Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-08
A MIXED MEDIUM.
A SKePTIc. AMONG THE SPIRITUAL
ISIS.
The Revival Of tthe Occult Glance and
What Reporter Saw at a Seanee,
Last Night.

more clearly conveyed than In the ex.
preston. so.and SO is cal the rage, JUST
now" implying change in the past ana
for the future. 1t will be readily under
stool then. when it is said that spirit
ualism is reviving in the city. This Is
true and especially in that portion gen,
eraily known as the South SIDE anu
more particularly specified as the ruin
ward. 1t is kept much more quiet than
OF wore, for all believers in aught that
ssyored of the occult received quite q
rebuff, recently, in the general exposes,
throughout the country, but 1t Is Ter
yently accepted and devoutly believed.
A REGISTER reporter had an interest
ing seance last night with medium
who is visiting in the locality mentioneo.
No names will be given here, Tor the
simple reason that the ladies involved
desire no publicity, and the interest OF
the revelations would not be enhanceu
by their publication. =,
A few DAYS ago an estimable anG we'll
known lady of this city asked the report
or if he had seen the medium who was
stopping with Mrs. y. The newspaper
man was known TO the lady as q pro-
nounced skeptic in any and all nantes
tations Of the preternatnrLl, anu though
surprised at the query, he gave no out.
ward indication OF emotion, and replied
that he had not heard the lady was In
the city. Oh, well. lie ought to 90. IL
was no common affair. She had been
there and had heard marvellous revela-
tons and seen wonderful manifestations.
Why, only the othernght she had bee n
present when the air was filled with
fire and incense, and tables had danced,
voices were heard. raps sounded IN
every direction and the spirits oi the
disembodied dead filled the room. IL
was worth, now rally worth, seeing.
The reporturial curiosity was aroused
and he listened with interest while Tie
lady related the following:
ave sat quietly about the room, with
everything dark and perfectly quiet
Presently the air in the centre OF the
room grew slightly luminous and then q
number of rlobules OF fire appeared.
They were OF various colors and moved
about each other, keeping in cluster at
the centre OF the room.
"'Those are spirit lights, said the me-.
dunn to me, in whisper, and some oil
your friends are among them
Il watched them q minute and then
said: If the spirit OF -- is present,
he will indicate his presence by coming
forward Presently one Of the lights, of
pale blue color, detached itself from
the rest and waved over toward me and
then back again; then over still farther
and then died ont. That is your
friend whispered the medium. Then
the lights grew paler und disappeared;
the luminous mist remained moment
and then the room was again IN total
darkness. When the lights came on,
felt M tired as il some one had been
pounding me, and the medium was
worn ont.
ais this all YOU saw"
Then followed more revelations o! n
similar nature, and finally the reporter
felt an all.pcrvading curiosity To stand
in the presence o! this link between ns
and the spirit land and see aud hear for
himself. An arrangement was then
made by which he, with four others. all
ladies', attended seance, last night.
The boodcurllng events OF the even
ING appeared below.
At 4 o'clock the skeptic was nshsred
into a parlor Oi certain residence Oh
the South Side and found his fellow con
spirators had all preceded him. There
were three ladies, one gentleman and
the medium. The latter, Mrs. T., VS.
not the Witch Of Endor the reporter eN-
pected but was comely, ma'ron y
lady, OF pleasant address and eHgagr x
smile. She addressed the reporter as
"Brother" and asked after his health,
utterly ignoring his moral character and
apparently taking it for granted lac was
a spiritualist and good.
All being ready, the medium remark
ed "things seemed suspicious and sug'
gested the rapplng test be tried. Ac-
cordingly the lights were lowered and
the party gathered about a dining table,
with hands - spread that the joined
fingers completed the living circle. the
medium being at the head. Then al
the air solemn stiffness held for the
space OF about ten minutes, during
which the skeptic kept his eyes wide
open in search 81 any human agcn, y
which might be brought 10 bear to exc
out tie failing power OF the spirits.
But none came. The medium closed
her ewes anil gently swayed her body
back and forth Tor moment, AMI then
listened intently. But the expected rap
was not heard. In the same whisper
she asked il the fingers were touching
all around, receiving an affirmative nod
from each one.
It, itat Il ropnn1 tan nal,
BY without manifestation, anil the
medium broke the silence by saying:
"The circle Of belief is not complete.
Some OF us DO not believe. and without
faith nothing can be done" Atthis one
oil the ladies' declared herself. and was
Immediately followed by her two friends.
The medium asked the skeptic il he be.
lieved, aud the George Washington OF
the REGISTER came out in his true CO...
OrS AMI admitted his doubts. The me.
dunn exclaimed: THAT explains it.
It's useless TO attempt any circle test
without faith" and then began an mr..
gument with the reporter. The latter
said: "All ] want is q convincing
proof"
"Why," said the medium, edo YOU
believe in the existence Uf any power in
the universe you cannot understandY
The skeptic admitted his poaderosity
OF brain power, bat confessed there were
things which rather held over him.
Then, ssid the medium, "y0u are in
condition 10 accept. So We will try the
lights" Here disposition Of the com.
pany was made, n which the skeptic
made an Intellectual protest. All five
were seated cloe together In one
corner, while TIE medium remained
standing The lights were then eItin.
guished, and TIE darkness Was complete
and sbsolute. An awful stilness
reignad, and the breathing Of an astE.
matte lady was distinctly audible.
Presently faint odor was perceptibl.-
very faint, but iHefably sweet, In which,
however, a keen nostril could detect tie
unmistak cable smell Of phosphorus or
sulphur. And nov, in the center Of tie
room, a pale light defined itself 10
dim that Il ilumined nothing near i,
and seemed a mere faint glow. Tie
lady next 10 the skeptic began 10 trem-
BILE 20 that the agitation was ccny.y d
TO the entire sofa, especially when the
a A. IL .ui. I...x,L.