The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-11-16
Scientists ON spirituaiisn.

AT Glasgow, on the twelfth, in the an
thropological section, Prof. Barrett read q
paper on some phenomena associated with
the abnormal conditions of mind. The sub
ject was one, however. in regard to which
there had been great change of opinion,
and no better instance could be given of
this change Of font than that offered by
DR.. Carpenter. Prof. Barrett on one oc-
casion took a card and put it in book,
and gave the closed volume to q girl. She
held it close to her head little behind the
ear, and then sand, al see something inside
the book with red spots on i'll" He then
asked her to count the spots, and she re-
piled that there were FIVE, which proved to
be quite correct, for the card was the five
OF diamonds and yet he was the only per-
son in The room who could possibly have
known what it was. This appeared to him
to be clear case or CiaiTVUya yauCv, aaa tho
important point was that every care had
been taken to prevent any unconscious mus
cular action giving any indication to the
subject of what she was beng asked about.
In another case there was a lady who was in
the habit of telling the time on O hunting
watch after the hands had been turned about
In all sorts Of directions. On one occasion
they found, as they thought, that she was
wrong. Returning the watch to her they
told her so. She persisted, however, that
sne was right, and on examining the watch
they found that such was really the case,
and it was they themselves who had made
mistake. In that case the thoughts of the
mesmerist were against those of his subject.
he had asked Mr.. Maskelyns, one of the
cleverest conjurors of the day, and gentle
man who was engaged in an attempt to dis
prove the reality of spiritualism, to see some
Of these phenomena with him, and he had
since received letter from Mr.. Maskelyne's
manager in which he SAID: ''In matters Of
this kind your best men of science are more
easily deceived than the men Of ordinary
talent"
Mr.. Crookes, speaking as a spiritualist,
contended against the theory that people
were deluded into the belief that they saw
manifestations which never occurred. He
maintained that a trained scientific inquirer
was much more than match for any con-
juror, and that il it were a mere matter of
hallucinatiOn the trickery would have been
found out long ago.
DIR. Carpenter said that there were some
people who had curious power Of thought
reading. Detective policemen, he believed,
had this power In a wonderful degree, and
he referred to the Constance Kent case and
others to show that the officers hit upon the
truth by intuition. As to DIR. Slade no
frankly confessed that that gentleman had
done things which had astonished him, and
just before leaving London he had chal-
lenged him to repeat them in his own house,
in the company of his own friends, and
with nothing but his own furniture in the
room. DR.. Slade had agreed to do so, and
therefore he considered him on his trial and
refrained from saying more of him at pres
ent.
Mr.. Parke Harrison referred to an Ameri-
can case in which q woman had confessed
that she had been paid to pretend that she
was a medium.
The president said that this woman was
afterwards proved TO have been telling
| f-i--h-- IL ...he.,- -oi,a -had made the nre-
tended confession.
Prof. Barrett, in replying on the discus
sion, charged DR.. Carpenter with changing
his position.
| DR.. Carpenter denied that he had done
so, and IN regard to what had been said
about clairvoyants referred to the instance
in which Sir James Simpson had put $500
note in a case, and said he would give it
to any one who would tell its number, the
result being that it lay unclaimed for
months.
During this exciting incident, Rev. Robt.
Thompson was seen at the back of the plat
form fourishing bank note, and apparent
ly offeing to submit it to the test, but no
attention was paid to him.