Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-15
sPIRITUALIsM AT CaATrA.
NOOGA.
Two Newspaper Men Rave a
Sitting.


AhtNONdu, cultOE OF Tue 1lluco, anu
George w. 0chs, city editor, we're
urgently requested to test the power Of
w. A. Mansfield. a spiritual medium,
who is at present in the city at the
residence Of DR.. Currier, on Chestnut
street, Both gentlemen are strong
non believers in spiritualism, and had
the sitting merely to test MIR. Mans
fields professed powers
The following is a cold statement OF
the facts as they occurred:
Mr.. Mansfield seated the two gem
tlemen close together at q small mar.
Bile topped table, and briefly explained
the methods he pursued. Tearing of
several bits Of paper from a tablet on
the table he requested each OF his in
reviewers to write about four ques.
tons and roll the papers containing
them into small pellets, the wording
inside. Before the writing began the
medium retired to another room.
When he reappeared upon call the
writing on each bit Of paper was
effectually concealed, and the pellets
so mixed that ne one concerned could
tell which had been written upon by the
i interviewers. The medium requested
that Mr.. 0chs point to FIRST one
small paper ball 10 the group, then to
another until he directed him to take
one in bis hand. Mr.. Mansfield said:
There is small child present who
wants to communicate" and made the
letter IF" as it would be printed"
Thy young learnerin the art of PEN
mauship. He insisted that the child s
name began with + and that 0chs had
asked a question the child desired to
answer This was a mistake, The
ohild's name addressed by Mr.. Ochs
was Lewis" last infant brother OF
his The discussion over this was
laid aside, and Mr.. 0chs requested to
take in his hand another pellet des
ignated by the medium. In moment
Mr.. Mansfield wrote rapidly on the
slate communication from a dead
friend, which was quite responsive to
the question held in Mr.. 0chs' hand
and signed properly with the namo of
the deceased. The medium rene ,tedly
said about this time to Colonel Mac
GOwan: You have asked question
Of some one named Kate" which was
true, but nothing INELIGIBLE could be
gathered from kate" who was a
niece of the ColOnels and died in
Iowa several years ago While the
question addressed to Kate" was in
the double slate and the slate closed
With two heavy hands on it, the fol
lowing was written on the outside
Of the uppermost half. Esprit
Shore. Dear friends: | am here
E this day, B. Il Rsgsdaleh Noques
ton had beon asked Mr.. Ragsdale.
! He was entirely unknown to Mr. Och,
S and had not been thought of by Colo
e mel MacGowan for months that he car
remember.
The sitting was conducted from thil
G point forward by Colonel MacGowar
. and Mr.. Mansfield, Mr.. 0chs retiring
1 Mr.. Mansfield directed the Colonel Z
It pick up one pellet after another, tell
J ing him as he did so that certain one
d were those written by Mr.. Oehs AMI
D to lay those aside, although all tn,
g pellets we're precisely alike to an ordi
u nary observer, and presently he asked
J. you have asked a question Of geu
s tleman who is no relative Of yours,
: large man, his initials are j A ar
ie they not?" Phe inquiry was not an
swered, but the medium was directe,
ID to go on" lie picked up the slat
l. and wrote hurriedly and neryously:
IS DEAR FRIEND-I am perfect,
&c happy and glad to know you still re
re member me and give me an opportu
y nifty to communicate with you.
B, j A GARFIELD
Mr.. Mansfield said. you hold tn
question to which this is an answer i
your left hand, please uGyoll it" H
Of was correct; the question was -. A
Garfield, are you happy in the Spiri
h. Land?"
Colonel MacGowan then cleared tw
p opposite sides Of the slate. A bit O
pencil as big as two pin heads wa
dropped on the lower half and pelle
was laid by him on the same suriac
containing the following question:
~ Samuel MacGowan, when did yo
= die2"
Colonel MacGowan picked up tn
bit Of pencil, scrutinized the slate
closed it, when he took hold Of il b
5, one end with both hands. Mr.. Mansfel
m holding the other. In about fiy
n minutes there was a gentle sound a
ID Of writing within. slow and rattle
lg feeble in movement, plainly audible
the rs" being regularly dotte
p and the IT'S crossed The writin
~ sound ceased and three little tar
y we're heard on the inside of the slate
he 1t was opened aud the following mes
at sage found, written on the lowe
le slate:
" DEAR SoN-Let this prove to 20
u that there is no death When | lei
D, earth life just fell asleep, as it wert
le and awoke in the spirit land.
K. SAMUEL MAcGOUEN."
10 The whole transaction was in ope
/, day. Mr. Mansfield had no apparen
D. means Of knowing what had been writ
10 ten by either Of his interviewers. Tn
W slate was borrowed at Paynes, an
b. could not have been tempered with, a
il it was manipulated entirely by the 10
Dc reviewers, and by them olosel
lie watched during the entire sitting
te The signature purporting to be that 0
ii Colonel MacGOwan's father is YER
d similar to that he signed before hi
al death. 1t was written as he alwav
!. wrote it, thus: Samuel Macgouen,
d whereas in the question the surnam
d began with a capital G., and wa
he spelled "MaoGowan."
,e These are the naked facts. The
,r interested the two interviewers, an
d are given to the public for what the
is are worth, the gentleman having ha
: the interview 10 their newspaper ca
b pacity to give an accurate report.
Opinion of Eminent DIR. X. 1