Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1869-09-25
WAS IL A SPlkll?
1T &.. -
AN EVENING WITH PLANCHErrE.

1sms Spifitualist. having become 90 Of
tor . rather long experience in practical
dem ,~nstrations. az veil a. by reading the
recorded opinions Of others. who have
been favored with similar demonstrations
Ny most intimate friend is a gentle
man, whom l may call Mr.. Porter. He
is sixty,six years of age, and . most thor
oughly practical man ; in fact 80 practi-
cal, that be q see no pleasure, use, or
interest in poetry, music, painting, or
sculpture. Still, he is such interested in
everything novel, or that may be of a
beneficial character to mankind. H.
laughs at, and often ridicules me about my
belief in spiritualism. 1t will readily be
perceived that such q person would not
easily be misled by any imaginary ocur-
ence. -E
His wife is a lady who has seen just
enough of spirit manifestations to be in
terestea in them ; aud of course wishes
to investigate further.
When planchette appeared. some time
ago, I purchased one, and presented it to
Mrs. Porter. We had many curious and
Interesting communications from it, both
on tho Arst trial, and often since. |
have rooms in the same house with Mr..
Porter aud his wife, and pass many pleas
ant evenings 10 their pArlor.' have met
many friends of theirs, and among 9TH
ers, two gentlemen, one Of whom was a
Mr.. Baon, end the other was q Mr.. Kay.
Mr.. Baon, who. when I first knew him,
was holding Q position az clerk in one Of
the departments in the city of Washing
ton, was an Erglishman Of some c%ultiva-
ton. BE had been in our army during
the wat, and while there became dissipa
ted, and formed some Objectionable ac-
q%uaintances, which unfortunately he had
still kept up iu spite of advice from his
most intimate friends.
M. KY is q gentleman of very pleas
ing address and refinement of manners.
He iss lawyer by profession. and holds a
position of considerable prominence in
our capital He bad become much inter-
ested in the workings Of planchette, and
came often to see it al Mr.. Porter's Mr.
Baon had seen plsnchstte but once ; and
then it did not move at su. Still, from
the stories be had heard, he was very
anxious to Gee it write. Mr.. Kay had
met Nj. sBaon there only once, and walk.
cd away with him sftsrvard.
Que morning l stepped into Mr.. Por-
ter's parlor. looking for a book which |
had left in it the evening before. and
while there, Mr.. B ,on called. He appear.
ed very uneasy, though. as he was always
nervous, I thought nothing Of it How
ever, there was somethiug more than his
usual unquietness. upon this occssion /;
for if he took bis knife ont of his pocket
once. he did it forty times, opened it's
blades. shut them, opened them again. and
30 on for many moments. BE seemed
very absent, asking questions /; and when
they were answered. be would suddenly
turn to the person who answered him and
Say. " What I did you speak |"
He would begin to tell Us something,
and then lose himself. suddenly pause,
look Of into tue distance, aud listen az
though he heard something which was
just beyond bis sight. Altogether his
visit, which lasted about three quarters
of AZ hour, was very muoh rem srked (;
the more 60, as it was decidedly unusual
for Mrs. Porter to have any callers 90
early it being about ten o'clock in the
morning.
After he had gone away. che turned to
me. aud ask-d if l thought Mr.. Baon un-
der the influence of liquor? I said no,
for oil his conversation had been correct,
although bic manser appeared strange.
] thought nothing more Of it that Cay {;
but the next morning a. I was passing
down stsirs to breakfast, Mrs. Por-
ter opened her door and said, 20 Mr.
UA- have you heard the dreadful
news ? Mr., Bson has Committed suicide
BY emitting his throat with q razor I"
was completely taken by surprise /;
for l had never, for . second, thought Of
Nj. BAOn 10 such . light. f.a
"Ses hers-here it is 10 this paper."
she continued. handing me the Morning
Chronicle, Of October 18th. And sure
enough, there was an account of his
death 10 the manner described. It had
occurred on the day before, at two o'clock
p. o., only . few hours after be had left
ue. E.
Then we remembered bis strange man
ner and bearing. together with the un.
usual hour Of the call ; and va couclud-
ed that be must have been under the in
duence Of some drug, or absent in MUD,
from having alresdv dotorminod rnon