The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-07-12
SPIRITUALISM.

Its Birth, Development and Decay-The
Table-Tippings, Spirit Rappings, Writing
Mediums, Cabinet Materializations, Etc.
[From the Milwaukee Sentinel
The death of Robert Dale Owen re-
calls public attention to a subject now
apparently fast dying out Of the public
mind. We allude to what is known as
Spiritualism. Within the past year it
has almost been lost sight of entirely, a
fact which is gratifying to most sensible
people. It's history is peculiar and in
teresting, and the story of it's birth, de-
velopment and decay contains much food
for thought. A belief in spiritual in
PREVENTION in human affairs has always
obtained among all races, and, SO far as
may be now seen, always will. But the
peculiar form OF it known of late years
had it's origin in the table-tippings and
spirit-rappings of twenty-five years ago.
In the beginning the new doctrine ragged
chiefly among the very ignorant, or
half-educated classes Of America and
Europe. In little while everyone was
table-tipping, and the spirits had no rest.
But this was unsatisfactory to all but
the blindest believers it was too easy.
Open frauds were practiced and expos
ures were frequent. Spirit-rapping be-
came questionable, and, of course, sank
into oblivion A lull was followed by q
fresh outbreak, and the trance medium
came to the surface. Marvellous were
their manglings of the language they used
in uttering communications from the
other world. These usually spoke under
the influence of some particular spirit,
Indian chieftains and American states
men preferred. A fact that tended to
bring the speaking mediums into disre-
pute was that the grammar of great
spirits was so bad. The craftier inter-
prefers stuck to Indian chiefs, for their
language, as everyone knows, was always
monosyllabic, and their nouns and verbs
were not expected to agree. lJI
The writing mediums followed, but
their reign was brief Many of the most
promising apostles were barred because
they couldn't write, and among those
who could there was wont to be pain
full likeness between the photographed
idiOsyncracies of the spirit and the
medium. While this didn't shake the
faith of the more ardent believers, it had
atendency to cast obloquy upon the move
ment, and prevented proselytes.
Within ten years wonderful improve
ment in the machinery Of spiritual COM
munication has taken place. The cabi-
net was introduced, and from it came the
most wonderful proofs OF the truth of the
new doctrine, and also the seeds of it's
downfall. We all remember the furore
that was created by the first " material
izations" reported. It seemed impossi-
BILE that such wonderful things as hands
and faces could be exhibited at a small
and somber opening in cabinet at the
farther end of very dimly lighted ROOM
when it was known that the only person
inside the cabinet was more or less Sc
curely tied to a chair. Then bells were
rung and musical instruments sounded
by the same mysterious agency. Gould
anything more be wished? The only
other requisite, of course, was credulity,
and this was usually plenty enough.
There were skeptical persons who wished
to investigate, but they were usually
warned off on the ground that the spirits
would not bear watching, and that faith
was necessary to their encouragement.
But the scientific unbehevers forced
their way into the dark circle: they in
vaded the sacred cabinet they lifted the
veil of darkness, and with the aid of
printer sink, lampblack and sudden
hghts.the showed what fraud the ma
terializing medium was. 1t is a perfect
ly safe assertion that not single one of
these charlatans who achieved noto-
riety escaped exposure The most
advanced OF all, the famous Katie King,
was most fully shown to be a fraud.
With her downfall the whole fabric of
Spiritualism in America collapsed as
far as the general public is concerned.
There are still in every community little
knots of people who adhere to the belief
in mediums, but they are rapidly grow
ing fewer
Robert Dale Owen was one of the men,
of education and position who was car
ried away by this form of delusion and
did much to spread it, In common with
many others, he was taken in by Katie
King, but he had the manliness as soon
as he found that he had been deceived to
acknowledge it publicly. Viewed simply
as q widespread, popular delusion, the
subject possesses much interest, and is
a fruitful subject of thought for the stu
dent Of sociology. It's decadence can
only be regarded as benefit, for it IN
questionably had bad effect on weak
minds, and it's free-love phase had bad
effect on society.
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