote, " I was his relative."
Mr. Piatt inquired, "Are you Sam B. Keys?"
The hand then wrote, " Major Bar-."
I thought tle message was not probably to Mr. Piatt, but
migllt be for me; so I related that, among other manly qualities
of Major Barr, in lis early days, was a propensity to figlt;
and that on one occasion tliere ladl been a great battle between
him, a merchant, and  my gi-andfather, Tlomas Fleming, a
farmer of Butler County, in the Lower Market House, about
a quarter of beef, in which both were worsted.  While I was
telling  the  story, there was a vigorous knocking within the
cabinet, wllich, as I understand it, indicated approvail.
James Buchlanan, ex-President, next appeared, and was
recognized by me and the rest.  He is a constant guest at Dr.
Wolfe's.  The well-known head and the wlite cravat and hair
came forward.  Dr. Wolfe greeted him  with, " Good evening,
Mr. Buchlana!" which was recognized  by a nod, and in a
minute or two he retired, lhaving cadvanced to the aperture, and
receded several times.  The appearance was precisely that of
a large litlllograpll portrait.  A lhand on the slate followed, and
wrote, "Corry  spent three days at Wheatland."   Mr. Buclhalan came again and again.  Stephen A. Douglas also put
in: the same appearance and pantomime, the action of the two
leads, the only part visible, in each instance, being perfectly
characteristic.
The next I saw distinctly a female head, which I recognized
as the late Mis. Donn Piatt.  The hair was worn after ler
taste, and the expression was exactly like hers.  Slie came
several times, but very timidly and faintly.  It was her sideface.
Then  followed  Lizzie Odell, who was a relation of the
doctor, and generally comes to the cabinet seaznces.  She was
recognized by Mr. Plimpton, as well as the doctor.  Her hair
was held up fi-om her forehead by a clerry-colored ribbon.
Mary Plimpton, the deceased sister of Mr. Plimpton, came
next, and was greeted adcl recognized by him.  Slhe lingered,
and responded, by her action, as if she loved to be there.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       405
Then the hand came out and wrote on the slate.  It was
simlply, " Donn Piatt."
Mr. Pialt, attributing this message to his wife, asked orally
if she had any thing to say?
The hand wrote, "Fenton Lawson," a well-known citizen,
long since dead.  Thlen, "Mary Piatt."
"Have you any thing you wish to say to me?" repeated
Mr. Piatt, orally.
The answer was: "I am happy; you must not fear to come."
He added, " Have you any thing else to say?"
" No!" was immediately written by the hand on the slate.
Mr. Piatt asked orally, "Is there any one else who wishes
to communicate with me?"
The answer was by the hand, written as usual: " Do you-"
but the rest was illegible; and when Mr. Piatt requested an
explanation, the hand wrote again, " Come to-morrow, Donn."
Another hand now wrote a message.  It was simply, "William Corry."
I asked orally, " Have you any tling further to say to me?"
The hand appeared at once, and wrote upon the slate this
message: " William, let the  Commoner go; you have lost
enoutgi!"
I asked again, " What further advice have you to give?"
The lhand wrote again, " Go on with the brick."
I inquired, "Will that be profitable?"
The hand wrote again,' You will make money with the
machine."
Another hand wrote,' Morgan Neville."
We asked if he had any message.  There were affirmative
knocks-several of them-and then the hand wrote, "I gave
my children no money, because I thought it best."
With this communication, that cabinet seance terminated, at
half-past nine P. M.
THIRD SEANCE.
MR. PIATT and myself, with Dr. Wolfe, had a dark seance
for conversation with the spirits.  It was at ten in the morning;
but the chamber in which it took place was made perfectly
dark, by padding the doors and windows.  Not a ray of light
was admitted, although after a while it was said that lights
37




406                STARTLING FACTS IN
flitted about.  I never saw the phenomenon but once, and then
faintly.
After three minutes, there were knocks heard, and the tin
horn, which stood on the floor, was moved about.  We all
talked fieely; Mrs. Hollis as well as the others.  The musicbox was playing.  Mrs. Hollis described  several personsspirits-who were in the room.  One was a large man, of jovial
bearing, who was leaning toward Mr. Piatt and examining his;t-m, which had been hurt recently by an accident.  Mrs. Hollis
gave his name directly as "Jesse Judkins."  Mr. Piatt inquired
what he was doing; to which she replied that it seemed to
be about his injury, which he was attentively examining, but
smiling all the time.
Just then, there was a faint utterance, like a female voice, so
low tlat it required very quick ears to detect what was said.
I distinguished the words at last: "Ella is better; she will
get well."
The message was supposed to come from  the former Mrs.
Piatt to the present.
Then the voice feebly said, "Don't you know-"   The
rest was inaudible.
Mr. Piatt said: "I can't hear you.  Speak louder, please!"
Anotler effort, but fruitless.
Mr. Piatt said, "Try again."
The voice said, " Mary Meeker."
Mr. Piatt replied he did remember her very well; and he
remarked to me that she was a little girl in his family years ago,
and was a medium.
My notes were taken in the utter darkness, and the lines
crossed, and other difficulties, make them  imperfect:
" Tell Ella I love her; and that, of all the hats she wore last
Winter in Washington, the one I liked was the pink one with the
white plume. The white plume cost twenty dollars. Good-bye!"
James Nolan, familiarly called Jimmy, now seemed to seize
the horn, and began to talk.  He gave us his history: That
lie was born in Harrison County, Indiana, and at nineteen went
into the war with the first volunteers, a private in Company K,
of the Fifty-ninth Regiment, which was commanded by Colonel
Courcy, or De Courcy.  His captain's name he gave, I think,
as M'Bride.  He served four years; was at the siege of Vicksburg; and, finally, on his march to the sea, under General




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       407
Sherman, he was attacked  with typloid fever, and was sent
to Nashville to the hospital, now the Maxwell House, wlere,
after a short illness, he died.  He said he lingered round his
remains while they were warm, and saw himself laid out and
dressed for the grave by his comrades.  It was just like putting
off an old garment.  He was surprised at the ease of the
change, and could hardly think he was dead.  He said he exclaimed, " Am I really dead?"
In a future conversation, at which Mr. Plimpton and Mr.
Pittman, the celebrated  phonographer, assisted, i7imzmy explained these matters, and his subsequent career in the spiritland, at great length.  A  note was taken of it all. which I
expect to see in print.  It is interesting.  I can state that the
impression he made on me was not that of a light, ordinary
young soldier, but of a man of trutl, sincerity of purpose.
He said lie had the strongest desire to persuade men of the
future state; that he devoted most of his time and energies
to the work; that it could not be done but by a process of
materialization, which he explained; and that he was drawn
to Mrs. Hollis's house and herself, because he had served with
her husband, and become attached to him in the army.  It is
only possible to communicate with the world's people ly the
instrumentality of a medium, to whose sphere lie had to confine
himself in order to be heard.  He appeared at all the dark
circles, as they are called, where the spirits hold their oral
communications; and lie was always in a pleasant mood, and
made himself popular, if that word can be so applied.  I leave
him  here for the present; for I was most anxious to talk to
my mother, if possible, and with my friend, Elwood Fisher,
for whom  I had always felt an attachment so ardent that it
seemed to many romantic; but as I had seen no man then or
since that I thought equal to him, I will probably never change.
The medium, Mrs. Hollis, said that she saw a tall lady
dressed in black, wearing a cap, who seemed to have lost her
teeth, standing by me and looking at me.  But she was unable
to speak.  Mrs. Hollis said slie saw another lady there, who
was tall, slender, and a younger person than my mother.
I asked who it was, but she could not talk.  A voice, however, very low, said, "That is my wife!"
I thought it was my friend Fisher who spoke; and I asked
him why my mother did not speak to me.




408                STARTLING FACTS IN
He replied that /ze could only do so with great difficulty,
and after his best efforts; that speaking was a new thing to
them, and had to be learned.  "'l7ee has no  idea," my friend
said, " of the extreme difficulty of articuz/ation by the sjpirits!"
"Does tlhee remember Elizabeth Fisher?" he asked.
I said,' Yes: thy mother."'
" Does thee remember the little store on Fifth Street, where
thee saw me the first time, sitting on the counter?  Does thee
remember taking me to thy father's office on Main Street, after
a while?"
I said I did remember these things, and that my father had
as higlh an opinion of him as myself; and from that time Mr.
Fisher was always cherisled in our family, and made perfectly
at home.  He was our greatest favorite; and I tlougilt him
superior to tlhe college-boys with whom  I studied Latin and
Greek.  It was on my daily walk across Fiftli Street Market
Space, to and from college, that I found out my life-long friend.
I should observe that lie was the friend of Mr. Piatt also; and
that at this sitting lie spoke to him several times; and that lhe
bade him farewell whlen he left.
He asked me if I remembered "Judge Bassett," of whom
I have not once thought for tlirty years.
I replied I did.
"Thee recollects, thlen, lhis brown clothes and his ruffled
shirt?"
Again, he said, "Thee remembers the Brimstone Corner?"
(Fourth and Plum,) which was a Methodist church of former
years.  I replied I did; and then lie said,  "Tlle  Friends'
meeting-house  on  Fifth  Street is turned into  a lager-beer
saloon!"   Then suddenly lie asked, "Does tliee  reemeber
the white kids?"
I asked, " VWat kids?"
He added, " Those Joseph Benham wore, when he delivered
the address to Lafayette?"
" I did remember them," I said; and the spirit of my fiiend,
if it was he, seemed pleased with the reply.  His tone of voice
denoted that feeling.
He continued, "Does thee  remember the old  German
woman that Lafayette recognized in the crowd as the person
who had carried him milk when lie was imprisoned at Ollmutz?"
I said I did not. and asked him if lie did.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          409
He replied that his " mother told lhim  the incident, which
seems to be one of my own recollections."
"'Thee remembers H-arriet Benhlam Mrs. Prentice?"
"Yes," I said, "I knew her all her life."
He merely said: " What a singular woman! Amelia Nolan,
thee knows her?"
I replied: "Yes: very well.  She is thy sister-in-law."
He then said that "she was an excellent woman," adding,
" But llee knows my opinion of her, and also of her husband."
Tlhere was a pause after this strange interview.   Mr. Piatt,
as well as myself, was deeply impressed with the inexplicable
nature of it, witllout, lowever, comprehendi ng it.  The spirit,
very audibly, said " Farewell " to him, and then took leave of me
in these most impressive words: " Fareell.  I will stand by
thee while ti/ze lasts for thee; antd whetl thee comes over, I'l
be the first to greet thee."
FOURTH  SEANCE.
22ld September.-Mr. Plimpton, Dr. WVolfe, Mr. Piatt, Mrs.
Jordan, and myself, went into the cabinet-room at eight o'clock
P. M. A large-lhand appeared at the aperture-then a hand and
arm, the hand with a gauze veil over it.  Then again, with a lily
of large size, and perfectly white.  Afterward, a hand came, and
closed and opened; and tlen, again, another was thrust out into
the room,, waving a handkerchief.   Then a hand attempted,
several times, to grasp  the pencil, but failed to do so.  At
last, a message was written on the slate, from Joseph Gest.  It
was:
" William, tell Erasmus Canby; he.will understand you."
"JOSEPH GEST."
Then another: " Thee knows, William, that facts are facts."
Again: "Tell Erasmus, his uncle, Jalmes Ca nby Moore, is lere."
And, finally, he wrote on the slate: "I want tlhee to startle him
out of his heathenism."
In explanation of this message, I may say that, after the first
interview  with his father, I had conversed with Mr. E. Gest,
and le had avowed his partiality for Buddha and Confucius.
The next appearance was a little boy's head and face.   "_Is
it Charley?" th/e lady asked, who thtozg/t it was her little son.
There were knocks of affirmation.




410                STARTLING FACTS IN
Then my friend Fisher presented his forehead and eyes, as
usual.  I requested him to show me his whole face.
The hand wrote, "William, thee sees my face."
I replied: " No, not distinctly —only a part of it.  Let's see
thy whole visage."
The hand wrote again, " The soul is too long."
In explanation whereof, I may say that Mr. Fisher used to
assert, playfully, that he believed the chin to be the residence of
tle soul.  It was the distinguishing feature of man; no animal
had it but the horse, he said, and lie and man were always
friends; and the Centaurs were actually man and horse-half
and half.
A lady's face appeared, which was not recognized; but we
requestedl her to write the name.  There was no answer.  A
pair of very small baby-hands appeared, and seemed to be quivering at the aperture for over two minutes; then they faded
away.
Mr. Fisher again showed his forehead and eyes.
I said, "You did better before; try to slow thy face entire."
The hand wrote on the slate, "William, I can't do better."
Dr. Wolfe's mother then came to the aperture, and the doctor bade her "good evening," and she nodded, and withdrew.
Then Lizzie Odell, wearing the clherry-colorec ribbon in her hair.
There was a vigorous knocking in the box, whicl the doctor
said was a demand for more music.  Indeed, he asked the question, and was answered affirmatively.  The music-box, however,
gave out.  The knocks became violent, and the doctor proposed
to sing.  He started the African melody of the " Swanee River,"
and when that had been sung by the company, " Bonny Doon"
succeeded.  Hand after hand came to the aperture, to the number
of five or six, and some of them tried to use the pencil, but without success.  This was attributed to the cessation of the music.
At length, a hand wrote a message, which was for Mr. Piatt,
and in these words: " Dear, hand in the slate."  That was done
at once, and soon the slate came out again with "P. Grandin,
Joln H. Piatt, Louise Kirby Piatt, Mackie, your darling."
We requested further manifestationis, but were answered,
"No," )by knocks which the doctor interpreted; and, on the
slate it was written, " The time has been so long," and also,
"It is too late."
A  hand, supposed to be friend Fisher's, wrote. "William,




MODERN SPIRITUALISMI                       411
thy mother would have given her face," meaning, if nothing had
happened to retard the manifestations.  Tlat face was precisely
what I wanted to see, as it would be proof positive of the verity
of the portraits; but I never got it, nor the whvole face of my
fiiend Fisli'er.
Mr. Piatt received this message: "My dear, take care of
yourself and Ella.  I will often write you tests."  The last word
was scarcely legible, and Mr. Piatt requested it plainer, when it
was written as above-tests-in very plain character.
So the seance terminated.  The accidental failure of the music having embarrassed it, from  first to last, as the doctor informed us.  The effect of the music is said to be most decidedly
upon the spectators, to concentrate their minds, and exclude
wandering     L thoulghts.  The spirits seem to be very partial to it;
but it is of no other consequence to them  tlan to predispose
the audience to receive and appreciate their communications.
FIFTH SEANCE.
3d October, A..l-I went with Dr. Curtis; and it was suggested by Dr. Wolfe that the slate-writing should come first,
and tlien the cabinet scenes.  As soon as we were seated, Mrs.
Hollis holding the slate under the table, there was written upon
it the name of " Mary Curtis," the doctor's mother, whose full
name was Mary Ann.
He asked, " Have you any other name?"
" 0 yes: there are others here," was the response on the slate.
Mrs. Hollis then said: "Does any one present know  Dr.
Atlee?  I get that name, but nothing else."
We both replied that we knew  Dr. Atlee well.  He was
several years a resident of this city.
Another message was written on the slate:
"Well, Dr. Curtis, thee stands it well 
" WILLIAM  JUDKINS."
He was the father of Jesse and David Judkins, and a good
physician here for many years.
Mrs. Hollis observed that she saw a tall, slender man in
the room, near the doctor, wearing a brown overcoat, and bald;
but she said he (lid not give his name.
The slate then showed the name, " Elizabeth Curtis," that




412                   STARTLIZNG FACTS IN
of his present wife.  The doctor said, "'Refer to some incident
between us alone, which nione know  but ourselves."   "I  am
near you-Mary Anl."   Tllhen, " 1 am, every  ay."  lThe nlext
Iname was "' Harriet Anni  Curtis  your own dcear wife."   Soon
after, a message, "Tlins is a very happy mornilng!"
The doctor then asked ler' what benefit there was in these
co1mm11unications?  The reply was, " I saved you y.ears of doubt
by themn."
Tllen, "Eiizabeth can be a good medium."   Pretty  soon
afterward, " Good-bye!"
I tlhilnk there had been no music during the writing part of
this itnterview.
We now adjourned to the cabinet.  Mrs. Hollis walked with
us, and spoke of ordinary tliligs to Dr. Curtis, Dr. Wolfe, wlho
joined us, and m   yself.  She directly took ler seat in tle dark
recess, coml)letely out of sight, and  there  were loud raps for
music.  Tlhe box was set a-going.  A  hanml al)eared tlroulg
the aperture holding a flower.  I asked Dr. Wole's lermission to
touch it.  He said the spirits did  not allow  it.'lhey would
touclh his halad-pat it sometimes-but that was all.  It would
offendcl them  if I attempted to grasp it, and we should have no
more manifestations.  I asked hIimi to put Ilie question to  the
spirits, wliicli lie did, butl tile knocks answered, "No!"   Then
a hand(  appeared, arid  picked  up the pencil and wrote down
tlhese words, " We are sorry you can not- toucli it."   A  hand
then wro'te on tlhe slate, " Look if you can see color?"
I asked tlhe spirit of Mr. Fisher if my sister Alice was here.
Tle reply came, "Alice is llhee."  Then we liad t lie fice of a
lady, wlio was nlot recognized by any of the party.'len, an
old ]ady's face and hlead, withl a cap on, said by Dr. Wolfe
to  be Iis mother.  Then Lizzie Odell, with her lhair tied up
witlh a cherry-colored ribbon, wlich was plainly to be seen adcl
distinguished.   Then  Miss P.   T'lien a beautiful girl's face
ald lead.  Tlie hand came through tile aperture aidc wrote on
tlhe slate, "'Harriet, my dear, as a spirit."   Dr. Curtis tlhought
it was his deceased wife materialized.  Tlhere was then a face
wllicli obscurely slowed itself, iand miglit be takeii for my sister
Alice; but sle made no ans\ver to my question.
I now asked Mr. Elwood  Fisher to show  me, if possible,
his entire face.  The reply was, "William, thee knows I will
make a great effort!"




MODERN SPIRITUALISA.                          413
He showed Iis forelead, as lie had done before, but with
the eyes open, tand not siut.  I could see the whole head. and
down to below tile eyes.
The lhalnd wrote upon the slate: "William, thee was the
companionl of my boyhood, anld the staunclh friend of my manhood.  When all others deserted, thee stood  firm.  I honor
thee for this above all meni."
Again lie wrote, " 1 have followed tlee througlh all.  Stand
firm to tie P!"
" WhVat P?" demanded Dr. Wolfe.  " Is it Palmetto?"
There was an affirmatiion by knocks; and the hand appeared
again and wrote,' William, thee knows."
I presumle the allusion \as to Souli Carolina and her doctrine, she being called the Palmetto State.   Mr. Fisler had
named liis I ldiana farm, iear Patriot-to  which lie was devotedly attached-" Palmetto."
The  hand wrote agalin: "'lThee has entered upon a new
field of thought.  It will lead tlhee out of the briers and tliistles,
and make thy pathlway pleasant in thy declining years."
The slate was taken into the' cabinet, aind slortly came out
with a long message as follows, purporting to come fiom  my
friend Fisher:
" If all the wishes of thly fiiend could be realized, thy life
would be one of great pleasantness.   I was thy fiiend while
time  lasted for me; and  when  thy footsteps eclo through
heaven, then I will clasp thy hand.  Now for eternily-fear not
to cross the river.  I, thy friend, will be tlere first to greet
thee.  Farewell!  Peace be with tlee!
"ELWOOD, tty dezvoted sfib'it-f iend."
And then the seance was concluded, and Mrs. Hollis came
out of the cabinet, appearing to be fatigued; but she descended
the stairs with us, and conversed as freely as the rest.
Mr. Corry  closes  abruptly; he makes  no  "summing  up of his opinion;" he  discharges  the  whole
subject without a word of comment; and, too, when
the reader would  consider his opinions golden.   Mr.
Corry's thoughts belong  to  himself, and  his  discretion   in  not  obtruding   them     upon  the  public  is




414            STARTLING FACTS IV
worthy of approbation.  He has made a faithful report of the facts as they came before him, and that
was all he was expected to do; he made no promise to do more. The casuist has the whole field of
speculation to himself.  He can rise to explain as
much as suits his purpose, "without let or hinderance."  Mr. Corry grants full permission, and rests
upon the facts. There are no shifts in his testimony.
He states only what he saw and heard, and the reader
must judge whether he has done it well or not.  He
has spoken fearlessly, and in no uncertain sense, that
which he knows to be true.  He does not hesitate to
declare his conviction that he conversed with his old
friend, Elwood Fisher; that his identification was
complete.  This admission will constitute a new
epoch in the mental life of W. M. Corry. " Tempora
mutantur, et nos muiamur in illis."
"E\ — 7




MODERN SPZIRTUALISM.            415
CHAPTER XXIII.
SPIRITS WRITING GERMAN AND FRENCH-VICKERS
CONVINCED THAT THE MANIFESTATIONS WERE
NOT FRAUDULENT-MRS. HOLLIS COULD NOT DO
THE WRITING-THE TEST OF A. P. C.-A GERMAN
FABLE-ELWOOD FISHER- SPIRIT-HAND LARGER
THAN MRS. HOLLIS'S-CAN MAKE NO DISCOVERY
OF FRAUD-A HEIDELBERG PUPIL SPEAKS TO
MRS. VICKERS IN GERMAN.
R EV. THOMAS VICKERS was the fourth, and
last, of the representative men to examine and
report upon the phenomena occurring in the presence of Mrs. Hollis. He began his investigations
after the others had concluded theirs, and at a time
when the medium's mental condition-on the eve of
leave-taking-was unfavorable for good manifestations; still the phenomena he witnessed were of
such a startling character as to convince the investigator that they were not the result of trickery or
fraud, practiced by either Mrs. Hollis or myself,
and that on some other hypothesis must a rational
explanation be founded.
Mr. Vickers admits the insufficiency of the time
he had for a thorough examination of the principles
underlying the phenomena, and hence he is still open
to conviction. Every man has his own discretion, of




416                 STAR'TL ING FACTS IN
course; but I respectfully submit whether additional
facts will not produce additional perplexity  of mind.
Enough is as good as a feast.
"Mrs. Vickers," he says, "was addressed by a voice
in German, calling  her by her given  name.   To  the
question, as to where the person  speaking had known
her, the  reply  came,'In  Heidelberg.'  The  name
given was that of a former pupil." To this may be
added  Mr. Vickers's remark, "That he was morally
certain there was no deception."
SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS,
AS SEEN  BY REV. THOM AS VICKERS.
DR. N. B. WOLFE:
DEAR SIR,-You were kind enouglh, in the latter part of
I872, to affor(l me the oppotlunity to witness some of the'"manifestaltions" tlat were occurring11   in you11r house, "in the presence
of Mrs. Mary J. Hollis."   In return for tills kinldness, I chleerfully com)ply witl your request, to make some report of wlat
I saw and heard(.   You will remiember thlt, unfortunately for
the prosecution of any extended investigation, I did not become
aware of Mi-s. Hollis's being in tle city until very near ler (leparture; so that the seanices in which I could participate were
few.  It is, tlerefore, not surprising that the result was not, on
the wlole, so satisfactory to myself as I could have wished.
Still there are some tlings of importance to which  I can
testify.
I was present at five sittings in all.  Two of these were devoted  to  slate-writing, two  to  the da.rk circle, and  one to
manifestations fiomn the cabinet.   I need lnot describe the accessories of these sittings; tlis has been done so minutely and
so accurately by my fiiend Mr. F. B. Plimpton, in the Cincinnati Collimercialz and the Waslhigton Capital, that it is unnecessary to go over the same grouind again.
For some reason or otlier, the communications which I received through writing on thle slate were, so far as their matter
was concerned, very unsatisfactory indeed.  At the first sitting,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                          417
which took place in the morning of Septenmber 28th, there was
considerable writing cone, but to little purpose.  The first commnunication wlich came, consisted, apparently, of eilght words;
only the first four words of which were legible.  These were as
follows:
"Biut gern so hier."                                         G.
It was suggested that the remaining words might be written
over again, when, after a slight pause, the following was written:
" Vois vous fporez bien                             7'estere."
I then inquired whether these were the words which had
previously been illegible, and  received the answer, " No: the
first was German."'   Upon inquiry as to whetler I had read the
first communiication correctly, it was answered, " You didl."   I
tlen askedl  whether I had interpreted the signature (G) correctly, which was attached to tlhe German words; and the response was, " Yes, G."  On requesting thlitt tle name represented
by tlis initial, be written out in full, I received the following:
"'Thomas Vickers."
Q. "Is that the name of the person communicating?"
A. "Yes: and your name."
Q. "Wlhat relation is he of mine?"
A. "William Vickers."
Q. " Will the person who signed the first (German) communication give his name in full?"
A. "Elizabeth Vickers."
Q. "Der Schreiber r   er ersten Mlittheilunfg  machte sei;en
vollet Ntamenz gebet."
A.   "Yes."
Q. "Will lie do it?"
The name that was written in answer to this question was
illegible; it seemed to be "Minna Genlis."  A  request was
made that it be written over again, but the second time, it was
less distinct tlan before.
Q. " Can you not give tlis name more distinctly?"
A. (What seemed to be) \' Gustav.  Yes."
Q. " Give the last name."
A. " Conrad."  (With an inidistinct surname.)
Another attempt was made to write the name, but with no
better result.  The name seemed to be " Richer."   On asking




