The Portland daily press., 1865-04-07

We give place te to the following communi-
cation in answer to personal request OF 'ne
writer, and not from any desire to in.rocles
the discussion of Spiritualism, as ioln - '
ligious faith, into our columns Ii uecep
lions are being praeticed in the name oi op"-
itualism. we presume the receivers OF this me
orv are no less anxious than others to nave
them exuosed. They will, therefore, not hnd
fault with us for giving room to Mr.. Meals ar
ticle. especially as Mr.. N. has been strongly
impressed in favor Of the alleged spiritual
manifestations, and as his name has recently
been appealed to in a contemporary Journal
in proof OF the honesty and genpineness OF
the "Alen Boy" in his recent emaniiesta-
tions:"
Spirituahsm-0nce more.
To the Editor of the Press: N. =,
We have a duty to perform. you, as an un
believer, and /, as believer, In certain phe-
nomena, said to be spiritual manifestation"
The public have been shamefnlly deceived;
and / acknowledge that l have been duped
most pitiably Tor years.
DIR. Van Week, at private sitting last
night, gave certain physical manifestations of
a nature so astonishing, that ii he had chosen
to call himself medium, aud had not erpLain-
ed and shown the whole process OF deception,
he would have surpassed Hume, Foster, the
Davenport boys, and The Allen boy, and the
whole city would have been ringing with his
achievements. e
Alter being tied, hands and feet and knees,
with complicated knots, which it took a party
five minutes to finish, he liberated himself in
less than three minutes. The spirits then tied
him, after their fashion--to use the medium
style OF speech-by the wrists, knees, ankles
and then TO the chair. The knots were exam
ined by three OF the audience, and pronounced
satisfactory. The gas was then turned on,
and neutrality-suspicious. few seconds--the
instruments lying on a table before him, were
in full blast. The accordion sounded in con-
cert with the bell, the guitar and bell wander
ed about the room together, aud the tam
BOURNE sounded so that sometimes four hands
would seem to be employed. The light was
then turned on suddenly, and the doctor was
found tied as before, with all the knots I'M
changed, and to all appearance untampered
with
After this, he showed the table tipping and
the rapping, and explained both; then the
celebrated and most mysterious tricks of
Mansfield and Foster, which, notwithstanding
much that was unsatisfactory, had completely
deceived me into belief that such phenome-
ma, being beyond the powers OF nature, SO far
as we know, and wholly incapable of explana-
ton by any other hypothesis-and showing
lntelligence-must be preternatural, If not SUI
pernatural, and therefore OF the other world.
Yet the Doctor obtained answers and names
after the manner of Mansfield; and produc-
ed, like Foster, the writing on the arm, cor
responding with what was written upon bal
lot and wrapped closely by another of our
party and then, like an honest man, clearly
and satisfactorily explained the whole, just as
he showed, the other night, in Lancaster Hall,
how the Allen boy might have operated, to
produce the phenomena we had been puzzling
over. up -
In short, the Doctor has clearly shown that
all the most astonishing manifestations OF
these different mediums can bs reproduced by
others who have nothing to do with the spirit
ual world, in this way, aud who do not claim
to be helped or hindered by the spirits.
Let me advise ALL therefore, aud especially
the conscientious believers in spiritual COM
nuntcdtion and in spiritual mani estations,
to take advantage OF the present opportunity
and see for themselves-not blindfolded. nor
In dark room, but ia a satisfactory light
how grossly they have been cheated in many
cases, il not in all.
Since the Courier was authorized to refer
to me concerning the Allen boy and his keep
er, Dr. Randall, have had such convincing
eVidence-I do not say no,o of their rascalty
but OF the utter worthlessnes of what they
would have us take Tor spiritual manifesto
tloDs," that if were not unwilling to de-
nounee what has not been explained by DIR.
Won Week, | should look upon all mediums
as Jugglers and imposters, alike shameless
and wicked. JOHN NEAL.
Portland, April Z, 1865.
We, the Undersigned, were present at the
sitting referred to above. and herewith concur
ia the statement OF Mr.. Neal OF what happen
ed at the Freeman House last evening.
EDWIN S. HovEY,
). l.. CARLETON.