Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-03-22
From the Chicago Democrat.1
Spiritual Communi cations--Can the Dead
Revisit us?


dunn, that is to say, person claiming to
be In such rapport with the spirits of the
other world. as to be able to communicate
between them and their friends on earth.
at will, and to afford such unmistakable
evidence of the genuineness of these com
munlcations, as to convince every one who
witnessed them. Sometimes these commu-
nications would be made through the me-
dunn of raps; again the medium would be |
controlled by the spirits in such manner
that she would be made to write messages
from them, Of singular appositeness and |
truth. Men of all classes and professions |
in life had visited this test medium, and
experienced for themselves the wonders
she revealed. lawyers, clergymen, pro-
tessional men, visited her, and came away
bewildered and amazed All this coming
to the ears of one of our reporters. and
the necessities Of his business requiring
him. like the ancient Athenians, to be ever
learning and telling some new thing. he re-
solved to pay the medium visit. and ac-
eord.ngly did so. accompanied by friend,
on Saturday last.
Miss Ada Hoyt, the medium aforesaid
resides at No u, South Desplaines street.
She is very intelligent. lively and pleas
ant young lady, petite in person, and lady
like. in demeanor. Receiving US politely,
she directed our reporter to seat himself at
table in the parlor, and write upon slips
OF paper the names Of those departed
friends from whom he desired q communi-
cation The reporter did as he was direct
ed, and entirely unseen either by his friends
or the medium, wrote upon separate pieces
of paper the names Of four individuals.
one Of hom had been dead some ten years
| one some nine years, and the other two
only few months. Tightly folding up
these papers SO tiat the names could not
be seen. he signifed that he was ready to
receive any communication. and Miss Hoyt
sat down at the table upon which the
names were placed. Upon this table were
also several pencils and number Of sheets
Of paper.
Almost Immediately the hand of the me-
dunn became systematically convulsed, and
with twtching movement, she seized one
of the pencils, and wrote rapidly upon
sheet Of paper the following:
Il o0a ceyy happy at his opportunity to
pro0e to you my in,Dtortalig.
EMMA POTTER"
Now the name of Emma Potter was one
Of these written upon the papers. 1t was
the name Of lady who died some nine
years ago. No one had seen the name
written; no one had heard our Reporter
mention ii; the person bearing it had never
lived in this city. or in this State; she was
not known here by any one except our Re-
porter. How, then, was the fact that the
name had been discovered and written, to
be accounted for?
But our Reporter proceeded in his ques-
tions. He inquired how long since the
spirit of his interlocutor had left the earth.
Loud raps were instantly heard upon the
side Of the wall, some eight or ten feet
from the table at which we were sitting,
and the correct number of years and
months was given. The place of her death
was then inquired, and given correctly. -
The question was then written, & By what
means were you aware Of my wish to com
municate with ycu?''
Before the question was quite completed
the hand of the medium became again agi-
tated, and as before, wrote as follows:
I 'cas 'cih you and often match orcr you -
As in the former case the writing was
done upside down, and was executed with
great rapidity and distinctness When the
raps occurred, they were sometimes under
the table, on the wall, upon the ceiling,
&C. Very soon our reporter was informed
/ that another Of the spirits whose names be
had written was present, and in few mo-
ments afterwards still another The me-
: dunn aud the friend who accompanied our
reporter now began an minated conversa-
ton on different topics, leaving the report
er to pursue his estigation with the three
! spirits who were IN rapport with him.
They raped answers to his questions,
sometimes il reply to questions spoken'wth-
out writing. and sometimes compelling the
baud of the medium to write the replies
Our reporter asked Miss Hoyt at one stage
Of the interview, why her presence was nee
essary at all, since the spirits apparently
replied to questions without her interposi-
ton. She said that she was, as it were,
the zinc in the battery that was formed be
tween the positive spirit Of the reporter;
and that she, or some other like negative
WIS as indispensable as the zine in the gal
vanic battery The atmosphere was the
solution which connected the various plates
of the battery together. Our reporter
was also inforaed that his organization was
harmonious, at which he felt fattered, and
that he was medium, at which he felt
alarmed. But being further assured that
he was neither writing or a rapping me
dun. but merely an inpressable one, lie
resumed his serenity and his inquiries
He was now in rapport, it should be re-
n,embered, with what claimed to be the
spirits of three OF his departed friends =
He inquired Of them OF things of which
no one but himself could be cognizant and
ii response received answers perfectly cor
rect. Sometimes the questions would be
mental ones, but the replies would be equal
ly satisfactory. Up to this point the cues
tions asked related to those things that
the inquirer himself, and he only, knew
Therefore the replies to them might be &C
counted for on the supposition that the
medium, although laughing, talking, jest
ing, and carrying on generally in an I'M
concerned manner was still in clairvoy-
ant state. and by some psychological power
could read the mind of the questioner-
Therefore If occnrrad IN him, 70 n Il, eo,,o