418                 STARTLING ACT7S IN
whether thlat was the name, it was answered affirmatively.  Two
further efforts were made to write it, resulLing, each time, in an
illegible scrawl.  It was then suggested, by Mrs. Hollis, that I
write something upon the slate, addressed to a friend, without
permitting her to see it.  I wrote the following:
"   eliPn  irgend einzer meiner Freunde da ist, so mcnchte er
so gut seit, seinzen A;zzmen anzzugeben."
The slate was tlen held under the table by Mrs. Hollis, for
a considerable space of time, but no response came.  I afterwa-rd wrote the same request, in English, as follows:
"If tlhere is any one of my friends here, let Iiim be good
enough to give me Iiis name."
To this there was, for some time, no response; finally, there
came aii illegible line  of tihree  words, with  the signature,
"'Thomas Vickers."   I then wrote upon the slate, without
allowing Mis. Hollis to see it, the following:
"Is A. P. C. here?"
To this there came, after a pause, the answer:
" P. C. is lere."
This induced me to put tile question in a plainer form, by
writing out the surname in full.  In each  case I turned the
slate upside down, before giving it to the medium, and she
placed it under the table, in the same position.  The last
questions and answer were as follows:
Q. "Is A. P. C      y here?"
A. "Yes: A. P. C         y is here."
Q. " Have you not something to say to me?"
A. " Can't write."
This ended the sitting.   I lhave given you here an exact
report of all the writing that was done.  At intervals during
the seance, Mrs. Hollis described some persons wlhom she saw
about me, but none of tlemn in such a manner that I could
recognize them.  In  the beginning, she asked  me whether I
was a German, saying, at the same time, that she saw many
Germans around me.  I replied that I was not German, but
understood  the language.  The remark, hereupon, that she
often received communications in Gelrman, led me to ask some
q.estions in that tongue.
From  the nature of the above report, you will see that if
the spirits had undertaken to play at cross-purposes with me,
they could not have done it more successfully than they did.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       41 9
I certainly was in a position to appreciate the remark  made
by you toward the close of the sitting: "One of the peculiarities of this thing is, that the thing you want you doll't get."
Nevertheless, I am  free to confess tlhat the fact of any \writing at all being produced, under the circumstances, was sufficiently  astonishing.   1 watched  Mrs. Hollis very narrowly
during the sitting, and was morally convinced that it was done
without fraud on her part.  I think it impossible tlat she could
have done the writing herself, without my discovering it.  Her
left-hand was in view all the time; she held the slate with her
right, with nothing to rest it upon.  The room was well lighted;
no accomplice could have been present.  What, then, produced
the writing?  I do not know; and I have no theory to offer.
The next sitting was on September 30ot, in the dark circle.
There were, if I remember rightly, seven persons present in
all, including Mrs. Hollis anld yourself.  I shall not attempt to
give a full report of this occasion, for the reason that nearly
all the communications came to otler members of the circle.
There was considerable singing, which, so far as I could judge,
did  not proceed  from  any one in the circle.  I heard very
distinctly a voice speaking in German, in a loud whisper, with
the Rev. Dr. Max Lillienthal, who sat at some distance f-om
me.  The voice purporting to come from  James Nolan was,
althouglh  somewhat hoarse, perfectly  natural; so much so,
indeed, that it was difficult to realize that the speaker was not
in the flesh.  One singular utterance of his is worth particularizing.  Several of us were takinig notes, although the room was
in utter darkness.  All at once  the voice said, "Take care
how you cross your lines!"  When I came to look over my
notes afterward, I found  lthat, in running lines between the
sentences, I had, previous to the caution, crossed out some of
the words.  The voices that attempted to communicate with
me were very weak; and I was unable to identify, beyond the
possibility of a doubt, those from  whom  they purported to
come.  I asked for the full middle name of the "A. P. C." who
had written upon the slate, but was unable to obtain it.
The following seanzce occurred October 2d.  Mrs. Vickers
and  1 were the only persons present, excepting the medium
and  yourself.  It was intended to devote the sitting wholly
to "materializations," but it turned out, quite unexpectedly,
that considerable writing was done.  Before Mrs. Hollis entered




420                STARTLING FACTS IN
the cabinet, I examined tile form  and size of her hand very
carefully; the palm of it was blackened.  The room was sufficiently ligilt to enable us to see all the objects in it distinctly.
It was proposed at first to do without the music; very soon,
however, a hand  appeared at the aperture, and wrote upon
the slate: "We want tle music!"  The music-box was started,
and directly afterward the following was written:
"You remember the old man and his son and the ass?"
We did not remember.  The writing was continued:' Thley were riding double-first, and were told by the people
it was cruel."
After we had read this, the slate and pencil were taken in
at the aperture.  When put out again, we found the following:
"'The boy got off.  The old man was told lie was a brute to
let the poor boy walk, and so on, until they drove the ass to
please the people.  So you may do, if you listen to every one."
This was followed by the words:
" It is a German fable. Do you rememmber it, Mrs. Vickers?"
After this, a face appeared at the aperture, but not clearly
defined, and keeping much in the background, toward the side.
There was some resemblance to a very dear friend of mine.
But still the face kept so mucl in the shade that I could not
feel certain about it.  The use of an opera-glass did not help
the matter.  Apparently the face made several efforts to come
nearer, for the purpose of showing itself more distinctly, but
without success.  The slate was then resorted to again, and the
followin(r  was written:
04  Thomas! it is I.  A. P. C."
After tills a face appeared, wiich was announced to be that
of'"Elwood Fisher."   Then a number of baby hands were
shown, tile fingers were opened and shut, and the hands moved
about in various directions.   Then quite a number of faces
appeared in succession, eight or ten in all.  None of them,
however, were recognized either by Mrs. Vickers or by myself.
Some of them  were very distinct and life-like.  Arms were
also shown, and  moved about.  In regard to these latter, it
must be said  that they were masculine and  sinewy; and I
could  not conceive them  to be those of Mrs. Hollis.  So,
also, of tlhe hand which did the writing.  It was much larger
than that of Mrs. Hollis, and of an entirely different shape.
Unless all evidence of the sense of sight be delusive, it could




MODERN SPIRITUALISMl.                        421
not possibly have been hers.  Of course, it would have been
an additional satisfaction if the request which  I made, to be
allowed to take hold of it, had been granted.  Still, I am bound
to say that, after careful examination both of the cabinet and
of the room  where the dark circle occurred, I could discover
no indications of the probability of fraud.  I do not tlhink there
was any.
The last two sittings took place on tle 5th of October, in the
morning.  The first of them was devoted to slate-writing.  The
first question which I put was written on the slate in the same
manner as at the first sitting  " Is any fiiend of mine or of Mrs.
Vickers's here?"  After tile lapse of thirty minutes, this answer
came: "Spirits are here."  I Ilen asked, "Can you give the
names of any?"  In alout half an lhour more, we received tle
following: "  lThomas and Lena Vickers, good morning."  Mrs.
Vickers tlhen wrote, without permitting Mrs. Hollis to see it, a
question in German.  When the answer came, after long waiting, it was wlholly at random.  These were all the direct communications we received, during two hours.  Mrs. Hollis descried various persons as being present, but we were unable
to recognize any of tlem.  She also said that she saw written,
in bright characters, overi my head:
" Mine was a love that died not witll my breatliing, but
through all eternity it will grow brighter and brighter."
I was somewhat astonished at this, for the reason tlat these
identical words had been uttered, by one of the spirit-voices, to
anotler person at the first of the dark circles at wlhich I was
present.  I heard them distinctly.
It was concluded, after this, to try the dark circle.  We proceeded to the room used for that purpose.  After some preliminary music, Mrs. Vickers was addressed by a voice, in German,
calling lher by her given name.  To the question as to where the
person speaking had known her, the reply came: "In Heidelberg."  The name given, was that of a former pupil.  I was
again addressed by a voice purporting to come from "A. P. C."
On asking for the full name, the first and last were repeated,
with great distinctness, ten or a dozen times; and, finally, as it
seemed to me, also the middle name.  I was very persistent in
trying to get the name, for this reason that I was certain that no
one in Cincinnati, except myself, knew what the middle initial
stood for.  The rest of what was said by these voices consisted
38




422                STAR TLINVG FACTS IN
of expressions of interest and affection.  Again, several spirits
were described by Mrs. I-ollis; biut they were not recoglized.
In conclusion, I can'only say that I witnessed at y our house,
phenomena which I am unable to explain. I am morally certain
that there was no deception in tie production of them; still, I
am not thoroughly convinced that they were produced through
the agency of disembodlied spirits.  What the future may do
toward convincing ie of this, I do not know.  I can only wait
for further revelations.  Thanking you for your kindness,
I am, very respectfully, yours,
THOMAS VICKERS.
CINCINNArT, 7une 17, I873.
This closes the last report of the four representative men who engaged to investigate the phenomena
which occurred in the presence of Mrs. Hollis, while
a guest in my family.  How  well they have  accomplisled  their work, the  intelligent reader must determine.  These statements are made in compliance
with  terms stipulated in my card  of invitation; but
the gentlemen were left free to represent the facts of
the  manifestations, whatever they  might be, as  to
them  seemed just and proper.
Personally, I had no acquaintance with either of
these gentlemen, until they entered  my house to examine the phenomena.  But, like most of my fellowcitizens, I knew  them  well by report.  I had every
reason to believe that Mrs. Hollis would  not receive
any favor at the hands of these keen-sighted men, if
found guilty of practicing a fraud.  With that understanding, I invited them  to investigate.
What they  saw  and  heard  is  now  before  the
reader.  It was my desire  to  have  published  these
reports in the Cincinnati Commercial,   but after Mr,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                423
Plimpton's statement appeared in that journal, the
editor debarred the others by saying: "We have had
enough of this thing! It's making these men too
d —d conspicuous."
It was "more in sorrow than in anger" I listened
to this terrible profanity of Mr. Halstead, of which
I fear the "recording anegel,' with no " dhrop in his
eye," made a note.  I had always esteemed brother
Halstead a truly moral and sweet man, and, next
to Uncle John Robinson, the most pious man in
Cincinnati.  The story is fiesh in my memory, how
with his little hatchet he hacked his father's tree,
and then told his pa, with tears in his eyes: "I calz
not tell a lie! Deacona Smit/z did it!"  It was so cute
of the little rascal to put it on Smith, and I always
loved him for cutting that tree.
But since he has taken to imprecation, I fear he
has wrought a great change in my love.  It grieves
me to think he has excluded himself, by his horrid
profanity, from  the  fellowship  of the  good, pious
members of the Young Men's Christian Associati6n.
I hope they will pray for him.
On my bended knees I said: "Brother Halstead,
the'dd  conspicuous' fellows to whom  you allude,
investigated  spiritual phenomena, as representative
men, and the public expect to read their reports in
your paper.  This fact ought, in some degree, to excuse that'conspicuity' to which you take such profane exceptions.  Does n't thee think so, sweet Hal?"
It was asking too much! An awful fi-own gathered upon his brow  (such as Jove is supposed to
wear when he launches a thunderbolt), as he made




424             STAR TL NG FA C S IN
this reply, in tones that would have mellowed the
bellowing of a buffalo bull, "I'll make you sorly you
have had any thzig to do with it."
Whatever others may  think  of this  upstart's
menace, Mr. Murat Halstead evidently entertains a
high opinionz of his own ability to make people sorry.
At times he believes the sun rises and sets only by
his behests, and that it illumes no other object than
the Cincinnati Commercial.  Thus fooled and flattered to his bent, this adclle-pated newspaper scavenger presumes to determine what shall be joy and
what grief to those who sneer at his pompous drivel.
If he can make any body "sup sorrow with his hornspoon," why do n't he do it?  The fact is, " the wish
is father to the thought," but his courage is impotent as Bob Acres'.
Halstead's knowledge of spirit phenomena has
been acquired while snootizng among his exchangepapers for "copy items."  If he were not a sniveling
mountebank, he never would  have entertained the
silly conceit that he could make me sorry for having
examined the law and testimony upon which the facts
of Spiritualism rest.
"The beagle's bark's more baleful than his bite."
Intercourse between the natural and  the spirit
world is as much a truth as telegraphic communication between Europe and America.  It is utterly
inconsequential to  the  fact, whether time-servilng
editors, priests, or politicians recognize this truth or
not.  They are fleeting as Summer clouds; but the
verities of God endure forever.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              425
CHAPTER XXIV.
MANIFESTATIONS IN MEMPHIS-ON THE THOMPSON
DEAN-IN NEW ORLEANS-ALONG TIE RAIL-MRS.
HOLLIS'S RET'URN TO CINCINNATI —A REMARKABLE INTERVIEW WITI FANNY WRIGHT.
THE manifestations that occurred during the fifth
engagement with Mrs. Hollis did not vary much
in character from  those that have been recorded.
It would be, therefore, monotonous to repeat, in
detail, that with which the reader is already familiar.
The engagement was a success in affording a large
number of ladies and gentlemen the opportunity to
witness the startling phenomena which have excited
so much interest among thoughtful people.
The seanzces were given mostly to persons who
might, with propriety, be called representative men
and women.  My object was to make the best use
of the stipulated time, by presenting the facts of
spirit intercourse to the skeptical mind-not including in such either bigots, fanatics, or fools. There
are two classes of skeptics which require to be intelligently discriminated, else injustice may be done
both; and I may as well designate their leading
characteristics in this place, to avoid all obscurity on
the subject.




426             STAR TLING FACTS IN
In general terms, they may be distinguished-the
skeptic with brains, and the skeptic without brains.
The first is governed by reason, and takes a thoughtful survey of conditions and things, and arrives at
conclusions after exercising the legitimate powers of
mind  upon  the  subject considered.   The  second
simply says: " I'm  very skeptical! I don't believe
every thing I see! Your eyes may deceive you!" etc.
These latter are sagacious poodles, who have, according to Darwin's theory, developed in human forms.
Whenever practical, I always exclude this latter class
of bipeds from the circles; not that I have any thing
against them-for they are well enough in their placebut it is a waste of time to encourage such people
to investigate spiritual phenomena by their peculiar
mental processes.  My experience in the formation
of circles convinces me that good manifestations can
only be had in  the  presence of enlightened, freethinking people; and that the most intelligent spirits
are stifled by fashionably dressed imbeciles.
To a clairvoyant's vision, it is seen that every
man and woman gives out accurate expression of
their spiritual conditions  by  the  character of the
magnetic aura that surrounds them.  This spirit atmosphere has color and density, and by these qualities
the character of the spirit's development may at once
be determined.   An  individual in an undeveloped
condition is surrounded by a dark aura, graduated in
color to represent the degree of ignorance that still
holds the faculties of the soul in bondage.   Spirits
and mortals alike gather no inspiration in the presence
of such  unwholesome people.  It is best to avoid




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                427
them; for they neither impart nor receive benefit
by associating with those unlike themselves.  It is
not doing a man a good service to place him  in
wrong  relations to his fellow-men.  That is why I
exclude a large number of people from  the circles.
A  well-dressed woian —that is, one who had a superabundance of costly silk goods festooned about
her poor skinny skeleton, in the most killingg stylecame  to  my door, and inquired  if "the fortuneteller" was in!  Of course, I had to inform  this
almost idiotic creature-this manakin of fashionthat she was slightly in error respecting the character
of Mrs. Hollis's mediumship.  She wanted to find out
whether Sam  Sniggilefi-itz was not in love with her.
I told her to ask Sam's priest, that he would be most
likely to confess his folly to a fool or knave.  It is to
be hoped that spiritualism will never become fashionable; and when it begins to build churches, and
crystallize stupid  dogmas into creeds, then it will
no longer be spiritualism, but sectism, and be deserving of the execration of all good men.
By a judicious discrimination in forming circles,
allowing those only to, enter them  who could comprehend the importance of spirit intercourse to the
world, I have reason to know, many persons changed
their views during the month of November, who now
rejoice in the possession of knowledge wiich time
can not corrupt nor moth destroy.  These scazces
could have been continued during, the entire Winter;
as the interest in tlhem  grew more intense, the more
they were understood.   Mrs. Hollis had, however,
accepted engagements for the Winter in the South,




428            STAR TLINVG FACTS IN
principally in the cities of Nashville and Memphis,
Tennessee.  These engagements were made at the
suggestion of the spirits, for a purpose they subsequently explained; the object being to remove some
errors from the mind of the medium, which operated
against the purity of their control.  They insist that
the best mediums are those who have developed out
of wrong mental conditions.  The folly the spirits
sought- to arrest in this medium  was the habit she
had of thinking and speaking of Southern people as
if they were superior to their fellow-citizens in other
sections of our common  country.  The fact was,
simply, that her whole mental structure was so much
warped by politics and poisoned by prejudice, that
she was unfitted for their high purpose, and failed to
do their work acceptably.
After a short stay in Nashville, she began a twomonths' engagement in Memphis, under the auspices
of Captain James Holmes and his accomplished and
talented wife, Mary J. Holmes, in whose family she
became an honored guest. Here, the same, or similar
manifestations to those I had witnessed in Cincinnati,
occurred in the presence of some of the most intelligent people of that city.  The leading newspapers of
the place, the Appeal and Avalanzche, opened their
columns daily to the discussion of the wonderful phenomena, until the subject of spirit intercourse was
talked about, as it never had been before, by all
classes of people, in every situation of life.
In the midst of the excitement, I precipitated a
visit to Memphis, to compare the manifestations occurring there with those I had witnessed in the Queen




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              429
City, and, if possible, discover any human agency that
might be employed in their production.
Slate-writing" and "dark circles" were given at
the dwelling of CAPTAIN  HOLMES; but the cabinet
seances were held at the residence of MR. M. H.
BALDWIN, a well-known architect and highly esteemed
citizen, who had been convinced of the verity of spirit
intercourse in the presence of Mrs. Hollis.  The
cabinet was simply a plastered wardrobe, an adjunct
to a well-lighted chamber on the second floor, the door
of which had been removed, and a temporary one adjusted, with a hole cut in the center, about four feet
from  the floor.  Before this aperture, scores of intelligent men and women assembled, to stare, with surprised senses, upon the forms, faces, arms, and hands
of their loved ones, who came for recognition, waving
welcomes with handkerchiefs, and presenting for inspection flowers that had bloomed in gardens above.
The excitement over these manifestations grew wild
and bewildering.   That was the most unfavorable
circumstance I noticed.  If there ever is a situation that requires a clear head and deliberate judgment, it is just such a one as this.  The claims
presented are, that the lost are living, that they have
never died, that they return to demonstrate the truth
of immortal life: in short, that there is no death,
under its old definition; that there is no devil but
that which we make in our distempered imaginations.
I found all these seances largely attended by the
most capable people of Memphis, most of whom had
become convinced of the ingenuousness of the manifestations.  Mr. William  L. Vance and wife were
39




430            STAR.TLNG FACTS IN
prominent among the attached friends of Mrs. Hollis,
made such through her wonderful mediumship.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Hollis's engagement in
Memphis, a number of ladies and gentlemen tendered
her a complimentary passage to New  Orleans and
back, on one of the floating palaces of the Mississippi,
proposing to make it a pleasant spiritual picnic.  I
was invited to join the party in their boil voyage, and
accepted the invitation, thinking  something might
"turn up," in an unguarded moment, by which a clew
to the manifestations could be obtained.  I wanted to
see this thing from different stand-points, cost what it
might of time, money, or personal comfort.
The distance from Memphis to New  Orleans is
eight hundred miles by the river, and from New Orleans to Louisville, by rail, is fourteen hundred miles.
All this distance-twenty-two hundred miles-I traveled with the medium and her friends, with the single
purpose to discover, if possible, fraud in the manifestations.  On the boat, almost a week-morning,
noon, and night-the manifestations of spirit-presence
were similar to those I had witnessed at my own
house, and again in Memphis.  They occurred in the
main saloon, in private state-rooms, in "texas," up
aloft in the presence of the pilots at the wheel,
Wallace Lamb and Sobeski Jollie.
Information of her coming had preceded the arrival of Mrs. Hollis at New Orleans; and when the
steamer was lashed up to the wharf, conveyances for
herself and party were awaiting them.  A  suit of
rooms had been engaged for manifestations, but these
she declined, as she was the invited guest of MRS.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              431
LIZZIE  SAXON, at whose dwelling she gave, during
the short time she remained, manifestations of the
same startling character I had witnessed on the boat,
at Memphis, and in Cincinnati.  The marvel and
mystery were the same.
Most of our party returned north with the medium, through the Cotton States, by rail. As we sped
along fourteen hundred miles, the spirits would write
interesting matter about the places we were passing,
and the persons we met.
It will thus be seen that neither time, place, nor
circumstance prevented the occurrence of these manifestations in the presence of this strangely constituted woman.
While en route for home, Mrs. Hollis informed me
that the spirits had accepted invitations from distinguished persons abroad, to visit Europe, and that she
would start on her voyage about the first of June.
I then arranged for her final visit to Cincinnati about
the middle of March, to remain until the first of May.
I did this mainly to carry forward a line of experiments at the writing-table, which began to interest
my mind, though I well knew the public would be
exacting in their demands for private seances.
That no time might be wasted in advance of her
coming, I employed Mr. Brown to take down the
partition in the middle room, as I intended the whole
space for a materializing cabinet. To fit it for this
purpose, my instructions to him were to take out the
two upper panels of the door opening into the west
room, and hang them on hinges, and cut a hole in the
south one similar to that in the door of the partition.




432            STARTLING FACTS IN
This being completed, the west room would constitute
the audience-chamber for witnessing the phenomena.
When the panel of the door was opened, there was an
aperture forty inches in length and ten inches wide.
This would enable spirits to show  more of their
forms, and, if need be, accommodate a larger number
to exhibit themselves at the same time.
The question was now, could the spirits materialize at so large an aperture?  When the door was
opened, the interior of the room was flooded with light.
It was almost equivalent to inviting them to step out
where we were. Would not the bright light, streaming
through this opening into the dark chamber, destroy
the conditions, or so modify them  as to render materialization impractical? There was no cloth to cover
the opening. When the panel swung back, the channel for inflooding light was clear. The audience could
see a large part of the interior of the cabinet-room
plainly.  The bug-a-boo objections raised against the
medium being locked up in a cabinet, or being concealed behind a partition, were now mostly overcome.
If the medium  appeared at an opening of the door
large enough to reveal her entire person, she would
under a strong light, be recognized at once by discerning men and women.  So could the spirits be.
Mrs. Hollis arrived on Saturday, I th.  On Sunday morning, during the clatter of church-bells, she
entered the middle room, and sat to the south of the
door opening into the west room.  I then hung a
bracket on the outside, to lay the slate on, as I did
before, and shut her in.
I began a conversation with her at once, and in a




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                    433
few minutes, while we were talking, the north panel
of the door opened wide, and a large, muscular, fleshand-blood-looking  arm  reached  out of the  middle
room, and wrote on the slate:
"Napoleon has had many existences, extending back for
thousands of years. He was a Roman Emperor during the time
Jesus lived on the earth; and Jesus himself was the reincarnated Moses.  These facts have only been communicated to
Josephine and myself, within the last two months, by Richelieu.
Napoleon was born the last time, to flash like a meteor across
the path of the French people, and mark it with blood.  It is
thlis bloody path that forms the magnetic cliain that binds him
to France, and which will cause him to reappear, as its savior,
in tile beginning of the next century.  I have mucli to say to
you on this subject, at some future time.  Let the medium rest
to-day.                                             NEY."
I thought this rather a singular communication to
write to me.   The reincarnation of Napoleon did not
concern me much, or, as Toots would say, " it is of no
consequence" to me whether Napoleon reincarnates or
not.  It is exclusively his own business.  If he has
a predilection  for reincarnating, I shall not mar his
pleasure, unless he crosses my path.  Napoleon is welcome to all the enjoyment reincarnations bring him.
But why inform me about it? If the object was to put
the prediction on record, that had already been done.
Josephine did that, in French, some time ago; and I
have no doubt the French people will be looking for the
advent of the new century and the reincarnated "little
corporal" with a great deal of pious impatience.  The
intimation is, that Napoleon had previously existed as
Julius Caesar.  I'm  sorry for that!  Caesarism is at a
discount in this country. My prophetic soul  I now
understand  why  Louis Napoleon wrote the Life of




434            STAR TLING FACTS ZN
Julius Caesar. Admitting Ney's account of his geniture, it was the instincts of the son tracing his lineage
along the genealogical tree.  But Josephine says that
Louis was not a success!  That's a little rough on
her grandson.  Did she mean as an historian? I wot
not!
On the I7th of March, being St. Patrick's day in
the evenilg, my family and Mr. Plimpton waited upon
the spirits in a dark circle. As soon as the light was
extinguished, Mr. Plimpton's mother requested him to
sing an old favorite hymn; in doing which, she accompanied him.  He had forgotten some of the words,
which she readily supplied.  After the singing, the
spirit-mother and the living son held quite a long
conversation about the different members of their family, and the affairs thereof; and then his sister Mary
conversed with him about ten minutes.
Jim  Nolan now obtained the control, and saluted
all present in his usual manner; after which, he spoke
of the progress spiritualism  was making among the
thinkers of the world, and of the improved conditions
which enabled them  to manifest.  He said: "There
are those now living who will see spirits fully materialized in the light, standing on the platform, addressing
thousands of people in audible tones. Spirits are making proselytes, through their mediums, every-where
among the leading intellectualists of the world." He
then described the relation he sustained to the medium,
and the existence of an electro-sympathetic chord,
through which he was made concious of her every wish,
no matter where she might be. He next spoke of the
book of the Rev. Samuel Watson, "The Clock Strikes




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              435
One," and said: " Watson is in a transition condition;
he can only utter such truths as harmonize with his
theological education.  Gradually he will take in new
ideas, and then he will be brave enough to give them
utterance."
After Nolan concluded, " Old Ski" announced
himself, and had a talk with Mr. Plimpton.
It seems he had been visiting  Mr. Plimpton's
house, and making notes of every thing he saw, which
he described with entire accuracy, not forgetting his' squaw,") who, he said, was in need of some medicine,
which he prescribed.
Ski had barely retired, when I was addressed by
Lizzie Daly, who had lived in Baily's Court, near my
residence.  Lizzie was an Irish Catholic girl, and an
object of sincere pity to all who knew of her bodily
affliction.  She came to thank me for assisting her
brother Pat to get back to Ireland, and for some trifling
favors she had received fiom my household.  After
her, David Wolfe and Sarah Powers addressed relatives in the circle, when Jim Nolan bid us good-night.
On the i8th of March, Mrs. Hollis received a note
from  Mrs. G. W. Coffin, living on Broadway, saying
she was confined to her bed from the effects of a painful accident, and requesting a visit. Mrs. Hollis decided to call upon her friend in the evening of the
same day, and invited me along.  She now met, for
the first time, the venerable mother of Mrs. Coffin,
MRS. NANCY MARTIN, widow of MR. JONAS MARTIN,
who had been a public man in Cincinnati for many years.
This venerable lady, in the eighty-first year of her age,
was deeply interested in spiritual phenomena, and had




436             STARTL ING FACTS IN
read most of the standard works on its philosophy.
For the first time, she now had the opportunity of
meeting a medium,  and expressed a desire to have a
dark circle.  I had never, until now, met either Mrs.
Martin or her invalid daughter; so Mrs. Hollis and
myself were strangers alike to Mrs. Martin, and to
Mrs. Coffin I was personally unknown.
The windows were closed, and the room made dark.
Almost as soon as the lig-lt was extinguished,   a child,
giving her name as "Olive," spoke, saying she was
"'Mussy's " great-grandchild, that " Harriet" was here,
"and  my  two  grandpas -  Grandpa  Misener and
Grandpa Martin."   She also said, " My two uncles,
both named lCarles Coffilz, are here;" supplementing
that one of them had changed his name to Martin
Coffin  since  he came to  the  spirit-world.   This
was all the child could say; after which, Jim Nolan
began:
"Mrs. Martin, there is a spirit here who says he
was an officer in the Prussian army-a nephew of the
Duchess Amelia-and says he was your husband."
" What is his name?"
" He gives the name as Colonel Misener.   There
is also present a woman who gives her name as
Francis Wright D'Arusmont, author of'Altore' and'A  Few Days in Athens,' who sends her love to you,
and her compliments to Mrs. Judge Gholson.  She
will speak to you this evening.  There is a spirit who
gives his name as George Neff. He says his daughter
lives near you, and has no communication to send.
There is another lady near you, who gives the name
of Febbiger, and wishes it announced without com



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               437
ment.  Another great-grandchild gives the name of
Jennie.  Says she is Olive's sister."
All these names were recognized by Mrs. Martin,
who expressed her great gratification for the privilege
of living to see the auspicious dawning of spiritcommumication with the people of earth.
Jim  Nolan then said, "Mrs. Martin, spirits will
soon be able to materialize in the light, and address
audiences in public halls and churches, just as lecturers and preachers now do."  He then said, " Goodnight," and retired.
It was only a few seconds after he did so, when a
strangely earnest voice said:
"My dear fiiend, this moment is the happiest of my
life, and is a compensation for all the misery and suffering I endured while in the flesh.  It was you, my
steadfast fiiend, who remained by me after my own
flesh and blood deserted, and closed my eyes after I
had left the form.  0, how my soul goes out in gratitude to thank you for your steadfast love!
"You told me truly there was individual life beyond the grave; but I could not comprehend it.  It
was my thought, and I so expressed it many times to
you, that all there was of life was in works; that the
reward of human improvement was here-not hereafter-for death meant annihilation by absorption, or
oblivion, in the great center of life. But, my dear
friend, to-night I redeem the promise of my covenant
with you, made twenty years ago, and return to tell you
that I, FRANCES WRIGHT PHIQUEPAL D'ARUSMONT,
still live, as much an individual as when you knew
me as your friend on earth. I came to tell you that




438            S 7AR'TLING FACTS IN
the spirit-world is as much an actuality as the one
on which you live, and to say I am ever near you,
and will be so to the end of your earthly existence.
MWhen you come to our bright abodes, I will be among
the first to meet you and give you welcome, my steadfast friend!"
These remarks were delivered with a calm, deliberate emphasis that I had never heard before but
once.  I remember to have heard this remarkable
woman speak, while in the form, in I835, at Chiquis,
near Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; and
this delivery was in that same emphatic style.  I then
heard her advocate " the universal education of youth,
on the basis that human-kind belonged to one common family."
Mrs. Martin subsequently informed me that herself and Mrs. Judge Gholson were the only persons
present when this historical woman closed her earthly
career.  She said the covenant to which she alluded
had actually been made between them, and that she
had closed her eyes after death.  She narrated the
following anecdote of the illustrious woman:  A few
minutes before she died, she requested Mrs. Martin
to pass her a hand-mirror from the mantle. After
surveying her features for a few minutes, she fixed
her hair back of her ears, and returned the glass to
Mrs. Martin, saying as she did so, "Thank you, my
dear friend!"  In a few minutes her spirit left the
body, and the ear of Fanny Wright could no longer
be pained by the harsh criticisms of an un-Christlike pulpit, or the calumny of a venal press.
Shortly after the spirit of Fanny Wright had




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                439
spoken, another voice was heard, in an audible whisper, to say: "My dear wife, I am  here, and am  so
happy to meet you!  My children are all here, and
we come to see you often.  You were a good wife to
me, and will soon be with me.  I have a beautiful
home prepared for you.  It is very difficult to speak.
Good-bye! Bless you, my dear wife!"
This closed the seance.
On the 20th of March, a dark circle was formed
by Mr. William  Ringgold, Mr. Perry O. Ringgolld,
Miss Emma Ringgold, Mrs. Edward Webster, and
Mr. Geo. M. Finch.  Jim  Nolan complained of the
gentlemen in this circle being saturated with the unpleasant odor of tobacco, and refused to talk.  Several
spirits addressed their friends in the circle, giving
a number of names, which were recognized.  A long
silence followed, and the circle was permitted to
adjourn without the usual " Good-night" being given.
Mrs. Hollis complained of the turn things had taken
in this circle, when Jim promptly came to the front,
and wrote:
" Have faith in us! We know what is best. These people
came for fun; and our silence will be a rebuke to them. Good
manifestations would have been wasted to-night.  They got
enough-and just what was needed, though not what they
wanted. They will get better manifestations next time."




