The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-31

Queer KleDonts Assembled-A Couf0rence -
the Subject Of "sDesks''-Hew Mach Spirit
IL Takes 20 Make Man Soc ssDsable," DC.
Yesterday afternoon u three O'Clock the usual weekly
conference Of spirituasts held Il Dodwsrth Hail.
There was assembled, - usual, mixed audience Of
blind believers and giggling skoptcs Tho former con-
sisted or old women, both male and female; with
natural tendency 70 long hair and Heightened features
sallow shasty compilations, eyes glarng and hollow
II expressive Of perpetual fears awakened BY the knowl
edge OF the horrors OF ghost stories In the past and antc
paons Of the tero 10 come and gathered for the con-
alteration Of subject In every way calculated 70 make
any man assume like appsaNncs These conferences
really unique anAIrs and . means OF giving CON-
binsd expression Of Ill the elements Of super
stitioa and msntAi darkness existing In this
city thcy are quite remarkable Here gather.
Sunday afternoons the iounssrs and idisrs about
the city. snA, ny philosopher rssonalIstio quibbls
fss lovers me- shinksr The psychological onhcour-
ings q the town Of every quality, In net ell who have
religion on which they can confidently iean-athess
ana celieve v the ancient tnsoscs @ sne so1s ans
ats II pleasure the widest theories and make the most
startling assertions that ever fell from the hps Of men
hroashout the world 70 that the psSiIs have bus tss
vail w6sa such mstsphysioai Sssssnisss ssssmbis IN
ooscave. unshackisd b. the oonvsnsooAatss Of civi
he oougssga,ssa yesterday afternoon was peculiarly
representative Of the Irrational elements Of our socety
and probably humorous than usual IN honor a
"Spooks or Has the spirit tho power Of travelling
space taking coguaance Of events transping ~
distance and ihsn returning and reporting their de-
This subject being opened Tor discussion several villa
individuals sprang 70 their feet and moved toward the
PLATFORM but they were foresailsd BY tall man, the
back OF whose head presented the appearance Of tar
get with glstcning bulls ego shorn Of hair near rs
centre a. he stumbled up the steps ths platform On
turning about, he displayed himself man Of middle
age with prcponderatng animal propenstcs manifested
on HIS features which were red puy and sst on with
other cause.-The appearances Of tho mouth and
eyes, however. giving him porfeot resemblance 70
bull frog This resemblance was further carried out by
husky voice Of monosopoas croak which hc employ ed
In movement indicative or mental rustness,
to convey The drsary ps,i'ads. with which no EN- s
croakcd for about nve minutes before The audi
ence could gather from his scnseless verbage and
ragged SMILES, the fact that no WAS arguing on the
affirmative side OF the "spook" question. His, like all
spirituasc arguments proved totally ncomprehensblo
with Su which he Concluded was better understood 10
declared earnestly thai no was In The habit OF receiving
visits from double OF eaca Of his frindsA tangible
double who would AMI quarrel with him, white
hts friend actually miles away. lie WIS moreover
a psychologist and mesmerist. and on meeting tho
doubIe" OF friend acquainianc, In tho street IL
hts custom TO relieve the body from It's by srk
Ing his closed fist against tho teeth Of the dou5ic'
with great In the most obs mate cascs some
sspooks, he forgot 10 stale, however, wore artful
enough TO call for the police when subjected &c this dis.
enchanting process He concluded that the souls OF
men left their bodies and peegrinated about from tho
fact that no had them, and could show marks
his body OF encounters he had had with thcm.
The next speaker gentleman with tho nose OF
hound aud Ito 0raorical mannafS OF pug dog, who
insisted that ho had Ia London the lecturess OF tho
New York sprtualist Society, whie at tho same time
passage across Atlantic II his nnai belief that
be suffered make spirit telegraph be.
tween ane e,s s sor ~, n.o eaoo
mitrd TDis idea did not please the transcendeata old
maids in the font OF the as-cmblagc; 40 the hairy
young sisbaided With gentle whine, aud sue
coed by patrIacha prop"uDdcr OF spfa.iistic doc
trlncs whose make up cosciy resemDlcd that cf
anlacur King Lnar with an undressed wigeand hi ci
c1strme several sizes loo small tor him. This queer
little man, who Lad moreover VOICE Ike the cscak Of
door swung nc.s ansIy on rusty hngc declared him.
sef firmly the SIDE OF the Affirmative lilo had
been 10 par several tunes spiri, before he had
been In the body. lilo OF ,hs cause hs had
told all his relatives tina. lac WIS shortly going on to
trance and taa although he might appeal be dead.
nc did wish 20 be diiu bed He remembered DIS.
unctly his flight along tao banks Of Newfoundland us
passage the and the number OF straight
drinks ho iooh alter reaching his destination He TOO,
10 the habit Of converting with tho .do bles Of his
friends ard had negro servant who, daring the Mex
can war; the hnLll OF travelling I'm tho sansl
every evening and bringing hin hack authentic news
| seycra parties of small meaial force followed
this 81 aker. One had forcse fourteen ycars
| ago too bomDardmunt ~ General Buucr nj
| the tru y n, work Of Monitors Ano.lei
had. in his .ay OF mesm.ris sent III sou of f nd
to Williamsburg, hHd had IN OH inc influence
IA body too soon bong informed by tbs subjec t.r.
I'd that ne had awakened him while his SOU. q,
nyiag tho East riser the midst n nosA oi
Eulls cccnr d thai he knew OF b-ing 10 ~
psces al the t'ne, and nnay person moro vi a.
moro drsy ana more harry ihsn ahy .. tao prcccdin
philosophers declared tat II his h9acs cosyi rlou
that all human rouis worked oh hinges aid that tDr
joints could be dconncctcd 40 ibst each individual soul
could Irrncate space. and t.us bring about tho at
oonsunra lon o. beng everywhere ri ons aad ,bs
| same time fts he coDsisrcd, had been ioae AZ
mere accommodation TO mcn, who could ru themselves
OF tier lcsny and trasei WITH
rapidly aad ri no osI1nse IL was OF q
fact he ,honght, esp ciay for the contemplation o. fa
|
~ darkness began 10 shroud the faces Be-.
camo nyriDietborc beng no u hits and tbs having
soi-one of the party. having bunch ~ bfstes ON h
chin which, In tbe seni obscuriiy, seemed hrs
prominent feature, state hts beirf thai ihcrc was "a
human soul 81 tho body ai tho body soal
and the spu the body Having reached this p1.al
In ter limo OF argument, am sticking IA their
mental mind as d wcre confused Adjournment xss
the ony resource for their rel4vf. aud tho s.iay
dismissed alter tie announcement that woald con-