Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-10-08
SLADE SLAUGHTERED.
The Great Apostle OF SpiriiHalism Is
Caught at the Slate Trick -Hcw
it Is Performed by Hlm-A
SWindle and Cheat
Two Scientific Witnesses TO his De.
ceptiOn = UnbluShing Impudence
and Cheek Of the Charlatan
and Humbug.
Two Eminent Witnesses against Dr.
SIade.

Two Eminent Witnesses against Df.
London TlmesT '
My frieud Mr. Sergeant Cox having
begged me TO 60 and see the medium S!Rde,
and having informed NE that 20 dt, ,tiu-
Suished an OF science as DR.. Carpenter
by what he had witnessed in Slade's pres
ence wrote 10 that person, and obtsipei an
appointment for last Monday morning.
SlaGe's chief "maEifestation" is of this kind {:
The witness and SIaJe being alone in an ordi-
nary well-lt sit'ing-J oom, Slade produces a
common slate and small piece Of slate PEN
Gil, which are LAID on the simple four lee g9d
table, at ODs corner OF which the witness and
Siade are seated. -lads then shows the wit
ness that there is no W ting on either side OF
the safe. be then places The slate horizon
tally close agRinst the table and below IT.
pressing the slate against the table, tie little
piece OF slste-pencil beiug supposed 10 be be-
tween the slate and THE fat under surface
OF the table. he slate is so closely applied
10 the table that no hand or finger could pcs
slbly get between them in order 10 write. A
noise as OF writing is now heard proceeding
from the slate, which Is held by Sade or by
the witness the spirit is supposed to be at
work. The slate is then removed, and a
message is found written either on the under
su face of the slate or on the surface which
was facing the lower surface Of the table. l
watchet slsde very clio ely during these pro
ceodings s, y nicb were repeated seveTai times
Outing my interview last NJ Jnday paying no
attention to the Iaps, gentle kicks and move
ments OF the table, OF which will say moth
ing further than that they were all such as
could be readily produced by the me edium's
legs and feet. simulated considerable Rgita-
tion and an ardent belief in the mysterious
nature of what ga w and heard. At the same
time 1 was utterly ounded TO find the
strongest reason to believe that, with the ex-
ceptlOn of the first message, which was writ
ten by Slsde underneath the slate with II h
level one finger of the hand VIII eh was hold.
ing the sla'e, the rest OF the messages, which
were longer and bsJJer written, Wgr9 cody
indicted on the slate by Slade while it was
resting on his knee, concealed from my view
by the cIge of the table, and that the slate was
subsequently paced by him in the position
Where the @t,s.IU-uIIurue -~- 70 taKe place
with the message already written upon 1t. 1
was led to form this hypothesis by noting the
delay which a;wsys .curtei between my be-
ing shown the slate with both siHss clhan anO
the placing of the slate against the table
OF over my head for the purpose of receiving
the spirit writing, which was then hesrU
proceeding with The usual sound OF scratching
on q slate. This delay cid not Oecur when
Slade wrote with the finger OF the hand by
which lie held the sla e, 4Juring the delay
5 ade made vgrions excuses: took MP the lit
iaoly made peculiar grazing noise by clear
ing his throat. A. the same time heard dis
tinctly on three occasions a low but perfectly
rec Jgnizable sound OF a pencil traversing
slate, and twice on looking quickly at SHADES
right arm, the elCOW of which was visible.
while the rest was hidden by the table and
purportipg to be holding the slate, 1 saw
moveinen IS from right 10 left and lett 10 right
which accorded with my Hypothesis that he
WIS using MS nh1O In Wrlblns. L leIJ SlSOE
with promise to return to-day iFriday), and
at once wrote to Mr.. Sergeant Cox to tslI him
my explanation OF the m amer in which the
thing was accomplished, and offering to put
my hypothesis 20 the test 10y Sc; zlcg the SLATE
from Slade's hand when he pr0fesSed 1t to be
devoid CT writing and at the moment when
the spirit writin g' was about to commenGS.