440            STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XXV.
WONDERFUL PHENOMENA-MATERIALIZING IN THE
LGIGHT-A SINGULAR VISION-CO\VEN, THE MURDERERI, RELEASED-HUGHES'S MURDERERS IN BAD
COMPANY-BABIES.
A DARK circle was formed, on the 22d of March,
by Mrs. Clark Williams, of Mount Auburn; Mrs.
W. P. Neff, of Clifton; and Mrs. Rufus Slocomb, of
this city.
Jim Nolan opened the seance, and spoke for twenty
minutes, announcing the names of a large number of
spirits present, who dictated messages of love to
fiiends in the circle; after which, he retired.  Celia
Slocomb then conversed with her mother, for twenty
minutes, on family matters; after which, " Eliza," Mrs.
Williams's daughter, spoke to her, in the most filial
manner, for fifteen minutes.  She said she kneeled by
the side of her darling mother, in prayer, morning and
evening, and tried to make her feel her presence;
that she placed flowers, every day, in the little room
which had been set apart, in the house, for spiritcommunion, when her mother retired to it.  She
then  spoke intelligently of family affairs, and expressed her satisfaction with what her mother did in
reference to certain business transactions.  Through



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               441
out, the spirit evinced unusual elegance of language
and purity of style. She spoke very distinctly.
Mrs. Neff's son Frank then talked to his mother
about some articles he prized, giving instructions how
they should be taken care of, or distributed among his
brothers and sisters, to whom, also, he sent messages
of love.  Clark Williams then conversed with  his
wife, in most affectionate terms; after which, the
circle ended.
On the evening of the 22d of March, Mr. Plimpton
and my family assembled in the west room, and Mrs.
Hollis entered the center one.  It was twelve minutes after, when a white lily was exhibited at the
north panel aperture. It was six inches in diameter.
I approached to within five feet of it, and, in the
strong  light, could  distinguish  the  most delicate
fibers of the plant.  A few minutes later, a pink rose
was shown several times; after which, tzio flowers
were exhibited, in good light, for a minute,-all of
which I inspected closely.
These were soon followed by a naked arm, seen to
the elbow, being projected into the room.  In a few
minutes it retired, and reappeared covered with a delicate fabric, something like illusion.  In another few
minutes, the arm was clad in a rose-pink satin sleeve,
fashioned after the bishop pattern.  The sheen of the
satin was brilliant.  The edge of this sleeve was
trimmed with white narrow lace, fastened in pleats.
Mr. Plimpton played the melodeon while this arm
was exhibited, and, to our surprise, it beat exact time
to the music.
Anna Hancock then presented her spirit doll



442            STARTLING FACTS iV
baby, which she called " Neppy," and this was immediately followed  by a fine materialization  of Mrs.
Sarah Powers, who nodded to her daughter in the
room.  Scarcely had she retired, when a familiar, but
unrecognized, form and face of a beautiful young woman almost filled the aperture of the north panel.
She stood about two feet away from the opening, but
in a direct line with it. The light was good, so that
the spirit could be distinctly seen.  Her hair was
tastefully arranged, and banded with what seemed to
be white and red chenille.  This spirit remained perfectly materialized four minutes, during which time I
scrutinized it closely.  It did not retire, but began to
fade, gradually growing indistinct, until it was lost in
the faintest outline of its original form.  At this juncture, a faint gleam of light began to be reflected over
it, which grew lighter and lighter, until it seemed to be
a shower of silver spray.  The spirit began to take on
its form and shape again, when suddenly a band of
spirits, all invisible but their hands and arms, surrounded the central figure, and began to fan it rapidly
with a flaming light, under which operation it soon
regained its lost brilliancy and life-like appearance.
These streams of light seemed to emanate from their
finger-points, and were not unlike the lurid rays seen
in the arctic sky.  I now observed the spirit-face was
invested with a white gauzy veil. This was put aside
by a spirit-hand, when the whole aspect of the face
and head became so life-like that I could scarcely
realize the presence not to be human.  This materializing process was repeated six times in the space of
twenty minutes.  It was a startling manifestation, and




MODERN SPIRITUALISMA                443
one which, perhaps, was never before witnessed by
either man or woman, while in the form.  It was an
interesting occasion.
Subsequently, it was stated by the spirits that this
was the most successful effort they had ever made to
materialize in the light. They were well pleased, and
expressed the hope to be able to give a materialization
with the entire door wide open, or, at least, with "the
gates ajar."   The spirit thus brought so prominently
to notice was a matured and beautiful female, seemingly about twenty years old.  It was said I had seen
her before, in a vision, at which time she promised to
meet me again.  As already stated, her face looked
familiar; but I was so dazed with the novelty of the
operation that I failed entirely to recognize her.  No
sooner, however, had she finally disappeared, than I
recalled her image as connected with a strange experience in my life; and, as it is somewhat of a spiritual character, I will relate it to the reader, hoping the
lesson it taught will be as profitable to others as it
has been to myself.
Many years ago, in sleep, I had a vision of a secluded valley, which was filled with flowers of the
most bewildering beauty and richest perfume.  The
slopes of the surrounding hills were covered with
blooming trees and trailing vines.  Here, in a deep
shade, I sat, listening to the hum  of bees and the
silvery clink of dripping waters.  The air was laden
with delicious odors, which fed the senses with a
thousand delights.  Gorgeously plumed birds sported
among the trees, chasing each other with gladness,
and singing sweetly their songs of love.  It was a




444            STAR TL ING FACTS IN
retreat of sylvan beauty, and all that marred my
enjoyment was my comlpanionless COnditionl.
A sense of isolation swept over my being, until I
became indifferent to the charms about me, and lamented my unhappy lot.  As I did this, suddenly
there stood  before me a beautiful woman, with a
most queenly form.  As I gazed in her eyes, I felt
a thrill of joy pervade my entire being.  She spoke
no  word, but, with  downcast look, contemplated
the  untidy dress she wore.  This now  attracted
my  attention, and  I began  to  realize  that my
sister-visitor was clad in rags, soiled, and repulsive
to my feelings, and disfiguring to her faultless person.  Her hair was beautiful, but tangled and uncared for. She wore an expression of sadness on her
face, which awaked my deepest sympathies. I thought
she looked appealingly to me for pity, and as I was
going to express my sorrow for her condition, she
faded from my sight.
My situation now became more unendurable than
ever. Solitude was doubly irksome since I had looked
into the eyes of my unknown friend.  My spirit was
seized with a feeling of unrest, and that which seemed
to give most occupation to my mind was the thought
of the repulsive and untidy dress of my strangely
beautiful companion.  While engaged in the contemplation of this subject, unconscious of the presence
of any one, a graceful shadow  fell upon the lawn
beside me, and, turning, I saw  approaching  my
charming visitor again.  But what a transformation!
She was completely changed; her tattered and soiled
garments were gone, and in their stead, she was clad




MODERN SPIRITUALISA.                445
with graceful and well-fitting habits about her peerless form.
" Grace was in her step, heaven in her eye,
In all her actions dignity and love."
I could utter no word in her charming presence;
seeing which, she spoke, "In which attire do you love
me most?"   Her words thrilled me with a strange
happiness; and I said, "As you are now!"  She
made reply: "Then purify your thoughts, elevate
your tastes, chasten your desires, and make me beautiful forever.  I am now clad as you would have me;
but as you saw me first, so have you made me.  My
soiled  rags are but the reflection of your impure
desires, your ungoverned  passions, and  your unrefined  spiritual nature.  Watch yourself, my dear
companion, and think of what I tell you.  You will
se e me again!"  Whereupon I awoke.
" When like a passing thought she fled,
In light, away "
I need not be told that this was a sentimental
dream.  I know  all about that.  It was a pleasant
dream; and I think it has been a profitable one to
me.  I only introduce it now to say, that the spirit,
so singularly materialized in the cabinet, bore a striking resemblance  to  the one I saw  in the vision.
She gave no name; but simply announced that I
had seen her before, in a vision.  Whether there is
any thing in it or not, it is a pleasant little episode
in a man's life; and as we do not understand every
thing connected  with our "sleeping and  waking,"
there may be something more than wayward fancy
in it. Who knows?
40




446-            STARTLING FACTS IN
Soon  after the spirit we saw  materialized had
retired, a very singularly dressed head appeared.  The
forehead was very low, and receding fi-om  a point
scarcely an inch above the eyebrows.  There was
intelligence in the eyes; and, from the rich ornaments
worn in the ears and  upon the neck, and also the
peculiar head-dress, I should judge a person of rank
had come to the aperture.
The manifestations were very good in this seance,
but the materialization of the spirit I had seen in the
vision was the finest witnessed by me in the presence
of Mrs. Hollis.
On the morning of the 23d, Marshal Ney wrote:
"The room is charming! We are preparing batteries, and
do not wish the public admitted until all things are in readiness.
We will advise you at the proper lime."
On the evening of the 23d of March, a dark scance
was given to W. H-. LINDSEY and GEORGE JOHNSON,
of Louisville, Ky.; WILLIAM  RINGGOLD, WILLIAM
DE FORD, F. B. PLIMPTON, MISS  LIZZIE COUDEN,
and four members of my family.
A  large number of spirits attended this circle,
among whom  "Nelly Butler" and a black man, a
former  slave to  Mr. Lindsey's mother, spoke  to
him.  John  Linldsey, Mary Graiham, Alice 
John W. M'Allister, Thomas Carse, and John W.
Keats were announced, and recognized by him.
The spirits of A. B. Whiting, George Johnson,
and  an Indian chief by the name of "War Eagle,"
announced themselves to Mr. Johnson, the last makilng quite a display of his power, claiming Mr. Johnson
as his mediulm.




IMODERN SPIRITUALISM.             447
Mr. Plimptot was addressed by his sister Mary,
his mother, and M. D. Potter.
Miss Couden was spoken to by the spirits of
Edith Couden and Alice Clymer; after which, the
presence of Eliza A. Couden, Henry Chace Couden,
George V. Couden, Emma Couden, and  Thomas
Craig was announced, and recognized.
The spirit of John Ringgold then carried on a
confidential conversation with his brother, when Mrs.
Hollis startled the circle by the announcement of the
presence of a dark and undeveloped spirit, from whom
she apprehended mischief.  So excited and fearful
did she become, that she demanded the light to be
struck and the circle broken up. There was a feeling of terror pervading the minds of all present, and
a panicky stampede became imminent.  By assurances
that no injury could come to any of us, quiet became
restored, when was heard an abject voice pleading
piteously for permission to speak to Mr. Ringgold.
Mr. Ringgold said, "Certainly, speak out!"  Still
again  and again, however, the voice pleaded, and
begged him not to be offended for speaking to him.
Mr, Ringgold assured the spirit that where no offense
was intended, none would be received, and that he
should speak freely what he had to say.  The voice
then tremblingly began by saying:
"I am John W. Cowen, who, many years ago, was
hung in this city for murdering my wife and children.
You are the only one in the room who saw the victims
of my jealous rage and cruelty, though perhaps all
have heard of the circumstance.  You remember the
ghastly gash made by the hatchet, which I had




448            STARTLING FACTS IN
previously sharpened for the dreadful work. I was insane with jealousy when I committed the unnatural
deed, and took two drams of whisky to nerve me for
the occasion.  My wife was peeling an apple when I
struck her. 0, she was innocent, and I killed her
without cause "
This confession, delivered loud enough to be distinctly heard by all present, in that dark room, had
a startling effect. The spirit was asked if his wife
and children were with him.
He replied: "No: they are in a different sphere,
higher! I have never left the earth, and could not,
until I had proclaimed my wife's innocence."
"This confession has been of some service to you,
I suppose?" said Mr. Ringgold.
"0 yes! I can now rise to higher conditions.
To-night I will leave the earth, and pass to the
second sphere!"
After saying how grateful he was for the permission to confess his guilt, and proclaiming the innocence of his wife to one who had seen his victims,
he bade us farewell.
Mr. Ringgold confirmed what the spirit said as to
his seeing the wife and children of Cowen after they
had been murdered.  He was at the time but a lad,
and, like hundreds of others, visited the scene of
the tragedy.
After Cowen had gone, Annie Hancock sung one
of her little songs alone; and then my friend Lizzie
Daly again  addressed  me.  Jim  Nolan then  announced, by name, the presence of my mother and
father.  John Jordan, Charles Odell, Hannah Odell,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               449
Nathaniel Odell, Lizzie Odell, Betsy Lockard, Peggy
Lockard ("who lived over the hill"), John Lockard,
"Grace," Isabella Jordan, Emma Frances Jordan, and
Thomas Ewigiz  (I think Thomas Eller was meant):
all of whom, excepting the last named, I recognized as
kinspeople.
After this, Emma De Ford spoke to her brother,
and announced the presence of her father, Washington De Ford, and George De Ford, Mary Barns, and
Captain Air, the latter sending a message to his son
Edward.
The father, mother, and grandfather of a member of
my family, and also Nelson Atchison, announced their
presence. A number of names were given to others of
my family, among which David Wolfe, Grandfather Reigel, Thomas Eller, and Willie De Huff were recognized.
In all, there were sixty-six names given at this
circle; but the chief interest centers in the confession
of our contrite brother, Cowen.
On the morning of the 24th of March, while sitting at the breakfast-table, I asked Mrs. Hollis to
enter the cabinet room.  After she had done so, I
was informed, by a spirit writing, that an unusual manifestation would be given at the aperture.  I waited
patiently twenty -minutes, fingering the keys of the
melodeon, when the north panel was thrown open,
and little Anna Hancock came to the front, so as to
be plainly seen from her waist up.  She was beautifully dressed in colors.  Her face was in repose, no
muscle seen to move.  A few seconds after her appearance, and while she still remained, another spirit
stood up behind her, looking over her head. The




450             STAR TLING FA C1S IV
face was more matured, but still child-like-a girl
of twelve or fourteen years of age.  Her hair was
blonde, while Anna's was black; both were wavy, the
blonde's reaching to the shoulders.  She subsequently
gave the name of " Grace."  While these two spirits
were in view, a third appeared very distinctly, standing back of Grace, taller and more womanly.  Her
hair was tidily put up, and very dark, displaying a
most beautiful head, neck, and shoulders,  I at once
recognized " Nackie Haynes," a young lady of great
personal charms, who was well known and beloved
by a large circle of fi-iends in this city and Mount
Auburn.  The three figures were beautifully materialized, stacnding one back of the other, and remained
distinctly in view for ten minutes.  They then began
to fade; but very soon streams of magnetic light
were showered upon them, when they again revived.
This materializing process was repeated several times
before they finally melted fiom view.
In the evening of the same day, my family were
in the west room, and  Mrs. Hollis in the center.
Again the north  panel was opened wide, and after
witnessing a display of electric light, which seemed
to illuminate the interior of the room, three heads
came to the aperture, well materialized, almost in
the position of those who had appeared in the morning.  Anna Hancock and Grace were two of them,
but the third was not Nackie Haynes.  It was a different style of face, the head of a different shape,
and the dark hair was kept up by a gold band.  I
noticed these spirits seemed to be closer together
than  before, leaving half the aperture unoccupied;




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               45I
and while I was conjecturing the cause of it, three
other spirits appeared and occupied the vacant space.
Here was a tableau of six spirits, finely materialized,
all in view at the same instant; and, to give additional interest to the occasion, the beautiful child
"Grace" changed her position, and turned her face
from one side to the other several times.
This group continued in sight five minutes, when
one at a time retired, until but one was left.  It was
she who wore the gold band on her head.  She remained, and talzked.  It was Josephine Bonaparte.
She said, in reply to my remark that she seemed
different from  the rest, "Mine is flesh and blood;
theirs, illznmiziated faces!"  She remained at the aperture alone twelve minutes, extending her arms, kissing her hand to those present, and frequently changing the position of her person.  It was the most
satisfactory materialization I had witnessed.
On the following evening, March 25th, a dark
circle was formed by Adam  Fox, Mrs. Charlotte F.
Miller, George P. Miller, Belle A. Miller, Mrs. Anna
Standish, Emma Smith, and Belle Wilson.
Thirty-five spirits were announced by name, most
of whom either spoke or sent messages to their friends
in the circle.  The communications were of a private
character, and quite satisfactory to those to whom
they were addressed.
The same parties had another seance on the following day, to which were added Edward Miller and
wife, Mrs. Jabez Miller,  Ida, Maud, and Thomas
Miller, and  George Fox.  Forty-one spirits were
announced, or spoke, upon the occasion.




45 2           STAR TLING FA CTS IN
On the 27th of March, Mr. Plimpton, Mr. Melville
Bonham, the well-known public reader, Mrs. Charlotte F. Miller, and four members of my family, had a
cabinet seance. There were fifteen good materializations, among whom  Letitia E. Landon, the gifted
authoress, appeared, and spoke to Mr. Bonham; and
Anna Williams, who was recognized by Mrs. Miller.
Mary Plimpton, Lizzie Odell, and Josephine Bonaparte
were among those who came to the aperture.
In the evening of March 27th, a dark circle was
formed by J. W. RYLAN and wife, HENRY NUNOS
and wife, C. L. DUNBAR and wife, and two other
people unknown.
After the light was extinguished, a spirit made
the request that all should leave the room but the
medium  and Mr. Rylan, as she had a private communication to give him. It was his sister " LouisA."
Mrs. Hollis requested that I might be permitted
to stay; but this was denied: so we all left. We
were absent about half an hour, when we were again
admitted; and, during the remainder of the evening,
ten spirits spoke, and gave some astonishing tests.
The dark circle, on the 30th of March, was composed of Dr. J. B. Buck and wife, George W. Skaats
and wife, W. W. Ward and wife, W. T. Winchester,
and four members of my family.
The lights had been put out but a short time,
when Mrs. Hollis became excited by the presence of
three " dark spirits," who stood at the door, trying to
enter the room.  They were announced as the three
men who had been executed for murdering Hughes;
and their object was to make a clean breast of their




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                453
guilt, as Cowen had, that they might improve their
condition.   It sounded so much like a fair business
transaction, that I advocated their cause; but the medium and Nolan put their veto on it. If these unhappy
spirits really wish to confess their fault that they may
be forgiven, why should they not be permitted to do
so?  Doctors of moral monsters tell us,
"While the lamp holds out to burn
The vilest sinner may return."
These ignorant brothers want to get out of the "bad
place;" and I think this wish arises as much from an
instinct of goodness in their nature as from a desire
to escape the tortures of an ecclesiastical purgatory.
But whatever the motive, let us, in the great name
of humanity, help them.
When the circle became composed, some very fine
singing by the spirits was given; after which, Nolan
spoke and conversed with different members of the
circle, for half an hour. He was followed by Dr. Bigler, who gave a message, for his wife, to Dr. Buck;
and then Father Baker, Mrs. Ward's spirit-guardian,
spoke most eloquently of the grand mission of Mrs.
Hollis, and her approaching tour in Europe.  Several
other spirits spoke, but were interesting only to those
addressed.
On the 3Ist, A. M., when before the cabinet, a
nun wearing a white bonnet, appeared at the aperture,
and chanted "ExcelsisDeo," beautifully. At the same
place, at noon, Miss Maggie Baker being present, her
nephew, Harry Willett, appeared; also a baby, a fat,
chubby one, about three months old, which had to be
sustained by the materializing spray.   It was then
41




454            STAR TTLING FACTS IN
wrapped up in a spirit-cloth, which looked like fine
white crape.
Mr. John Whaley had a dark seance on the 31st
of March, at which his wife spoke, and twenty-five
other spirits were announced by name.
The first of April was appointed for Hon. Frederick Hassaurek, Rev. Henry D. Moore, Mrs. Nancy
Martin, and F. B. Plimpton, to form a dark circle.
There was a heavy thunder-storm  prevailing at the
time these parties entered the room, which continued
during the sitting.  Jim Nolan said the agitation of
the elements would prevent a number of spirits present from speaking.  Of these, he gave seven names
to Mr. Moore, which he recognized; to Mrs. Martin
he gave the names of ten spirits, all recognized; to
Mr. Plimpton, ten names; and to Mr. Hassaurek, two.
As none besides Nolan could speak, the seance was
soon closed.
After the storm had subsided, Mr. Plimpton, Mrs.
Martin, and my family, entered the west room, and
Mrs. Hollis the center.  She had scarcely closed the
door, when an arm and hand were projected through
the open panel, holding the branch of a bush containing  leaves and flowers, as fresh and naturallooking as if just riven fiom the parent stem.  After
two minutes, it was withdrawn a few seconds, and reappeared with the hand muffled in a gauzy veil. This
was again removed, and the bare hand, holding the
flowers, appeared, with a handkerchief grasped at the
same time.
Magnetic light then almost illuminated the inside
of the cabinet, when a nude baby was fully presented




MODERN SPIRITUALISM                455
in the panel-opening.   It was then covered with a
gauze-like veil; and again, nude, lying on a downy pillow, within an arched canopy formed by the gauze. It
next appeared at the aperture on the shoulders of a
blonde-haired boy. A number of spirits were presented,
after this, in good light, when Mrs. Martin's beautiful
daughter " Harriet" came fully in view.   She remained six minutes, fully materialized, and repeated
the words, " Mother! Mother! Mother!"   She wore
a pink illusion head-dress, folded like a veil, through
which her dark hair could be distinctly discerned.
After several other spirits had shown themselves,
a young woman, wearing a bridal veil, stood at the
aperture a few  minutes, and then lifted the veil at
arm's-length, forming a vista through which you had to
peer to see her face.  She then turned the veil aside,
and it hung down as far as could be seen.  Her clear
bright face was now perfectly revealed, and she raised
her hands to her lips, and threw kisses to each member
of the circle.  The spirit was not recognized.  The
veil again descended over her face, and she retired
from  sight.  After several manifestations of hands,
handkerchiefs, and flowers had been given, the same
babywas again brought to the front, supported in the
arms of a nurse.  She seemed to be very fond of it,
frequently kissing it, and toying tenderly with it by
playing bo-peep, touching its nose, lips, and cheeks, in
the manner mothers generally do with their helpless
darlings.  The whole scene was so life-like that I
could hardly think of it as a spirit-manifestation.
At the termination, Mrs. Hollis came out, feeling
languid and exhausted.




