The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-05-15
The Mighty Dead Make Her Their
Medium Of Ccmmunicstion---
Many Interesting Com
n1ubicat oas.
Poe, St. Peter, lafayette, Prince
Albert and Byro-.
ISew York Herald, 81

at his office, corner of Grad and Elm
streets. Mr.. kiijle looked as we'll and
hardy az ever. There was nothing about
his foe, clearly cut, intellectual counte-
nance TO indicate a disordered brain or
morbid imagination, although the deep
rings round his eyes and u certain fixed
look in them spoke of much mental labor
and of wskeiul nights.
'Mr. Riddle, will you tell me something
about your Spiritualistic experiences for the
Hr0H!'
81 would rather not say anything Tor
publication beyond what 1 have already
stated IN my book" was his reply.
at has been announced that you are
about to retire from your position as Su-
perintendeut OF Public Schools; is that
true?"
81 have no right to say anything about
that" Mr.. Riddle placidly returned. at
will entirely depend upon circumstances"
'Do you consider that your SPirituslistic
views nigh, render il necessary for you to
retire."
"Why should they? Is a man untitled
for teaching in the public schools because
he ia a Christian? Are my views not those
OF Chrisiisnity?'
"Of orthodox Christianity, Mr.. Kiddle?"
"What is orthodox Christianity except
the religion OF Christ, and l claim that my
views on Spirilualism are in perfect conso-
nance with these taught in the New Testa-
ment."
No DECEPTION.
"But ale you not being deceived, Mr..
Riddle; ask with the greatest respect, but
still l must ask IL"
I L. ,-Ln,l.r thfs
| chair which l see before my eyes is here or
| not ~
But, Mr.. Riddle, you did not receive
these communications yourself"
"No, they came through my son and
daughter as | have explained in my book
most Of them through my daughter"
SLOW do you know, then, that she &C.
tually received these communications"
81 was present and saw her write them
down."
"Why, could she not have written them
by her own Inspiration"
"Why, il was not even her own hand
writing; don't you think know her writ
| ing?'
"Yes; but could che not have disguised
it?'
"Why should she? What interest could
| she possibly have TO do SO ?!
"And did the writings Of the different
spirits differ"
"Of course they did," Mr.. Riddle e1-
claimed "even the way Of holding the PEN
Gil was entirely different with every spirit"
"iou were present when she received
these communications ~
"Yes."
"Was your daughter, when she received
them, in a perfectly healthy and normal
physical condition"
"Perfectly So"
"Pardon these personalities, but they are
important for the purpose OF eliciting the
truth. Has she ever been subject OF hys-
teria?"
Never
"Her sleep and appetite we're good?D
Excellent; never better"
"Was her nervous system overstrung
from any eause?'
"Not in the least. with great con-
tempt)-There may be explanations given
by rome stupid doctor to cover up his own
ignorance, but they don't apply to this case
at all"
"And how has it been with you for the
last nine months, during which you say
these experiences have occurred ~
mo change. | never felt stronger, never
felt more thoroughly able to fulfill all my
duties IN lie than | do now"
"These manifestations OF spirits-did
they occur in the day or the pight?"
AT all times; not necessarily In the
night at all. Most Of them occurred by
day"
THE PROOFS.
"And you are sure that in every case it
was a spirit that moved your daughter, and
not her own free will acting under some
powerful impulse ?"
"Whst else could it be but spirit? /
know it was not unconscious thinking or
cerebration. How could she know about
the matters which my friends communicat-
ed to me, and to some of which she had
been a total stranger? There is the COM
munication from DIR. Watts, for instance,
our former family physician, in which he
speaks OF the ticket of prize meaning a
check paid by me to him twelve years ago
for medical services. Now, how could she
have known of this? Does it not prove
that it was a spirit and nothing else?'
"How is it, Mr.. Riddle, that the poetry
sent by the spirits of Shakespeare, Shelley,
ferior TO their published works.
My dear sir, don't you see that these
spirits use another persons brain for their
poetic communications If they could
manifest themselves without the aid of
medium they would always be equal to the
highest quality OF their earthly works but
they have to act upon another mind and
manifest themselves at second hand"
g.If tka,a al, not
by Byron. Shelley and Poe could your
daughter have written them herself?"
Impossible :" Mr.. Riddle declared with
had to be one of the greatest poetical gen.
fuses in the world"
And has che not sometimes displayed a
bent for poetry-an unusual talent for it?
"Not at all. Why, its perfectly absurd
to talk about it. even. Why, look at some
OF the things Edgar Poe communicated to
her; they are as fine, il not superior to any
thing he ever wrote during his earthly ex-
istence."
CONDITION OF THE SPIRITS.
"you believe that these apirits are in
beati6c state, Mr.. Kiddle?"
"Some of them are, no doubt-some of
them are lower and some Of them higher"
you had a communication from James |
Fisk, Jr.; where was he?"
He was in suffering state"
"ln their communications have the spirits |
given you an exact description OF Paradise |
or Heaven, which We are all go curious |
about"
30, Heaven is only general term 50
Paradise"
"But do they say anything about their
particular state-thoee Who have gone to
Hesven, mean"
swell, we know it is a spiritual state"
"What are their pursuits, enjoyments or
pleasures
"Oh, that We don't know. Al we know
is that the greatest beatitude is to see God
and to do good. You may rest assured
that all these angel spirits do good"
"Then, do they spend their time visiting
The lower regions to convert the devils ="
"They undoubtedly go to lower regions
hey 90 wherever they can do good. with
nrch intensity of feeling)-We know that
hey cannot go to the lowest"
"Apd are you enabled, Mr.. Riddle, to
ell By means of this Spiritualistic COM
nunica,ion to what places your friends ale
,oing?' Ii
aNo. SIR" Mr.. Riddle replied, solemnly /; /,
your own conscience must tell you that" 1
"But might l not be mistaken? Now. Z
hink I'm pretty decent sort of fellow,
md ought 10 60 to nice place. still, might
~ ~ in orror in INV hofief ~ /