New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-03
The Spirit World.

| To Us Editor Of The TribvHe;
SIR: While skepticism, the fear OF ridicue, or
the influence Of early imbibed preudices may be
deemed by many as reasons sufficiently good for
the making OF unsubstantiated charges against
the character Of these communications and while
the disposition is strong on the part OF some per-
CONS to ridicule the strange and singular phenome-
ma daily and publicly manifested by the socaled
Spirits" it seems to the undersigned that, solely
as sn act of justice, it is due to those who may be
interested that the facts which follow should be
made public.
On the morning of the ed inst for the first time
communicated with the Spirits, but failed to elicit
more than two distinct replies which were cor.
rect as were likewise those made to other indi'
viduals present who bad been previously in com.
municaton. The communications were frequently
interrupted and the result TO my most skeptcal
Mid was anything but satisfactory but it ap.
peared evident to all present that the confused
method in which questions were made, combined
with improper and illtimed discussions, had de-
stroyed the harmony of the proceedings. Deter.
mined to be fair and candid returned in the after
noou having concluded upon certain test questions
and manner Of putting them that would certainly
satisfy myself as well as others, according as they
were answered correctly or not.
Without entering into a detail Of the many re-
plies heard given 10 others which were pro-
nounced to be true, or Of the many prompt answers
given to myself TO questions which were made both
mentally and orally, will name some Of those
which to me were the most surprising.
The first spirit communicating, announced itself
as being that OF near relative-indicated the
name the sex, the degree Of relationship that had
existed, the number Of years since 1t had left the
body. its age at that period, and the name OF the
a. bl,v
ed 1t must be borne in mind, that although nearly
satisfied at the time Of the correctness of the an.
swers relative to the age OF the deceased, and the
number of years since the spirit left the body yet
was not perfectly convinced until after examining
certain papers at home which afforded proof imne-
date and conclusive OF the truthiuness Of the rela
tionship.
The next spirit communicating, declared itself
to be that Of one whose terrestrial home had been
in country distant thOus ands Of miles from this
and who had never been away from that couatry.
will here state that about two hours previous on
frat entering the room, had cut several small
| slips Of paper, upon one oil which was written the
name of the person above alluded to, and upon
each Of the others foreign and fictitious one
| These slips Of paper were then separately rolled
| as closely as possible, and kept in hand until an
| opportunity for communicating presented itself;
meanwhile by the continued rolling Of them il was
impossible for myself even To know the contents Of
little rolls Of paper were thrown upon the table
the spirit was to indicate by three distinct raps
when should have the paper In hand with the
correct name. One paper was taken. thrown
asde-and then a second, when the rsps came and
signi6ed it was the one to be selected. Toe name
Of the person thought Of then given to the COM
paDy, and the paper, on being unroled, was found
| to contain the same
| While the writer OF this does not pretend In
know positively by what agency these many strange
and wonderful phenomena are exhibited he GER.
tainly thinks the subject worthy Of q calm candid
and fair Investigation, and such certainly due 10
those who AZ yet stand fair before the bar Of pub
lie opinion, notwithstanding the many unsuccessful
| attempts TO commit them.
There are those who say it is all an imposture.
and who profess to be able 70 account for every.
thing upon scientific principles; men erudise and
| deep IN the arcanz OF human knowledge, and even
those too. who mock at the barriers OF death. and
their minds far beyond and return laden with
thoughts and revelations from the spirit world II
isstraDge, that for now nearly three yesrs. thi,
wonderful "fmposture" shoald have been before
the public-that during that period so many learned
men could describe how it was done, readily ac.