The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-23
TIE SPIRITS ON TRIAL.
Further Proceedings in the Gaze Of Colchester,
The Buffalo Medium.
MORE FUN FOR THE LAWYERS.
Laughable Promises of the Spirits and
Ridiculous Situations Of Witnesses.
Our Buffalo Correspondence.
RuENAtn Aponsf Of IS

Our Buffalo Correspondence.
BUFFALO August 81 1855.
This important case which has caused much excite
ment was resumed to-day The court as on the first
| day was crowded The following witnesses
| amined:-
Mr. McARrHy's EVIDENCE
VIM Mccarthy sworn-Resde in Rochester; know de
fendant attended his performance May some
time between the 10th and 18th he answered questions
for me; he rad large ane-room about twenty or
tylve feet square; beyond this another about
twenty fee, by feet with partition through it, half
way up the ceiling; in the outer there a table,
settce and chairs; in the smaller chair and
some tables; it is used cooking for Washing
ton Hall in the inner Colchester and sat opposite
other at the table, and another gentleman the
end the table about six by four feet tho nsti-
cation of the other gentleman, who spirituast I
prepared some questions my ONCE; wrote them and
rolled the paper into little pes placed them in hat
before went into the smaller room; on taking my
seat empticd them the table between Colchester and
myself defendant told write the name of some de-
ceased friend; did so don't know whether wrote more
than time but wrote three four subsequently,
the name handed TO defendant, and he threw il
of the window seemed 10 do SO; he then held the
questions in his hand and mixed them up while writing
the name of the deceased which did shelving,
did not what he was doing; my back towards
him one question was ssWhat business can 20 into to
make money! he told me to go into the oil business and
would succeed very well "a augh) the questions were
continuation of each other, but they were not answered
in the course in which they were written; the first ques
ton was Gam married man, and if so, when married.
and by whom?' answer, ''You have been a married
man 2; he also named the place and the church in which
had been married. the answer given by raps; to
the question. III am not married, will bey' the an
swer was .You will be married Miss Stephens, Of
New York accident will happen TO You your way
Buffalo, and you will meet herr have been looking out
for her ever since Qaughter) went back him
three times after and the spirits not in condition
had an interview with him afterwards; wrote
the questions and put them in envelopes; took
friend with as witness three ques
tons were written in handwriting not
my own he threw out the three and said they not
my the answers to the others pertinent; in
response to question about Miss Stephens he said
would marry Mrs Lott forget her name; asked him
how he could say that when he had previously said
would marry Miss Stephens he replied If looked into
the New York papers ! would that Miss Stephens
had married acoloncl; did look into the New York pa
pers and found nothing Of the kind (aughter); the
coloneIs wife had become widow in two months IRE
newDed laughter; in answer to another question he
said positively would marry the coonels widow the
18th December, 1885, defendant also prncsed the
writing Oh his arm; first wrote the paper,
then on his arm, A. Ksarney and A. Leonard he said
the not writ item in full they were Catharine
A. Kearnay and Mary A. Leonard, which he wrote on
his in FULL he then wrote the OF my deceased
wife, they all correct; the writings coarse,
extending all the way from the elbow nearly TO the
wrist the writing about the color Of rougc--a dull
red tried TO rub out but could not; the skin did
not appear TO lie broken.
Cross-examined.- resided in Rochester twelve
months am an insurance agent have been so since 1907
knew my companion spirituast by his converse
tO nootherwise at the second visit my friend was not
spruast but opposed to the doctrine; the questions
about twelve or fifteen, were written in my once TOOK
them In my pocket and laid them on the table, don't
know what said to Colchester on ente-ng the second
time went had the questions written in my office;
don't know whether took them out OF my pocket the
third time laid the same question: in sealed envelopes
the table, my friend went with me to watch defend
them through hs fingers to the first three questions the
spirits, defendant called them, would not communi-
cae they did to the fourth and the answers were per.
