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

to reason. explained to DIR. Don
kin my hypothesis and my inten-
ton, and the result has completely
justified my anticipation. AS on
last Monday, so to-day, Slade al
lowed me TO hold the slate against
the table in order to receive the
spirit writing, saying that the spirit
would probably write more dis
tinctly for me than for him. The
slate had been cleaned and was now
declared by Slade to be devoid of
writing, but writing was to appear
on it in the usual way, accompanied
by the scratching noise of the pen
ell. There had been the usual de-
lay and lumbling on SHADES part,
when ! put out my hand and inn
mediatoly seized the slate away,
saying, "You have already written
on the slate. | have watched you
doing it each time" And there,
sure enough, was the message al
ready written, as had anticipated.
Ny friend, DR.. Doukin, will give
you a more detailed account of the
events which occurred in his pres
ence.
am, sir, faithfully yours,
u. RAY LANCASTER, L. r. S.
Fellow of Exeter College, Ok.
ford, and Professor Of Zoology in
University College, London.
September l5 1876.
MORE EVIDENCE AGAINST sLADE.
At the request of my friend,
Prof Lancaster, accompanied him
in his visit to-day to Slade, the me
dium, in order to watch carefully
what might happen, and to be able
to cOrrOborate or not the opinion
he had forEed as to the means en-
ployed.
A spirit message was soon writ
ten, the slate being held in opposi-
ton to the under surface of the
table, the thumb alone of the me-
dium's right hand being on the
table. During the alleged writing
scratching was plainly heard, and
at the same time a slight tO-and-fro
movement Of the arm, with some
, contraction of flexor tendons on
, the wrist, was visible. The writing
was imperfect and distorted, requir-
, ing the Interpretation of an expert,
and appeared on the surface of the
slate, which faced downward.
The resultwas in accordance with
the theory Of the agency of a min
ute piece of slate-pencil probably
, held under the nail of the middle
, finger.
The next communication was
+ partly quite legible and in q
5 straightforward, undisguised hand,
> but this time it appeared on tbs
upper surface of the slate. Bear
ing in mind the hypothesis that
this was ready written before the
{ spirit got TO work under the table,
r | carefully watched Slade during a
. considerable interval before he re.
placed the slate. While he wa:
8 Gearing his throat and making
o short remarks, | saw his right arm,
+ now. at some distance from the
G table, moving exactly as though he
!. we're writing on something placed
+ on his knee. Owing to my position
e at the table, opposite him, | could
s not see his hand. Simultaneously
y | heard the scratching of the pen
c Gil, hardly at all obsoured by the
Y noises | alluded to. After the re
{ placement of the slate the spirit
G scratching (this time as a ruse) wa.
heard as before.
Is Before the next communication
IS the spirits wera asked if they coult
n write for Professor Lankestet. The
4 agreed to do SO. / observed tn
c medium 90 through the same sor
r of maneGyers ag before, although
z, even more deliberately, very httl
Z effort being made to hide q lolt
z scratching while the slate was ava,
II from the table. After some littl
er time Slade put the slate under th
le table, holding it as before, with hi
lie right hand, Professor Lankeste
ie beng about to hold it with his lef
so in a similar nla9per, Here let espe
g cial notice be given to the taet tba
It at this moment the slate was SAT-
N to be free from writing. Before an
Iy time was allowed for spnit-scratch
v ing to be heard, my friend, az agree
lg upon, sharply withdrew the slat,
&c and in accordance with the pro
lie phecy, displayed the message a.
lie ready written.
he TO make this exposure still NOR
ht perfect | may add that the first {
G. the two latter messages referred
he consisted Of two words read by tli
medium MS HSamuel Lancaster