456            STAR TLZNG FA CTS IN
CHAPTER XXVI.
PRIVATE SEANCES-MANY WITNESSES-NOLAN-SKfWAUKEE-FOUR LETTERS FROM JOSEPHINE, ETC.
T HE  2d of April was set apart for Mr. Alfred
Gaither, Joseph Rhodes, and L. C. Wier to interview the spirits-first at the writing-table, in the
morning, and in the dark circle in the evening. The
writing I did not see, but was present in the evening
circle.
The premises were carefully examined, and found
all right.  Mr. Rhodes proposed to lock the door,
which proposition I amended by suggesting that he
should watch it on the outside.  The door was made
secure, and the light extinguished.  Jim Nolan began
to speak, in a few minutes, and very soon had Mr.
Rhodes "in a spirit" on masonry. These brothers of
the "mystic tie" satisfied themselves that they were
both "all right on the goose," when, first to one, and
then to the other, Jim addressed Wier and Gaither.
The spirit-friends of these gentlemen now began
to talk, and were questioned closely by them, in order
to be certain of their identity.  For instance: when
the spirit of Mr. Gaither's uncle announced himself,
Mr. G. requested him to state, in exact terms, where
he was born, where he died, and when; all of which




MODERN SPIRITUALSM.              457
questions were correctly answered.  This spirit announced the presence of his (Mr. G.'s) aunt Maria,
stating that she died of cancer in tihe stomach, and
when, and under what circumstances.
Mr. Rhodes was then spoken to by his four-yearold son, who inquired about his hobby-horse, and the
whip his pa had bought him, also about a number of
his playthings which his ma had put away.
Mr. Wier had with him a small telegraph instrument, which he carried in his pocket; with this he
made a peculiar call, it being personal to Frank Stevens. The spirit thus solicited, responded at once;
but stated that he was unable to manipulate the key,
in his present condition.
Quite a number of other spirits were announced,
and one spoke to Mr. Gaither, rather in a menacing
manner, in reference to the method of his sudden
taking off.  It was Sinr Renzo, the express-robber,
who was hung in New Albany Jail, Ind., by a vigilance
committee. Because Mr. G. was an official of one of
the companies robbed, Reno fancied his detectives
had a hand in the matter, and so expressed himself.
The same gentlemen, with their wives, and Miss
Gaither, had another seance on the 6th of April, and
received some very fine tests of the presence of their
friends in the spirit-world.  They were of a private
nature.
On the 3d of April, Mr. William  L. Vance, of
Memphis, and Mr. James B. Speed, of Louisville, Ky.,
had a (lark sitting with the spirits.  There were over
forty present, whose names were announced to Mr.
Vance, and recognized as among his family relations




458            STARTLING FACTS IN
and friends, some of whom, he averred, had not been
spoken of for thirty years.
Eighteen spirits gave their names to Mr. Speed,
recalling to mind individuals who had long since
passed to the "land of the leal."
To myself, James Collins, an old resident of Columbia, Penn., my native place, and Mrs. Margaret M.
Scott, of the same place, spoke. The latter requested
me to write to her husband, Thomas A. Scott, the
distinguished railroad-manager, and inform  him  that
she wished to speak to him in the presence of this
medium. I wrote to Colonel Scott, stating her wishes,
but fancy he regards my service as one of questionable
sanity.
A  dark circle was formed on the 6th of April,
composed of Rees Price, Jr., and wife, Mrs. Sallie
Price, Miss Clara Matson, Mrs. Mary M'Duffie, John
Price Rees M'Duffie, and George M'Duffie.
By request, Miss Matson sang, " You'll remember
me," and was accompanied by her spirit-mother. Jim
Nolan then spoke for half an hour, on the actualities
of the spirit-world, and man's universal heritagehappiness.  He finished by an apostrophe to Death,
stating that it was the flowery portal, through which
humanity passed from  low to higher conditions of
being.  He left, after pronouncing a benediction.
Grandma M'Duffie then spoke to her daughter-inlaw.  Thomas M'Duffie gave admonition and advice
to his two sons.  James Price conversed with his
mother, and Mrs. Matson with her daughter.  Sallie
Price talked to her brother John; and Rees Price and
wife received a beautiful communication from their




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                    459
spirit-daughter.   At the  conclusion  of the  seance,
Anna Hanicock sang two nursery-songs very sweetly.
On the evening following this seance, a dark circle
was formed by Mr. Plimpton, Benjamin E. Hopkins,
Mrs. Lucy Chandler, Henry Mosler and wife, Mrs.
Charlotte Miller, Miss Emma Ringgold, and Mr. William Ringgold.  The evening was very sultry, and the
manifestation feeble and unsatisfactory.  It was made
plain to me, that to assist the spirits to communicate,
circles should be formed of families.  When thus constituted, a dozen individuals will each  receive more
satisfying  testimony  of their friends' presence  than
two can, who are utterly strange to each other.  It is
said to arise from  the blending of the family sphere
into a homogeneous condition, which the spirits can
penetrate more easily.
The spirits often reproved me for not observing
more discretion in the formation of dark circles.  On
one occasion,. they had so much difficulty to speak,
that Josephine wrote, the next morning, the following
comments on the seance:
JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XIII.
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-Your circle, last night, was of little
value, either to spirits or mortals.  Such unprofitable circles
discourage us, and jar on our sensitive natures more than you
can understand.
"And yet our work must go on, even among such undeveloped people. The earth is full of them.  But how insignificant
they seem, and low unworthy of the efforts we make to elevate
them! Without our assistance, they come to the spirit-world
in an almost idiotic condition; and here they must be cared
for as helpless children.
"Some of these people disgust us, and we feel like leaving
them to their gross ignorance and impurity. But this we can not




460                 STARTLING FACTS IN
do. Swine need feeding, even thoughl we must work in the mire
to do it.
" Wlen we look at our mediums, their number and conditions,
we feel that the work of elevalting mankind will require tlhe
lapse of ages. Go into your large and splendid business places,
and listen  to the tlhoughts of your great men.  They soon
betray the tinsel material of their minds; their conversation is
puerile and disgusting; not an idea do they entertain above
their sensual wants, or that which their brute instincts do not
origin ate.
"Remember, my dear fiiend, that you are only reachling a few
of these people, and perhaps the best of them.  But these will
serve as propaganda to fire the remainder, until their trashy institutions shall be swept from sight; and tile quicker the better.
The storm is gathering, and it must break, when these stubble
reputations shall be consumed by the billowy flame of a more
enlightened intelligence.  Men will cease to be bigots, and truth
will purify the atmosphere that now hangis loweringly over the
mental condition of the world. Where churcles now flourish as
centers of miasma, poisoning tile minds of men, flowers of free
thought and progress will spring forth to grace the earth, and
make glad the lheart.
" You will live to see much of this grand transformation.
The storm that will effect tils cllange is so near, that the flash
of the lightning may be seen, and the mutterings of the thunders
of discontent distilctly heard...
"JOSEPHINE BONAPARTE."
With all the care I could exercise to select people
for the circles in  the dark  room, I did  not entirely
satisfy  the demands of Josephine.   Many  who consider themselves  of much  importance to  the world
would  not feel highly flattered  to learn the opinions
the  spirits entertain of them, after an  hour's interview  in the dark room.   Of a lnumberl of illfluential
representative men, who constituted  a circle on the
8th  of April, the  following  was written  on  the succeeding morning:




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        461
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XIV.)
"MY  DEAR  FRIEND,-Last nigllt, as I listened to  the
silly conversation  of those  learned  men  and  women, the
^Q^^v'Y7 ^^  c^^  v _-             *.omf my ear was pained, as the
slave's back is under the lacerations of the master's whip; and
deep in my soul the cry went up,'O  Lord! hiow long  must
this continue?'  I felt that the beautiful messages we had
brought, with so much painstaking, fi-om  the spirit-world, to
improve the condition of these people, were love's labor lost;'
and that the flowers of truth would wither and perish in their
barren souls.
" XWe often ask of each other:' What will be best for such
people?  What will (lo them most good?' But the response is
always given in perplexity and doubt.  No matter how well developed spirits may be —how far they have risen fiom  the sensual plane of earth-life —when they come to commuini cate witl
such people, they must be confined to tle spirituail and mental
conditions of those they address; for powers to communicate
are limited to the inspirational capacities of those with whom
we are.  We are like the sensitized plates of the photographer,
upon whonm  the mental condition  of the circle is reflected.
Such people quarrel like clildren with the pictures taken of
themselves; and, truly, we esteem  this dissatisfaction as the
glimimer of a merit in them.
" Is it not pitiable tlat spirits of a high order of development should be complelled, that they may dlo good, to take on
the mental level of men and women wlho have barely passed
the condition of animal existence?  This we must do, else we
can not fulfill the putrposes of our beneficent mission, though
at times we feel self-degraded and disgusted by the work we
essay.
"You have had some such feelings yourself, when you have
attempted to benefit people, but found such conditions surroundinlg them  as to paralyze your best directed effort, and
thwart the purposes you have in view.  You feel that time has
been misemployed; and yet, what are you to lo?
* This word being entirely new, I thought it best to present the
writing of it infac-simile. The word signifies the spirit-organ of the
tympanum of the natural ear.




462               STARTLING FACTS IN
"We are compelled by the laws of progress to assist the
undeveloped people of earth to rise from  lower to  higher
conditions, before we advance to higher spheres ourselves.
What is the reward for the sacrifices we make?  The spiritworld is full of ignorant people, who are objects of pity, and
wlho call out our sympathies and aid to instruct and advance.
O, if the inhabitants of earth could only realize how important
it is that they should make tle best use of their time ir improving their rudimental life, while they have the opportunity,
there would be less worship and more work among them!
To promote this end is the main purpose for establishing intercourse between the two  worlds.  Wlen men know  how  to
make the best use of their time, both for the present and future
life, they will cease to do wrong, and learn to do right.
"My kind fiiend, these low conditions of the human family
are much to be deplored, but can be improved only by making
sacrifices, and engaging actively and persistently in the stern
duties of life.  Let us work together, and the more we accomplish, the sooner will we inherit the reward of peace.
" JOSEPHINE."
A  number of private circles were given, in which
no matter of public interest was evolved. Most people seek  interviews with the spirit-world, to  obtain
information of the well-being of their personal friends,
mostly of their own  family.  In  this way, the more
important information  pertaining to  the  real conditions, laws, and usages of the spirit-life is unsolicited
and withheld.
It is true, that to converse with our friends again,
after they have passed  the boundary of human life, is
a gratification and privilege that can not be too highly
estimated; still a knowledge of the laws appertaining
to spirit-life is a power which originates, and perpetually maintains, a pleasure for the soul, unknown  to
those who prefer to interview  personal friends rather
than  progressed  philosophers.  Indeed, these are the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                  463
distinctive characteristics of the investigators of spiritualism.  One seeks to establish its truths or falsities by the testimony of his personal friends; another
gathers truth, through the processes of reason and
intuition, from the testimony of enlightened witnesses.
A  private circle, in which many excellent personal
tests were given, was formed by John G. Brotherton,
Mrs. S. Ryder, John  French, Mrs. H. French, and
James T. French, all of whom  were spoken to by
their spirit-friends.
Another circle was formed by Joseph Kinsey and
family, Thomas Kinsey and family, Samuel R. Bates
and wife, and Benjamin E. Hopkins and family, in
which a number of good personal tests were given.
On the 7th of April, a circle was formed by Dr. J.
B. Buck and wife, Mr. Robertson and wife, Miss Cluff,
Dr. Walton, and Dr. H.  The voices were quite
low-sometimes indistinct-in this circle; and the
spirits pronounced their names with difficulty. Still
a number of good tests were given; and, but for the
strange conduct of Dr. Walton, who seemed to be
ignorant of the proprieties of a spirit-circle, the manifestations would have been much better.  The following note was written on the slate next morning:' 0, the dearth of spiritual people! How much the great
world needs this light! And yet, when we meet such as partly
composed the circle last night, we feel that the work we have
undertaken to perform is almost incomprehensibly great. Your
circle last night was exceedingly unprofitable to us.
"JOSEPHINE."
On the gth of April, Elias L. Lewis, John M'Kinney, Ephraim  Holland, and Edward Henderson had




464            STARTLING FACTS IN
an interview with the spirits. All these gentlemen,
I have been informed, were pronounced materialists
in belief.  They are all bankers in good standing, I
believe, never having dishonored a check of their own
issuance, so far as the public are informed.  Mr. Henderson is not a banker, but a city editor on the Co/mmercial.  One of these bankers compromised himself
with the public, on one occasion, by clothing and
feeding, at his own expense, a number of emigrants,
who had reached our city in midwinter, almost naked
and hungry. He did this without conferring with
the municipal officers, Deacon Smith, or the Young
Men's Christian Association.  On another occasion,
of his own free-will and accord, he remitted more
dollars than all the churches in the city combined to
the president of the " Orphans' Home," with the request that they should be expended by him in making
the little ones happy on the natal day of Jesus Christ.
He had the audacity to subscribe the name of "Santa
Claus " to his lawless note.  I'm told of similar tzicks
by the remainder of them.
The spirits like to talk to such men; and when
Mr. Lewis, by request, sung a hymzn, a spirit-voice
joined him. At the conclusion of the music, Jim
Nolan challenged Lewis and Henderson, in a mysterious manner, and found them  to be "all right"
as brother Masons.  Lewis made several mistakes,
which "Jim" pointed out at once, showing himself
"bright," and they quite "rusty." These members
of the "brotherhood" were a little confused by the
examinations Jim gave them, and said that no woman
could talk of the mysteries of Masonry  in that




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               465
style.  Thege four men questioned Jim, first one,
then the other, in the most embarrassing manner;
and sharp they were in wit; but Nolan was clear to
perceive, and quick in repartee.  It was a "fair fight"
for the maintenance or surrender of old opinions.
"This is the most astonishing event of my life!"
said Lewis.  "That voice speaks of my friends, and
calls them  by name, with as much familiarity as I
could do. It describes, with entire accuracy, the form
and presence of one long since placed in the coffin,
and delivers a characteristic message. What does all
this mean? Is it possible we live after death, and
the way has been made clear for the dead to return
and speak to their friends again?"
Jim Nolan now announced the given names of
every member of the circle, which had been purposely
withheld until thus disclosed. A voice then said to
Mr. M'Kinney: "Brother John, I am so happy to see
you! I am so happy! so happy! O, I am so happy
to see you! Iam not blind now!  0, I am so happy!"
" Well, why do you cry so, if you are so happy?"
said the brother, almost stifled with emotion.
" 0, dear brother, we are all here! Father and
mother, and sister -, and brother, are all
here, and are so happy! Bless you, dear brother, for
coming here to-night!"
After the excitement had subsided, Mr. M'Kinney
had a long conversation with what purported to be
the spirit of a blind sister. The conversation related
to different members of the family, living and dead,
and was of so private a character as to make its publication inexcusable.




466            STARTLING FACTS ZN
"Who was that talking to you?" I said to Mr
M'Kinney.
" It was my blind sister!" he replied.
"Then she is not dead," I said, " but living."
" It seems so!" was his thoughtful reply.
A female voice now spoke to Mr. Lewis, addressing him  in a manner that was peculiar to a young
lady whose memory was still fondly cherished.
"Who calls my name?" said the interested man.
She gave the name of the young lady in question,
and proceeded to identify herself in the most unmistakable manner. A long undertone conversation
here followed, which resulted in establishing the belief that he had really been talking to his " loved and
lost." I said, " What do you think of it, sir?"
" I am dazed! I do n't know what to think of it!
This is wonderful-this is wonderful! That voice has
been silent many years, and I never expected to hear
it again! And yet here it is, awakening strange
echoes in my soul, which I had thought asleep forever!"
"As a proficient ventriloquist, don't you think
Mrs. Hollis could have spoken to you in the manner
you have heard?"
"Ventriloquism does not divulge the secrets of the
heart. No mortal could disclose to me what my ears
have just heard."
Another spirit now spoke in a peculiar old man's
voice, a trifle reedy.  It was addressed to Mr. Holland, and purported to be the ancient head of the
family of Hollands.  After giving his name, he was
recognized by his son, in a manner that placed the
fact beyond question.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        467
"He speaks just as the old  man used  to speak!"
said Holland.  " That's the old man, certain!  I could
tell him  among a thousand, and bet on him!"
Quite a lengthy  conversation  ensued, in  which
facts upon facts were given, until Holland "threw  up
his hand " at the complete identity of the pater-familis s.
The medium's strength being exhausted, the spiritfriends of Mr. Henderson did  not succeed  in giving
any  audible  manifestations-at least, what was said
was in an undertone.
The circle was broken up at half-past ten  P. M.,
and the bankers came out from  the presence of their
spirit-friends, wiser than when they entered.
On the following morning, the appended letter was
written at the table:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XV.)
"- MY DEAR FRIEND,-1 listened last night to every word
that was uttered, and weiglhed each well.''here was more of
the true ring of pure metal in that circle tlian in any you have
had for a week.
"Deep down in the hearts of these men, there is a longing
for testimony of the after-life, wliich the Church does not present.  The voice of a loved one, speaking firom the borders
of the Summer-land, has a power to move them  in an indescribable manner.  Their whole natures are permeated withl
love, as flowers with fragrance. When the voice of the lost was
heard agaili, the holy and pure feelings of cllildliood came back,
and rushed over thleir souls, like a mighty flood of waters over
its encumbering banks.' It is more pleasing to talk to these men two minutes tlan
to religious bigots two hours. Church members may pronounce
against this class of people; but hlad they not better strive
to become as good as they?  In their want, of charity, they
blind themselves to tile good qualities of their fellow-men,
and set up arbitrary standards of morality; but I tell you,
rmy friend, there was more (livine trutli in the souls of those




468               STARTLING FACTS IN
five men than is sometimes found in a whole congregation of
fashionable worshipers.  I felt like giving them my hland, to
assist them  to a higher position on the ladder of spiritual
progress.
"That which was said last night has done much good.  It
was as seed sown upon rich, well-prepared ground.  The
chords of their souls have been touched, and the music will
thrill tleir beings for evermore. The door of their inner life
has been opened, and the light of a new day will enter.  Be
thankful you have assisted to lead these men out of darkness
into light.
" I am with you in all good work.          JOSEPHINE."
On the ioth of April, Milton Miller and wife, Joseph Smith and wife, Mrs. Anna Standish, and Adam
Fox formed a circle, and interviewed the spirits.
Nolan began, and spoke for three-quarters of an
hour.  Mr. Miller's sister Belle conversed with him
a few  minutes; after which, Mr. Fox's  mother and
brother Robert conversed  with him  in  reference to
family matters.  Mrs. Standish's father addressed her,
and Mrs. Miller's son George gladdened his mother's
heart with his presence.  It was a good test circle; but
no principles were discussed.
On the I2th of April, Benjamin Hopkins, wife and
son, John French, wife and son, and Miss Mary Sackett had a dark circle, and a good one.   Hopkins and
French presented some fine leading questionis in spiritual philosophy, which delighted Jim  to answer at
length.
On  the  I3th  of April, A. J. De Ford and  his
mother, Charles Graham, Mr. Plimpton, John Price,
and the members of my family, held a dark circle.
Mr. Plimpton's sister spoke to him  several minutes
about family matters, and said she would write him a




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               469
letter on the following Wednesday, which she did.
He was then requested to sing several favorite hymns,
in which the spirit mother and sister joined.  Jim
Nolan then spoke for an hour, first in reply to questions put by the circle, and then to announce the
names of forty spirits present, all of which were recognized.  The new name of Letitia B. Wolfe was given,
as an inhabitant in the spirit-world, who had never
been born into life in this, but as an embryo.
Jim remarked: " I have never mentioned this fact
before, but it is proper you should know it: that when
persons over seventy years of age pass to the spiritworld, they rarely come back to the earth; and if
they do, still more rarely do they become interested
in the local affairs of men.  But when persons pass
to the spirit-world before they attain that mnature age,
they continue to feel an interest in human affairs, and
engage actively in the enterprises of men.  Their
zeal abates as they approach the three-score years
and ten, when they turn their faces fiomr the natural
world, and  begin  their journey  along  the  stellar
heights of the spirit-land."
The reason he gave for this was that the magnetism of the spirit became refined in character, losing
its earthly grossness.  The dreams and visions of
youth and age are accounted for on a magnetic hypothesis. Through magnetic changes, the law of progress unfolded its power, and gave expression to the
phenomena that had so mystified the minds of men.
The wisdom of age was but the simple outgrowth of
the spirit's early magnetic conditions.  Physical life
could only be maintained while the magnetism of the
42




470             STARTLING FACTS IN
spirit was gross.  As it became etherealized, the attachments to earth grew  feeble-the attractions to
the higher life strengthened and intensified.
After Jim  had  concluded  his rigmarole, "old
Ski" announced himself with a prolonged halloo-oo!
Being greeted by all present with a hearty welcome,
the old chief spoke in saddened voice of the massacre
of General Canby by the Modoc Indians. He deprecated the act as " bad," and that Jack and his men
would be routed out of the Lava-beds, captured, and
put to death.  Said the word Modoc signified " much
big injuns;" that is, a large tribe.
Nackie Haynes then reminded  me of the fact
that while she was an invalid, she would not permit
me to speak of spiritualisml to her.  She alluded to
the pleasant drives we made through Clifton, Avondale, and Walnut Hills, and spoke characteristically
quick.  Said she was happy, and was now realizing
the truth of what I had said about spirit-life.
James M'Cammon spoke to John Price, and sent
a message to his father and mother, to whom  lie had
both spoken and written in the presence of Mrs.
Hollis.  Mr. Price's sister also spoke to him.
A  son spoke to Mr. Graham.  Lizzie Daly said
her father was a medium for materializing flowers.
Mr. Plimpton was spoken to by Colonel Robert
Lachlan, late of Mount Auburn; and my family were
also addressed.
The seance closed, and  those  composing  the
circle were delighted with the communications they
had received.  On the following evening, Josephine
had something to say, and here it is:




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       471
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XVI.)
"MY DEAR  FRIEND,-The seance on Sunday was good,
and we were truly glad.  There is so much discord through the
week, that a little harmony on Sunday repays us for our trouble
and suffering.  There is so much to antagonize our efforts, that
it is with great difficulty we can deliver our messages correctly.
Our spirit-forms are so sensitive and film-like, that the harsh
sound of a human voice repels us, and sometimes renders us
incapable of giving any evidence of our presence.  In the circle
we hear voices sometimes, that strike the sympamthum of
our ear as the jar and rattle of a boiler-yard assail yours.
We sink under tils boisterous din; and it is with the greatest
difficulty we manifest our presence.  How few understand this!' In one of your recent circles, a sensitive child called its
father's name, who exclaimed, in terrific tones:' Who is that?
What do you want?  If you have any thing to say, proceed!'
Well, the child couldn't proceed!  It staggered under those
harish expressions, as if it had been struck in the face! Consider, we are like sensitive plants, and suffer accordingly.
" Again I say, your circle was good; for all was harmonious.
Your hearty welcome sustained us.  Mr. Plimpton was in
sympathy.  Mr. Graham  has a sturdy, honest voice.  Madame
De Ford displayed in her tender tones the affectionate nature
of her mother heart; while her son's manly voice was its
fitting echo.                                  JOSEPHINE."




472          STARSTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XXVII.
SPIRIT-HAND ON TOP OF A TABLE-A CURIOUS REVELATION BY JOSEPHINE-SPIRITS WRITING IN THE
ROOM-BRUSH MY HAIR-PLAY THE DRUM-EAT
AN APPLE-MRS. LEWIS-SPIRITS EAT CAKE AND
DRINK WINE-SPIRITS PUT THEIR HANDS IN
FLOUR-THE NEEDLE-TEST-JOSEPHINE EXPLAINS
PHENOMENA - WATCH  TEST -JOSEPHINE IN A
DARK CIRCLE-NOLAN WRITES WH-ILE I HOLD
THE PAPER-BEATS THE REVEILLE AND "THREE
CHEERS'-DRUM-STICKS -- EXPLOI'1S WITH A FINGER-RING-JOSEPIINE AFTER CHURCHMEN.
I N the twilight of the evening of the I4th of April,
having returned from a drive over the Clifton
hills, I requested Mrs. Hollis to hold the slate for
communications.  While waiting for the writing, I
observed spirit-hands playing with the fringes of the
cloth covering the table, which hung half-way to the
floor.  This discovery suggested first one thing and
then another, until the phenomena hereafter recorded
were all exhibited in the manner and form as stated.
I held a new, crisp bank-bill five or six inches distant from the spirit-hands, and said, "Can you reach
it?" A hand came out its full length, and carried it
under the table. My hand was touched by the spirit
when it grasped the bill.  The handling of the bill
under the table could be distinctly heard, by the crisp




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              473
noise it made.  After a few minutes, the hand came
out, and dropped the bill, neatly folded, on the floor.
The same bill was again taken from my hand when I
held it a foot from the table; thereby exposing the
spirit-hand and fore-arm, very distinctly, to view.
After that, I laid myporte-mouznnie on the table, and
said, "Cal you reach the pocket-book?"  The spirithand pushed the cloth out and up, until it rested in
the hollow of the flexed arm.  The poite-molnnaie was
reached, and taken under the table.  A number of
other articles, in like manner, were taken from the top
of the table, affording me ample opportunity to examine the arm and hand, not more than ten inches from
my face.  They seemed semi-transparent, as chinaware when you interpose it between your eyes and
the light.
The spirits asked, by writing on the slate, for a
handkerchief.  One was given, and rejected, because
it had been perfumed. Another without perfume was
substituted, and carried under the table, where it was
tied firmly with knots, and then thrown several feet
from the table, to the floor.
All this was done while Mrs. Hollis sat beside the
table, with no part of her person under it, but her
right-hand, in which she held the slate.  Her back
was to me, and her position was such that it would
be physically impossible for her to have used her one
hand to produce the phenomena I witnessed; and yet
they transpired as described.
I was given to understand that it was Josephine
Bonaparte's hand I had seen, and that she desired to
say something to me in the dark room.  I went to




474             STARTLING FACTS IN
the dark room, and in a few minutes a voice began to
sing, with much pathos, a French  stanza.  It was
subsequently said to be a favorite song with Napoleon,
and that the voice I had heard had sung it to him a
hundred times.  The voice was more clear than any I
ever heard.  Its ring was like the tintillations of fine
metal, and could be heard in any part of the largest
hall in Cincinnati.  Josephine next said (for it was
she that sang) that the public had never been apprised of the true relations existing between herself
and Napoleon.  Being a medium, she had been guided
by spirits to Napoleon, and became his wife, under
their instructions, to assist him  in carrying out his
grand mission on earth.  This she did by revealing to
him, while in an entranced condition, the measures
he should adopt for the betterment of the HIlumia
Race.  France was simply the battle-ground for the
success of grand principles that exerted their influence on the destinies of all nations, and even the lives
of all people.  The said spirit-intelligences organized
the emperor's campaigns, and  most of his battles,
through her mediumship; and so successful were these
plans that Napoleon thought he bore a charmed life,
and called himself " The Man of Destiny."  In speaking of her own life, she said, before she left the isla.nl
of Martinique, she foresaw that she would become the
Empress of France; that when imprisoned by Robespierre, and informed she must die the next day, in
deep trance she saw the tyrant overthrown, and her
ultimate release and  triumph.   She  spoke  of the
change that came over the affairs of Napoleon when
he threw himself into the arms of the Cht-ch, and




MODERN SPIRITUALISA/.           475
consented  to  be guided  by its counsels.'T was
that that sealed his fate, and brought disaster upon
the cause it was his mission to uphold. To finish the
work he then began, she said, her dear Napoleon must
again appear in the flesh, and again become the central figure in the family of the race.  She then declared his reincarnation already begun- that in thirty
years he would appear in France in his grand mediatorial mission, and that before the brilliancy of his new
achievements all his former acts would pale their ineffectual fires.  With a promise to watch over my
sleep, she bade me " good-nilght."
In the twilight of the evening of the ISth of April,
I again requested Mrs. Hollis to hold the slate under
the table.  I had it now surrounded with a valance
of black calico, reaching to the floor, as a substitute
for the shawl.  At the end of the table next to Mrs.
Hollis's back, I made a flap opening in the muslin,
about six inches square, serving as the aperture did
in the cabinet.  It was really a dark chamber, with
no part of Mrs. Hollis's person in it but her righthand, and in that hand she held a slate.
I now placed a chair against the valance, under the
opening, to serve a purpose similar to that of the
bracket.  On this chair I placed a slate, and requested
the spirit to write, while I sat, leaning on the table,
with my face not twelve inches distant.  In a few seconds, certainly not more than a minute, a man's righthand, with a heavy, plain gold ring on the finger next
the little one, came out and wrote:
" This is the best arrangement you have made; we will give
you good tests at this table.               NOLAN."




