Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-19
splRIrUALIsM EXPOSED.
TAe sAuaJesiations pronounced. AZ sHxmbay sby 0ac
Of the most succes.fiA Hedimas.

perience as spiritual medium in New York;
There is an article in the Spiritual Magas,n Id
which | am referred to. / shobld not dream OF
noticing any article 10 any such publication, had
not found respectable and rational jouraals such
as yours, reproducing statements affecting nv
credit and csndor, consider il due to tho con.
ductors of the daily press Of these countries AZ
well as to- myself TO notice remarks on M and on
my conduct when find them transferred to their
columns. Had they not been cxcavated from tho
gloomy obscurity Of theit original source, they
might never have attracted my observation, and
certainly would never have obtained my notice.
Possibly it may be thought that | an doing thi,
spiritual publication q service by bringing II into
notice do not think so. When you prosecute
pckpocket you go before the bench As matter
Of pnblic duty; the pickpocket Is certainly brought
into public prominence for the Time but Il is only
that he may be ihe more efiectually recognized,
punished ard exposed. Nobody, suppose, win be-
perverted to belief ia spriiualisIn BY readinr an
exposition OF tue nsstatenents OF spiritual wrsers
Now for the article. The main coun, IN tha in
dctment against me Is thus stated:
A few years agoa party Of spiritualists In New
York, composed chiefly Of actors and aesresss<.
held regular s,tings for the production Of pirituai
phenomena One Of the members Of this crc,e
was an actor by the name Of Stuart, who was ru-
eognzed by all Us the most powerful medium
The manifestations witnessed at these scdncss wesc
50 wonderful as TO givo to the meetings the dis
tinguished title of the "Magic Circle" They
created so much interest thai Il was considered
special privilege to DC admitted To this magic
chamber. Mr.. Stuart the u,ague.izer or magiu
worker, than Stuart the actor. ..t,..,.,.f.,y a.
The factor named Stuart is now better known
as the 'he actor named SotLern." Following
sufficiently illustrous precedcnts used an assumed
name when entered on my profession. aand only
resumed my own by the advice Of friend Tho
"party OF spiritualists" not composed chiefly
Of "actors and actresses" II would hare been
the worse il it had bcc but In reality it was
composed Of twelve gentlemen Of high positions in
their respective professions who, actuated by n .
common curiosity and interest and exhaustive ir,-
vestigation Of the phenornena Of nsprituais,n"-
We were quite ready for either result; 10 believe
it ii it were true; to reject it f found false and,
in the latter case, at least, resolved In due tme
to expose It, For more than two years we had
weekly meetings Atthese, by practice, We had
succeeded in producing not only all the wonderful
.rianfcstatons' Of the professional ''media," but
other effects still more startling We simply tried
TO reproduce the appearances and the results which
We had heard Of, and read Of and scotland we
succeeded. Pushing our practice aud experiments
further We attained the capacity 10 execute feats
much more remarkable than those presented at any
of the spiritual sea,,ces" An American gentle
man aud myself took the part Of the "media~
and the rest Of the company assisted and do not
tempted or accomplished by Hume or the Davcn-
ports or any Of the other more notorious spiritual
exhibitors. f'ffua 9al 300 Ait s ij' TisWcd
Not the least Of our discoveries was tba. thst
whole thing was myth. We did sli that thu
spri'ualists did. and more; but We were car own
agents." and had no need Of recourse to super
natural influences. had we had the power to COM
maid them. We commenced our .ea,lees in spiri.
OF legitimate investigation We continued them
Tor the sake Of the amusement they gave eurroi-ss
and our friends. We became famous Ia a small
way. we had to start an engagement book, AMI
to make appointments. People came from all p,rtsl
oil America, aud waited for their turn. We got
INTO larger line OF business than any Of the pro-
less onni exhibitors, and'w were extensively pa.
tronized. The only difference was we didn, charge
anything. We tookNno money directly or iudi-
rectly. Our entertainment being free was liber-
ally supported; and when add that the evenings
invariably wound up with jolly little supper,
given solely at our own expense, 1t may be UNDER
stood that "Thc Miracle Club WAS much fayord,
and warmly encouraged. Tho indulgence Of our
love OF fun cost us some money but yielded US an
immensity Of pleasure. To speak colloqually. Il
was an extensive but expensive ''selr We did
pnt pens under the table and get signatures Of
Shakespeare and Garrick and other valuable auto
graphs; we did produce spirit hands and spirit
forms; people did float in the air. nj least we made
our audience really believe they did--which was
N,'sN ~ S"i tutPoSS ahu suoits. We Gk~
hibited phenomena which were startling enongh,
in Nil conscience and we made visitors belisvA
in their reality. How We succeeded IN doug this
--how we made some Of the most intelligent men
in America believe that they really saw and fels
what they iancied they saw and felt--how we
produced results the causes Of which were not ap-
parent to the physical senses Of the spectators II
How, in fine, we did things which must havs
seemed TO be, and what many OF our visitors be
lieved 10 be supernatural and miraculous do not
intend to Explain. We did them, how we did
them do not feel disposed to declare; but have
not the slightest hesitation in saying that we did
not do them by spiritual agencies. Yet professions
als and paid media came and saw, and themselves
avowed our superior over the spirits 'A % "
] have been told by scientific persons--even in
this city where am now resding--that am .
"wouderful psychologist" II is extremely pleasant
ana very fiattefing to be told that. Perhaps am
wonderful psychologist IL hope am. hut doubt
II. Atall eyonts--whaterer physiological or quasi
Spiritual powers may possess-I have never ex-