The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-11-23

ners and customs OF the English in the
nineteenth century. The last days
proceedings in this remarkable case
were attended by an even larger crowd
than had assembled before, among them
many "mediums" and Spiritualists,
male and female. The points upon
which the magistrate had to decide
were two, which he thus stated: 81.
Were the facts alleged as committed by
Slade an offense under the Vagrancy
actP and (2) did Slade do what he was
alleged to have deneP-viz., used palm
istry and other subtle crafts, means
and devices, with the purpose of de-
ceiving and imposing upon Her Ma
jesty's subjects!" The charge of
having conspired with his agent or
manager, Simmons, to obtain money
under false pretenses, had failed, ow-
ing to the absence of sufficient evidence
of guilty knowledge on the part of
Simmons, and the points at issue were
narrowed down to the two propounded
by the magistrate, Mr. Flowers, who
at once proceeded to deliver judgment
in a calm, matter of-fact manner, which
must have vexed the disembodied spirits
generally (for they were no doubt pres
ent on such momentous occasion) and
that of "Allie" in particular.
THE SUMMING UP.
al think, - said Mr. Flowers, "that
in order to constitute the offense defined
in the Vagrancy act two things are
necessary-using some subtitle craft,
means or device like palmistry, and an
attempt to deceive and impose on some
person. Palmistry is defined in Rich
ardson's Dictionary thus: 'Divination
by inspection of the hands, from the
roguish tricks of the pretenders in this
art; to palm, trick, or play trick; to
impose upon, or practice a trick, i'm
position or delusion; more restrictedly
to palm is to hold and keep in the palm,
to touch with the palm, to handle
And the definitions given by Johnson's
and Webster's are very similar"
SHADES TRICK
consists in falsely pretending to pro-
cure from spirits messages written by
such spirits upon a slate held under the
table by Slade for the purpose, such
message having previously been written
!
by himself. Such trick seems to be "a
subtle craft, means or device of the
same kind as fortune-telling. In each
case the imposter pretends to practice
a magical, or, at least, an occult art. l
am confirmed in this view by the Ian
guage of another statute to which ref
erence has been made in the course of
these proceedings-the 9th George IL,
C. 5. This act repealed that of James
l., C. y, by which witchcraft was made
felony, and prohibited prosecutions for
the offense of 'witchcraft, sorcery, en-
chantment and conjuration,' which,
apart from the statutes of James, was
punishable by the ecclesiastical courts
and perhaps at common law. 1t then
enacts for the more effectual prevent
ing and furnishing any pretenses to
such arts or powers as are before
mentioned, whereby ignorant persons
are frequently deluded and defrauded,
or if any person pretended to exercise
or use any kind of withcraft, sorcery,
enchantment or conjuration, or under
took to tell fortunes, or pretended, from
his or her skill or knowledge in any oc-
cult or crafty science, to discover goods,
supposed to be lost or stolen, he shall,
upon conviction of an indictment, be IL
able to years Imprisonment, and be
set in the pillOry four times. The pun
ishment of the pillory is abolished, but
the rest of the section remains in force,
and l refer to it only to Illustrate the
meaning Of the Vagrancy act. 1t seems
to me that statute forbids substantially
the same thing: THE practice of &C.
cult and crafty Sciences to use the
words of the act of George H.; subtle,
crafty means or devices, by palmistry
or otherwise to use the words of the
act of George ". For these reasons 1
think that, if by the trick l have de-
scribed Slade tried to impose on Pro-
lessor Lancaster and DR.. Donkin, he
committed an offense against the Va
grancy act"
Referring then to the vast amount of
irrelevant testimony which had been
imported into the case, but which, owing
to its very nature, was unavoidable,
Mr.. Flowers went on to consider the
question as to whether Slade actually
did the trick or not, the whole case
turning on the evidence of Professors
Lancaster and Donkin, which, briefly
stated, is to the effect that they saw
SHADES hands move as if he was writing,
and that on snatching the slate from
him Immediately afterwards, before it
was placed in the position in which the
spirits were to act, and without any
sound as if of writing, they found words
upon it. elf this be true" said Mr.. |
Flowers, sit involves the inference that
Slade produced the letters himself, and
that therefore he could not think the |
spirit of his wife had written them. l
must decide according to the well known
course of nature, and if it be true that |
the two witnesses saw the motions that |
they describe, and found the writing on
the slate Immediately afterwards, it is
impossible for me to doubt whatever
happened on other occasions. Slade
did on that occasion write those words
on that slate in order to cheat Professor
Lancaster and DR.. Donkin. 1t is true
that Simmons said there was nothing
to pay, as Lancaster and Donkin were
not satisfied; but the question is,