Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-02-13
A spirit-Rapping Story.

A spirit-Rapping Story.
The following extraordinary story is told
BY the Bristol Nmes:
Dr.. 49,, residing in the neighborhood Of
Bristol, had . SOD educated in his own pro-
fession. who received appointment abroad.
A few months ago the son resolved to return
to, England, and sailed BY British vessel
bound for the port Of London, undertaking to
give his services as medical man IN return for
W passaga. Whsa. however. tbs nip vas
on - way home. the young surgeon. 6hef =
short illness, died. The captain Of the vessel
on reaching London, communicated with DR.,
-, and gave him an account of his sons
death, handing him te22, which he said the
latter had at the time of his demise; he also
gave Dr.. what he stated was copy of
the ships log, in which all the circumstances
were regularly given. Dr. was 80
much pleased with the captains conduct that
he made him present Of gold pencil case
as proof Of his gratitude for kindness to his
son. A few months after this, Dr., who,
from being quite sceptic in spiritualism and
spirit-rapping, is now a believer in both, was,
with his wife, at se0nce of spiritualists in
London, when great agitation amongst the
furniture of the room and other symptoms Of
spiritual disturbance were noticed; upon
which the medium, who was lady, stated
that the apartment was full of spirits, and
that the unseen visitors were evidently desir-
GUS of making communication to some Of the
company. The medium was then asked to
request that the spirit or spirits would give
some indication of the person present with
whom they wished to communicate. Upon
this largo table, without any apparent agen-
cy, was violently moved from the other side
Of the room, falling on its top close to DR..
-. The spirit was then required, accord
ing to the usual fashion to state who it was,
when it raped out the name OF DR.. IS
deceased son, who had died at sea, and who,
to the terror of all present, intimated that lie
had died from poison.
DIR. -, wishing to ascertain whether he
was or was not deceived, asked the spirit for
some evidence of it's reality; upon which the
unseen visitor intimated the nature of the
present which DR.. - had given to the cap
tain, and which he believed could have been
known to no one present DR.. - then
asked If the poisoning was intentional, and
the spirit raped out that it might or might
not be so-a discrepancy ofcourse noticed by
more than one present. The spirit, however,
proceeded to say that he had left se70 when
he died; whereas DR.. only got se22. Other
particulars were entered into. and although
DR. was so impressed with the revelation
that he taid visit to the wife Of the captain
of the vessel, who had remained in London,
and from whom it was elected that her hus-
band had stated to her that he feared DIS
son was poisoned, and that instead Of getting
peppermint with some castor-oil when he was
i'll, he got prussic acid. A copy Of the log
was obtained from the owners Of the ship, and
DR.. - found it differed most materially
from that handed to him by the captain ofthe
vessel. There were other mysterious circum-
stances connected with the affair, which we
are not a. liberty to state, but altogether such
strange secrets transpired, and there was some-
thing 50 unsatisfactory about the narrative
given by the captain when it came to be
scrutinizsd, that DR.. -, we hear, has been
induced to consult an eminent criminal law
yer, with view to ulterior proceedings. DR..
- is man Of the highest professional and
personal rcspectability.