nent the answers TO things that have already TRANSFERRED
have proved true defendant took pencil and tore the
envelopes open at the end; my mcmo5y Is pretty good
did not swear Rochester that defendant stuck his
Gil into the envelopes tore them open and handed the
to me- the evidence gave TO the Commissioner at Koch
ester and what give now both correct not In the
habit Of taking false oaths question was answered
that not the pencil had touched the envelope in
which was enclosed the answer was pcrtnent wrote
the OF my deceased friend on shelving; my back
was turned to defendant at the time, while my friend
watching him. some OF the answers were not true,
for instance, the Rochester affair
Mr. Cook-Wel, you mean your disappointment about
the MARRIAGE there often Disappointment in such
affairs you ought to be glad Of your escape augher)
Mr. Cook here read from the witness dispositions before
the commissioner about the writing on the arm where
some slight and unimportant discrepancy appeared
Witness then testified that far as he could see there
WAS no sle,ght Of hand in the matter.
To the District Attorney don't say OF myself that
the spirit answered me; defendant told me 80.
To Mr.. Cook-Wil not swear that the spirit did not
answer me
To the District Attorney--To a question, my first
visit defendant answered correctly that my little boy
To Mr.. cook-win not swear that the raps am able
to give the same MS defendants raps; ask me ques
ton and will give you some sort OF answer by raps
TBRAIL's EVIDENCE
George Thran sworn-Reside at Rochester Colchester
boarded with few days; he was engaged in no bust
ness then; afterwards he acted spirit medium and
gave exhibitions; have been TO his hall three or four
times: four persons went With me the hrst time INTO me
ante.roo but none the back room; went into the
back once; Mr. Rogers told me TO write questions
wanted replies to; wrote them in the large room and
took them into the smaller; placed them on the table
and Colchester took them up; told me 10 write the
name of n person Of whose middle name l mad
inquired; wrote John Knight; did 40 with several
point each paper successfully and when camc
TO rght there would be three raps made mis-
take in writing the name; asked In what respect my
friends middle differed from that OF his father;
defendant said thew both alike this was not true
one was named Fcrrn and the other Ferris, difference
of letter asked him some other questions, among
others whether should sell some gold " New York he
said had better not as gold would be r5 in thirty days
it not but las; asked him smother question about
oil operations the answer was pertinent but refers
TO the future don't know whether II was true; had
written bogus questions but believing defendant
knew me- not present them; defendant told me he
could communicate with the spirits verbally; told me
to call out the alphabet mentally; did so and when
came the letter he wrote John y. Knight none OF
the envelopes returned in the condition in which
gave them; called defendant several times subse-
quently but never got another exhibition out Of HIM;
told him had seen Professor Bgh do the things
in Now Orleans in 1890 and that the Professor bad told
me that there was no sprualism about "
saw Professor Bligh do
Mr. Hbbard objected TO the question: as the witness,
not being an expert, could not draw parallel
Question allowed, and witness resumed-Professor
Blrh took the envelopes from me, examined them, and
manipulated them; one Of them dropped out when the
Professor asked pick II up and say whether that
was the question to the answer already given was did
him open the envelopes on one OCCASION on call
ing defendants rooms told that the spirits would
moi work; on another occasion went with MI Mcdonald
when defendant complained Of my having reported what
had between before on one occasion offered
him four gold pieces " he would tell me the dates on
them called on him by appointment but he was not in
The Court here interrupted saying that the questions
were unnecessary, and the examination closed
Gross. exained-Some Of the papers containing qucs
tions were rolled up and others folded mp had my eye
on defendant while writing the name which was but the
work OF moment; will not swear that took my eyes
of him at any time will swear thai ne opened papc
nor thai he did not: will not swear that he was looking
me in the eye all the tne there was no Sonceanen ~
| the matter: when Bligh in New Orleans he took
the envelopes from me, when one of them fell OUT b'
told me 10 pick up; did 80, when he asked me II tha
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