The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-01-06
Spiritual Manifestations.

me Spiritual Magazine having fepr ;sent
el that an actor named Stuart, "4cn IN New
York, was u most powerful medium, to who's.
seances it was a special privilege to be ad
mitted, Mr.. Southern, the actor, now in
Scotland, replies that he is the person refer.
red to. He says:
The factor named Stuart" is now better
known ~ "the actor named Southern
Following sufficiently iilustrious precedents,
used an assumed name when l entered on
my profession, and only assumed my own
by the advice of a friend. The "party cf
spiritualists'' was composed of twelve gentle
men of high position in their respective pro-
fessions. whe ac.lated by common curios.
| ty and interest, joined in thorough, practi-
cal, and exhaustive investigation of the phe>
nomena of ".spiritual,sm." We were quite
ready for either result; to believe it, if it
were true TO reject it, if found false; and in
the latter case l, at least, resolved in due
time to expose it For more than two wears
we had weekly meetings At these, By prac.
tice, we had succeeded in producing NO. only
all the wonderful manifestation, of the
SS:ofessianal "meda," Ia. ., other effects still
more startling. We simply tried to produce
the appearances and the results which we
had heard of, and read of, and seen--and We
succeeded. Pushing our practice and ex
periments further We attained the capacity
TO execute feat. .,nch more remarkable than
those presented at any of the spiritual
seaices." An American gentleman and Hy>
self took the par: of the . media, and the
rest Of the company assisted and do not
hesitate to say tina. we outdid anything ever
attempted by Home or the Davenports, or
any Of the other more notorious spiritual ex-
hbitors.
Not the least Of our discoveries was that
the whole thing was myth. We did all that
the spiritnalists did, and more but We were
our own agents. and had no need Of re-
course to supernatural influences. had we had
the power to command them. We commenc
ed our sednces in spirit Of legitimate inyesti-
CATION; we continued them for the sake of
the amusement they gave ourselves and our
friends. We became famous in a small way.
We had to start an engagement book, and to
make appointments. People came from all
parts of America, and waited for their turn.
We got into larger line of business than
any of the professional exhibitors, and we
we're extensively patronized. Thca only diff.
erence was didn't charge anything. We
took no money directly or indircr.lv 6nr
entertainment, being free, was literally sup
ported and when / AID that the evenings
invariably wound up with jolly little supper,
given solely at our Own capense, It may be
understood thai "The Miracle Circle was
much favored and warmly encouraged. The |
indulgence of our love of fun cost us some |
money, but yielded US an immensity Of pleas
ure. To speak colloquially, it was an exten-
sive sell" We did put pens under the
table and get signatures oi Shakespeare and /
Garrick and other valuable autographs; We /
did produce spirit hands and spirit forms. !. |,
paop'e lid float in the air-at least We /
maize our audience really believe they did |
which was quite sufficient for our purpose |
and theirs We exhibited phenomena which |
were startling enough, in all conscience, and |
We made our visitors believe in their reality. |
How we SUI, c.eded in doing ihI-how we
made some of the most inte.iigen: men in /
America believe that they really saw and fel;
what they on'y fancied they saw and felt
how We produced results the causes of which /
were rot apparent to the physical senses of
the spcctators--how, in iiue, we did things |
which must have seemed to be, and what !
many of our visit ,rs b.licve to be, supernatu
raj and mraculOus-I do not intend TO ex- !
plain. We did them, how we did them | do 1
not feel disposed to declare but have not |
the slightest hesitation in Saving that we did |
not do them BIZ spiritual agencies. l ti pro /
fe..i, nal and paid "media" came All a saw,
and themselves avoxed our superior power /.
over - the spirits y
In conclusion be says
LOOK upon every spirituaist as either an
impostor or IN idiot ! regard every spirit
ual exhibitor, who make money by his exhi-
bitions, as swindler. The things that these
people do are not done by spiritual or super |
natural means. know that; / have proved
it have done all that they can do, aud
more The Listery Of spirituali,m" in this
county and in America 10, on the ore hand,
a chronicle of imbccility, cowardly terror of
the supernatural, wilIful sclfdslu,ion. aud
irreiigion and the other of fraud, and inn
pudent chicaucry, and blasphemous inde-
ccn.y.