476            STARTLING FACTS IN
While the writing was taking place, I blew my
breath on the back of the spirit's hand, when it stopped,
and turned up the palm in the direction fiom which I
was blowing. I considered-this a protest, and blew no
more, when the hand finished writing the sentence,
and withdrew. This hand was not the same that had
exhibited such dexterity in removing articles from the
top of the table, on the previous evening.  This was
Nolan's hand, the other Josephine's.
I now placed a large horn-handled hair-brush on the
chair, more with the object of testing their strength to
lift it than with any other definite purpose. It was
quickly taken under the table, and rattled around for
several minutes.  It was then projected through the
aperture, held by the hand of Nolan, and a motion made,
which I construed into a desire to brush my hair. I removed the chair, and placed myself in a favorable position before the aperture, by sitting on a stool, and
leaning my head forward to the opening.  The hand
and brush began to operate on my head, first brushing
my hair to one side, then to the other, and then back,
until each particular hair stood resolutely on end, like
quills upon the fretful porcupine.  The pressure on
the brush was unpleasantly hard to the scalp, and I
made the remark that, perhaps the work could be as
well done if the brushing was performed with less
emphasis. The observation had a good effect; for the
shampoo, thereafter, was pleasant.
While this operation was going on, the arm was
over my head, and I had an opportunity of looking
into the dark chamber from which it proceeded; but,
beyond the edge of the table, I could see no arm.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               477
The materialization seemed to terminate at a point an
inch or two above the elbow.  I could not see Mrs.
Hollis's hand under the table, nor the slate, but her
wrist, fore-arm, and elbow were all exposed in the now
gas-lighted room.
Jim  Nolan, the improvised spirit hair-dresser, had
been a head drummer inl the regiment in which he served.
This fact suggested my next experiment, which was
to place a til pan upside down on the chair before
the aperture, and mount it with a pair of small drumsticks.  I had barely completed the arrangement and
resumed my seat, when, as if anticipating my purpose,
two hands seized the drum-sticks, and began to roll
and tattoo on the pan, with as much glee as a fouryear-old  displays with  his first nursery drum.  It
was not real first-rate music, and I so informed the
drum-major, who was. not slow  to reply that he
"could not make a good whistle with a dog's tail, nor
a silk purse from a sow's ear!"  It was the best he
could do; what more could I do?
" That's a fact, Jim," I said; "you did very well,
considering all things; besides a great many disadvantages you labor under, which, I fear, I do not
consider.  How you can make your hands and arms,
and use them at all, without having a discernible body,
chest, or head, makes me groan to think of it! But
I'm  not so much interested in your affairs as in Mrs.
Hollis's. I have more anxiety to know how she could
form the two hands, and perform with the tzwo sticks,
than any thing else.  If neither yourself nor Mrs.
Hollis can explain how the thing is done, perhaps
somebody else can, and, of course, reproduce the
43




478             STARTLING FACTS IN
phenomena. I wish they would undertake it in my
house. I promise a good reward for the service, if it
is as well done!
There was a large red apple on the table, which
I placed on the chair, and asked Jim if he was forbidden  to taste thereof, lest he might know good
from evil. He wrote in reply, "Where ignorance is
bliss,'tis folly to be wise!"  Still he grasped the
apple, and carried it out of sight.  It was a'cute
trick of Jim's, to make a quotation that put me off
my guard, and allay all suspicion of his intention
to commit petit larceny.  The Italian value of the
apple was five cents, and its weight about eight
ounces.  I made no remonstrance to the act of its
"taking off," believing it would be returned in "applepie" order, when it ceased to entertain the spiritculprit.  I was partly right; yet not wholly so.  In
five minutes after it had been taken under the table,
one-half of the apple was placed upon the chair, but
the other half was not.  I looked for the missing
part under the table, in Mrs. Hollis's sleeve, and
every-where I thought it could possibly be concealed;
but "nix  cum'raus!"  Half the  apple  had been
consumed, leaving an irregular or uneven surface, as
if it had been sucked off-not rough, as if bitten or
broken.  The meat of the apple was firm  and juicy,
and remarkably well preserved for a wintered apple.
Of course, I felt mystified, and asked Jim what he
did with the four ounces of apple.
" I dissolved it by a chemical process!" he said;
and continued: "It is now in the atmosphere of this
room, excepting so much of it as has escaped up the




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               A79
chimney-flue, out the door, or has been. breathed into
your lungs."
Jim  knows; and I rest the case upon his statement! I don't know  what useful purpose may be
subserved by recording this fact; still, while one
reader may find it devoid of interest, another may
find something in it to think about.
An hour after the foregoing experiments, John R.
Whaley and Mrs. Elias L. Lewis, with Mrs. Hollis
and myself, formed a circle in the dark, and, after
singing a song or two, the spirits began to talk.  Mr.
Whaley's wife spoke to him about family affairs; afterl
which, thirty spirits-old Kentucky friends-were announced  by name, some of whom  colloquied  as
Elwood Fisher had with William M. Corry. A number
of half-forgotten circumstances were recalled by them,
and many personal incidents of long ago revived, which
precluded the possibility of deception in the matter.
While Mr. Whaley and Mrs. Hollis were in conversation, and Mrs. Lewis and myself were exchanging
remarks, a fifth voice addressed Whaley, respecting
some long-forgotten fact, which settled his mind on
the ventriloquial question.  One of the spirits gave
its middle name as "Alabama," which was not a
common name.
Mrs. Lewis was spoken to by several of her friends,
but on subjects that were purely personal and private.
On the following morning, these comments were
given in regard to this seance:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XVII.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-The circle last night was pleasant to
us. They appreciated what they received. We so often have'




480               STARTLING FACTS IN
our words rebound, that our power becomes destroyed.  We
call not talk to some people, because they  o n't let us.
"Mrs. Lewis has a finely developed spiritual organization;
her whole nature responds to our approach, like the 2Eolian
harp to the slightest motion of the air.  She lhas a quick appreciation of spiritual truth.  Really, she lives more with spirits
than with mortals.  Spirits can stay near her, lay their heads
on her breast, look into her eyes, and find love and sympathy in her soul.  0, what happiness to meet such natures!'Tis sunshine to us, and brings forth the finer attributes of
our being.
"Mr. Whaley's heart is moved by generous impulses. This
attracts his old friends to his presence. They can approach and
enter his genial sphere. Al generouis natlures can beafiproached
by the sfirils, but selfsh ones keep t/hez far away.
"I can not write you a long letter this morning.  I will tell
you why at some other time.                   JOSEPHINE."
Dissipating four ounces of a juicy apple under the
table, so that no particle of the substance could be
discovered by the eye, induced me to repeat the experiment, with  a four-ounce slice of pound-cake, on
the evening of the i6th.  I held this on the top of
the  table, and requested the spirits to take it fi-om
my hand, which  they  did.  It was, of course, taken
under the table, and, after an interval of five minutes,
all the cake was replaced, excepting "a big bite out
of it," perhaps one-fourth of it, gone.  This missing
fragment, it was alleged, had been reduced into thin
air, just as the apple had; though it was said  that
eggs, butter, flour, and  sugar, baked, were  a  trifle
harder  to  dissolve  than  apple-juice.   This  remark
suggested  to  my  mind  that fluids might be  more
readily evaporated than  substances.  So I placed  a
wine-glass, two-thirds full of sweet "White Martha"
wine, on the chair, and said, " Are you thirsty?"




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                48 I
The reply came promptly, from  under the table,
in the shape of Jim  Nolan's hand, which took the
glass carefully around the rim, and passed it out of
sight.  I have often seen men put themselves on the
outside of a glass of wine, but never before had I seen
a table do it.  In the present. instance, the glass was
swallowed with the wine.  This, however, was returned in three minutes, dry, with no symptoms that
"ever a dhrop had been in it, to be shure."  The room
was full of wine-odor, which was pleasant enough, but
when the table was lifted aside, and the examination
made, no evidence of a " spill" could be found.
The next experiment, at the table, was with a dish
of flour.  This I placed on the chair, and requested
Jim to make in it the imprint of his right-hand.  In
two or three minutes, a slender, delicate hand, as unlike Jim's as could be, came out, and, after hovering
over the flour a few seconds, retired again.  In five
minutes it reappeared, and settled deep in the flour,
leaving a perfect imprint of itself in the soft, snowy
bed.  The flour fell fiom  the hand; but it did not
dissolve, as I had  seen  it at the cabinet.  I then
procured another plate of flour, by request; and,
this time, Jim "put his hand in it " like an old stager.
The matrix left was half as large again as the first;
and this experiment closed the table entertainment.
After first closely inspecting Mrs. Hollis's haind, to
discover any flour-dust there might be upon it, but
in vain, I requested her to place her hand in the imprints, which she did, and in the first there was room
enough to receive two hands the size of her own; and
in the second, enough and to spare.  The imprint




482            STARTLING FA CTS IN
which she subsequently made of her hand, in flour, was
smaller, and entirely different in structure.
On the I7th of April, CAPTAIN EDWARD AIR and
JUDGE BERRY, of Newport, Ky., had a daylight sitting at the table, when the hands came out and
handled pocket-books, knives, a match-safe, knotted
and untied handkerchiefs, and did a number of other
strange things, literally under their noses.  These
gentlemen were slightly perplexed by what they saw.
Another half-hour was spent at the table, in the
twilight of the evening of April I7th.  I procured a
paper of fine needles, containing twenty-five in number,
"No 5, Royal Grooveless Sharps," and placed it, with
an unbroken No. 80 spool of cotton-thread, on the
chair.  I said, " Can you see to thread a needle, in
the dark, under the table?"
The spirit-hand took up the paper of needles and
spool of cotton, and retired with them  under the
table; and, in five minutes, again replaced them on
the chair.  The spool had been unwound ten wraps,
and by counting the needles, four were missing.  I
said, "What have you done with the missing needles
and thread?"  A spirit-hand was now projected, holding the ends of a double-thread between its thumb and
forefinger; and at the lower part of the thread were
four needles, the thread being passed through their
eyes. I took hold of the needles, when, with a dexterous movement, well known to seamstresses, the retained
ends of the thread were evoluted about the fingerpoint, and a returning knot made.  This in good light.
The length and quality of the thread corresponded
with that which was missing from the spool, and the




IMODERN SPIRITUALISM.              483
four needles were exactly of the size and quality of
those that remained in the paper.  If the reader will
think a minute about this experiment, it will be found
less insignificant than at first appears.  Remember,
Mrs. Hollis had but one hand under the table, and with
that hand she was supporting a six-by-ten slate.  If
she had had both hands disengaged, under the table,
in the dark, her patience would have been sorely tried
to accomplish so much, even in a much greater length
of time.  I have no desire to magnify this experiment
into undue importance, but simply to say that it was
utterly impossible for one hand to do it; therefore
there must have been two hands to handle the needle
and thread, eyes to see, and head to understand and
guide the operations.  If these premises are granted,
the presence of a being possessing all the attributes
belonging to mortals, is a legitimate inference.  If the
advocates of unconscious cerebration can apply their
theories to meet the case in point, they have permission to rise and explain.
I next placed a quire of paper on the chair, and a
lead-pencil, and requested a communication to be
written.  Several different-sized hands attempted to
take up the pencil, but did not succeed well.  Twice
it was picked up, but suddenly dropped again, as if it
had been hot.  Then came out the beautiful hand I
had so often seen and touched, and, taking up the
pencil, wrote "Josephine."   This was soon followed
by the words, " God is Love."  The writing was hurriedly done, and unlike the chirography displayed in
her lengthy communications written under the table.
It is only just to say that the flame of gas was flooding




484                 STARTLING FACTS IN
the  room   witl  light, and  a reduction  of the  supply
was asked  for.   I turned it down, when Ney's hand
appeared, and lvrote, " We are work-ing for principles,
not men."    It then retired a few  minutes, and, when
it again  appeared, wrote: "Truth  lives, error dies!
Stand firm, all will be well!"
On the ISth of April, in the morning, after breakfast, I asked  Josephine, who  was announced  at the
table, to explain  to me, as well as she could, how  it
was the apple and cake had been dissipated, two evenings ago.  In answer, she wrote:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XVIII.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-There has been much said and written upon the subject of disintegration; and yet I do not think
the people understand( it any betterfor what has been said or
written.  Indeed, tile finite mind.can scarcely grasp a subject
that requires such fine analytical powers to explain as thle one
you have suggested.
"All organized matter has a principle of death within its
form.  That assails tile bond of organization, and destroys it.
When this coherent bond is riven, the particles composing the
organization are at once liberated, and disappear.  Thus, fire, as
a dcissolvent, destroys tile bond of union, and liberates the elemenls of organized substances.  Chemistry is the handmaid
of death, ever changing formhs, reducing old ones, and creating
n ew.
"The substance of the apple was held togetler by the. law of
elective affinity, the same that pervades the universe and sustains all organized matter.  It governs growth, or development,
causing the sap to ascend, and to flow from  the trunk to the
branches of the tree.  Here the same law  awakens the bud
and blossom  into life, and finally unfolds the luscious fiuit.
Day by (day, the lhomogeneous particles organize cells of growth,
until tle fruit has a ttained its mature size; when waves of heated
electricity pass through the new organization, enduing it with
fragrance and color.  The waves of heated electricity continue
to thrill the new organization, until the procreative law is per



MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       485
fected in the offspring; then the bond of union is broken, ald
the apple drops to the ground.  The dear old mother-tree matured it in her bosom, until the conditions of independent life
had been attained, when she reluctantly  consented  to  the
separation.
"The apple thus gradually developed from elements found
in the atmosphere, was held together by elective laws.  We
passed tlrough the organization a dissolving chemical so potent
that the original substance was instantly resolved and absorbed into the great reservoir of elements.'lhe chemistry of
a natural law would have accomplislhed the same result; but we
desired to exhibit, in a special sense, the power of the spirits in
this miraculous (?) manner.
"The same power can be exerted in the destruction of human bodies; but we are careful, in all the relations we sustain
with mortals, not to injure them in any way.
"I hlave but imperfectly represented this subject to your understandinig; still I hope my desire to please you will make
some amends for any lack of knowledge I may have displayed.
"JOSEPHINE."
The experiments  at the small table  grew  in interest each  succeeding circle, more so than  the last.
In the  twilight of the evening  of the  I8th of April,
after Mrs. Hollis had taken her position at the table,
I first stopped my watch, and then  turned the stem
communicating  with  the ratchet that regulated the
position of the hands on the dial-plate, several times.
I didc  tllis with the case shut, so that it was impossible to know  exactly  the position  of the hands, after
I had  ceased  turning  the stem  without opening the
case.  Without doing this, I placed my watch on the
chair, from  which it was soon  removed  by the spirithand to the slate under the table.  I now  said, " See
what o'clock it is by the position of the hands on the
dial, and write the time on the slate."
In  a few  seconds the watch was replaced  on the




486              STARTLI NG FACTS IN
chair, and I requested Mrs. Hollis to put the slate on
the chair also. This she tried to do; but, holding
the slate in her right-hand, and sitting with her right
side against the table, she could not present the slate
at the aperture at her back without rising to her feet
and  passing around to the other side of the table,
and then only by leaning over the table.  Let any
one try the feat, and see what a noodle he'll make
of himself.
The slate was produced, and on it was written,
"Nineteen minutes to twelve!"  I now  opened  the
watch, and found the hands pointing  to the figures
thus written.  The experiment was repeated several
times, and always with entire accuracy.
Thus it will be seen that the hand receiving and
replacing the watch belonged to an organization that
had intelligence enough to open and shut the cases;
and eyes to see the exact time, and education to write
it in good, legible letters.  And  all this under the
table, and in the dark!
A  dark circle was held in the evening, attended
by a number of ladies and gentlemen from  Newport,
wherein good manifestations were given. Still there
was so much discord in the circle, that the following
comments were written upon it the next morning:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XIX.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-' Sunshine and cloud' alternates in
the circles you form for us. Where we have one of pleasure to
us, there are ten from which we gather no inspiration. lThe
circle last night was so dreadfully material that Jimmy refused
to speak. He says he will not meddle with family matters; and
therefore will stand aside in silence, and allow their own friends
to tell them'how old they are,' and'when they were born i'




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      487
"There are some mortals who are so ignorant that they
scarcely know more of existence than the animal that munches
its corn.  They eat when tley are hungry, and drink when they
are dry.  To talk to such people, we feel to be a damlage and
a detriment to ourselves.  And yet, we are told, we must aid
each other! But how do they aid us?  In what manner do
they return good for good?  It is impossible for us to be
interested in their little family matters; and when they come
repeating these tliings day after day, and month after month,
is not a little impatience excusable occasionally?  Besides, is it
not seemingly throwing time away?
"We are obliged to give manifestations to the world, and
it would be a great pleasure to do this, if we had always good
conditions to receive us; but it is the fewest number who
can comprelhend the importance of our mission; or who understand the philosophy of spirit-intercourse.
"I am  not complaining in any petulant spirit just now,
but am simply stating the facts as they exist.  The knowledge
that great results will arise fromi  our labors is the most sustaining thought we have to encourage us. If in two hundred
years we can look back and say,'We began in this great
work: we prepared the way for the higher development of more
exalted spirits,' that will be sufficient reward.
"Spirits tlat return are not evil; butt the neglect of opportunities to improve their condition compels tlem to come
back to receive lessons in wisdom.  We listen to them talking
to their fiiends  repeating the same  tlhings over and over
again.  Do you wonder we get tired, even as you do, and
not feel happy with their lively rattle?
" I have complained enough this morning, and fear you will
begin to esteem  me unamiable.  I beg you will pardon my discontent.  I feel that I may speak to you of these things, without the imputation of wrong-doing, as we are both working for
the same beneficent end, through the same experiences and
instrumentalities.                             JOSEPHINE."
It was written  on the slate, on the evening of the
19th of April, that Josephine  was  in  France, and
had been for six hours.  It was Nolan's writing; so
I asked  him  to  show  his  hand.  This he did very




488             STARTLING FACTS IN
promptly, extending his hand and arm at least twelve
inches, seizing my hand as he did so with considerable force.  I then held a bundle of paper near the
aperture in the valance, with a pencil on top.  I said,
"Can you write while I hold the paper?"
Nolan picked up the pencil and wrote:
"Receive us; we are your fellow-men."
Again he wrote:
"I still live.       Yours truly,
JAMES NOLAN."
At the conclusion, the spirit dropped the pencil;
and, after patting my hand, retired.
There seemed to be a superabundance of spiritpower at the table.  They rapped very much, and
projected their hands through the valance a number
of times.  The raps began to roll like the beat of
a drum, and finally the revei//e was beaten, I think,
without the omission or addition of a single tap.
Then followed a desultory beat, which he informed us
mean t" three cheers I"
Nolan now requested the music-box to be brought
in the room, and placed on the table.  It was set to
play, and  Nolan  drummed  an accompaniment to
each of the pieces, in the style of an accomplished
drummer.  This performance mystified me.  I knew
there were no sticks under the table, and the sounds
were too sharp for fingers to produce; so I said,
What are you drumming with?"
" Drum-sticks!" he wrote on the slate.
" But you have none!" I said.
" I have materialized a pair," he answered.




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                 489
"Can you show them?"
Rapped: "Yes!"
"Will you?"
" Yes!" by raps.
In a few seconds a pair of drum-sticks, about onefourth  the  usual size, were projected  four inches
through the aperture.  I requested him to show them
entire; but he wrote, " Can't do it!"
I then obtained a ring from  Mrs. Hollis, with a
diamond set, and  put it on my finger.  Holding it
in front of the aperture about four inches, I said,
"Can you take it off?"  The hand of the spirit took
hold of the ring with its thumb and two fingers, and,
by dint of wriggling and pulling, succeeded in getting
it off.  In a few  seconds the spirit-hand appeared
with the ring on the index finger.  After this, it was
shown several times, and then held between.the thumb
and finger; seeing which, I extended my hand.  The
spirit then, with considerable effort, replaced it on my
finger.  I wanted to remove the ring fiom the spirit's
finger, and asked if I might do so.  He wrote:
" I can not explain the law forbidding it; but to grant your
request would destroy my power for the remainder of the
evening "
He then seized the chair in front of the aperture,
and first drew it close up to the table; then, with a
sudden push, forced it to the middle of the floor,
several feet distant.  This closed the manifestations
for the evening.
On the next morning, Sunday, April 20th, while
the streets were thronged with church-going people,
the following letter was received:




490                 STARTLING FACTS IN
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XX.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-I lhave passed most of the last thirtysix hours in France; hIence I did not write to you yesterday.
But I am lhere again to give you a letter tils morning.  I fear I
bring you but a poor offering as a reward for your kindness and
painstaking with us; but it is a happiness to me to do this.
" While looking over the land, this beautiful Spring morning,
I could not help thlinking how like a pawnbroker's-shop tie wliole
city appeared.  WVomen pawning the sensitive germs of tleir
souls, regardless of tleir value, simply for the love of display.
For diamonds and rich lace, they sacrifice every great and good
impulse.  They are so steeped in all that is artificial, that they
can not rise above it.  Hence their misery and discontent.
Dress has become their master; and when they realize their
degradation, they affect humility, and pawn their poor starved
souls to the Cliurch.  But the Church affords no relief; on the
contrary, its very life depends on keeping up this extravagant
passion for dress.  Fashion rules the Church, as well as tyrannizes over the soul.
"There is a germ  of divinity in the soul, however, which
neither Church nor fashion can destroy.  It may be necessary
to bury tlhe body in the ground before it develops itself, as you
clo the seed-corn before it can show the vital spark wrapped up
in its organization.  When tlis is done, it will spring out of lhe
old body wvith gladness, rejoicing to be released from the bondage of Clurcli and State.
"Deatlh to the seed-corn develops the life-germ it contained
into the living grain.  So death, to the body and outward slow,
will liberate tle faculties of the fettered soul, and give it joy
unspeakable.~
"But how utterly useless it is to tell these people that they
will come to the spirit-world, naked as they entered the earth!
Arouse, ye sleepers!  What does the great Creative Poner care
for your gewgaws and your fame!  To that Power, you appear
as mites-microscopic specks on the changing page of Time.
Learn, while you may, such truths as will be a lamp to your
feet, and a light to your eyes, when you enter the spirit-world.
"Ever your true fiiend,                    JOSEPHINE."




MODERN SPIIUTUALISM.             491
CHAPTER  XXVIII.
TABLE-TESTS REPEATED-DARK SEANCE-GIVING-REMARKABLE ST'ATEMENT OF "OLD SKI," WITH A
MIORAL-JOSEPHINE HAPPY.-EXPERIMENT WI'I'H
WATER-SMELLS FROM THE INFERNO-COAL MERCHANT-SPICED MILK-QUEER TASTE-A IARK
CIRCLE- TIE SPIRITS REFUSE TO MANIFESTCAUSE, WIIISKY —JOSEPHINE ON THE SITUA''IONA DOUBTFUL BEVERAGE-QUEER ODORS-A MIRACLE-EXTRAORDINARY BOOK-TEST-DARK CIRCLE-JOSEPHINE AGAIN-BOOK-TEST REPEATEDA CIRCLE OF PROSCRIBED MEN AND WOMENJOSEPHINE PLEASED.
T HE remarkable character of the phenomena occuLrring at the table suggested the propriety of
having some one besides myself to witness them, as
my unsupported statement of the facts might be confronted with a mass of incredulity that would throw
discredit upon the entire report.  I, therefore, said to
Nolal:
"Can't you give these manifestations in the presence of another witness?"
"That depends upon who the witness is," was
his reply. "If you can get one who will not disturb
the conditions we have established, we can give you
still better tests than you have yet received."
" How would Mr. Plimpton do?" I said.




492            STARTLING FACTS IN
"I would have suggested him, if you had not,"
said Jim.
"Very well!  I'll have him  here this evening, if
he feels like it."
In my afternoon drive with Mrs. Hollis, we met
Mr. Plimpton, and informed him of his selection for
the position  of analytical inspector of phenomena
which I esteemed the most conclusive testimony of
spirit-presence it had been my privilege to see.  He
came early, and the half-hour seance before tea was
consumed  in reproducing  the  " thread-and-needle
test" and "the watch-test," described  in the last
chapter.  Mr. Plimpton will make his report of what
he saw at the table, a little farther on.
After tea, we decided to hold a dark circle, and,
Mrs. Miller and four members of my family joining
us, we went to the dark room. Almost coinstantial
with the extinguishment of the light, a spirit-voice
requested us to sing.  While we were talking about
what we should sing, a spirit-voice began to sing
or chant alone.  At the conclusion of this voluntary,
Mrs. Miller's son George addressed her, and spoke
of family affairs.  Then Mr. Plimpton's mother spoke,
asking if he remembered certain persons in the village where they had lived, whom  she named, among
them the physician who attended in her last illness,
and a large number of relatives and friends.
Every member of my family was spoken to by
spirits; and Aunt Betsy Lockard did not fail to say
a good word to me.  Jim Nolan then spoke for half
an hour, in a strain of fervid eloquence, on the mission
of the "new revealment;" after which, "old Ski" had




MODERN SPIRITUALISML               493
his "put" on personal tests.  He rather surprised
me by stating that-he "had been out riding with em
old chief and mejum, and hear em all em said!"
"Come, come, Ski!  I guess you didn't hear
every thing we said!"
" So! em did!" he replied.
"Well, tell us the road we went, and what you
heard?"
"Went em on Gest Street-up em big hill to tollgate.  Told em old gate chief em go to Warsaw em
back; em  pay em old gate chief ten cents-five for
em  go, five for em  come.  Old chief no stop em
Warsaw-stop em  Gazlem's!  Cheat em  gate chief
two cents! So!"
It is necessary to rise and make an explanation
to  this invisible charge of fraud  upon " em  gate
chief!"  I do this, however, with no view to change
the character of the indictment, but to state the
circumstances in mitigation of the penalty attached
to the guilt confessed. The circumstances which the
old Indian has so faithfully presented, were brought
about in this way: When paying toll, Mrs. Hollis
said, "We'll turn at Warsaw."  I paid accordingly,
just as " Ski " has represented; but, after getting to
Warsaw, we concluded to drive a mile farther to
Gazlay's Corners, as the road was good, the evening
pleasant, and the topic of conversation entertaining.
Rather, it is more truthful to say that the horse took
us to the "Corners," from  force of habit, and the
matter of two cents additional toll was entirely overlooked.
The reader will perceive that the interest attached
44




494                 STARTLIN;G FACTS IN
to  this  disclosure  of "Old  Ski's"  centers  in  the
fact' that we  can  (do  nothing, or say  nothing, but
what is known  to our invisible guides, or guardians.
Guilt has no protection in the presence of a medium,
if the  spirit-world  determines to bring  the  offender
to justice.   Upon the occasion in question, the "old
Indlian" rendered  an,almost verbatim  report of the
conversation between Mrs. Hollis and myself.  When
mel  get to ullderstand  that detection  follows crime,
as shadow  substance, they  will cease  to do ill, and
learn to  do  well.  This is a good  place  to  "stick  a
pin," in  answer  to  the  question which  we  so  fiequently  hear snivelers ask, " What good  can come
out of Nazareth?"
On  the following  morning, April 2ISt, this letter
was received by the spirit post-mistress at the table
(JOSEPHINE'S LETITERS, No. XXI.)' MY DEAR FRIEND, —    amI  grateful that you did not fill
your circle last  igliilt with skeptical pe(ople, to (disturb tlhe
harmony of the occasion.  Mr. Plimpton's mother and sister
approached  him  neairer last nigit than ever before.  After
spe;aking to him, with all the love of a mother's heart, she
wept with joy.  She stood over him weeping, as if she had just
found a long-lost child.  Her wlhole sool was overflowing with
love andl gratitude to the Power that permitted her to return
to her chlild once more.  A(aini and  again can  she come to
tell tlhe story of her love, which has grown brighter and holier
ill the spirit-land!  Again can she say:'I'm  not dead, but
living!  My interest in you, my dear child, is just the same!
Death cast aside the physical form, but the mot!er remains
in my soul.'  Much more could I write this morniing; but the
subject is exlhustless!  Nothliig touches my heart so quickly
as a mother's devotion to her child.
"And, too, xMrs. Miller, what love she retains for her (darlings in the spirit-iife!  We have a firm  fiiend in her.  The




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      49
wlhole atmosphere of the woman is an unuttered prayer of
thanksgiving that her friends can come back feeling they bring
to her love and sympathy.
"Fanny and Tom and Lida, all were remembered by their
spirit-fiiends-the mother's voice blessing her child, whom
she left years ago to struggle with a cold world, assuring her
of the love and care thrown around her by ler spirit-friends.';All this only adds anotlier link to the chain of evidence
which shows the nearness of the spirit-hlnd, and to establish
the fact tliat love never dies, but grows stronger and brighter
and purer as we grow wiser and better in the spirit-world.
"I listened to the voices last night, with joy in my heart
and peace in my soul; and  the prayer arose to my lips in
these words:'Thanks to the creative power for this life!
And 0, may these truths pervade the souls of all men and
women, and teach them there is no deathlthat they can not
die!' and so my soul was wrapped in holy tlhought.  I kneeled
by the side of the medium  during the entire seance.  Aunt
Betsy first calling you by the name I loved to call my husband;
thrilled me through and throulh, bringing back so much of my
life in France, that I could almost hear again the voice of my dear
one, as in days long past, when he spoke to me loving words.
" How grateful my soul is, this bright morning, for all your
kindness in furnishing us with such good conditions! I fear
1 have exhausted the medium too much, and must now close;
but not before I again assure you, I am  ever your devoted
friend,                                       JOSEPHINE."
On the 2Ist of April, having just returned from  a
drive through  Walnut Hills, Mrs. Hollis sat by the
table for manifestations, holding the slate in her righthand.   The dissipation of the cake, the wine, and the
apple, induced  me to  ask  if they had  the power to
restore these articles again, promising to believe It a
Ymiracle, if they did so.  They could not do it.  I had,
at last, found the limit of-possibility with them. But
Jim  Nolan said he would make me a glass of wine, if
I furnished him with a glass -of water.




