The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-10-22
EXPOSURE OFANOTHER SPIRITUALISTIC
HUMBTG.
lScientitc American

Scientific Ametican)
The story of DR.. Slades experience in
this country and in Eogland is an inter
estipg one and as the Eoglish papers have
lately been much occupied with his ex
ploits. his downfall lie more than ordinarily
al gnificsnt. Most of our readers have
doubtless heard of his method, which ia
specially bis OVID. He takes slate-that
il, be used TO take slate, and very likely
stlli does the 90 me, exposure being no bar
to confidence on the part of the faithful
he takes slate, wipes it clean, puts bit
of pencil on it, theu placesit under table,
on the questIoper's head, behind his back,
or elsewhere. and straIghtway d scratching
sound Is heard, and in due time more or
leas clearly written message is produced
fee Five Dollars.
Everything appears to be frank. honest,
and above board, also very mysterious and
altogether ine0Plicab!e. most observers
declared, except on the hypothesis of
esprit" intervention. Bat there was one
circumstance that the sc-ptical did not like
the look of. IL was a common thing for
spirituais:s 20 claim that they had kno~n
the spirits to write for Dr.. Slade on the
inside OF double slate when the two
leaves were securely fastened together.
But when en IN believer offered sCch test,
the honest Doctor womb caGdidly express
his doubts of success; tAa conditions of the
ordinary SeGnce were eXacting enough, he
would say, and tue inteiiGenccs which go
verned hin wouid have nothing to do with
locked states, or the chemically prepared OF
otherwise doctored states which too partic
ular Yankees frequently brought him.
Wary intelligences! ard exc with tender
eensi bilities.
Nevertheless they have come to grief.
One object of the paper read before the
biological section of the,Britsh Association
vas TO secure the appointment of commit
tee TO investigate spiritusism with the
hnna tn hri01 ira nnGar rha
tecting wings of Science. Particularly, the
" phenomena" developed in the presence
and through the ministration OF DR.. Slade
were to be inquired into. The motion fail
ed on account of the intolerance of certain
bigoted scien fists of the uDgodly sort.
But the examination was made scientifi
cally for all that-by DR.. E. Ray Lancaster,
E F. R S. and Professor of Zoology in Uni
verSity College, London, a gentleman we'll
known to the reading public. DR.. Laukes-
ter visited Slade several times, and like
the venerable DR.. Carpenter, was very
much shaken " by what he saw. In fact he
simulated considerable agitation and an
ardent belief in the-mysterious nature of
what ne cav and heard. All the time he
studied DR.. SHADES performances closely,
and ~ last he thoug'rt' ,e saw through them.
So he appointed another iuterview, aud
went for his frIesd DR.. Hora,io B. DOnkiu,
of Q ,eeu's College, Oxford, one of tie
physlc Ius of Westminster Hospital, to
whom he explained his hypothesis. and
arra2gsd for demonstrate IN of it next day.
The by pnthesis wac simply that Dr.. Slade
himself wrote the mes sages, which were of
two sorts, one short and sprawling, the
other long and with tie characters well
formed the first DIR. Lancaster believed
were written with the finger of one hand
as the slate was being held under the table,
the second while the slate was resting on
DR.. Slades's knee concealed by the table,
the operator being ostensibly engaged
meantime IN preparing the pencil for the
spirits to write With, and so on. The
test proposed was simply to seizs the slate
after it was cleaned aud before it was put
under the table-thst lie, at a time previous
to its submission to the esprit"
The thing was done after two or three
messages had heen regularly received.
With Dr.. Shades permission DR.. Lankes-
ter was tn hold the slate under the table
instead, he accused Siade of having already
written the expected reply, and on turning
the slate ove-, found tie charge sustained.
'To any one not predisposed to believe
in spirit agency at all hazards" writes DR..
Donkiu TO the London Times, " this seance
is snficient.' We have rot the slightest
notion, however, that DR.. Sl4de's standing
among the mass of spi.i:ualises Will bs at
feCted IN The least.