New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-10
Spiritualism,

SplFlLU4l19ms
However skeptical We may be on the
merits of spiritualism there is nothing to be
gained in the disguise of the fact that it ia
coming boldly forward, and must be met
like all new theories or discoveries, with
careful scrutiny and fair argument. Dr. E.
r. Miller visited the Eddys at Chittenden,
Vermont, for the express purpose of inves.
tigatlng their materialzations. He went
there a skeptic, remained fifteen days, at
tended twenty-one seances of Horatio and
William Eddy, and became a Spiritualist
He says:
During this time my mind underwent a
complete change. 1t not only passed
through the respective stages of conviction
ana conversion. but became a positive be-
lever not only in the truths Of Spiritualism,
but IN the indlsputable fact that spirits can
not only manifest themselves by moving
physical bodies, but that they have the
power 10 mateTlaljZa so as to assume such
physical forms as are sen and heard, felt
and recognized by their irien1s.
On his return to New York he pub.
lshed his belief in the columns OF
the World Of the genuineness of the
Eddy manifestations, and the editor
said: "lnconsequent Miller writes him.
self down as an ass in legills charac-
ters." DIR. George NJ Beard in the Graphic
called the Eddys Glars and frauds" DR..
Miller returned to the Eddy homestead. at
tended Thirty seances in ten days, and
wrote to the Graphic, September 30
now wish to put myself on record again
"a a M nnItr rrAn H. 4
the Eddy manifes tations, but as rendorsing
all that l said 10 regard 10 the subject.
reaifirm what said in that article in regard
TO the power mediums would soon have to
control the press, and also assert that be-
l,eve the spirits will eventually cause every
newspaper that does not acknowledge the
truths OF this science to go into bank
ruptcy. This is a conflict between truth
and fslsehOod, and l know that truth is
bound to win in the end.
He states that William and Horatio Eddy
have been so "shamefully treated by the
public" that neither money Nor reputation
can induce them to submit to any further
tests, although "they know they are right
and shave great science developing"
But their sister, Hiss Mary Eddy, is willing
to submit to any test desired, and has prom
ised to come TO New York this winter and
submit to tests, both private and public.
DIR. Miller regards her as "the best test
medium in the world Thereupou he is
cues the following:
CHALLENGE TO ALL SKEPTICs
l will put $4,000 into the hands of George
Francis Train, who is skeptic to all focus
OF spiritual manifestations or into those of
Elder Frederic Evans, who believes in
nearly every form of it, or into the hands
of Peter Cooper, who believes in the Chris
tan phase of it but hot in the o ther or in
the hands OF any honest person who NAV
be agreed upcn. He shall put $4,000 into
the hands of the same person. A jury of
six gentlemen and six ladies shall be chos-
en- to test this medium. She will exhibit in
their presence many of the different phas IS
OF spiritual manifestations including mate
riailzation. and If q majority. of this COM
nlttee decides that her manifestations are
produced by contederates, by persOnat,on
Of lhe medium by means of masks and So
creted wardrobes, showing her to be a
fraud, the money ehall be his; if they do
not do this the money shall be mine. am
willing to select for the gentlemen to act on
this jury, DR.; Lewis A. Sayre the surgeon,
as foreman; DR.. A. Flint, Jr., the ply ysiolo
gist; Pro1e ssor YouInans, the chemist; Rev.
John Hall, the clergymsn; Mr.. Hartz, the
magician, and George Francis Train who
dos not believe in soul, a spirit or ID
believe that none of these gentlemen are
believers in modern Spiritnalism. DR..
Beard may choose thu ladies and those who
are Spiritualists or not, as be pleases. l
only request him to select those who are
honest and well known, and that one of
them shail be physician. The medium
will go into any public hall, theatre, church
or private parlor in this city that the Jury
may designate. She will furnish her own
cabinet or they may furnish it for her. All
that she requires is that it shall be so con-
structed as to make it perfectly dark and
large enough for three or four persons to
sit in at once, to have doorway two feet
six inches by six feet, over which can be
hung couple OF darkened curtains. In
side the cabinet shall be nothing but chair
and such musical instruments as are re-
quired. She will give from one to half a
dozen or more seances, as the jury may re-
quire, to test her satisfactorily.
Dr. Miller appears to be in earnest, and
the jury he names formidable in intellect
and other qualifications. Ii it is all delu-
sion, or there is a liar or fraud anywhere
it is time to herald it to the entire religious
world, for an assault has been made on
established systems of an insidious charac-
ter. Let Miller be grappled with quits
heartily and forced to the wall, or relieve us
from our moeking doubts of great sci
enoe' in its swaddling clothes.