496            STA.TLING FACTS IN
"Do you mean to convert the water into wine?"
I said.
"Get the water!" was the command.
Certainly; you shall have it.  But I caution you
to be careful how you tamper with holy things."
" Get the water!" he said again.
"I'm a gittin'!"  And I got the water-a pitcher
full, from the cistern; clear as crystal, and sparkling
as diamonds.  It may be interesting to the reader to
know, in view of what follows, that the water was run
in the cistern when the Ohio River was low, so there
was no admixture of soil, etc., to vitiate its purity..
Well, Jim  wanted only a wine-glass full of water, and
I gave it to him.  He carried it under the table, and,
in about ten minutes thereafter, there whs the strongest smell of aromatics proceeding from under that little table, that I had sensed for a long time. The odor
filled the room, and almost rendered the atmosphere
unfit to breathe.  There was not the slightest' trace
of sudp/iuzr in it, however; and that was a comfort.  I
can stand any thing but the smell of a coal-merchant.
Such, I am always fearful, will burn forever in a blue
flame, or expire by spontaneous combustion; so I
am always oppressed with a sense of insecurity when
in their presence.  There were no little jets of " blue
blazes" flitting up around the table under which the
water was concealed-nothing, only the smell of spices.
In ten minutes, Jim  handed out the wine-glass,
filled with spiced milk, it seemed. It was a clean,
white-looking fluid.  I smelt it cautiously, as if it was
fortified  harsthorn (always be cautious when  you
smell hartshorn, else you'll fancy you've been struck




MODERN SPIITUALISM.                 497
with a slulng-shot); but it was pleasant! I rather liked
it; that is, its odor was not obnoxious.  " Suppose I
taste it," I said, addressing  Mrs. Hollis, who  was
amazed -at the milk.
" Do not; it may be poison!"
" In such a quantity? Never   I'11 taste it, if I
lose my tongue by it!" So I tasted it, and it tasted
very queer. It was a queer taste.  It was zullike a kiss;
and yet it reminded you of something of the kind:
for you began, at once, to make inverted explosive successions with the lips, something like fanciful kissing.
Like a drop of peppermint, it imparted a diffused,
pungent warmth to the tongue and faucal appendages.
It was a stimulating exhilarant, and caused the salivary glands to secrete copiously.  In a few minutes
the  mouth  became comfortable again, and  I was
prepared to render an opinion.
As a wine, judged  by the color and quality of
standard wines, this spiritual brew was a failure, and
so I informed Jim.  He must do better than, that, if
he desired to  compete with  Longworth's "Golden
Wedding," or the "Muscat" of Werk.   But it was
no longer water!  It was a transformed fluid, a betweenity of water and  wine, which  no man would
mistake for either, unless he was daft of reason and
shorn of sense.  Jim felt rather ashamed of this experiment, and promised to renew it on the following
evening.  As my office is simply to record facts, I
offer no comments on the foregoing experiment; still
I am not insensible to the interest which thoughtful
minds will attach to it.
As if oleased with the conclusion of this experi



498             STARTLING FACTS IN
ment, Jim reached his hand to the little waiter on the
chair, and tattooed on it with his fingers for several
minutes.  He then suddenly took hold of my hand,
resting on the top of the table, and gave it a pretty
fair grip.  This terminated the table seance.
Monday evening was engaged by a man who did
not desire to give his name, but who represented himself as doing business on Fourth Street.  I declined
making this engagement, several times, on the basis
that it was an implied reproach upon my integrity to
withhold such a civility, when, at the same time, the
unknown was seeking admission to my house and the
presence of my family.  Against my better judgment
and an established rule for forming circles, I consented
to allow this fellow to interview  the spirits on the
evening of the 2ISt of April.  I did wrong.
At the time appointed, this man, and four other
men, entered my parlors.  I knew only him by sight;
the remainder were entire strangers to me.  It did
not require but a few  minutes to let him  know he
had abused the concession I had made in his favor;
and I refused,-for a time, to allow his party to enter
the circle-room.  I informed Mrs. Hollis of the state
affairs; and she said she was willing to sit, if I consented to admit them.  So into the dark room  we
went, and I very soon ascertained that two mistakes
had been made.  Two spirits attempted to talk, and
said enough to be identified as spirits simply, when
Nolan said, " I will not speak to men under the influence of whisky."
I lighted  that room  in a jiffy, and escorted the
unknown and his party to the door, with the assurance




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                         499
that they would  most probably  never enter it again
while it was my dwelling-place; certainly, never to a
spirit-circle.   I am  afraid I was not amiable in taking
leave of them.  On the following morning, this letter
was written at the table:
(JOSIEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXII.)' MY DEAR FRIEND, —There are people who come to our
circles saturated with whisky and tobacco.  These agents generate a bad magnetism,  and an odor so unpleasant that the most
disagreeable effluvia of earth could scarcely be more obnoxious
to our senses. We tryl to approach them; but their stench causes
us to retire, sick and disgusted.  Tlhat men should think they
must brutalize themselves in this way l)efore they can listen to
the voices of those who were dear to them  in life, is a dismal
pity, and a humiliating ilnfatuation.  Such people surely live in
the pit of Aslllr, where tie worm dietli not.
" O men! will you make devils of yourselves? We have too
many such in the spirit-world; send us no more.  Arouse from
this unnatural condition, and aspire to a highler and better life.
Do not insult and grieve your fiiends who have left their pleasant abodes, and come trying to make clear to your understanding the reality of tile after-life.   You all need the assurance we
bring of a higher life   Then, for thle sake of all concerned, debase yourselves no more.   If you could see the hosts of spirits
clained to earth by their degrading vices, wandering, year after
year, about the haunts of their defilement, you would, in preference to being sulch, beg for annililation.
"Your circle, last niglt, was, to us, unpleasant and hurtful.
We will not-can not-approach men wllo are ullder the influence of intoxicating drink.  We can do tllemi no good, and they
do us much harm.  When you find such persons in tile circleroom, adjourn at once.   They outrage our better natures, and
stifle inspiration.  If suchl people purposely unfit themselves for
our presence, they must take the consequences, and the remorse
which comes too late.
"But let tliem seek us through proper conditions, and we will
gladly assure them of an after-life.  Their spirit-friends will establish their identity, and impart to them messages of love and




500. STARTLING FACTS ZA
encoturagement.  Beg of those who come, to meet us as pure
beings, ready to enfold them lovingly in our arms, if they will
permit us to do so. You did well to reject their money; and
could you lhave heard the applause given you by the spirit-hosts
about you, when you rebuked these poltroons, you would lhave
realized how much we appreciate your worth.
"JOSEPHINE."
Jim  Nolan was not satisfied with his miraculous
effort to transform water into wine; so he made request that the experiment should be repeated.  Accordingly, in the evening twilight of the 22d of April,
another wine-glass, two-thirds filled with the same crystal brew from  the cistern, was placed before him, and
was soon taken through the aperture, under the table.
In a little time, say five minutes, Mrs. Hollis complained of dizziness of the head, and desired to postpone the experiment for the present. I begged her
to remain quiet, the worst was over, and, if she fainted,
I promised to throw a pitcher-full of water in her face,
indifferent to the sacrifice of so much  prospective
wine.  Again, an odor began to emanate from beneath
the table, growing stronger each moment, until the
atmosphere became charged, as in a distillery of high
wines.  Mrs. Hollis grew better under the inhalation
of this spirituous vapor; but I began to experience a
fullness in the veins and arteries of the head, indicating
the approach of asphyxia.   I opened the door to admit fresh air, which I could do without moving from
my chair or taking my eyes, for an instant, off the
medium.  In ten minutes, the experiment was completed, and the glass of water  or wine, as you electwas placed before the aperture, on the chair.  The fluid
was clear and colorless as when it was taken under




MODERN SPIRITUZALISM.               501
the table, but there was a strong vinous smell to it.
Jim wrote:
" Let it alone; we are not. done with it."
It was again taken through the aperture, and, in
four minutes, reproduced; but this  time, a clear,
transparent, amber-colored wizne!  The  transformation was complete!  I tasted it; acid and sugar and
spirit were pleasantly blended in the beverage; and I
believe, if used in equal quantities with intoxicating
wines, its effect on the vascular system  would be
precisely analogous.
I have bottled this wine, and it is in the hands of
Professor Wayne, the well-known chemist, for analysis.  If his formula of ingredients is received before
this chapter is printed, I will insert it here; if not,
then the experiment must be considered only as a
curious transmutation of water, which
"Looled upon its Maker's face, and blushed."
The plain prose of this experiment is, that Jim
Nolan chemicalized the water, and made a wine of it.
If I did not know  this, I should call it a miracle;
information is very bad for the miraculous.
The value of this experiment has not been a leading question in my mind.  I have somewhere heard
of water being converted into wine, and I only wished
to ascertain for myself, while I had the opportunity,
whether the thing was practical or not.
The next experiment at the table was with a
book.  I had purchased, late in the day, a small
volume of "Pope's Essay on Man," and had it in my
pocket.  It had not been opened; so I laid it on the
45




502             STARTLING FACTS IN
chair, and Nolan carried it under the table.  After
he did this, I said:
"Can you read that book under the table in the
dark?"
The raps indicated an affirmative reply. I said
again:
"Please read a passage, and write it on the slate;
and indicate th     e page of the book where the passage
may be found."
In a few minutes, not exceeding ten, the book was
replaced on the chair, and the slate rapped upon, to
have it withdrawn. I took the slate, and read:
"Page 46 —
"  IHappiness! our being's end and aim."
" Page 48"Order is Heaven's first law."
I now opened the book at the pages written above,
and found the words as quoted on each page, exactly
as it had been represented.
I desire no stronger testimony to prove the presence of an educated mind under the table-a mind
that had eyes to see, hands to serve, and brain to
comprehend-than is furnished by the experiments
with the book and watch.  It is not material to the
object of my writing that you call such mind spirit.
But call it something; give it a name of which you.will
not be ashamed. I have no argument to offer but that
which every thougltful man and woman has already
anticipated. The verdict of the reader must rest upon
the facts of the case.  Rhetoric is dumb in their impressive presence, and all elaborate speech contemptible.




MODERN  SPIRITUALISh.                       503
Lay aside prejudice, and  look  these facts squarely in
the face.  Let us not turn away from  Truth.
"One vision of her snowy feet
Is worth the labor of a life."
With  all the vigilance I could exercise, I was not
able to form  good circles for the spirits.   One good
man would come to arrange for a seance, and he would
represent his personal friends as being all right; alnd
believed them  to be so, too; but when  they entered
the dark circle, the spirits discovered such people, frequently, to be all wrong.  I felicitated myself on having  a good circle for the spirits, on the night of the
22d of April,-if I entertained any misgivings during
the  evening  on  the  subject, the  doubt was  put to
rest by  the  reception  of the  following  letter, next
morning:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXIII.): MY DEAR FRIEND,-My letter will be short tils morning,
as our medium  is very much exlhausted.  When she gives out
her magnetism, she can spalre only so much; I will have to
write but little untlil she is qu!ite restored.  Monday and Tuesday have been very exhaustilg days for her, and that is my
reason for writing so briefly to day.  When she is less worked,
I will write more fully my passing thoulghts.
"Last night but little good was accomplished in the circle.
The people present were simply egotistical and selfish, to an ttncommnon extent.  They are the weeds and brambles we find
growing along the high-ways of life; and objects of pity to the
passer-by.  And yet they are no worse than two-tlhirds of the
hIumanl race.'O0 wisdom! how thou art to be coveted! What is wealth
without thee?  Knowledge is the savior of the world, ignorance its curse and devil! Help me, my friend, to awaken
in the souls of these people a realizing sense of their weakness.
Tear out the weeds and thistles of ignorance  by the roots,




504              STARTLING FACTS IN
that grow rank in their souls; then spiritual light and warmth
will quicken their better natures into life.
"You have done much for us, my good friend. We tlank
you.                                        JOSEPHINE."
The  twilight seance of the 23d of April was a
reproduction  of the  book-test.   This  time  a large
volume  of poems, called  "The Great Republic," a
work published in England only-a copy of which I
borrowed for the occasion-was placed on the chair.
It was a little cumbersome  to  handle, and  heavy.
After going over the same ground we had  with the
other book, book and slate again appeared in like
manner as before stated.  It was written on the slate:
"Page 224"The ghosts of our dead years, a piteous throng,
Cower on wintry steeps; and, shuddering there,
Mingle their flocks with phantoms borne alongPowers, splendors, victories, divinely fair,
That might have been, but are not! Fail our fires I
In each, unborn, some heavenly hope expires."
This was a literal extract from  the 224th page of
a book into which neither Mrs. Hollis nor myself had
looked.  The quotation was strange, weird, and singularly conceived.  Mr. Plimpton came in as the test
was concluded.
Recognizing men and women at their par value,
I did not discriminate against a class of people whom
the  wealthy and  fashionable  butterflies  of life call
outcasts, but granted a seance to nine of them, on the
night of the 23d of April.  If spiritualism   can not
raise the fallen, and speak comfort to their hearts,
it is no better than the Churches, and deserves to
have its Christ-like life crushed out of it, as it has




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      505
been from   the stony-hearted  creeds of modern  paganism.
These  people  talked  intelligently; and  it was
matter of astonishment to  find  them   so capable of
receiving the higher truths of spirit-teachings.  Two
songs were sung, accompanied by the spirits; after
which, the conversations commenced, and continued
for two hours and a half.  During  this time, twelve
spirits talked by spells to the different members of
the circle, and gave their names, and otherwise identified  themselves.   The  conversations  were  purely
personal and private; but they had the better effect
"for a' that."   In  the morning the table comments
were as follows:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXIV.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-YOLur circle last night was composed
of people who are quite spiritually developed, though not possessing what is fashionably styled a religious education. When
their friends came to assure thlem of their presence, they were
received with the happy spirit of confiding love.  It was tiis
that opened the avenue to their spheres, and permitted the
light to shine upon their hearts.
"All who came last night went away happier and better.
They knew  that angels were in their midst.  I am  always
happy to assist willing people, no matter what station in life
they occupy, or where the world may place them.  There was
sunshine in their hearts, and joy in their souls; both the spirits
and mortals felt this.
"For a large promiscuous circle, it was the best you have
had(. Those people feel, this morning, that the coffin-lid has
been lifted from  the face of their friends; and that they are
with them, loving with a stronger love and  more purified
affection.  0, I am so glad to bring sunshine to these people,
and teach them  lessons that will lead them  to higher planes
of thought, and fit them for happier conditions of life 
"' Few are so peculiarly situated as myself.  All the love of




506              STAARTLING FACTS IN
my woman's heart must be enlisted while I lead these people
out of the wilderness of error and unrest.
"You are assisting us more than any other mortal in making
for us good conditions. We are glad when we have a harmonoious circle.
"The Monday night circle did us much harm-more than
words can tell you.  After this, avoid all such people.  It has
caused me much sorrow, as it has many other spirits.  0
men  when will you learn that life has a higlier lprpose than
the gratification of your passions?  Let us draw near you, and
tell you of our homes. We will bring you good news; but
dlo not ruin the work we are trying to accomplish.
" JOSEPHINE."
Josephine  speaks of this circle of Pariahs  with
commendation; and yet, in contrast, she complains of
the one I permitted on Monday evening, which was
composed of gentlemen (?), two of whom  are zealous
members of a fashionable Church on Ninth  Street.
It was one of these Church members who distinguished
himself by singing  hymns  in  the circle, when his
breath was so poisoned by whisky that neither spirit
nor mortal could  tolerate  his presence.   But that
women of the pave should be esteemed more spiritually developed than Church members in good standing, is the strangest part of Josephine's communication.




MIODERN SPIRITUALISM.             507
CHAPTER XXIX.
A DARK CIRCLE-A YOUNG MEDIUM-SPIRIT-FLOWER
AT THE TABLE-A CIRCLE OF FILTH-JOSEPHINE
SPEAKS OF IT-AN ALARMED DUTCHMAN-OSTRAC ISM-A CONTRAST'-SPIRIT-LIGHTS —PREI)ICTIONCOUNTING MONEY-PEARLS, PEARLS-TABLE-LIFTING-FINAL SITTING-VALEDICTORY LETTER.
BEGINNING on the 24th of April, and continuing
every evening thereafter to the 1st of May, most
of the phenomena recorded in the last two chapters
were reproduced in the presence of Mr. Plimpton.
Some of these, and others, he will report in a succeeding chapter, to which special reference will be
made as I write up my notes.
The book-tests were repeated under more stringent conditions than those I hxve detailed, as will be
seen by Mr. Plimpton's report.             /
On the 25th of April, a dark circle was formed
by Isaac F. Smith and wife, Master Walter Smith,
Robert Leslie, George W. Newman, and two other
gentlemen.
In the presence of these people, spirit-voices assisted in. singing several hymns; after which, they
addressed each person in the circle, and gave most
indubitable testimony of their identity. Mr. Smith
and his family were peculiarly favored by the pres



508               STARTLING FACTS IN
ence of a number of friends, who  spoke  freely and
intelligently  of his family  affairs, and  the  relation
they sustained  to him.  A  spirit said that " Wa/ltrr"
was a medium, and that if he would sit at a table at
home, and hold a slate under it, he would get writing.
I have since received messages from the spirits through
the mediumship of this lad, and the " watch-test" anld
6'money-counting  test" were given  as  promptly as
they were in the presence of Mrs. Hollis.  I predict
for this boy an extraordinary career as a spirit-medium.
The spirits being  interviewed, dutrig  the evening, on  questions  touching  their personality,  gave
remar-kable  testimony   establishing   their  identity.
On  the succeeding morning, the seance was briefly
commented upon as follows:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXV.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-The circle last night was good, atlthough the members of it wvanted more personal tests. It would
har(lly lhave satisfied thlem if their fiiends had given the entire
lhistory of thleir lives.  Oiie test of an id(lispultable character
slhould be sufficient to convince a reasonable mind; but a score
will not sulffice.
"Our medium  is too much exlausted to write more this
morning. Tle poor clilcl has a heavy work to do to-day, and I
fear sle will hardly have strength to do it.    JOSEPHINE."
On the 26t1, in the presence of Mr. Plimpton, the
drumming experiment was repeated; after which, the
following transpired: The cloth at the aperture was
agitated  and  pushed  aside, as if by a puff of wind.
Under the  table  could  now  be seen a spirit-light,
which gIradually grew  more luminous and condensed,
until a beautiful flower was  perfectly  materialized.
When  this was completed, it was projected into  the




MfODERN SPIRITUALISM.               509
room far enough to expose to view the entire hand ill
which the flower was held.  It remained, for closest
inspection, half a minute, before it was withdrawn;
but was soon presented again.  In the space of fifteen
minutes, the flower was presented nine times, averaging a half a minute at each exposure.  Our faces
were not more than twelve inches fiom  the flower.
By twisting her position a little, Mrs. Hollis was enabled to see this materialization, the first she had ever
witnessed.  The size, shape, and color of this flower
resembled  the "hundred-leaf rose."   The hand was
said to be Mary Plimpton's.
After this, two spirit-hands played with the drumsticks, knotted a haldkerchief, rang a lell in the
room-not Ltnder the table-and then left two impressions, one of a large hand and the other of a
smaller h-aidc, in two dishes of flour.
A  dark circle followed the table manifestations,
composed of six men, who came begrimed with sweat,
coal-smoke, oil, tar, and other abominations, making a
combination of odors so offensive that the  spirits
quickly ordered the relighting of the gas and the dispersion of the "goodlie companie."  The moral of
this failure is, that people should be undefiled in their
habits, before entering a spirit-room. And why not?
Such men would be ashamed to enter a fashionable
church in their filthy clothes; indeed, they would not
be tolerated in " Christ's" (?) Church, or St. Paul's, for
a single Sunday, if it were a good day for dress.
Speaking of dress, and other matters, the following
letter was written  at the  table, on  the  morning
succeeding the circle of filth.




510                STARTLING FACTS IN
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXVI.)
"MY DEAR FRIEND,-Saturday) folded its mantle of darkness over a week filled with anxiety and care to spirits and mortals alike.  Liglhts and shades alternated through the week; but
the shadows fell heaviest on our path.
"Another bright day has opened its eyes in the morning of a
new week. That it may be one of profit and pleasure to all, is my
sincere desire. May the lilght for wllicl we so earnestly pray, come!
"How many there are who do not understand the true relation which the spirit and natural world sustain to eaci olier!
nor do they comprehend the conditions which best establisl the
intercourse of the two worlds.   I fear all I can say oni the
subject will do but little good; for but few realize our actual
presence, and fewer still how mucl we labor to give you evidence
of our personality.
6'In view of all the circumstances connected with spirit intercourse, I am surprised you get as many spirit communications
as you do.  There is so much bigotry and prejudice and ignorance in the world, that our task to overcome them  is greater
than you can imagine.
"If tile manifestations we'give to Christians were given to
pagan savages, their truth would never be questioned.  Here,
however, our messages are reviled, and our presence denied,
because they conflict withl your systems of theology, which have
no foundation in truth or eternal principles of righlt and justice.
Examine tie firuits of this theology.  What hlas been its effects
upon the world? —upon society?   It is a fearful contemplation.
Every-where  prevail suspicion, falselood, and  crime.  Tle
bonds of brotherhood destroyed, eacli member of society is
made the prey and victim  of the other.  The soul of a heathen
would shrink from  doing his neighbor the wrong which these
enlightened (?) people are daily inflicting upon their neighbors.
Do not send  your missionaries abroad to make civilizees of
savages.  They have as much humanity in their hearts as
Christian men and women, and are happier.  Every-where tlere
is discontent among your people.  False education has developed false relations in living.  Examine the principles upon
which society is superstructed. Money and Dress are your
twin deities; Avarice and Egotism, their hand-maids.  What
becomes of tie universal brotherhood under such teaching?




