The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-01-27


1UARY q, p 1875.
sPirltualistic Lseerae,nain.
indianapolis Evening News, lsth.1
For the last six weeks there have been
vague rumors afoat of the wonderful do.
ings in the spiritual line going on At the
residence Of ,Abner J. Pope, No. l76 Park
avenue, where Nescs reporter, anxious
to discover the truth, and having received
polite invitation and ! ticket, hastened
to attend the last seance, and At 7:3O P.
n. found himself in company with some
twenty-five others, at the designated res.
!dence. Baker, the manager, announced
by instructions from the spirits that
only IL persons were to be admitted At
one sitting eight being outsiders, the
family and friends completing the mum.
Der, and. these eight must have tickets.
The reporter Icing one of the lucky ones,
passed into the dark room, which waa
about 12xll feet on the ground fioor,
furnished with eighteen chairs only. In
the southwest corner stands the cabinet.
a plain pine box about four feet square
and seven feet high, painted black inside
and out, with two doors in front extend.
ing from top to bottom. When these
doors are closed there is in the center
and about five feet from the floor IN
opening about foot square covered with
black -velveteen curtain that can be
either thrown up over the top of the cab.
met or let fall before the window. In.
side was placed single chair. The me.
dium is young man by the name OF
Morris, who looked, to ordinary eyes,
very much like girl dressed in bows
clothing.
After inspecting the cabinet the attend.
ants were arranged in two semi circles in
front of it, the family and friends being
IN the inner, and the strangers and visi-
tors in the outer. The medium having
taken his seat in the cabinet, ard the
doors being closed, Mr.. Baker instructed
that there should be perfect harmony in
the circle and no crossing of feet. The
lights were remvoed to an outer room
and turned down low, making the room
quite dark. After sitting some little time
silently there were distinct raps heard in
the cabinet, which were interpreted to
mean that the spirits desired music.
'Shall We gather at the river" was sung,
all joining in. At the conclusion of the
song music box was wound up, and the
singing and the music was continued al.
ternately until the close of the seance.
Soon after the singing commenced little
glimmers Of light, somewhat resembling
moonlight, were seen raising from the
window, then spirit hand was gradually
pushed through, until almost an entire
arm was revealed. After waving to and
fro for some half dozen times it was
slowly Withdrawn or seemed rather
to dissolve into nothingness before
the eyes Of the spectators; then a
face was revealed more like a flash of
light than anything else, and was not
recognized. Then came another, and an
other; then a hand here and another
there, until some five, six and seven were
seen at one time, some beating good time
to the music, and sounding very much
like human flesh and bone as thev struck
the outside of the cabinet; presently they
all vanished, the music, which had
stopped for about two moments, was
again started, when bell, an ordinary
table one which had been placed in the
cabinet at the beginning Of the seance,
was seized and ruDg violently for proba-
bly, half minute, when hand appeared
through the window holding it, and ring.
ing it slower and softer by degrees until
faint jingle only was heard, when it was
let fall with crash so loud that it star
tied oil in the room. Then = large pair
Of dark hands were dimly visible, and
9hen the top of an Indian s head was seen
from the top Of the cabinet. When these
were withdrawn. voice that seemed to
proceed from Eothing greeted us with
',aood evening" Some one said, '*Is
that you, Tim. Connor "Yes,'
was the reply: Then came
little child's hand, and
voice said. "Tell mamma Betty's como" "
which was recognized at once. Then
there came such tremendous knocking
and pounding from within the cabinet
that it seemed to make the room trem-
bic. Presently it ceased, when for an
instant . spirit.face appeared, and = voice
said, "Don't you know me! Don't you
know met? Several guesses were made,
and finally y some one said: It's it George
Thorne y when the spirit manifested
great joy at being known. Afterwards
the spirit Of a lovely girl was materialized
distinctly, and Immediately recognized
by one Of the ladies present as her sister
lilly, who, upon vanishing. WHISPERED
softly "Good night, good night to
all.' Then there was silence
for some little time, then raps and pound
ings began again-the doors were forced
open from within, and the medium stag.
gered into the room looking very pale,
his fade in convulsions and his hands tied
behind him with his handkerchief. At
this time he wasi said to- be. under the
control Of an Indian and was trying to
talk like native, but in this, though he
seemed to try very hard, he most signally
Jailed, at least the reporter, who claims
to be familiar with Indian talk, never
heard any like that. Presently, however,
tho medium came out from under his con-
troll, and the scancc was ended-having
lasted one and one.fourth hours.
Of course the Netcs reporter had no
opportunity of examination, being seated
eight or ten feet from the cabinet.
One of tho saddest revelations of the
day, says the New York Star, is that
about Colonel George H. Butler. But q
few years ago ho was sturdy, stalwart,
self-relicnt, dashing fellow; a strong,