The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-31
SPIRITUAL HUMBUGS.
REPLY TO GAN INQUIRER

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
My attention having been called to two articles
which have appeared In your excellent paper.
written by some person signing himself IAN In
quirer," deem II not mpertinenr to relate Q
little spiritual experience with Messrs. Slsde,
Foster and Mansfield. In the nrst place, do nos
doubt but Enquirer" has related his experiences
In what seems to him an honest way. The weak
point Of his statement Is the limit Of his expert
ments and the extent OF mis- dissertation. have
myself before venturing to call my fellow men
humougs, held over hundred slttings with the
mediums named above. enquirer" has had but
two with each OF them according to his own
statementI. not only held so many sittngs With
them; but employed other parties to go to them
and nave slttings also. ! have care FULLY selected
parties to make these Investigations; and now I
can simply state the result which. ] srust, may
yet awake higher spirituality in enquirer In
the first place. those mediums are ell mighty SEN
sitive persons and. IN the sittinRs they give,
come more or less under the influence OF the per-
persons l sent to these mediums report a. f0i
lows, to witt
Four went separately, under false names, with
false questions, for false personages All OF these
reported that the mediums we're frauds, possess
ing no extraordinary powers. -Four went sop
questions. They reported that the mediums were
clatrvOyants and tric&sters.
Four clergymen went separately without giving
any names. They we're, so tney SAID, "disg listed
with splritualism" before theg vent They al
received disgusting communicates. -Four iandes
honest questions. Three OF these reported that
the spirits they inquired after we're non esq the
other reported Ia favor OF SpiritualiSm. These
inhdes all reported the mediums honest. Four
others were sent. who were inclined to believe
SprltualIsm IRON their own impressions" before
thew went These were cautioned particularly
against the supposed tricks the mediums; 0ut
nevertheless all received what was satisfactory
proof 10 them or the presence OF the spirits OF their
departed trends and relatives. These also re-
ported that the medium we're strictly honest.
fCuo non sleigD t-gI men went under hOus
est conditions, and ootn reported that all these
mediums were not only ionest put possessed Of
by any human agency.
One reporter, al inhdel and An upright man In
the highest sense, reported that these mediums
wore honest, and ne corroborated the remarkable
attributes claimed b. them. His reports werU
published extensively in many OF the city papers
over a year ago. Two others sent beca me spirit
uallsts as The first sitting. One OF them was
lifted rom the door while In his cnalr; cnalr like
until counted fifty THIS was IN daylight, and
saw, as well as the others, That no physical human
being or sppaqcs e and v.n ness parties nsa
conditions. To the careful student the above u
suricent to show the position Of AN INQUIRER"
fraudulent part be vent as trickster. And
according to natural law MA own In
nun Of bis own kind, and Dc received il.
or this tact be can easily satisfy himself
by taking some nopest up, people 20 tn9se mediums.
sut As stated beiore, also inquired into these
things myself having had over hundred strings
pa sne az my own and is comns s
the presence oil the mediun had the questions
answered while they were sam In my own pocket
have taken my own STATE to SHADES house and
procured the mysterious writing upon IL before
Slade sat down to the liable This have verined
by having him come TO, my own house. providing
all the appliances nJseif have had Mansfield
answer sealed Letter in my presence, withous
opening II ! Written on my own paper too. "n-
qarer'' cannot get this. He is not in . condition
to receive truth dntll he himself becomes truth
fui. spirits will.not, cannot, force themselves On
any one TILL thedOor 10 opened. Let him take the
skeleton ont q hts closet; let MIN pray forventX
that ne MAY DO purified In spirit and then VIII
the pure ana holy Gonna 70 him. n D