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                      5 I I
"But what does all this prelude?  MISERY! Soon you
will hear of financial crashes tlhat will strike terror to tle sordid
soul of the nation. Bigotry and religious intolerance is preparing for a terrible conflict with the liberal spirit of the age.
War-red-lianded war —is imminent!  Tle poor will revolt
against the rich, and demand a division of their ill-gotten spoils.
The discontent in your midst is an evidence of wrong; and all
wrong is riglited sooner or later.  Ligllt will dawn upon the
darkened understandings of men, and tlien the wrong perislies.
Tlie veil will be rent, and light will shine resplendent fiom
the battlements of the spirit-world.
Be firm! Spiritualism  las revealed the rottenness and
worthlessness of creeds.  They have been a curse instead of
a blessing to mankind.  Tlie new  dispensation will cause an
upheaval of thle earth, that will shake the foundations of things.
Bigotry and superstition will die!  Truth, honor, and justice
will live forever!                           JOSEPHINE."
A  dark circle was held on the evening of the 27th,
Sunday, attended by a number of ladies and gentlemen, whom   I  had  invited  as  my  guests.  These
people were of different social positions, but met on
the plane of spiritual development. The manifestations were excellent, all the members of the circle
being spoken to by one or two or three of their spiritfriends.  Besides, Jim  Nolan was particularly felicitous in  his discourse.  He reiterated  the statements
made  by  " Ski;" namely, that the spirits knew  not
only every thing we do, but that those  who are in
deep sympathy with us know our very thoughts.
"Gott in  himmel!" said a Teuton  present.  " I
would n't for a tousand dollar, let'Lizabet' know what
I vas tinkin' about last night!"
There was in the circle a son of a presiding elder
in the Methodist Church; and a distinguished banker
of the city.  These two met for the first time, but




512                STARTLING FACTS IN
they  were  not friends.  The  sprig  of elder held  up
his chin, and looked down on the banker.   Now, the
banker never suspended; therefore, he was honorable.
He  never met his obligations with  certified  checks.
This ought to have secured for him  the good opinion
of even the presiding  elder himself; but it didn't of
the son.   So, ol  the  morning  after the  circle, the
following  letter was given, in which  this subject of
"I'm  holier than thou!" was discussed in
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXVII.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-When we talk about social ostracism,
we attack one of the strotng props that uphollds society, and
the very corner-stone of the Church militant.  Those who sustain the Church, and who by the Church are upheld, draw
their robes  about them, and say  to  their fellow-sinilers:'I'm  holier tlan tlhou! get thee out of my pathway!  It is
true you have tle same heritage to light and life; but I can
not afford to give you the hand of fellowship.  My friends would
see mle do it!'
"But view this subject of social ostracism from  a different
stantd-l)oillt, and see how fiaught with misclief it is.
"Here is at woman of refinement, of noble and pure im-.pulses, and most sensitive nature.  She values her reputation
beyond all price; and, for her benevolence and spotless clharacter and blameless life, she is beloved by all who share  her
friendship and esteem.  She could not invite reproach upon
lherself or friends by an uncomely act or thought.
"To her it was said:'Your good fi-iend and neighbor is
a spirit-medium; if you seek her presence, you will hear tlle
voices  again of your loved and lost darlings-those whose
eyes you closed* when death stole them  fi-om  your embrace.
Will xou go to them?'
"Her love is strong, and the temptation is great.  Perhaps
slhe is tlhinkin of the face of lher mother, of whose voice slhe
dreams, with her eyes lhalf closed, as the maidetl dreams of
tlhe kisses of her lover.  Or, it may be, the memory of a dear
chilld has been awakened, wlhose soft breathing  she almost




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        513
feels upon  her heart.  Does she want to hear their accents
of love again?  0 yes  yes!  yes! To the world's end would
she travel to hear their charming voices, and to be assured
tlhat thiey still live.  She yields to  the human impulse, and
seeks the presence of her darlings.  0 rapture! slie hears them
speak again! What inexp3ressible bliss is this! But now slhe
is informed if she sits in a dark room  at home, her loved
can and will converse with her there, and bring her messages
of joy from the Summer-land.
"Conceiving no guile, she conforms to the instructions, and
at last the low whispers of her darlings are heard.  0, what
pleasure! 0, what happiness to untombl the lost, and hear tlem
speak of the beautiful world beyond I She speaks of tlis marvelous truth to her associates and fiiends, expecting them to share
the rapture of her own joy.  But, alas! she finds her friends
cooling off, and one by one absenting themselves, until tle
painful conviction is forced upon hler mind that sle is avoided.
They become reticent, and seal their lips in silence, until their
hearts become bitter.  She is set aside, the victim  of social
osthacisvm!
"It is ill vain she asks:'What have I done to offend my
friends, that they should treat me thus?  Have I been untrue
to them  in act, word, or deed?'  Slle droops as if smitten
with a plague; and after the iron  has entered  her soul, she
rallies to the true dignity of womanly claracter, and lives a
life free from such intolerance.
"In your circle last nigllt you had a preacher's son and
a gambler.  The first expressed his prejudice against the latter,
on account of his profession.  Let us look at this matter from
a higher stand-point.  No man is compelled  to gamble; but
if he consents to run his chances by obtaining money on the
turn of a card, or to lose, it is a fair issue squarely made.  If
he loses, simply a part or all his money is gone; he must
struggle for more, and learn wisdom.  He is not disabled.
Avarice is his besetting sin, if it is not amusement.
"But how stands it with the preacher?  He has planted
errors in my  soul, which  will require  ages to uproot; he
lias trammeled me with dogmas, andc blighted me witll creeds,
which will cling to me for many years, until I finally unlearn
them.
" Be governed  in all things by reason.  Do  not allow




51 4              STARTLING FACTS ZN
prejudice to poison the fountain of pure tloughlt. The profession of one man may do more harm  to his fellows than the
profession of anotler; but which is the worst? Be careful how
you decide   The   e teachers of error are not blameless; and as
to gambling, who among your conventional saints are entirely
exempt from  it?'Taking the cha'nces' is a common maxim
in business.  Insurance policies on life and property are only
shuffles and deals of mercenary gamblers.
"It will not do to condemn hastily. While I do not desire
to offer any apology for wrong-doing, still it is only justice
to say, that the gambler fiequently is no worse than those who
condemn him to social ostracism.             JOSEPHINE."
On the 28th of April, Mr. Plimpton, after making
a careful examination of the table that he might be
able to assure the public he had neglected no means
to discover fraud, that was proper to  be employed
upon  the  occasion, proceeded with  the  " box-test,"
the particulars of which he.has reported in the next
chapter.  In  referring  to  this  box-test, Jim   Nolan
said it required the united efforts of " Ski" and himself to make it a success.
The next manifestations at the table were spiritlights.   The light in the room  was shaded down a
trifle, and the  cloth  covering  the aperture held  up,
giving an unihterrupted view  into the black opening.
I thought to  improve  my facilities for seeing, and
proposed to change my position.   I was at once told,
that to  do  this  would  change their batteries, and
defeat their purpose.
I remained quiet; and it was only a few  minutes
after, when the dark hole, into which we were peering,
became illuminated by floating dots of light. I should
think there were twenty of them  visible at one time.
Those mos  remote fiom  the aperture were the most




MODERN SPIRIT UALISM.3 5
brilliant, as that part of the chamber was darkest.
They were about the size of house-flies; and if you
will fancy these pests luminous, flying about in a dark
room, you will have a fair conception of these mysterious pyrotechnics.  By a close inspection, these lights
were seen to rest on the tip-ends of fingers.  In some
instances, the whole hand could be seen, though very
obscurely.   As these lights came quite out of the
aperture, I placed  my hand favorably for having it
touched by them.   This they did several times, and
would instantly expire, as a spark when dropped in
water.   After several repetitions of this kind, the
lights went out; my hand acting, I suppose, as a "wet
blanket" on their illuminating power.
After this, the spirits again brushed my hair, that
Mr. Plimpton might see the operation, and my "venerable locks " looked the better for it. Jim then grasped
me cordially by the hand, in the lighted room, and next
patted the back of Mr. Plimpton's hand caressingly;
after which, still in the light, he wrote,"JAMES."
That concluded the seance for the evening.
On the morning following, I asked if there was to
be a letter for me; when this was written:
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXVIII.)
" MY DEAR FRIEND,-I am always glad to write to you, and
anticipate the morning lesson (as you are pleased to call it) with
pleasure.
"Several days ago, in my letter, I made allusion to the coming conflict.  The spirit-world is bringing that about.  The
truth of spirit-intercourse will soon be generally understood;
and as the people obtain a knowledge of the facts of spirit-life,
they will cease to be influenced by the romlinticisms of priests.




516                STARTLING FA CS IN
Faith will cease to lead them, when they have positive knowl.
edge to guide.  The attempt will then be made to sustain the
Clurches by invoking legislative action to coerce the people to
adopt their spurious system ofmorality.  This will bring on the
conflict.  The blows of revolt will fall upon every houselold.
The issue will be sanguinary and doubtful for a time; but the
spirit-hosts, arrayed upon the side of right, will oppose wrong to
the bitter end, and triumph at the last.  I contemplate this
struggle in sadness; still, when I look at the grand results, I
feel that it is right that it should come.''hlle experiments last night were quite successful; others
will follow, quite as interesting in character, before the medium
leaves for home.'; I have been looking over the manuscript of your book.  I
like your direct method of stating things.  Much has been writtenon the subject of spiritualism; but plain facts tell the best
story.  The truth should be told with as little adornment of
words as possible.  Present it to the mind's eye as naked as
you can.                                         JOSEPHINE."
Mrs. Hollis sat by the table for manifestations, in
the evening twilight of the 29th of April; when, after
some desultory conversation, I placed a roll of bankbills on the chair, and requested the spirits to tell the
exact amount it contained.   The roll was soon taken
under the table, and, after several minutes, was again
produced upon the chair.  The slate was at the same
time  rapped  upon  and  withdrawn, on  which  was
written:
Five twenty-dollar bills,....   $oo oo
Fifteen ten-dollar bills,.....             I50 oo
Twenty-two five-dollar bills,...               IIO 0
Four two-dollar bills,...    8 00
Three one-dollar bills,...       3 00
4371 oo
This  statement was entirely  accurate, though  I
had no knowledge of the amount of money in the roll




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               517
until it was thus given.  The remark was made that
the spirits had a favorable opportunity for discounting
if they felt like doing a banking business.  To which
Jim quickly replied on the slate:
"Money is valueless here. The distinctions which
wealth creates among men cease at death.  They
have no existence in the spirit-world."
"Yes," I said; " I suppose the rich and poor meet
on a common level."
" Not so," said Jim, "wisdom creates distinctions;
but your rich men do not have a monopoly of this
spirit-wealth.  The reason is, money can not purchase
it.  The humblest in life may have the greatest
abundance of it, and thus become the most exalted in'
the conclaves of the goodly great and greatly good.
It is a rare gem, to be compassed only through trials,
suffering, and death.  It pays no tribute to wealth,
no homage at the shrine of error."
After this writing, no manifestations occurred for
a quarter of an hour.  There was not even a rap, to
announce the presence of a spirit.  Finally, the cloth
at the aperture began to puff out, as if blown upon by
some person under the table.  After several spells of
this kind, I lifted the cloth, which gave an uninterrupted view of the interior of the dark chamber.  I
had scarcely fastened the cloth on the top of the table,
when a dim, shadowy substance appeared at, and
seemed to fill, the entire aperture.  I could not distinguish what it was.  It retired fioni the aperture,
and in a minute or two reappeared; but this time
more clearly defined.  I could now see it was a spirithand, with  the palm  surface upturned; and  the
46




5I8             STARTLIN G FACTS IN
fingers were festooned with strings of pearls, several
inches in length.  In the hand lay the medallion likeness of Napoleon.  It was the ornament I had seen
at the cabinet, a dozen times, on Josephine's neck.
The hand moved back and forth several times, giving a
corresponding motion to the pendent pearls.  I placed
the palm of my hand on the chair, when these strands
were drawn gently over the back of it, once or twice.
I then turned it, and formed a cup of the palm, into
which the mass of pearls was laid, for a moment, and
then taken under the table.  I requested they shouldl
be laid in Mr. Plimpton's hand; but the experiment
was at an end.
There was an appreciable weight in these spirit-:
jewels: so at least I thought at the time; but since
then I have almost persuaded myself that it was the
consciolus: touch that gave me the impression.  If I
had not been looking or expecting the touch at the
time, would I have recognized it as I did?  On the
subject of weight and touch, I am  not certain; but
the sense of seeing accurately is confirmed  by the
concurrent testimony of Mrs. Hollis and Mr. Plimpton.:
The pearls were of varied sizes, and seemed in
this particular to be graded-the largest at the bottom
of the strands, the smallest at the top.  I noticed this
more particularly when they were worn on Josephine's neck.  Inl the aggregate, there were enough of,
them  to fill two-thirds of an ordinary-sized tea-cup;
the cup of my hand was quite full.  After this extraordinary manifestation, Nolan projected  his hand,
and fore-arm through the opening, ald picked up a pair
of scissors and a sheet of white paper from  the chair,




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.               5I9
and carried them  under the table.  In a minute, the
scissors were replaced, and the paper was handed out.
It had been cut in a heart-shape, and, by the folds
of the paper, there were four of these formed.  No
less thain two hands could have executed this simple
feat.
I now set the heavy music-box on the table, and
began winding it.  While I was'doing this, the table
and superadded weight, including the box, being more
than twenty pounds, were lifted several times, a foot or
more, from the floor.  This closed the seance.
Mr.' Plitnpton and myself subsequently  placed
ourselves in Mrs. Hollis's position at the table, and
tried'to lift it, as it had been  lifted; but neither
of us was equal to the task.  I strained the tendons
of my arm  so badly in the effort, that I did not
recover its comfortable use again for as much as
a week'.
On the evening of the 30th of April, Mr. Plimpton and myself had our final sitting for table manifestations with Mrs. Hollis.  We had resumed our
usual positions but a few minutes, when a spirit-hand
was projected, waving a spirit-handkerchief several
times, only a few inches from  our faces.  It stopped,
giving us ample time to examine both the hand and
delicate texture of the fabric, before it retired.  This
materialization appeared a second time, when, by request, the cobwebby material was drawn over my hand
twice, after which it was withdrawn.  I had seen this
spirit-handkerchief exhibited at the cabinet aperture
several times, but never before was I sufficiently near
to give it such a close inspection.




520            STARTLING FACTS IN
The hand and arm were again presented; but this
time the arm  to the elbow  was clad with a sleeve
of white tulle.  The arm flexed and extended several
times, and then disappeared.
A  smaller hand and arm  were next presented,
dressed with  a full flowing  white illusion  sleeve.
This was said to  belong to Mr. Plimpton's sister
Mary.  The hand projected  toward  Mr. Plimpton,
who, extending his own, had it caressed for half a
minute.  He then presented a cluster of apple-blossoms to the spirit, which were received with demonstrations of pleasure, and carried under the table.
Here it was written on the slate, that
" The beauty and fragrance of my favorite blossoms give me
no less pleasure now than when I enjoyed them in life.
"MARY."
The blossoms were then distributed between Mr.
Plimpton, Mrs. Hollis, and myself, each receiving our
tiny bouquet fiom  the hand of the spirit.  The hand
then waved us an adieu; and, while doingo so, the slate
weas projected by another hand, upon which were written, inz yim Nolan's characters, the words, "GOOD-BYE!"
This closed the series of table seances, whereat
had been manifested the most interesting phenomena
it has been my privilege to witness.  It is not deemed
necessary to make special comments upon these manifestations.  The reader, no doubt, has scrutinized
the record I have made of them, closely.  I strung
my philosophy and facts together, in the narrative
which is now closed.
On- the following morning, May Ist, Josephine's
valedictory letter was written.  Here it is:




MODERN SPIRITUALISM                          5 21
(JOSEPHINE'S LETTERS, No. XXIX.)
" MY  DEAR FRIEND,-Again our clannel of communication
with you is to be interrupted.  I am sorry for tiis! It has been
a pleasure and a profit to us to be here.  We feel grateful for
the favorable conditions you have given us, and owe you many
thanks.
"This subject of conditions must be better understood by
those who desire to have reliable  communications with the
spirit-world.  People of tender minds get'shaky' when you
speak to them of conditions, and become very suspicious that
some cunningly contrived machinery lies hidden in its meaning.
If not fiightened, they become uncivil, and treat us as though
we were personal enemies to our fellow-mortals, instead of being
the messengers of'glad tidings' to the race.  When a mother
comes to speak to ler child in loving accents, sle is rudely repulsed, or treated with so much discourtesy that slhe retires in
confusion and humiliation.  I have listened to people talking,
who, by tleir unwarranted rudeness, insensibly mystified their
spirit-fi-iends, until they retired in confusion.  Again, I have
seen the happy, heart-felt joy of those who were assured that
their memories were still clerished by their fiiends on earth,
who listened to their tiniest rap or faintest whisper with love
and respect.
"0 fiiends! understand the importance of'conditions.'  Do
not sneer at the word; it is the best we can employ to express
our meaning.  Before you ask us to substitute another word, try
to understand and illustrate the signification of this one.  Give
us better conditions, tlhen we will come nearer to you, and tell
you of our lives and homes in the spirit-world. Surely you need
information of this character, and should put yourself to some
pains to obtain it.
"Last night we were able to give you some pleasant manifestations at the table.  These will excite a deep interest in the
public mind.  Your book would have been incomplete without
containing a notice of them.  The people are starving for this
kind of testimony, which demonstrates to their senses the
actuality of the spirit-world.
"And now, my dear friend, I can only say my soul is filled
with gratitude for the service you have rendered me.  Good-bye.
" JOSEPHINE."




522              STARTLING FACTS IN
CHAPTER XXX.
MR. PLIMPTON'S SECOND REPORTTIHE MEDIUM-OBJECT IN  VIE\VWTHE NEEDLE-TEST —THIE  WA''CH-'TEST-THE 1BO3K-T'ES'-TrWO  HANDS IN  FLOURTHE BOX-TEST-THE IIAND —MISCELLANEOUS.
W I  HEN  Mr. Plimpton  made his first report of
his experiences with spirit-phenomena, he had
not seen enough to produce solid convictions that the
manifestations were really what they purported to be.
Since  then, he  has been  a welcome visitor to my
house, and  has availed  himself of the  privilege to
come and  go at pleasure, that he could the better
satisfy  his mind  of the genuine character of these'startling facts in modern spiritualism."   After having such facilities for several months, he has deemed
it proper to supplement his first report by a second,
which was printed  in Colonel  Donn  Piatt's  paper,
The Capilal, published at Washington, from  which I
transfer it to these pages.  The article is carefully
and ably written, and will command respectful attention  fi-om  all thinking readers.  Colonel Piatt editorially prefaced the article by saying:
" We publish to-day an interesting article from the pen of Mr. F.
B. Plinlpton, associate editor of the Cincinnati Comniericial. Mr.
Plim)pton is one of the al)lest journalists in the United States, and
we can vouch —as a wide circle of fiiends amlong the best people can
vouch-for his sincerity and truthfulness. Our readers will find his
investigations remarkable, and well worth a study."




MODERA SPIRITUALISM.                          523
HALF-HOURS WITH SPIRITS.
A SERIES OF TEST EXPERIMENTS.
BY F. P1. LTMPTON.
CCININNATI, May 8, 1873lMY  DEAR  COLONEL, —n a some-time unanswered letter,
you incidentally inquire of me what progress I have made in
the  investigation  of the so-called spiritual manifestations.  I
am  now prepared to reply.
At the conclusion of the seances given in the Autumn of
1872, thlroulgh the mediumsllip of Mrs. Mary J. Hollis, of Louisville, at tile house of Dr. N. B. Wolfe, in this city-several of
wlich I had the pleasure of attending with yourself and tle
Hon. William  M. Corry-I gave over tile investigations, determined, however, should opportunity offer, to renew  lhem.
I had seen enough to convince a reasonable mind that tile
manifestations were not the result of trickery or imposture.
They were given under conditions n.ot so satisfactory as one
could  desire, and yet so  good  as to take  them  beyond the
possililities  of  mere  mechanical contrivance  and  physical
adroitness.
No one could accuse the medium of imposture, having seen
and heard. these things, wiitlout impeaching  the evidence of
his senses, or convicting his own conscielce of bearing false
witness against his neighbor.  The  facts were indisputable:
there were the slate-writings, the voices in  the dark  circle,
the materializations at the cabinet, heard and seen by every one
present, and aliike testified to by their faculties.  There could
have been no fiaud, there was no collusion; was thiere illusion
or delusion?
I was not entirely satisfied that the plenomena witnessed
might not be explained upon some other hypothesis thian that
of their spiritual origin; and  while I bore cheerful testimony
to the things seen and  heard, conscious that they had taken
place, and were  described  by myself with  more  scrupulous
faithfulness than any report I had ever made of a public event,
1 was not prepared to express an opinion that further investigation might make it necessary to modify.
Faith in the occult and mysterious tas been witl me a plant
of slow  growth; but I lack  the confidence of Mr. Herbert




524                 S 7ARTLING FA CTS IN
Spencer, to assume to settle such questions on a pbriorigrounds,
or to announce a thing to be impossible because it has not come
within the range of my own experience.  And tlen the saying,
that the impossible is always coming to pass, should qualify our
positiveness.
Professor Faraday's theory of involuntary muscular action
may have explained satisfactorily to him such so-called spiritual
phenomena as lie witnessed; but here was a class of facts or
manifestations as much beyond  those  lie  had seen'as his
experiments in electricity were beyond the wildest conception
of Friar Bacon.  Professor Carpenter's theory of unconscious
cerebation seemed to offer a better solution of the problems.
If to the unconscious working of the brain could be added thle
power of clear-seeing as a mental faculty developed  in peculiarly  organized  natures, as in  the  well-attested  case of
Zschokke, the eminent Geriian writer and historian, it seemed
to me a large number of the manifestations might be accounted
for without the aid of an unknown quantity.
As you have, in your own  happy manner, described  the
three modes of manifestation thirough Mrs. Hollis, by writing,
speaking, and materialization of forms, I will no't weary your
readers witli repetition of description.  Marvelous as they are,
they have been so often described and witnessed by thousands
of people tlat I anl sure you will pardon me if I pass to other
matters.
During the Winter months I was at some pains to inform
myself of the character and standing of Mrs. Hollis in the city
of her home; and, saving her reputation as a. medium, I have
yet to hear any thing prejudicial to the lady, or to which even
the "unco' gude" could except.  The mother of a family, her
life has been devoted to domestic duties.  Her husband is a
gentlemen well known among  business men.  Both  are as
sensitive to their own and their family reputations as the most
refined people of society elsewhere.  I have found Mrs. Hollis
at all times a modest, rather retiring lady,' possessed of no
remarkable intellectual powers, in speech and action candid
and sincere, and having absolute confidence in the verity of tle
manifestations made througlh her agency.
Here, then, is a woman wl)ose whole life is a protest against
the presumption of fraud a(nd trickery, and who is so physically
organized as still further to convince one of her inability to




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                       525
perform  tricks, if sucl they were, more marvelous than any
recorded of Hermann or Houdin.  I have seen many prestidigitators and jugglers, as well in tile Old as in the New World,
but none of thenl had her plhlegmatic temperament and almost
clumsiness of motion.  During her sittings she is quiet, and
apparently entirely passive to the influence controlling her.
Of Dr. Wolfe himself, it is sufficient to say that he is a
very positive and earnest spiritualist.  He las given the subject careful investigation during twenty years pasti traveling
thousands of miles to investigate with mediums of celebrity.
He has given up his pleasant home for weeks, during the past
two years, to those who have thronged it, seeking evidence
of the truth of spiritualism.  He has submitted to suspicions
and assumptions of fraud on his own part, sure that he was
neither deceived nor deceiving, and that he would bM ultimately
vindicated even in the opinions of those who had entertained
doubts of his honesty.  He has invited investigation, preferring the skeptic to the believer, and asking only to be credited
with the same honesty of purpose that others claimed for
themselves.
It seemed to me, in making a series of test experiments,
that it was most desirable to reduce the chances of fraud or
imposture, and to proceed with them as though convinced that
the medium and Dr. Wolfe, in whose presence they were given,
were confederated to practice deception.  Two objects were
then to be sought for,-material evidence of the existence
and presence of intelligence apart fiom  our own, and proof
of their capacity to act independent of any thoughts or impressions in our own minds.  Should conditions be imposed,
making the proof inconclusive on these two points, I determined to abandon all further investigations, and, for my own
part, remit spiritualism to the limbo in which the ghosts of
many delusions wander unregretted.
It is to these tests I now propose to invite your attention.
They were given in a chamber-room, over the parlor, in Dr.
Wolfe's house.  No trap-door could be made available.  The
floor was covered with elegant tapestry, and showed that it had
not been disturbed, the breadths extending across the room being intact. The furniture consisted of a bed, bureau, wash-stand,
and chairs, and a small toilet-stand in the center of the room,
without drawers in it, and so light that a child could pick it up
47




