Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-10-04
DOCTOR SLADE EXPOSED.

Medium A spiritual SeRuce va
London --Tha NFiitDg Ou the
sIsts-mOw it was DOnc, Etc.
The following is from a recent
issue of the London Times:
My friend, Mr.. Sergeant Cox,
having begged me to 60 and sec
the medium SlaGe, and having in
formed me that so distinguished
man Of science as DR.. Carpenter
had confessed himself every much
shaken " by what he had witnessed
in SHADES presence, | wrote to that
person and obtained an appoint
ment for last Monday morning.
Slade's chief manifestation is Of
this kind:
The witness and Slade being
alone in an ordinary well-lit sitting
room, Slade produces u common
slate and a small piece of slate
pencil, which are laid on the sim
pie four-legged table, at one corner
of which the witness and Slade are
seated. Slade then shows the wit
ness that there is no writing on
either side Of the slate. He then
places the slate horizontally close
against the table and below it,
pressing the slate against The table,
the little piece of slate pencil being
supposed to be between the SLATE
and the flat under-s surface of the
table. The slate is so closely APP
piled to the table that no hand or
finger could possibly get between
them in order to write. A noise as
Of writing is now heard proceeding
from the slate, which is held by
Slade or by the witness-the spirit
is supposed to be at work. The
siate is then removed and message
is found written either on the un-
der surface of the slate OF on the
surface which was facing the lower
surface of the table.
| watched Slade very. closely
during these proceedings, which
were repeated several times during
my interview last Monday, paying
no attention to the raps, gentlC
kicks, and movements Of the table
of which | will say nothing further
than that they we're all such a
could be readily produced by tint
mediuN's legs and feet. ! simula
ted considerable agitation and III
ardent belief in the mysterious no
ture of what l saw ard heag4. A
the same time | was utterly as
founded to find the strongest Tea
son to believe that, with the eyoep
ton of the first message, which wa
written by Slade underneath tn
slate with Il believe) one 6ngor o
the hand which was holding th,
slate, the rest Of the messages
which were longer and better writ
ten, were coolly indited on the siat
by Slade while it was resting on hi
knee, concealed from my view b.
, the edge Of the tsble, and that tn
: slate was subsequently placed b
5 him in the position where the spin
writing was to take place, with tn
q message already written upon it,
: ] was led to form this hypothesi
q by noting the delay which alway
4 occurred between my being show
: the slate with both sides clean an
: the placing Of the slate against th
!. table or over my head for the pul
l. pose Of receiving the spirit writing
which was then heard proeeedip
with the usual sound Of scrutchin
IS On q slate. This delay did not oCcu
70 when Slada wrote with the fngt
= of the hand by WHICH be held ii
slate. During the delay olade mac
q yarions excuses, took up the lit
piece Of pencil and bit it, and ali
Invariably made 9 peculiar gratin
t. noise by clearing hiS thr9at, a
- the same time l heard distinctly 9
three occasions a low but perfect
T; recognizable eoupd of pencil ira
! ersing a slate, and twice on lookir
quickly at Slade's right arm, t!
elbow of which was visible, VIII
the rect was hidden by the tab
and pnrporting to be holding Il
slate, saw movements from zig
y to left and left to right which a
II corded with nay hypothesis that
L 4 4