Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1883-07-11
INVESTIGATING SIR r.
UAL7SA.
Something OF spiritual Manires-
ta1iOns In Carson.

taiions i'm Carson.
The late Henry Seybert, of Phil
adelphia, who gave q new bell TO
Independence Hall, left a larg
number of requests. amounting t.
81 coo, 600, for pubic and CHART
able uses, among which was one o
$500 to endow a chair of mora
and intellectual philosophy in thu
University of Pennsylvania. witt
the expressed wish that the uniyer
sity would thoroughly investigate
modern spiritualism, in which be
was firm believer. The univer.
sity accepted the bequest and has
now begun steps to carry out the
wish of the testator. A Phi!alel-
phia special says: A commission
has been appointed, of which the
chairman is DR.. WIN. Pepper, pro-
vost of the university and a gentle
man of acknowledged scientific at
tainmen 8 of a high order. DR..
Pepper will look into the physi-
illogical and medical phases of the
problem and will devote his atten-
ton to the subject of spiritualism
from these standpoints. Professors
Liedy and Koenig will contest the
physical aspec >, so far as they re
late to natural philosophy. while
Mr.. Fullerton and Rev. Pr,,fess II
Thompson will view the subject
from a purely intellectual and
metaphysical standpoint. There
is now on hand available for the
prosecution of the investigation
$4,000. No formal meeting of the
commission has been held, though
there exists among its members a
general understanding of the work
and the necessitieS. of the investi
cation. Eastern Telegram.
During the past few months
there has been considerable excite
ment in this city over manifesto
tons given through a young boy
named Richard Roberts. The
editor of the APPEAL was asked to
be present, and was on several oc-
caslons. It is claimed that young
Roberts can materialize tho forms
of the dead so that they will be
recognized by the living. and pro-
duce certain effects upon inanimate
subjects. The writer witnessed
certain remarkable performances in
the house of the medium. 50 re
markable in fact that the idea of ma
chinery and a confederate seemed
to be the only sensible explanation.
When Roberts ~as asked if he
could do these things in any honse
he asserted that lie could, and in
fact did SO in the presence Of a
number of people at the writer's
house. As to the genuinness of the
performance there is a vide differ
ence of opinion. Some of the lead
ing people of the city have been
made fnl believers in modern
spiritualism, while others, equally |
we'll informed. pronounce it hum
bng One thing, however. should
be said in favor Of Roberts, viz:
No person Who has become sufi- !
GENTLY interested to give him fair
trial has pronounced him u fraud.
many have, who, on at
tending single seance, ben dis
appointed in the manifest .tions or
saw none Mt all. It is not intended
at This time to describe anything
which has taken place at the
seances. People who have any
on the subject en- get a
better idea by seeing for them.
selves. It is proposed. however,
to subject young Roberts TO series
of tests to more thorough v deter
mine the character of his per-
formances It is proposed to tie
him securely by the hands and feet.
place him in an ordinary dry goods
box and cover the box with wire
netting, securely nailed down and
sealed He asserts that under such
conditions, III anv honse designa
ted by skeptics, he will materialize
q fi.ure which can be seen and felt
by those present. It is asserted
by spiritualists that the medium
loses weight during a m ,terial
ization, and that persons in the
audience also lose weight By plac
ing the medium. and also some
person in the audience on pair Of
standard scales the truth or falsity
Of this statement can be ea>ily de-
ated. Some years ago P~of.
one of the leading scien-
lists of the day. investigated the
of naturalization
from scientific standpoint. He re
ported that he WIS convinced by