, 1874-01-25
Investigation would be OF general Interest to the

public. ~
Won what know about this matter, which, I will
admit has taken mp good deal OF my time
lately; but wan. you to publish what say Just
rs say it. I do not want any garbled Interview.
Can you write shorthand?
Repottcr-Ycs, sir.
Mr.. storey-Then you nsk the questions, and
will answer slowly, so yon can get it down cor
rectly. I do not want any blunders to make me
talk like id fool.
Reporter-Suppoe We begin ut the beginning,
Mr. StoreF Nav ask you what your.
RELIGIOUS VIEWS
we're before YOU became interested in this spir-
itual question?
alr. Storey-Rcligious h-! l never had any
religious views. Why, cir, you might have hunt
ed th.oug b all my baggage, tor tue last thirty
years, and never found anything Of the klud
there. My only creed was the success of the
Times. That is the only principle l have had
for the last fifteen years.
Hcporter-But you were brought up in pious
community, Mr. Storey +:
3lr. 6toroy-No. sir. l was brought up IN my
Reportcr-But all the tender influences OF
home, 1lr. Storey-the Sunday~school, tho prayer
yaid by the mothers knee. the little hymn when
you laid down to sleep?
Mr. Sto1ey-You arc not old enough to have
known. my fether. Tho only hymns which I
heard during childhood were the hum Of the
horse-whip aud the rather louder melody OF the
hoop-pole.
MI Mr. - sLorey~Yes, 10 / did. Were you over in
Middiebury, Vt?
Reporter-Ies.
Mr. Storey-Do you reoollect the old meeting
houHe,-tne old Congregational church, that was
just OF from the square near Squire Aliens
house?
Reporter-I just barely rccollect it.
Mr. Storey-Wcl. one Sunday afternoon I had
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
in front Of that Westinghouse. was standing
out there. There was large pile OF stones
near by. had nothing particular to do. saw
tbs stones. 1 did not know what else to do with
them, and j bognn throwing them at that
neeting-house. I made it ring. Tire re-
suit was that swarm OF Dea-
cous poured out. and l WAS seized
tho hands OF very stroug Deacon and was
afterwards confined for the space OF a day in the
iail 1t Middlebury for what they called an inter-
ference With Divine worship.
Kepoytcr-That soured you against religious
things:
Raporter-But there is q time with most mon
when they are troubled with doubts OIL religious
questions, aud When they either get converted
and ioin the church, or settle down into tho
ordinary easy faith Of most men, or become ab-
solute skcptlcs I know had that experience,
you:
ANOTHER RELIGIOUS ExPExIENCC.
Mr.. Sto1ey-I never had tho tine for any such
feelings. 7 always had to earn rhy own living. l
WAS working as an apprentice on paper at
Bennington at one time, and, after MT employer
had rot in debt TO me about $40, he discovered I
had no religion and refused to pay me, since it
was unlawful to hare any detlngs With in
fidels. So Joined tho church there, and then
he paid mo half and said he would give the res.
to lleip the cause.
Reporter-But understood that you used to
belong to tho Episcopal Church-that you had
been connected with it ever since 1865:
Mt. storoy-The Episcopal Church is very
respectable church.
Keporter-Certainly it is
Mr.. StoreY-A member OF that Church, who
has money, can generally go into
GOOD SOCIETY
Keporter-I believe he can.
Mr.. Storey-That is my connection with the
Episcopal Church
regeneration by baptism, or the Cheney con-
troyersy?
1lr. Storoy-Do you think an fool? Bishop
Whtehouso il good society. Biahoh Cheney is
Reporter-wel, what turned your attention to
Mr. Storey-Well, have known, OF course,
that there has been . good deal Of excitement
about il in my Office, and some OF the boys hare
declared that they had medlumistic powers, and
that they could converse with eminent states
men, writers, aud so on but did not see thai
they did any more work. or that the quality OF
their writing improved any, and paid no atten-
ton to tho subject until, one day. lady:
Reporter-A lady
Mr.. Storey-You insolent scoundrell Do you
mean to say | don't asaoea.e with ladies'
Reporter-Oh, beg your pardon, Ir. Storey.
+ bA6 M p1,rF intentiDnH at all,
AIr, Storey-!ll rignt-until lady whom I
know began talking to me- about these phenom-
ena, and wanted that should go and attend =
eeance. agreed finally, and we went down to
through lot OF what I considered mummery and
nonsense, tables which moved around, and v1o-
Inns which foated in the air; and finally 1
thought would test the matter, and-- when
was young man down in lork State. there
was fellow by tho name OF Amasa Dustin, for
whom did some work, and who owed me some
mouey. He put me off from day to day, and
used to curee him and bother him but one day he
died. and left that Ittlo debt unsettled. Now, l
knew that nobody around knew anything Of
Amasa Dustin; the man had been dead thirty
years, and I thought would
QUESTION THE MEDIUM
and see il could get any information about
this Individual. so I asked il AmaBa Dustin
could be communicated with; and presently they
said he could, and that he had message Tor
me. Hald, - very wen Tnat IS II 4ueu tAo
medium raped out communication from
Dustin to the effect TINT be still lad that debt
of e. so on his mind, and waa still des,rons to
pay it. He had. however, been unable to OBJ
tain profitable work since he left this earth. and
was, therefore, in no condition at present to
make good his indebtedness, and hoped I
would give him little longer time. Woll,
this surprised me good deal. because the me-
dium named the exact amount Of the debt, and
went On to givesone other little circumstances
about the matter which we're known to no one
but he and I. Then the medium said
AxAsA WOULD SHAKE HANDS WITH lie.
did not care about it particularly, for he VAS a
shift1esa food whom I never had any patience
with but consented, and presently felt a
hand press mine. There was fam
ilY Of these Dustins up in Rupert,
in Vermont, aud they all had six angers.- that
ia, the sixth finger Was i little lump Of flesh
growing out beside the little finger. took
hold of the hand with my OWL. and l could dis
tinctly feel that sixth finger.
Kepo7ter-That Is very singular. But per-
haps your Imagination
Mr. Storoy-I have mona. I tell YOU I
counted those fingers. Do you think I an
lying?
Roporter-No, sir !; but you had been thinking
OF this man, and might have fancied you felt
Mr.. Storoy--No, felt it. When went to the
office the next day, I sent for Wi1kie, who had
~. -. 4n.-sx l.%n1 1t@,1x and