This morning went with my friend, DR.. II
B. D0nkin, OF Queet Is college, Oxford, TO
test my hypothesis by this crucial expert
ment: / he'd determined to seize the slate at
arittpal unnmpnt-ot the mnmant u uVhHn
SIade prOfeSsed that il was entirely untouched
and II the writing were already on the sla'g
before the spirits were supposed 10 have begun
their work, considered that should have
of the truth or my hypothesis
which would be convincing to persons not al
ready lost to reason. / explained to DR.. Don
kin my hypothesis and my intention, and the
IfSuiC has Ompletely justified my anEcIpa-
ton. As on last Monday, so to-day, Slade al
order 10 receive he spirit writing, saying tha.
the spirit would probaLI y write more distinct
ly for me than for him. The slate mad been
cleaned and was now declared by Slsde to be
devoid of writing, but writing wss TO appear
On IL in the usual way, accompanied by the
scratching noise of the penoll. There h ~
been the usual delay and fumbliug on Slade
part when l put out my hand and immedi-
ateiy seized the slate away, say ing, "GCu nave
already written on the s.aie; have wetchet
you Going IL each time.' Aud there, sure
enough, was the message already writ en-, Ss
| had anticipated Ny friend DR.. DoEklD,
will give you a more detailed account OF the
'ii' ''' VII T &. RAY LANCASTER, Frs,
Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, and Pro
fesSor of Zoology j University College, Lon
doD. September 10Th.
More Evidence Against sIaGe.
At the request of my friend, Professor Lam
kester, accompanied MIN in his visit 10 uay
10 Slade, the medium, in order to watch care
fully what might happen, and to re able TO
corroborate or not the opinion he had formed
as 10 the means emp.Oyed. A spirit message
was soon written, the slate being held In op- |
position to the under surface OF the table. |
plainly heard, and at the same time slight |
Jo>and.frc movement OF the arm, with some |
contraction OF fleXor tendOns on the wrist, |
was visible. The writing was imperfect and
requiring the Interpretation of an
expert, and appeared upon the surface OF ths
81 4te which laced downward. The result was
IN accordance with the theory OF the agency |
Of minute piece of slate p ncll probably held |
under the nail OF the middle finger. The next
communication was partly quite Iegible ana |
In a straig ghtforward, undtsgulsed hand, but
this time IL appearei on The upper
surface OF the slate. Bearing In mind the
by pothesis that this was ready written before |
5he spirit got to work under the table, care |
iully watched Slade during considerable in
JervRl before he replaced the slate. While he |
was clearing his throat and making snort re-
marks, saw his right arm, now at some dis
lance from The table, moving exactly as
though he were writing on something placed |
on hiss knee. Owing TO my position at the ta- |
BILE, Opposite him, l could not see his hand |
simultaneously heard the scratching of the
pencil, hardly at ali obScuIed bg the noises l
allude to. after the replacement of The slate
the split scratching this time as a ruse) was
heard as before. Before the next mmuni-
cation the spirits were asked If they could |
write Tor Prof. Lancaster. They agreed to do
SO. observed the medium go through the
same sort OF m aGeuVerS as before, although
even more deliberately, very little effort be
ing ms de to hide a loud scratching while the
slate was away from the table. Af5er some
little time Sade putthe slate under the table,
holding IL as before, with his right hand,
Prof. Lancaster being abOCt TO hold 1t
win his left In a similar manner
Here let especial notice be given to
the fact that at this moment the slate was
said to be free iron writing. Before any
time was allowed for spirIt-scTatching to be
heard, my friend, agreed upon, sharply
WithdreW the slate, aud, IN accordance with
the prophecy, displayed the message already
perfect, may add the first of the two later
messages referred to consisted OF two words,
read by the medium as samuel Lsnkester,"
in answer TO the question as to what spirits
we're present. The samuel" bsiDg very IN
DISTINCT my friend suggested it might be
Edwin" which the medium said was quite
possible. The last message was an answer TO
the same question, and, the suggest on being
adopted, the words Edwin Lancaster" were
perfect Y clear. To any one not preGfsposed
to believe in the spirit agency At all hazards,
The result Of this seance is sufficient. j am,
HOEATIO B. DoNKIN, Md,
Oxon, Assistant Physician to the Westminster
Hospital. September Is, 1879.
HAYES BETTING ON HIMSELF.
A Correspondence Fatal TO the Credit