National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-04-25
PUT UP OR SHUT UP.
Challenge to and in Behalf OF Spiritual
niedIums--A Der cnse of Mrs. Sawyer.

| niedIums--A Der ense of Mrs. Sawyer.
TO ne Editor
The ill-tempered person who writes under
the initials of ~. N. E." concerning the
spiritual seanoes of Mrs. Carrie M. Sawyer
has certainly never witne ssed any of the ex-
traordinary manifestations produced by that
| remarkable woman. If he has, he was SO
blind TO what he saw or is now so blinded
| by an unreasoning prejudice as to see
nothing but common '!jugglery" in what the
shrewdest men Of tho day have pronounced
| incomprehensible. / am not q believer in
spiritualism, but am believer in fair play,
and until the contrary Is proven believe in
! according to Mrs. Sawyer the honesty Of
purpose which ~. n. E." so sava gely
! withholds. Read between tho lines,
should suggest that the communication signed
medium of lesser note wrought TO frenzy Of
jealous envy by the series Of wonderful
seances given by Mrs, Sawyer in this city.
have, in company with gentlemen of high
standing in Washington, attended some Of
these seanceS, and l have tied her
with knots which l could safely defy ~.
hour. And yet these demonstrations
have occurred in spite Of tho fact that the
| lady was securely fastened to the wall of the
cabinet the materinlizations appearing at
| tho cabinet door within one minute alter tho
tying was pronounced complete by commit.
| tee Of experts
If"J. n. f." is not q vain boaster, or
covert enemy bent on doing harm to a wor-
thy woman, he will accept the following !:
He and will each put up $500 in your
hands, Mr.. Editor. He and / will tie Mrs
| Sawyer in the cabinet TO our mutual salts
faction. If her usual manifestations are not
produced the money is his If they are pro.
| duccd Will turn over his $500 to you to be
| given tO charity m select
As to Mrs. Sawyer, she has been the wonder
| of spiritualists and others since she was a
child. She is lady Of intelligence aud re-
| fncmcnt, and she has been for years too
favorably known to many of our loading
arrows Of ~. N. f." CITIZEN.
WASHINGTON, April 81.
To he Editor.
Owing TO tho dangerous illness Of my wife
| have deemed II proper to pass unnotiCed tho
| challenge of your very astute correspondent.
| As rule such propositions are made for
effect, and not for the sake Of the truth They
arc always made by persons ignorant of the
facts and science of the phenomena chal-
| lengcd, augmented by bigotry and the in
justice Of charging fraud and dishonesty
| without one word of proof. In the moral
aspect of the case the man who charges fraud
without the shadow of evidence is no
better than the fraudulent medium or pre-
tender. He thus demonstrates his unitness
| for u complete analysis or an honest verdict.
| presuming on his own honesty and capacity,
he impugns my honesty and the capacity Of
my patrons to judge of phenomena daily
occurring, which have their most natural and
easy explanation in the spiritual theory.
| These phenomena satisfy thousands Of intel
ligent people, occur under test conditions,
and should satisfy persons of ordinary
mentality. / have no interest in deceiving
myself or Others in matters OF such great
gravity, and pronounce and denounce all
such insinuations as false in theory aud fact,
as no effort IL made by me to produce any
thing beyond sitting passvely as l can, often
surrounded by people who destroy the con-
| ditions and then criminate me-
With those who know my life, need no
vindication. Nor does spiritualism depend
upon my honestyor need any vindication at
heed not life, as the Bible saws, and the dead
raised would not cure their folly.
But will not argue tho case. If your
correspondent who renews his attack
means business-wants an honest and fair
investigation, let him put his money up in
tho hands of the editor Of this paper, and
we will at once arrange details.
| am in no sense responsible for my gift
and should not be subjected to double mar.
tyrdom to crafty the ignorance, bigotry,
intolerance, and arrogance which assumes all
the honesty, all the capacity, all the science,
and all the common sense, and leaves none to
others. w. NJ KELLER,
GIG Third street northwest.
WASHINGTON, April "a.