Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-02-25

a Medium Come. to Grief :. n.,e...

Last week the Journal gave descr;n,;o, e
spiritual seance at the house of D,x;a
IN Belfast, the medium BEING Nr.
nose Leavitt of Bangor The accour,
written guardedly. giving a descr;n,;o, ..
"'a' actually took place, without expressing
an opinion, but simply saying, "Wbat ia i,5.
we propose now to answer that copnmdrru
ann say, so far as Mrs. Leavitt is concerned
'hat II Is simply humbuggery. The seance.
"''"ued all through the week until FRIDAY
aHefnoon, when the exposure came. I, vas
no'iced ov the skeptics present that the won.
ui demonstrations, such bell ringing
passing oo)ects from one person to another.
patting of heads, ETC., occurred w;,b;n ,hs
! reach OF the so-caled mediums hands b.a
,he the liberty of them. No person beyond
i'er reach received the slightest touch. if we
eAcePt now and then rap over the head with
vioilh Dow This looked suspicious The
spifn hand was caught hold of in the darknass
os several who pronounced il something sub
stan'ial The digits that manipulated the 70
porfer's head were not those of a disembod;. 4
barber, but the delicate fingers of Mrs. Ieav-
itt herself Mr.. C. w. Haney and Others
submitted proposition that the medium.
"an's oe tieu 10 those sitting nearest to her
/ mdnlfp.tHtfOns
came and the thread was not broken. then tbev
would believe. Mr. Pierce and Mr. Finer
SAID the proposition was fair and should be
/ tried We will say right here for the beneS,
OF MT. fierce, although he is most conscien
nous peiIever IN spirtualism. yet he does not
| oeiieVe all mediums genuine. and is willing
TO test them. The difference between Mr.
/ Pierce and the skeptics present was. that the
former believed Mrs. Leavitt genuine untiI
she should be exposed, the latter believed her
fraud until she could prove herself genuine
Ihursday evening the circle met as usual.
Mrs. Leavitt agreeing to the tying arrange
ment providing the spirits were willing To be
brief the whole evening was frittered away
without any manifestations, save the rappings
and the spirit voice. People went awav dis
appointed, but more satisfied than ever that
the medium was a humbug. On FRIDAY
morning Mrs. Leavitt was very uneasy eat
ing little OF no breakfast. declaring that the
spirits had deserted her and she had better On
home. In explaining her failure the night
before. Mrs. Leavitt said it was wing TO some
.ers' in the circle, and the spirits wefe in
v"ked to point out the offender. The alpha
bet was called over, the spirit to rap when
the right letter was reached. Mr. flervey's
name was spelled out, so he was to be dis
carded. In fact this was the case all through
the week. If person was too demonstrative
the spirits ruled him out of the next circle.
Mr.. Pierce told her that the tying test must
be lied. After dinner small COMPANY
composed of three gentlemen and three ladies
repaired to the parlor which was darkened by
placing blankets at the windows Mrs |
Leavitts wrists were tied together the string
passing through hole in the table and
fastened beneath. A bell and other mple-
ments were placed about four inches beyond
the reach'of the mediums fingers. Upon one
side of the medium sat Mr.. Pierce, on the |
other side was Mrs. Hettie Morrill,, a lady
more than 80 years old. For half an hour
the spirits failed to manifest thcmst Ives Five
times the spirit voice said: David,
unite the mediums hands, place her out
side the circle and put water in her
mouth. David answered NAY" the water
trick was too thin. He said proceed " The
spirits then ordered Mr.. Pierce and one other
gentleman to retire from the circle, which left
only Mr.. James Emery with the ladies'. Mr.. |
Emery opposite the medium and from a
glimmer of light from the window could see
the outline of her body. Something must be |
done The medium was in a tight place and
must redeem herself. Presently Mrs. Morrill, !
said. ''The medium is trying to withdraw her
hands" Mr.. Emery SAYS then the medium
reached forward with her head and seizing |
the handle of the bell in her mouth rang it |
several times. The bell was then throw into |
the lap of one of the ladies'. The bell was
replaced on the table. Mrs. Leavitt again
reached forward with her head, and as she |
did Mr.. Emery seized her by the neck. |
clutching his fingers into the mediums lace |
collar. When the medium sat back she left |
six inches OF her collar in the hand of Mr.. |
Emery The windows ana doors were now
opened and the medium accused of fraud. |
- b., hrnl IL al nd ipi bufi
would make no confession. The gentleman
talked to her severely. MIR. Pierce told her |
to pack up and leave and in the future to try |
and make an honest living, and not hunbug
the public. Mrs. Leavitt went to her room
and in a few minutes passed silently out of
the house to the hack in waiting, and was
driven to the depot taking the train for Ban
gor. Mr.. Pierce paid her fare. When the
hack went past our office we felt like repeat !
ing Susan Coolidge's Farewell
go Rose since YOU must.
Flowcrl.ss sud chill the winter drawch nigh;
Closed ar. the blithe and fragrant lips which
made
All summer long perpetual melody.
Cherries iaAe our wav, but not afraid
Will there not be more Roses-by and by:'
The so-called medium. without the shadow
of a doubt performed all the manifestations
with her right hand, which by some means
she had the use of She is a very clever per
former, but it is believed her career Is enneh'
in this vicinity at least. She has gwen
number of seances lately and had several en-
eayements on hand when she left here. 1t
is reported that Rose Leasitt is not her real
name but an assumed one. But THAT which
we call Rose by any other name would
smell as sweet" This is the fourth so-calied
medium which has been exposed at Mr..
Pierce's house within as many years Two
wears ago Wilber Fisher, a materializing me-
dunn from North Turner. was at Mr. Pierces.
hut the gentleman discovered his deception.
Fisher would enter cabinet and presently
female would emerge from it and circle about
the room. playing upon the piano, etc one
day while Fisher was riding Mr.. Pierce went
TO his room and there found all of his para
phernalia He was allowed to depart private
w. Belfast is a bad place for bogus mediums
as several others besides those named have
been shown up here. We are now ready Tor
the next one Belfast Journal