The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-06-12
A SPIRITUAL SEANCE.
An Editor Who IL Satisfied of Hts
&c uineuess.


Notwithstanding all the efforts that
have been made for many years by bigot-
ed theologians and rank infdels and by
percritical investigators, in connection
with arrant impostors who have pro
fessed to be mediums, in one place and
exposers in another, the legitimate media
have proved to thousands of the best
people in the United States, under these
adverse circumstances, their genuineness
as spiritual telegraphers $50 to speak,
between the mundane and supermundane
worlds. Scarcely any of them, however,
have escaped calumny. But the one
whom we have under consideration
Mrs. Maud f. Lord, of 80 Milford
street, Boston-is an exception. Not
withstanding her seances are held in the
dark, the manifest absence of confeder-
ates, and the Enthusiastically palpable
presence of the invisibles, force convic-
ton upon the most skeptcal.
At the seance in question, in company
with Mr.. John Wetherbee, we had full
opportunity TO satisfy ourselves Of the
sincerity of the medium and the power of
the spirits. The circle was composed of
twenty-five persons, male and female.
The $. ce was very satisfactory to the
skeptic as we'll as the believer. The
ladylike appearance and conversation of
the medium at once enlisted the COM
pany in her favor. Every precaution
was taken to prevent collision, the door
of the seance-room having been locked
by u.s. The company was seated in cir
Gle, the chairs touching one the other all
the way refund, the medium in the CEN
ter. No sooner had the light been ex
tinguished than the manifestations COM
menced in earnest. The medium was
held in chancery most of the time by
some skeptic whose feet were placed up
on or beside the mediums. Besides
Mrs. Lord, in order to satisfy those pres
ent that she was passive instrument in
the hands of the invisibles, kept up a
constant pating of her hands. This was
good evidence that the lady herself had
nothing whatever to do with the spirit
touches which were felt all round the
circle at the same time The manifesto
tions were quite varied, but much similar
to those given by her in New York and
other places, which have been so often
described by correspondents in the Ban
ner. BY request the company were
famed and then the fan was sent whirl-
ing round the circle near each face with
great velocity; then the tiny music box
was set going by one of the invisi-
bles, and could be heard disooursing its
music over the heads of the audience,
sometimes at one side of the room and
sometimes the other; and then. by re-
quest, it would land in the hand Of the
person who desired it. The tambourine
was often taken from one lap to another,
and raps upon it were loudly given in
answer to mental questions. While Mrs.
Lord was describing different spirits,
giving their names, ETC., to the utter as
constituent of the skeptics and the entire
satisfaction Of the believers, nearly every
ones hands were touched by spirit fin
gers, sometimes quite forcibly.
The tests given were indeed very re-
markable in some cases, especially to the
skeptics, some of whom would occasional
ly remark, "How wonderful " A ring
was taken from our finger and placed on
that of a person in the circle opposite to
US, we mentally informing a spirit who
to give it to. The experiment was en-
tirely successful, the gentleman at once
exclaiming that ring had been passed
to him. We then willed it hack, and
instantly it was returned and placed up
on one of our fingers. The suddenness
with which this was done precluded the
possibility of fraud.
The medium saw two spirit-children
near lady and gentleman in the circle,
and gave their names correctly, the lady
saying the little ones were their children.
Then the medium said quickly, "Oh, l
see another little one, smaller than the
others. Why, she must have been kill
ed, or at least wounded, by being run
over by horser Eyes, said the
mother, 'we have lost our three chill
dren." "Why," again remarked the me-
dunn, "this child has just put her hand to
her head to show me where she was hit.
EYES," responded the lady, "she was
hurt in the head" ''That is a good test,
isn't it," said Mrs. Lord, "you being
entire strangers to me?" "Oh, yes" was
the response. Directly we heard
sonorous voice in the air, exclaiming,
'.And thus the noble work goes onin Mrs
Lord pleasantly remarked, 1.-The speaker
must be an enthusiastic spirit"
Others received evidence of the pres
ence of their relatives, the names some
times being given by the medium and
sometimes the spirit giving in the air
audibly his or her proper name. Our
father was named by the medium, and
accurately described as he really appear
ed before his demise. w. %. Crockettas
father announced himself and was recog-
nized by the son. Mr.. Wetherbee also
identified his spirit friend, Ralph Hunt
ingtOn, his name being distinctly whis-