526                  STAR TLING FACTS IN
and carry it with ease.  There was no place for the concealment
of a confederate, and but one door by which he could pass into
or out of the room.   Moreover, unless physically as dwarfed as
Tom nThumb or Commodore Nutt, he could riot have crowded
under the stand, supposing him  to have got there without detection.  During all these experiments the gas was turned on;
and this, added to the brightly blazing coal-fire on the grate,
made  the  room  bright and cheerful in every corner.   Only
once were we requested  to lower the gas, as will be noticed
hereafter.
A strip of black muslin, reacling half-way to the floor, had
been fastened  round  the edge of the stand, the two ends of
which  met, and  could be parted like the curtains of a tent.
Over this was thrown a dark plaid shawl, falling to the floor on
all sides, ald making darkness absolute in the small space under the stand.   This was the only condition imposed.   A rude
diagram  may assist, better than any description  I can give in
words, in showing the location and appointments of the room,
the position of the table and the parties seated around it.
South Wall.
M                         Size of Room,
12 x 16.
~~~c   E           ~en
[N]> ~~~~~~[F]
R..
1I   II  II II   1II 1111    aI
North Wall.
A. The table under which the materializations were formed. B. Mrs. Hollis's
position at the table; she facing south. C. The chair under the opening in the valance. D. My chair.  E. Dr. Wolfe's position. F. Doorway from the hall to the
room. G. A bureau and pivoted mirror. H H. Plastered wardrobes. I. Window
opening south. J. Fire-place. L. Window opening to conservatory. M. Conservatory. N. Doorway from hall. O. Bed. P P P. Hall. R. First flight of stairs.
SS. Second flight of stairs to third floor.'. Entrance to front chamber.




MODERN  SPIRITUALISM.                     527
The door opening into the hall-way was near C, my own
chair partly obstructing the passage.  Mrs. Hollis sat with her
back to the door, and fronting the fire-place.  The ends of the
black muslin strip, fastened round the top of the stand, met at
C, where the materializations took place.  The unoccupied chair
was used to place articles upon during the experiments, as will
be further explained.
It will be observed, from  Mrs. Hollis's position, that her
right-hand was nearest the table; the left was placed upon it,
and, at our request, she never withdrew it during an experiment.
It was always in sight, and above the stand.  She had, tlierefore, only the right-hand with whicl to perform the " tricks," if
they were of her doing.  Of the probability of tlis, the reader
must judge at the conclusion.  This, then, was the position of
the three parties in the room-certainly, absolutely, the only
ones present during the tests.  No motion could have been
made without being seen.
A full spool of No. 80 Coates's thread, and a paper of needles,
No. 5 English make, containing twenty-five needles, was placed
on the chair at C.  Immediately, a well-defined hand reached
out from under the stand, and drew  them  successively in.
After a few moments, the paper of needles was placed outside,
followed by the spool of thread. We found four of the needles
missing, and a thread taken fiom the spool.  We had scarcely
examined these, when the thread reappeared, witli the four
needles suspended on the thread, the ends of which had been
knotted, as a seamstress would do it. We compared the needles
with those on the paper; they matcled for size.  Thle thread
upon which they were strung matched for quality, and filled the
place exactly upon the spool.  This feat had been performed, it
was alleged, under the table, and in total darkness.
Mrs. Hollis could not have done it had both hands been-at
liberty, and I doubt whether either Dr. Wolfe or myself could
have threaded them  in daylight, for men are proverbially bunglers at such work.  Still, this test was not conclusive.  There
might have been substitution of thread and needles, though we
had ourselves no doubt of the identity of the spool and the
paper with those which had been laid on the chair.  A more
extraordinary test followed.
Taking a stem-winding hunter-case watch, and pressing upon
the spring near the stem, the hands were turned backward and




528                 STAR TZLIAG FACTS IN
forward  indifferently.  Who  could  have guessed  the time?
Tle watch was placed on tle chair, and taken under the stand;
the request being that the time indicated on its dial should be
written on the slate wllicl Mrs. Hollis held.  After a few minutes, the watclh was handed out, closed as when it was taken, and
the sound of the pencil scratching on the slate was heard.  I
noted by another watch the time occupied from the handing out
of the watch  to  the  announcement on the slate, whiclh was' twenty minutes to one.''  Opening tle watch, and allowing, for
the time that had  elapsed, this vwas accurate to a  seconl.'There could have been no substitution in this case, for the
watch lhad.narks of identity not to be mistaken.  He would
have bleen a smart confederate who could have read the time
from  its dial-plate in total (larkness.   How, then, was it done?
By the unconscious cerebration of the mediuml1?  Did this mysterious mental emanation or agency take the slhape of a. hand to
touclh, to lhandle, adl to write, and,. penetLrating thlrough the
case, read the time which the hands indicated?  Or was there
some inexplicable illusion by which we were made to see tlat
which had no existence?  The reader is welcome to unriddle
tlhe rid(lle.
Could the spirits co1py from  a book a word or a sentence,
writing it on the slate which the medium held under the  lable?
By slight taps on tlie slate, with the pencil, they indicated their
willingnless to try.   To make sure that the book would be one
unknown to the persons present, I took with me a book just received fiomn the publislers, the wrapper of whicl was unbroken.
On the outside of the xwrlpper it was directed, "To the Editor
of the Conrericial, Cincinnati, Ohlio.   Care of, and for sale by,
George E. Stephens & Co.  Withi the compliments of tile publishers.   William  Wood  &  Co., Publishers, 27  Great Jones
Street, New York."   Notlhiug to indicate the title or cliaracter.
Tills book, the wrapper unbroken, and the twine stifl tied aroulnd
it, as it had come fiomn  the publishing-louse. I laid upon the
chair at C.  Presently a hand reacled out through the curtain
and took hold of it, and, try)ing first to draw it under flatwise, but
finding the legs of the stanrd too close together, turned it on its
edge.  It disappeared.  lTh'en the string and the wrapper were
handed out, the latter turned inside out, as though peeled off.
I watched closely Mrs. Hollis's right-arm, her left-hand being
on the table, while the wrapper, the crumpling of which we




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        529
could distinctly hear, was being taken off.  Not a muscle moved.
We could hear the turning of the leaves; and, soon after, the
scratclhing of tlhe pencil on the slate was audible.  Then the
book was put out, and dropped on the chair, at C.  I took it
without opening it.  Next came the slate, which was handed to
Dr. Wolfe, who, stepping to the gas-light, read: "Page 20.
Branches taught."  I opened the book to the page indicated.
At the third line from tile top were the words-the small-capital
side-lieading of a paragraph.  An examination of tle title-page
of tle book showed it to be " Trle Educational Year-book for
1873."  Tlhe slate upon wlicli this and all subsequent writing
in my presence was done, was one 1 had purclased on my
way to Dr. Wolfe's, and had privately marked.
And here was a test that involved botli physical and mental
operations.  Fraud  and  collusion were out of the question.
I turned  thle table over, and  lifted  it from  tlhe floor.  No
mechanism, no concealed confederate, no place on whicli Mrs.
Htollis could have rested the slate wlhicl slie held, and which
she must lhave dropped in ordler to take  the book, llad tlat
beeil, from  her position, a physical possibility.   But there
was a materialized lland tllat did tale tile book.  If my eyes
saw tlhe bool, they also saw the lhand tlat lifted it fiom the
chair.  It will not do to say tlhat my senses assured me as to
one fact, but were incompetent witnesses to tile other.  Moreover, eveii had it been the hland of tile medium, how did she
see in absolute darkness under tlhe table the words printed
on page 20, and copied on tile slate?  It seems to me, Professor Faraday's tlieory of involuntary muscular motion is put
hors de combat by thlis test; and it fares no better witll  Professor Carpenter's tleory of unconscious cerebration.
1 thoughlt tills experiment interesting  enougli to repeat.
Calling at tile bookstore of Messrs. Robert Clarke & Co., tlhe
following day, I requested Mr. A. W. Whelpley to wrap me up
two books, one in English, the other in Frencl, without letting
me know  their titles and character, and to inctorse his name
on the wrappers.  He did so, and in handing me the packages,
I understood him  to say the smaller contained  the Englisl
book.
Arriving at Dr. Wolfe's, we resumed our places around the
stand  as before, the  light burning  brightly, Mrs.  Hollis's
left-hand on the table, her right holding the slate under.  I




530                 STARTLING FACTS IN
remarked that I had with me two books,  one in French, the
other in English, and that we would try the English first.  I
then laid it on the chair at C, no one touching it but myself.
The hand appeared, drew it under, took off the string and the
wrapper, folded the latter neatly, and handed them  out.  Then,
after a few minutes, came the book.  When tle pencil dropped,
rattling along the slate, Mrs. Hollis withdrew  it.  I handed it
to Dr. Wolfe, who read, much to my surprise: " You have
made a mistake.  Tills is the wrong book; it is French."  I
picked up the volume.  Sure enough, it was a school edition
of the Fables of 2Esop in French.  I had misunderstood Mr.
Whelpley.  The other package was tlhen placed on the chair.
I need not repeat the description.  We could, however, distinctly, hear the operation of unwrapping, the turning of the
leaves, etc., and see, as it was carried about, where it disturbed
the folds of the covering of the stand.  When the slate was
handed to Dr. Wolfe, he read: "Page 14.  Captain Morris's
Songs.  Alas! poor'Morris-writes one."  I opened the book
at page I4, and followed the reading.  It was copied literally
firom  the print, tlhough not the complete sentence.  " Captain
Morris's Songs " was the title of tie article, the first sentence
of wlich reads, complete:' Alas! poor Morris!' writes one
who knew  himn well."  The book proved  to be, "Books and
Authors.  Curious Facts an(l  Characteristic Sketches.  Edinburgh: William  P. Nimmo"-a book and publisher of whom
I know nothing; and I question whether the volume las been
republished in this country.
Does unconscious correct conscious cerebration?  If the
minds of Dr. Wolle, tile mediuin, and myself, had any impression
with regard to these books, it was that the first one laid in
the clair was printed in English, nor was that impression corrected till the announcement of the mistake was made from the
slate.  Here, then, was an  intelligence  whlicl  had at least
elementary education in reading and writing, that acted independent of our own, and corrected the impressions of our minds.
What was it?
Many persons who  have been  present at Mrs. Hollis's
cabinet seances have seen not only faces, hands, and arms, but
flowers of various forms and colors, shown at an aperture in
the door.  At the conclusion of the book-tests we were informed by slate-writing tlat a materialized  flower could be




MODERN  SPIRITUALISM.                     531
shown at the end of the stand fronting C.  Presently a hand
appeared holding a full-blown rose of a deep, rich red, as large
and beautiful as could  be selected friom  the congressional
conservatory.  The flower-stalk and the green leaves were
also plainly to beseen.  It was put out fi-om four to five inches
beyond the curtain, and so close to me I could have touched
it.  As in the materializations in the cabinet, it seemed to
glow and fade, advance and recede, as though sensitive to the
alglt, and unable long to remain in it.  This, indeed, is characteristic of all the manifestations I have seen.
Two light sticks were placed in the chair, and were presently picked up, two lhands slightly advanced from  the curtain
taking them, and beating a sort of military rub-a-dub for our
edificatlon.  It was performed with the precision of a drummerboy.
Dr. Wolfe procured a platter of flour, and asked if they
could leave an impression of the hand in it.  They rapped
affirmatively.  After turning the platter around, but unable to
manage it, the request was written that the Doctor would hold
it at the corner of the table farthest from Mrs. Hollis; that is,
to the right of C.  He did so; the hand appeared, and after
indescribably fluttering over it with a rapidity of motion that
seemed electric, rested in it for a moment, and then shaking
off the adhering  particles, was withdrawn.  Mrs. Hollis was
requested to place her own hand in the print. The fingermarks were half an inch longer than her fingers.  It was
the impression of a man's halnd, full-sized, with all the strong,
anatomical marlings of such a hand.  An anatomist would
have pronounced it the hand of a full-grown man.  Moreover,
had Mrs. Hollis undertaken the feat, she must have changed
her position, and brought her shoulder even with the top of
the stand to lhave reached so far.  But her position was not
changed, and the physical impossibility that she could have
done it was demonstrated past our doubt. As Dr. Wolfe was
employed in holding the platter of flour, and I was looking on,
I trust it is not necessary to disclaim any agency on our part.
And hlow could a full-grown man have concealed himself under
the table?  I turned it over instantly the impression in the
flour had been completed.  There was nothing to be seen but
Mrs. Hollis's right-hand patiently holding the slate.  Was it
illusion?  The impression in the flour was seen by other people




532                 STARTLING FACTS IN
afterward.  If they saw it, so surely did I see the hand that
made it.
On the evening of the 28tlh of April, when we were seated
around the stand as before, I called for a box witll a lock and
key.  The thought of this test had just occurred to me.  Miss
Fanny, the  doctor's niece, lbrought in a handkerchief-box.
It was made of oak-wood, dovetailed at tlhe corners, and finisled
in walnut.  It was about eighteen inches in length, by six wide
and deep, and weighed, as we afterward ascertained, two and
three-fourths pounds.  Opening the box, I put into it a strip
of wlite news-print and a leadl-pencil, and locking it (leaving
the key in), placed it on the floor close to tile corner of the
stand nearest my chair.  As Dr. Wolfe lifted the covering of
tlhe stand, a hand camle out, and, taking firm  hold of tlhe box,
drew it in.  I had my doubts, owing to tile size of tle box,
and the narrowness of the space under the stand, whether it
could be manipulated.  But as we saw it lifted, and evidently
held in a horizontal position, the ends pusling out tile standcloth on both sides, so lthat we could follow every movement,
I concluded they had strength to manage it.  Now, mark-for
I was at pains to do so myself-tlat Mrs. Hollis's left-land
was on top of the stand, her right holding the slate under.  Dr.
Wolfe never approached  the stand  but once, and then  only
to receive the box at the opposite eid as it was put out, unlocked  and empty, the key lhaving been retained  under the
table.  Presently they asked for the box again, and it was put
where it liad been at first.  It was drawn under.  We could
hear them put tlhe paper in it and turn the key.  Tle box was
then handed out at tile opposite corner.  Dr. Wolfe received
it.  It was locked.  " What have you done with tlhe key?" was
aske(d.  The key was thrown into the chair at C, and taken
by myself.  Tile doctor gave the box to me, and, unlocking
it, I took out the pencil and the paper, on which I found written
in a free hand these words:
"Yes, Mr. Plimpton, we can do this.
" JIM NOLAN."
I had privately marked the sheet, and could swear to it in
any court as the one I put, blank, into the box.
Jim Nolan, as you lave explained to your readers, I believe,
is Mrs. Hollis's control.  His own account of himself is, that




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                        533
he enlisted in the army from  Indiana, was taken sick during
Sherman's Georgia campaign, was sent back to Nashville, and
died in the Maxwell House when it was used as a hospital.
I am  told his statement lhas been verified.  In the " dark
circle" he speaks with great ease and fieedom, in a voice as
loud as that of any person, and with an intelligence and native
wit and readiness of repartee that make a conversation with
him highly entertaining.
Now the reader will please apply to these tests the theories
of Faraday or Carpenter, or any other physicists who, in tleir
profound wisdom, have undertaken to account for these phenomena.  I must insist that lie leave out all twaddle about
trickery, sleight-of-hand, collusion, and confederates, and give,
if he be able, some rational explanation without admitting
spiritual agency.
The tea-bell interrupted the sitting at this point; but Nolan
by slate-writing, informed us that, after supper, they would show
us "spirit-liglots."  So, after tea, we resumedl  our seats.  Request was then made that tile liglt in the room should be lowered,
the only time during the sittings such a request was made.
It was turned down so that the shadow of the stand at C was
like a twilight in which the forms but not the colors of thinugs
are discernible.  These "spirit-lights'' lhave been seen, I am
told, floating about the room  in  the dark  circle, by  many
persons.  Here they were to be shown within'eighteen inches
of my face.  Presently a hand, faintly outlined, appeared at the
curtains of the stand, and friom  the tip of eacl finger successively glowed a low, lambent light of bluisl tinge, but without
the least illuminating quality, which slowly expired.  Sometimes the hand would close, leaving the index-finger straight,
with this  peculiar phosphorescent gleam  at its tip; then it
would open and display all the fingers, witll the lazy light visible
at the fiont of each.  This lasted for about twenty minutes.
Once Dr. Wolfe requested the hand to touch his own, and tlhe
shock passed from the finger-tip to the back of his hand, producing, as he described  it, a sliglt tinglilg  sensation like a
feeble shock from  an induction coil.  That it was electrical in
its nature, I do not doubt.
I had requested the medium  to place a ring on one of the
fingers of the hand with which she held the slate under the
stand.  She did so. It was a broad, massive gold ring.  When




534                STARTL ING FACTS IN
the lights had been shown, this mysterious hand came forwardthe light meantime having beenl turned on-and, advancing the
bare arm  above the wrist, exhibited its fingers one by one, to
show that no ring was upon it.
It repeatedly touched the back of my own hand, and the
touch was indefinably soft, cool, and moist.  The refusal to
touch the open palm, which I extended, was afterward explained.  "For the reason," said Nolan, "that the palm is tlhe
nerve center, and 3your own magnetic current is too strong for
me to overcome."
Thle hand then picked up the pencil, which lay in the chair
at C, and wrote "James," with a natural movement and rapidity
that showed him  to have been a ready writer.  A  bell was
handed him, which was rung witl an amusing imitation of a
call to dinner.  A  hair-brush was also handed him, and the
doctor bending  down his  head, his few  scant andi rapidly
vanishing silver locks were dexterously brushed.
Immediately after, I lifted and turned over the table.  There
was Mrs. Hollis's hand holding the slate, the massive ring on
the finger on which I had seen her place it, and wlich she had
had no opportunity to remove or replace without my having
observed it.
The following evening-for these seances had been, for my
convenience, about seven o'clock, P. M.-we were asked to
sing; but as we were doubtful of our vocal ability, a Swiss
music-box was substituted, and placed on the stand, Mrs. Hoilis
putting her left-land on top of it, so tlat it should be in siglht.
Some time elapsed, when a hland aplpeared at the end of the
table, as different in shape to that which we had seen as a
delicate woman's is to tlat of a strong man.  It held a handkerclief of a tissue as fine as thougli made of mist.  Indeed I
could  think of notling else to which it miglht be compared.
Tlhe edge-folds, however, were as of condensed mist, and very
white.  The ends of this handkerchief were trailed over Dr.
Wolfe's hand, Jind fell upon itin folds as natural as though it
were cambric linen.
The next materialization was more beautiful.  A hand presented itself, with strings of pearls depending from it.'They
were in great profusion.  Tle hand presented them  in several
positions, now hanging in loops or festoons, again falling back
over it, and then )gathered  up and wound. about it.  To tle




MODERN  SPIRITUALISM.                      5 35
touch these materializations had an almost impalpable substance, cool, and softer than down.
I had at the time no particular test to make; but, seeing a
pair of scissors on the bureau, they were taken, and placed in
the chair on top of a block of unglazed paper, letter-size, the
edges of which had been sized or glued together, as you find
it in any book-store.  The hand came out and took the scissors,
and, finding the block of paper too large to be admitted under
the stand, reached out and tore off one of the sheets.  Presently
it reappeared with the scissors and the sheet, which had been
folded quarto, and a heart-shape piece cut out of it as neatly
as tlough done by an expert.  Mrs. Hollis, it must be admitted,
4s extraordinarily supple-fingered, if with one hand she could
hold the slate, take the paper and the scissors, and perform
this feat.
I remarked that I had never seen any evidence of great
physical power on the part of the spirits, though stories of its
manifestation had often been printed.  Could they lift the table
with the music-lox on it?  The answer came immediately.  It
was raised slowly about six inches from the floor, and set down
with a jar that was hearcl in the rooms below.  Seated in a
chair, in Mrs. Hollis's position, I tried, using both hands, to lift
the table, but found it impossible.  The music-box weighs a
fraction over twenty-one pounds.  It was never lifted by Mrs.
Hollis.
The last sitting (did not occupy more than twenty minutes.
The medium  had been so mucl exhausted by sittings during
the day, that Nolan said it would not do to draw upon her to
any great extent.  A lhand, purporting to be that of a deceased
sister, presented itself at the end of the table, displaying the
arm  nearly to the elbow.  It was dressed in what appeared
to be a flowing sleeve of some dark color, lined with what
resembled white silk.  Again it appeared, with what seemed to
be a tulle under-sleeve, and took from  my hand a spray of
apple-blossoms, afterward presenting them  as a bouquet, held
at the point of the fingers turned upward.  The land was
different in shape fiom those I had previously seen, the fingers
being long and slender.
Now, my dear Colonel, all tlhis while I have been endeavoring to make for you a plain statement of facts, forgetful of tle
dreadful sentence pronounced by Faraday on such witnesses




536                STARTLING FACTS IN
eight years ago.  "TThey who say they see these things," said
lie, "are not completent witnesses of facts."  Beginning these
investigations a skeptic, with a feelinlg almost of contempt for
believers in spiritualism; never having been troubled with a
disordered imagination, or by apparitions, warnings, or omens,
and accustomed not only to accept the evidences of my own
senses, but educated  by my profession to a measurably cool
observation of events and facts; as ready to set aside the
claims of tlhe spiritual origin of these manifestations as to
accept tlem, should  the proof be inconclusive; and  evenl
tlen willing to expose fraud or imposture, should any tlling
lead me to believe they were practiced, but, at the same time,
determined to make the investigation honestly, candidly, and
testify to tlhe truth, regardless of tlhe consequences to myself,to wlhat other conclusion can I come, as one after another of
my doubts have been vanquished, and my unbelief overcome,
than that these manifestations are precisely wlat they profess
to be?  The conviction is forced  upon me, that intelligences
invisible to us, save as they manifest tlemselves tlrough the
medium of persons peculiarly endowed, can and do communicate with the living, and that they have as absolutely a personal
existence and identity as we ourselves.
They not only assert this, but assure us tlat tley live in
a world as rationally constructed for the development of their
finite capacities, and for their progression to still higller conditions of being.  In manifesting their presence to our grosser
sense, they assure  us tley employ natural agencies; and as
the world becomes more receptive of tlhe truth, they anticipate
still greater power to reveal themselves, and convince us that
we are indeed compassed about by an innumerable cloud of
witnesses, testifying to the immortality of man.
Of the philosophy of materializations, as explained by these
intelligences in Mrs. Hollis's seances, I forbear to write.  My
purpose to make a careful statement of facts is accomplished;
and I must leave  the question  of my competency and  my
dispositibn to testify to the truth, and nothing but the truth,
to those who know. me best.




MODERN SPIRITUALZSM.               537
CHAPTER XXXI.
CONCLUSION.
H    AVE I been continuously deceived, for a quarter of a century, in regard to the true character of the phenomena I have recorded?  Have all
the manifestations I have witnessed been delusions?
Have I been seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling
frauds half my life-time, and not been able to discover
the imposition?  Have my friends aid enemies, my
senses and my better self, all conspired, so long, to
maintain an error-a vast system  of errors-in the
similitude of Truth?  Give me some reason to believe
my life a lie, and I a dupe.  I know all men are liable
to be deceived; but to charge me with being continuously deceived while trying the spirits, in season and
out of season, in divers forms, ways, means, and places,
is simply to charge me with being an imbecile.  Can
a man testify to what he knows?
But I am  not alone in attesting the startling
facts recorded in the preceding pages.  If it were so,
it would make no difference: in my statement; but it
is not so.  Hundreds of reliable citizens, competent
to testify on any subject pertaining to the senses, have
witnessed the same, or similar facts, on many occa



538            STARTLING FACTS IN
sions, and verify my statements in every essential
part.
The statements I have made are, therefore, no
longer to be held in abeyance as a question of personal veracity; but they must be tried on the broad
issue, whether the phenomena are fiauds or facts.
I have been at more than ordinary painstaking to
gather testimony from every available source to assist
me to decide this question.  To ascertain the true
character of these manifestations, I have spared no
expense of time, money, or personal comfort; and
have engaged all the scrutinizing powers I possess, to
ferret out the great mystery. More: I have engaged
others to employ their detective powers in ascertaining whether these startling manifestations of intelligence were of mundane or super-mundane originwhether they were the product of human agency, or
whether a newly discovered law of life was thus giving
expression to itself. To one or the other sources, all
these phenomena must be attributed.   They are
either stupendous facts or stupendous falsehoods.
Millions of intelligent men and women know the
major proposition to be true, and the facts go to
sustain it;. and millions more are being resistlessly
drawn to the same conclusion by the same unassailable array of testimony. If the manifestations are
tricks, why not step forward and expose them, and
thus save mankind from so humiliating a deception?
Tear away the disguises, and let us know the name of
the prestidigitator who has been playing such pranks
with human credulity, in every part of the globe.
Remember there are millions of men and women




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.              539
who proclaim a knowledge of the truth of spirit inter-course, who, if not undeceived, will teach the sublime
truth to every nation and to every tongue. They will
flood the earth as a deluge, and destroy every opposing sect, creed, and tribe that may be found in the
way of their conquering march.  These people are
already a grand power in the world. Without concert
of action, without organization, without a paid priesthood, they are waging war upon every form of wrong.
They are disturbers of the rotten peace which enslaves
the life-powers of the soul.  They strike at old institutions, and destroy their shells with the reckless
daring of the iconoclast.  Bound by no creed, belonging to no sect, wearing no livery, bowing at no pagan
shrine, they demand freedom as universal as sunlight,
and will have it!  They have no party; neither politicians nor priests can lead them; and enemies they
are, not to their fellow-mortals, but to the dogma of
infallibility; denouncing, fearlessly, all piracies upon
the natural rights of man.
Millions are embraced in this mystic multitude
who have accepted common sense and the spirits as
their guides.  The Czar Alexander, by command of
the spirit Czar Nicholas, manumitted his serfs, and
transformed millions of slaves into millions of freemen.  The politicians of Alabama, in power, enacted
a law against the freedom of spirit-speech within the
territorial limits of that state; and the spirits declared,
in retaliation, that they would cover their land in sackcloth and ashes; and they did it in less than three
years.  The Queen of the British Empire "is crazy
on spiritualism," say the insane multitude.  Don




540            STARTLING FACTS IN
Pedro, Emperor of Brazil, has communications with
the spirit-world through the mediumship of one of his
children.  The late Emperor of France did not disdain to entertain a spirit-medium  at the Tuileries.
To day, Victor Hugo and Louis Blanc are inverviewing their spirit-friends in the presence of Mrs. Hollis,
in  France.   It is well- known that Mr. Lincoln
communicated freely with Washington through the
mediumship of J. 13. Conklin.
A  subject embracing so many interests, so farreaching in its power,,should surely command the attention and respect of the grandest minds of any age
or country.  Men like Faraday and Agassiz and Carpenter may sneer at it; but what of that?  Spiritualists sneer at them.  What's the difference?  This:
These educated egotists do not know what they are
sneering at. Spiritualists do!
We are not children; reason with us.  We can
no longer be frightened in the dark.' The incivility
of these learned boobies, and the ignorance they display on this subject, make a humiliating exhibit of
the poverty of the stuff of which conventional great
men are made up. These fellows may sneer at God's
eternal verities; but what then?  Can they change a
fact, or a truth, or a principle?  We honor ourselves
when we enlist in the service of Truth. It is a step
up when we join her retinue: her livery ennobles the
wearer, be he priest, peasant, or prince.  "If God is
not on our side," said Mr. Lincoln to the preachers, " I
will go to His side."
Science, true science, is invited to explain the phenomena we have recorded.  If she has a key by which




MODERN SPIRITUALISM.                541
these mysteries can be explained, let her not stand
upon the ceremony of doing, but do it at once.  She
has a golden opportunity for doing a good and great
service to the world, and winning lasting renown.
Let her discover the delusion, and she will rescue
millions from the gull-trap, and prevent as many more
from falling into it.
"The simplest peasant who observes a truth,
And from a fact deduces principle,
Adds solid treasure to the public wealth."
The mission of science is to exalt the human family by teaching truths whereby its happiness can be
increased. To fulfill this purpose, it seeks to discover
laws and principles underlying the phenomena of life.
Will she now come to the front, and exercise her Iegitimate powers in the elucidation of this great mystery?  The pulpit and the press have betrayed their
incompetency in this direction. They meet the spirit
of investigation, on the threshold, with a hostile hand,
an unreasoning head, and a savage heart.  They let
loose the mastiff of defamation to tear to very tatters the reputation of Truth titself, when it comes,
Diogenes-like, with a light to discover their blemishes.
Personal opinions are of but little value unless
supported by scientific formulae and demonstration.
Here are real, substantial, well-authenticated facts before us. They come to the world, like Christ, in the
fullness of time.  Not any thing comes before it is
needed, nor before it is intended to appear by the
Supreme Intelligence. Shall we accept them, or war
against the Great Eternal?  Who  dare defy the
Omnipotent to arms?
48




542             STARt' ZLeNG FACTS IN
By the advent of these phenomena, it is intended
that man shall know something more than at present
of his future life.  It is intended that the mystery
and ignorance with which charlatans have invested
tl subject of death shall be dissipated and denounced,
as unbecoming the intelligence of the nineteenth century.  It is intended that the systems of theology
which find their'support through the rudimental condition of the human mind, Fear, shall no longer prey
upon their insane victims, and harness them  to the
ponderous, crushing car of sectarianism.  It is intended that the human family shall no longer be kept
apart in the interests of priests or priestcraft; but
that they shall dwell together, animated  with one
faith, one hope, and one charity.  It is intended to
take away the fear of death and the terror of the
grave, making one the angel of peace, the other the
garden of rest.
I do not wish to be misapprehended.  Death is
not to be spoken of irreverently.   0, it is a noble
fact, written  ineradicably in the constitution of all
things.- God ordained-it when he prepared his laws.
Let us revere it, for it is as lovely as Truth.  "Amiici
mortii, sed lmagis amrica veritas."  Every law  thJat
finds expression in  life is founded in wisdom, and
conduces to man's happiness.  When he lives in'contravention to these laws, he sins against the holy
spirit of justice to himself.  0, teach him  that principles are the life of laws; ideas are the life of
principles; and God is the life of ideas! Let him understand that he represents the cosmos of all created
things-infinite in -faculties; in apprehension, a god 




lMODERN SPIRITUALISM.              543
These revelations of law are intended for man's
happiness, else they would not be proclaimed.
In the construction of an edifice, we first dig in
the earth for a foundation.  On the rock of facts we
lay our granite base.  We then cumber the ground
about with  materials for the superstructure; and
these, to the uneducated eye, are but a formless mass,
expressing nothing but disorder and confusion.  But
when the artisan comes, he finds the material ready
to his hand.  Piece by piece it is put together, each
fitting tie other, until a shapely form  rises from the
earth, harmonized in all its parts, and beautiful to
the eye for aye.
Thus will the temple of Truth be shaped and fashioued by God's eternal verities.  Truth expresses itself in a million of forms,-distinct, as the waves; yet
one, as the sea.  The materials for her temple are
being prepared both by spirits and mortals.  Soon the
architect will come, when it will rise, from granite base
to cloud-crowned dome, "a thing of beauty and a joy
forever."  In this glorious temple all nations, all
tongues, will worship for all time.  Upon its ample
facade will be inscribed, in dimless blazonry, "THEI
FATHERHOOD OF GOD; THE MOTHERHOOD OF NATURE; AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN!"