The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-08-29 00:00:00

A STORY OF SPIRITS.

In a report just made by Dr. Chapin, the resident physician
of a lunatic asylum in the United States—the King's County
Asylum, at.Platbash—a narrative is given of the case of Mrs.
K., a Wisconsin lady of strong sense and considerable
Intellectual power, who set herself to the work of exposing
the imposture of spiritualism. Puzzled, however, by what
she saw and heard, and mortifled at failing to find the clue
to what she hail believed was susceptible of rational solution,
her mind became agitated and unsettled. The following are
the detailed particulars

She was in great anxiety about her son, who hail
gone to California and ceased to write to her; and in
an attack of nervous or irritable fever she suddenly dis-
covered that she was herself "a medium," and learnt
from the spirits who communicated with her that she
must visit her sou forthwith. Keeping the disclosure
a secret, she obtained money from her husband under
pretence of her going to see her married daughter in
Michigan, who was not in prosyerous circumstances and
might need some aid. She determined to go first to
New York, where she calculated on being able to find
a gentleman whom she had known, and to get direc-
tions for taking her journey. It was quite dark when
she reached Jersey city, and, prompted by her unseen
monitors, she left her luggage (retaining the cheek),
and with her satchel in her hand followed, as she was
directed to do, a lady and gentleman who had sat in
front of her. She went after them by the ferry-boat
and into the New York street car, and got out when
they got out. In a few minutes they ascended some
steps, and disappeared from her sight. For a moment
she stood in doubt, hut was directed to walk on. At
the corners of the streets she stopped occasionally to
consult the spirits, mid turned to the right or
to the left, in accordance with their dictation. Be-
lieving that alone and at night she would not '
be admitted to a first-class hotel, and afraid to
enter one of is less respectabe character lest
she might be roblasl, after much seemingly purposeless 1
wandering her weary steps were guided to a restaurant. !
Here she remained until admonished that it was time !
to close. Asking to see the proprietor, she requested
of him to be allowed to remain sitting where she was
until morning. He was surprised at the request, but
his wife, after a little conversation, kindly offered to
make her as comfortable for the night as the limited
apartments which she occupied over the restaurant
would allow. In the morning the keeper of the
restaurant obtained accommodation fur her at a
respectable hotel in the neighbourhood. She now
began to look for her friend, in which vain search she
exhausted two most fatiguing days. Persons upon
whom she called to make inquiries usually treated her
kindly, but occasionally; when she chanced to allude
to her being in communion with spirits, she was deri-
sively advised to ask them to direct her to the house of
her Mend. Since she lay on her sick bed at home the
communications of the spirits to her had not been
generally oral, but by touchingsome part of her person
tl.ey would indicate to her if the thought or project
that was occupying her mind at that precise moment
WEIN the proper one to be acted on. When in doubt, if
walking, for instance, or if questioned, she would stop a
moment, until her true course or reply should
be thus made known to her. During her
wanderings about the streets of New York she
was several times accosted by ladies who kindly
offered their services but biting invariably touched
at the thought she could do without them, she no ex-
pressed herself, and, thanking them, passed on. Un-
able to find the gentleman she sought, she was directed
to call upon a 'distinguished clergyinan in Brooklyn.
His residence she readily found, but he was not at
home when she called. Hoping to find him early in
the morning, she returned to take lodgings at an hotel
in that city. During the evening, meeting some ladies
and gentlemen in the parlour of the hotel who seemed
interested in the subject of spiritualism, she entertained
them with a recital of her experience, and the purpose
for which, under the guidance of the spirits, she came
hither. The next morning, to her surprise, the pro-
prietor of the hotel introduced to her a gentleman whom
he called by the name of the clergyman already al-
luded to. Though he bore not the slightest resem-
blance to his photographic likenesses, which every one
has seen, yet, as he had not a moment to spare, she did
not stop to consider this, but accepted at once his
kind offer to escort her to his mansion. At the door
of the hotel she was presented to two gentlemen,
who said they came to call upon her and to talk
with her upon the subject of spiritualism and kindred
tildes, with which they had been informed she
was familiar • but they saki they would not detain
the party, anil SO they all walked on together, con-
versing as they went. But the pretended clergy-
man was a police-detective, his mansion a house of
detention, and the two gentlemen in search of in-
formation were physicians sent to test her sanity.
Ref ire noon she was conveyed to the lunatic asylum.
At first she was in a very dejected state, and with
difficulty could be induced to take any food; but as
soon as her innate inclination for argument revived,
she began to recover, and then all belief in these super-
natural communications completely vanished. At the
end of a month she was well. Her son's silence had
been caused by his hieing ill and wishing his mother not
to be "worrying herself" about him. The news of his
being well had much to do with her speedy recovery.