The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-03-21
Lat, Spiritual Demonstrations.

The Hartford (Ct.) Times says that q white
woman, whose husband died three years since,
leaving her three children and some thousands
in money, has lately shown a decided 'afinity'
for a coal black negro OF Bridgeport. The
darkey got possession OF the whole or part of
the widows money, went to New York, and
opened a restaurant. The widow assayed to
follow him, but her friends prevented. She
then informed her friends that she was the wife
of the negro, the ceremony having been per-
formed last fall, and that the union was in ODE
dience to a spiritual communication from her
deceased husband.
The women then was placed at the Insane
Retreat at Hartford, as being a lunatic, three
physicians having thus certified, but the negro
appeared at the Retreat and claimed his wife.
The Superintending physician decided that she
could not legally be detained, and the negro
carried her off in triumph. The woman is
beautiful and the man is so black that charcoal
would make a white mark on his skin.
The Utica N. Y. Herald says Mr.. F. Skin
ner, a spiritualist and married man in that city,
was seized with an attraction for a girl named
Kate Beardsley, and on bringing her home Mrs.
Skinner was seized with an .safinity" for a DIR.
Bently, a clairvoyant doctor, and the doctor re-
ciprocated although he has a wife and three
children. At a meeting of spiritualists.a Mr..
Wheeler, whose "afinity" is a married woman
from Syracuse, defended these doings, and DIR.
Bently and his Skinner affinity were present.
A Mr.. Ralph. a highly respected citizen, how
ever, demrrred, denounced the proceedings as
injurious to spiritualism, and declared the par.
ties onght TO be rode on a rail. The Herald
says Mrs. Bently has left her husband, and the
double mated pair are now living in the same
house by mutual consent. --r
The great majority of the spirituaIists of Uti-
ca share the sentiments of Mr.. Ralph, and are
loud in their denunc citation of the .'free l,ve''
proclivities of Skinner and Bently. Among
the Spiritualists are several families of the
highest responsibility, who feel greatly scandal
lied at the conduct of those who have brought
reproach upon the faith.
To wind up with, We give a picture of an
other shade:
A few evenings ago a party of spiritualists
were assembledin Taunton, Mass, for the pur.
pose of witnessing the usual phenomena. Di-
rectly opposite lived a lady who had recently
lost her husband. End in the course of the eve.
ming the spirit of the deceased made himself
known through the medium. Thinking the
widow would like to hold intercourse with her
late companion, a deputation was sent to her
residence to inform her of the fact, and request
her attendance. 1t was rather late and she had
retired for the night. On hearing the knock
ing at the door she arose and put her head out
at a window, and inquired what was wanting
On being informed that the spirit of her late
husband was awaiting her across the way, she
replied that when living he had never been
known to visit there, and that as he had got so
near she thought he might as well come to his
own house and visit her; but as he did not de-
sire to do so, she would leave them to entertain
him as they best could. With that she shut
the window and left her visitors to return with
out her.