The New York herald., 1874-12-22


answered all Ia general sort Of way, bur did not
give single TACT wnlcn could not DC easily
asked IN what year sonie one died he compelled
us, instead OF getting ms Information direct from
the person who prolessed 10 be present, " write
down q quantity or dates. Five times out OF SIX
! he missed IT, Once III wnlle he wouid MT rght
He thought 10 surprise US bs holding tue pencil
| the spirit did move 1t, 10 speak But had not
been TO Hartz In VAIN SO took the pencil, held Il
! spirit moved ii Tor me IN the self same way. lie
insisted that, though ! did the same thing as ne,
sun did II mechanically, while he una II by spirit
uaistic forces you know.
AT the interview when am specially describing
those VINO are sun nvlng. while the other called
only for fictitious characters. our argument ana
who Is ready TO communicate; beautiful spirit,
and from the celestial rather Than the spiritual
world" Now, tnen, that being the case, aii tnat
spirit mad 10 say was "Gentiemen you can't de-
ceive US we see through you Your motive Is
excusabie, but your questions are aii false" aud
we should have paid our 81 and received me best
test tnat could be given As with MANSFIELD,
wanted to be scolded: wanted TO be upbraided;
say through Foster, "My roy, your questions are
unworthy" and II my iatner mad really come
through Foster that is certainly what he would
one oI the questions ASKED was:-
Dear Wilkinson, where did you die, and Of what
MR.. FOSTER HAD FIT
He put his hands convuIslyely on mis- chest. and
declared ther he telt badly He said the spirit
was very powerful one. AT last he wrote,
died in Boston, Of lung disease.
Then he was asked, how long ago did you dies
by ms time the spirit was IN a quandary. guam
tlty OF dgures were written down. aud, AFTER having
missed 1t iour or five times. my freud SAID "Inat
Will do,'' as Fosters pencil came down on, nve
years ago SO lar from having died I'VE wears ago
OF lung disease MI. Wilkinson ls as Thoroughly
al.ye as most men to-day and stands ready to give
ocular aud muscular evidence OF ms continuance
on rnis mundane sphere TO any man VINO doubts II.
The next question Was:-
Will James Watkins tell mo something about bmsefs
and
in sepulclral tones, ''He will write his name in
plood on the back OF the medIums nand"
And sure enough. after considerable rubbing OF
the part named, tue initials J. W. came out. This
did not starte either OF us, because we mad done
tnat tang ourselves. snarp thumb nan Is the
your nan over your nand ana tnen rub II smoothly
and you VIII do the trick as well as Foster need
not say here that the aforementioned }. W. IS stll
awe, aud can make his own initials come out on
the back OF ms own hand.
''sLEIGHT OF HAND" AGAIN.
tall IL viii be naturally SAID. .'Yes, but now
could the operator READ tue questions 7" He has
dozen OF them together; these he holds in his two
hands, manipulating tnem constantly. He talks
ana "a evesy now al ana men nom attracts
that ruse Is not successful, he says, excltedy.
ION, dear, take the alphabet quickly. on. dear,
turn TO the alphabet, aud, having got It in readl.
ness, ind that the fl has passed OF, aud that ne
has deliberately unlo.ded your paper aud read
your question. II you ask how KNOW answer
81,
eyes, and not once but several times, and second,
because can do 1t myself aud 50 can any one after
IN order, however, to MAKE assurance doubly sure
took slip OF paper, while Foster retired for
moment, twice as vide as the one he gave me, and
wrltlng ques lOu thereon gave 1t to him. He
could get NO influence whatever. Try bim II yon
are oollsh enough to want to De humbugged IN
this way. Take your written questions with you,
pasted SO that by no possibility can they be
opened. and. my word lor IT., you won't get an
answer. In order to show that want to be en-
tirely just to man whose personal habits and
whose general methods disgust me beyond
e 9 nck envelope ssd % %s a apas ae
spirits he can conju up, can tell me the number on
1t, ne shall be welcome 10 toe money. so lar as
my mend ana myself are conc :rned we were
most .gregiousy numuugged. 10 my untutored
mnd it Is awlul. SIMPLY awluI, to maze professions
character, calling on God ana the holy angels as
though ne perfectly familiar with tnelr ways,
your credulity in the most bareIaced and mpu-
dent fashion. nave no hesitation whatever IN
wngg ana a w;
practlsed sleignt OF nand trick, and the proof
SHADES sEANCES.
| Ihave already taken up SO much space in Civ.
ing the details Of my interviews with Mansfield
and Foster, tnat nave little room In whicn to
speas of the last OF this noted tri0 Mr. Slade.
Spiritualsts have repeatedly assured me tnat with
the latter gentleman should get complete satis-
1action and the whole their prediction was Iul-
| fll,d though not in exactly the way expected.
/ field would snow me tninRs very startling ana by
! persons upon whose Judgments am apt to rely |:
but the result the nauseatlng result oi those SIT.
tlngs you already know. am tod again. and this
Is very curious and remarkable statement Tor
confirmed believers to make tnat wnlle ali these
/ gentlemen once IN while resort 10 jug9lery
that Is when they are not in condition. "
but nevertheless ieel tnat tney must have tnat
they nave given undouoted proof Of supernatural
power l say tins because IN the search after
primary condition or success This statement
may Tor aught know, be true, and ior aught
those things alone Of which have taken personal
cognzance. Tnese supernatural agencies have
not been forthcoming during my presence; on
exhibited the Trick OF which even tyro In sleight
OF hand, who was not thrown OF his guard by an
actual afllctlon, could detect.
have neld two interviews with Slade. one at
his house IN Fourth avenue, and one at his resi-
| decce III Twenty.frst street. was ushered into o
| parlor where was met and greeted by gentle
| man who seems 10 have charge Of the operator
| Impressed. as have always been by public medi-
ums, by the keen and suspicious way IN which oil
. their people look at new conner have never
yet been received in an open, fair, honest fashion,
| They lnvariaoiy look at you as though you were
setting trap Tor them. and as tnougn their spec
1t seems 10 be important for them 20 know
| whether you are acquainted with manifestations.
would decide the kind OF article they were to
! bring forward to startle you wltha. told Sade
sation he retired to his private room. I could not
help ieeiing. Tor the purpose OF getting things IN
order and then returned to announce that he was
| ready.
The moment sat down al the table loud raps
| came. and Slade said
.lsn't tnat w0nderiul9 That always scares me.
| am afraid OF the Spirits though have seen so
much oil them."
This, OF course, did not believe a word OF. When
man has heard raps twenty times day Tor
twenty years they are not apt TO brighten nlm.
Now let me describe wnat followed little care
| fully. Behind me this was IN Fourth avenue
was secretary. Slade put my hands on the
table, SO far forward that vas compelled to lean
parity on 1t, and pressed my hands down with one
oil his, while with tue other he held tue myseri-
Gus slate. In q lew moments the slate was
| Knocked out OF his hand and on TO the door, In
the direction OF the secretary.
"Dear rue; can't hold II. The spirits are very
strong this morning"
/ He picked the slate up, but 1t was again tossed
on the floor, this time little nearer the book.
case. WITH some deprecating remark he got