New-York tribune., 1876-09-29
MIR, SHADES SLATE IN LONDON

Many New Yorkers have heard of Mr.. Slade,
who is one OF our principal New-York magl-
clans, and has long done thriving business
here with his wonderful slate and pencil. Mr..
Slade Is now in London, where he has aston
ished the public by performances which, though
familiar to us, seem to be novelties there. lie
has attracted the attention of several men
of science, and among them of DR.. Lankester,
+. r. S. and Professor of Zoology in University
College. London. This, however, has proved
n fatal honor to Mr.. Slade; for DR.. Lancaster
has written to The London Times letter in
which he denOunces Mr.. Slade as juggler, his
slate as a humbug, and his pencil as delusion.
Mr.. Shades method is well known to many OF
our readers. He produces slate and bit OF
slate pencil. He shows that there is no writ
ing on the slate. He then places it horizon
tally near a table, against which 1t Is pressed,
the pencil being, it is supposed, between the
slate and the flat under surface. A noise of
writing is heard-Slade says it ia made by
splits; and, sure enough, when the slate is
removed from the table a message is found
written-fof which Slade receives 30. The
message may be inscribed either on the under
surface of the slate or on the surface which
was facing the lower surface of the table.
The lower message DIR. Lancaster says that
Slade wrote with one finger of the hand which
was holding the slate. The other messages
being larger and better written, were written
(says the Doctor "by Slade on the slate
"while it was resting on his knee, concealed
"by the edge of the table, DR.. Lancaster
formed this hypothesis by noting 4" the delay
(which always occurred between his beng
"shown the slate with both sides clean and
then placing the slate against the table"
So the Doctor determined to seize the slate
Mt the critical mOment-at moment when
Slade professed that it was entirely un-
touched-and "if the writing were already on
:" the slate before the spirits were supposed to
"have begun their work." it would be q
demonstration of the truth of the Doctors
hypothesis. He was by Shades permission to
hold the slate to receive the writing.
There was unusual tumbling on Slade's
part before delivering the slate, and
SO the Doctor took the liberty of seizing it
prematurcly, and, wonderful to relate, there
was the message written, and written by
Slade. Dr. Donllin, who is Assistant Physician
to Westminster Hospital, has also addressed
The Times saying that "the exposure was
perfect lie was present, and knows where
of he alIirms. Here are the statements of two
eminent men of science. In time we shall
probably have statement from Mr.. Slade.
All he said to Prof. Lancaster Mt the moment
of exposure was: "You see that you have
"been paid in your own coin; the spirits will
mot come to people without faith" We fail
to see any pertinency in the remark. "There
"mllst be some mistake" Slade also said
The mistake, we suspect, was in inviting Dr.
Lancaster to investigate the matter.
At the recent meeting of the British Associ-
alton at Glasgow, paper was read by Prof
Barrett in the Anthropological Section in
which "Spiritualism" was discussed In this
SHADES performances were advanced as evil
dcnce of esprit power" Commenting upon
this in letter to The Times, Mr.. A. Lane Fox
suggests that Prof. Barrctts paper "may have
"donc good by drawing attention to the prev
"alence of spirtualism and to the fact that
"sOme eminent men of science are believers III
ait" lie thinks that "no popular belief is so
"entirely devoid of truth as to be destitute of
"some few grains of fact" If this be SO, it
must be admitted that " the grains of fact' in
the experiments of Mr.. Slade, as explained by
Prof Lancaster and Mr. DOnkin, are marvel
ously like unto grains of mustard seed
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