Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-09-09
The Ghost In Society.
The newly fashionable manifestation

The Ghost In Society.
The newly fashionable manifestation
of that mysterious power, whatever it
be, that lies back of the perplexing
medley called Spiritualism, is the ap-
pearance of spirits clad apparently in
the flesh and the garments of the flesh;
a phenomenon for the want of better
word christened naturalization. The
little spiritualistic circles all over the
country have been experiencing keen
delight in such partial exhibitions at
their seances as the sight and grasp of
warm, healthy, human hands, no furth
er privilege of appearance having been
accorded any spirit in this country I'M
til now lat Philadelphia, ,one of the most
remarkable entertainments ever Of
fered in this line is opOn to select, in
vited few at one dollar each. The per-
formances are so extraordinary as to
compel attention, especially as, while
they are of the class most sure to cap
tivate the imagination and convert the
credulOus, they have yet borne some
tests of scientific examination, and
have been largely influential in gain
ing to the belief in spitual intercourse
the strong support of Mr.. Alfred Rus
sell Wallace. the associate of Darwin,
and other men of close research and
high reputation in matters of science.
During the past winter special in
terest was excited in London in new
power acquired by Florence Cook,
young woman who, for some years, has
been Il medium of rare gifts. While
she lay entranccd, in dark clothing and
securely bound, sometimes in a cabi-
net. sometimes in an adjoining room, a
female form, barefoOted and in white
flowing robes, would suddenly appear
to the waiting spectators in the COM
mon paTlor of a most prosaic house.
Fo. some time, there was no little
skepticism, spiritualists as well as un-
believers suspecting, from the facts
that the two could not be seen at the
same time, and that the spirit bore a
vague resemblance to Miss Cook, that
they actually were one and the same
that Miss Cook in some way escaped
her bonds and and doffed her dark
robe for white one. Finally, there
were scientific tests tried. Nmley, the
eminent electrician, by means of a gal
vanic battery and cable testing apDa-
ratus, passed 4 current through Miss
Cooks body by fastening sOvereigns
soldered to wires to her arms; an ap-
paratus so delicate that it indicated
every movement Yet the spirit form
appeared, as free as ever, spoke, wrote
and touched the persons present. For
nearly an hour the electric circuit was
unbroken and Miss Cook was found at
the end i'm deep trance. This was
not in the mediums house, but that of
a gentleman of repute. Prof. CrOOkes,
a chemist of note and an +. X. S., went
with a phosphorus lamp into dark
room, accompanied by the spirit, and
there saw and felt Miss Cook, in black
velvet, while the apparition in white
robes stood beside her. Mrs. Ross
Church, the novelist, went behind the
curtain at the spirits invitation,
touched the warm, breathing body of
Florence Cook lying on the floor, and
then placed her hands inside the loose
robe of the spirit standing at her
side, felt the heart beating rapidly be-
meath her hand, and testities that. if
this spirit were of psychic force"
then psychic force is very like wo-
man.
This professed visitant from another
world introduced herself as Katie
King, the daughter of John King, pi
rate in the days when Kidd sailed the
Spanish main; and announced that her
truculent papa accompanies her now,
though unable to materialize. She tells
no more of herself, except what she re-
veals in her conversation, and that,
though copious enough, is hardly valu-
able. After some months of success
full star performances in London, Katie
announced, one evening, that her mis-
sion there was ended, and she should
depart to higher sphere. That
sphere, it proves, is America, for she
has made her advent III Philadelphia
as the familiar spirit of Mrs. Jenny
Holmes, a medium of some distinction.
At Mrs. Holmes she proves how much
higher our sphere is than that of Lon
don, in that the medium is not bound
and laid in trance, but gOssips and
cOnverses easily with the guests, and
does not, to the casual eye, appear to
have anything to do with the affair.
There is a board partition across one
corner of the room, making shallow,
triangular cabinet. Suddenly the door
of this recess opens, and an indefinite
luminous cloud appears, which grows
into the shape of a young and cOmely
woman, with dark, waving hair, bright
ewes, a lace scarf on her head, and
wearing a white robe in the Greek
fashion, low In the neck and caught at
the shoulders with knot, leaving the
arms bare and sleeves flowing. This
bewitching apparitiOn walks, not
glides, around the room, touches with
her cool, magnetic hand the persons
present, kisses favOrite woman now
and then, seats herself (thOugh with
difficulty and pOurs forth a continual
flow of small talk, such as any silly,
flattered damsel, vet i'm her teens, might
do. She takes boquets, fans, or any
other trifies offered her, one night, and
reappears with them, the next. Some
times it happens that she does not need
! to have the cabinet door shut in order
to vanish; one describes how, "while
the door stood wide open. she gradu-
ally faded away, seeming to retire
slowly into the depths of a space only
lust large enough to hold her at first.
| The bouquets, and all other material
substances about her. disappeared at
| the same time, and, when nothing was
left but the hem of her white dress
shimmering on the floor, she came
again, seeming to gather herself from
/ thin air and to grow, like a foaming
cloud, more and more distinct, until
she again stood in mortal guise."
This is the spirit photograph no
longer hid in the camera, but revealed
in full presence; this is the shadowy
ghost alive and tangible-if it is any
thing spiritual at all. But, after, all,
what tests have been applied which
show that9 Ii has been undoubtedly
proved that this Katie King is not
identical with her medium, but has it
been proved that she is not flesh and
blood woman of to-day, lowered with
peculiar gifts, but claiming the freedom
of the spirit-realm through mere trick
cry and optical illusion All who
have attended her receptions testify
that her arms and hands are soft and
warm as any wOman's; the audaciOus