The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-04-11
SPIRITtALISM,
Miss Florence Cooke, the Wonderful London
Medium.

, Medium.
Miss Mary j. Holmes London Correspondence to The Mem
pills Appeal.
Spiritualism seems to be going through a
. critical test now by the scientists of London
The medium through whom the experiments
are mostly being made is q young lady OF
: about Is years Of age-Miss Florence Cooke
She is not public medium, but the manifest
atoms that take place in her presence are OF
such startling character that it has been
quite impossible to contine the exhibitions OF
them to her family and friends only Many
persons of distinction and celebrity have wit.
messed the same at her house. In seeing the
phenomena, the first condition is tying Miss
Cooke firmly in cabinet, and sealing the
knots. There is then curtain dropped over
the door between her and those present,
which, Of course, places her in the dark, while
those in the room are in the light. In a short
space of time there comes from the cabinet a
female figure, draped in white, with white
veil falling over the head, but not covering
the face. The feet are naked. She walks
around the room, speaking to all says her
name is Katie King; allows persons to feel
of her dress and shake hands with her, which
are as tangible to the touch as any other ma
teral thing on earth, The size and form of
the figure is much like the medium, Miss
Cooke, which fact raised many skeptical
doubts in the minds Of those who witnessed
the manifestations, thinking it might be Miss
Cooke, who had freed herself from her cords
and dressed for the play However, in every
instance after Katie had returned To the cabi,
net they had raised the curtain and found
Miss Cooke in Il state Of trance or uncon-
seriousness, securely tied and sealed as when
they left her Here was a case for Professors
Crookes and Marley to test the physical force
question. Miss Cooke very readily yielded
herself for them to experiment on the phc.
nomena.
| will give their experiences as Professor
CrOokes gave them to me:
lie took Miss Cooke first to his own house.
that he might be sure Of her surroundings
He then improvlscl dark cabinet with n
curtain door. They placed the medium inside
and securely tied her Prof Marley then
placed gold plate on the inside of each wrist,
to which was attached insulated wires lead
ing out into the room to a very sensitive cleo
trometcr. They tried every motion Of her
hands and arms, and the placing of her arms
together to see the different forces of electric.
ity PRODUCED by the different positions, Prof.
CroOkes observing her all the time, while
Prof Marley had his eyes on the electrometer.
After thoroughly learning the effect produced
by each movement of hers, they placed the
curtain before her, leaving her in the dark.
Soon the figure calling herself Katie made
her appearance the electrometer not showing
the least movement. She said What dol
you want me to do with all these wires?'
They told her nothing only to come into thel
room and make such motions with her hands
and arms as her medium had done katiel
at once threw her hands around in lively
which did not effect the currents OF
electricity in the least degree. Then katei
asked Prof Crookes to bring lighted candle !
and hold it to her face, and see if she looked
like Miss Cooke. He tried it, and found she |
had fair complexion and light hair, while
Miss Cooke is quite dark, With dark halr
Prof Crookes says that DC far as human tests
are concerned, nothing could be more eonclu-
siYe thar that there was genuine phen0me-
non outside of the conscious aid of the medi.
UNI. On the disappearance OF Katie into the
cabinet they at once raised the curtain and
found Miss Cooke in the same condition as
when they had shut her in; only IN an uncon-
scious state or trance. More than this, Mrs.
Crookes SAYS she undressed Miss Cooke after
She came out of the cabinet, and there was
nothing about her that could by any possibili-
ty have furnished the drapery and veil for
Katie, which disappeared with Katie herself
Mr.. Wallace, the great naturalist, Is bringing
out an article in the FoHAightly Recie,c, re.
cognizing the facts Of spiritualism, and stat. |
ing corroborating proof of its being an unseen
and is what that intelligence
says it is--the spirits OF our departed friends.
So much for the labOrs Of some of the English |
scientists We may soon expect to see para-t
graphs in the scientific journals on physic T
'orce, together with mechanical appliances |
and inventions