Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-11

with this Business NOhOW.
To the Editor Of the Ledger:
&. | did not see your wide OF the Mark
notice until Saturday night. l do not
desire liberal space in your columns"
fer the obvious reason that people are
not convinced Of these things by human
testimony. Nor can | believe that mach
good will accrue by any amount of dis
cussisn. l cannot, however, let pass I'm.
noticed what you are pleased to call
"pslpable misstatement and reckless
assertion" What l stated was simply
the truth, without any coloring whatever.
| said: 1.-THE test of the LEDGER man
was complied with by tying her with a
cord and let the ends extend out and be
held by parties in the audience" had
Mr.. Johnston, Of the Appeal, to go with
me and see that a cord was wrapped
around her arms, one end Of which he
was requested to hold, which he declined.
In addition to that | tied her to the
chair with a cord in hard knots, which
was kept there until the seance was
over. All Of this "palpable misstate-
ment' and reckless assertion | assert
again, is true TO the letter. And | now
request of Mr.. Johnston to say that, 30
far as be is concerned, whether or not it
is true. . Mr.. MAthes may have reference
to the time he was there to which | did
not allude then, but will now state the
facts in regard to the Thursday after
noon seance which be witnessed. |
bought that morning Of ]. S. Hatcher &
Co. a ball Of strong twine and left about
fifty yards OF it for the purpose Of con-
6ning her again if possible even more
securely. On my arrival | found q
large number of persons in the ball,
among whom / recognized several
physicians from fernando and
Cold Water, Miss, besides represen-
tatives from Tuscaloosa and Nashville.
l requested every gentleman who lived
in the city to leave, as we must give the
preference to those who could not con-
veniently be there only on that occasion.
From my long and intimate acquain-
lance with the doctors from Mississippi,
whom | knew to be shrewd, scientific.
reasonable men, it was my request that
they con6ne her by tying in any way so
as not to hurt her. This they did, and |
think they we're satisfied that they we're
competent to confne her so that she
could not u~nloose herself and change
her dress and come out in white in a few
seconds, and then in as short a time as
sumo her next dress and tie herself just
as she had been tied by them. Hence, |
did not think, as the LEDGER man was
the only Memphisn besides another doc
tor who was already in the DON with
some ladies, that It was necessary for me
to use the cord | had prepared. This
explanation, l hope, will satisfy the pub
lie, If not the " LEDGER mar" that there
has been ne effort to dodge any reason
able test required.
There is an intimation that the cord
was not held out in the audience BY this
sentence: II the Doctor could see any
body in the audience holding ropes tied
TO the medium it is no wonder that be
can see much else that is invisible 10
other people" Now, | state emphati-
cslly that the cord was held out in the
audience, and that those who we're there
saw it, including the Appeals represen-
tatiye.
And | further state that ! have never
seen anything. at any time, that was not
visible to those present. have read.
however, in an old book Of some who
we're blind leaders Of the blind and where
they fell, but do not believe that it ap-
plies to my friend Mathes, whom | think
really desires to know the truth; whether
be has the moral courage TO publish il 10
the LEDGER is smother question. On
Friday night there we're a number OF
gentlemen and ladies who do not live in
this vicinity at the sesnce. When re-
Quested to 90 and examine Mrs. Miller,
after they had tied her and she was en-
tranced, tied a cord SO tight around her
wrists sud through the chair, as almost
TO stop the circulation. This was done
secretly, and, / think, greatly inter
rupted the manifestations. An inter
view was requested BY her control next
morning with me. For half an hour we
talked Of o number Of things relative
to the future. he said that the CEN
surcs that had been published in regard
TO his medium had greatly troubled
her, and hindered the manifestations
that those skeptics who came brought
with them spirits UhO greatly retarded
The Capitalization, and until she Wds
more fully Developed he did not wa1t
those whS had thus prittea to come 10
the sea8ess. There we're others Of the
press hat be desired to come, and az
soon as the medium was developed he
wanted them to come again and satisfy
themselves Of the truth Of the phe-
nomena.
Permit me 10 repeat that | hope those
who wish to witness these manifestations
will not make their applications to me.
have no agency for that or anything
else, and have 10 leisure 10 devote to
making such err8pGenents for Memphis
peopi5. : expect 10 invite members Of
the press and some others when | can be
there, but my pressure Of duties aud bus
moss will not permit me 10 devote much
time to this physical plane Of the sub
ject, and do hope | shall not soon have
occasion for any liberal space in your
columns" 10 vindicate myself or the
cause with which | have been identified
for over twenty years in this vicinity.
SAMUEL WATSON.