Omaha daily bee., 1885-05-14
MUSIC BY THE SPIRITS.
An Extraordinary Description of
Manifestations Made by Sedi-
ums at n seance in New
Orleans.
Kansas CITY Times.

Is spending a few days in this city. Mr..
Sandidge was present at q number OF
n given by Mr.. Jessie Shepherd at
a private residence in New Orleans dur
ing the convention of s~plritualists recent
" held In New Orleans, and was q good
deal astonished at the phenomena pro-
duced. The performances, he says, have
been given In churches as well as 1 private
p~arlors. He described his experience at
one of the seances In a written account,
of which the following is an abstract:
At intervals we had music on the pi'
ano "a large square instrument) by Thai
berg, Gottschalk and Mozstt, each per-
forming In his Owl peculiar style, through
MIR. Shepherd, the medium, who war so
deeply entranced at to be unconscious of
what was going on.
We also had at this and q previous
meeting duets and trios In independent
voices by Sontag and Persians, and La
| blache, the greatest basao known to the
world, accompanied by Donizetta, on the
piano.
Whilst this muslc-too grand to be
descrlbed-was going on, Sappho, taking
from under the piano a celestial harp,
pressed it several times around the cir.
cles of friends, sometimes resting 1t on
our heads and shoulders, against our
ears and at our feet, elloiting the most
ecstatic sounds in perfect accord with
the piano, then sweeping through the
upper parts of the room.
The guitsr-taken from a table-was
also made to perform at the same time,
In the same surprising way, ell of which,
in harmonious symphony, seemed to
give pulsation to the surrounding atmos-
phere.
Two of the lady pupils were made to
sing with Petslsns, and though con-
scious Of an effort to try to sing, could
not hear their own voices, 80 exactly
were they 10 accord with the leading
voice Of the great italian prima donna.
The most unique of all the occurrences
was on Friday evening, when the medium
in deep enhancement said: "Where
am2 Oh, where am IL Far way In
India. 1 see crowds of Moslems and
persons melting them to wal against
the English. And here comes Ma
homet /" When Immediately he an
nounced himself in a deep bass voice,
and passing around the circle addressed
each member In language none under
stood and so could make no response or
engage In conversation. When this effort
ceased, we vera told by some one that
the "Mahometan Dance" would be played
by the band accompanying their great
prophet.
Then began a acene of barbaric music,
which seemed to be executed by a dozen
or more hands lingering the strings of
the piano, only touching the keys now
and then-the same deep voice OCCASION
ally sounding through the room-and,
climaxing at the close of the piece, the
plano was lifted from the floor and
jammed down upon 1t In repeated thumps
of emphasis to a combination Of musical
sounds no words could define.
The dramatic effect produced exceeded
that of the Egyptian March," often
played through the medium, and sup
posed by musical critics to be the most
wonderful combination of harmonious
sounds possible of production with a sin
gle instrument.
Tha next specially followed after the
playing of a Grecian hymn, which we
were told by the ancient performer "was
played In the Temple of Diana at Ephe-
sus on great occasions, and sung by the
multitude" when the medium, as If
struggling In the grasp of some great
power, exclaimed: "What are they
doing2 Where am II At Athens And
] see Socrates addressing the people. He
was the great medium of his tins, far In
advance of the worlds teachings; and
L see Plato, his pupil, and Hector,
Achilles, Pitticus, Lysander, Cyrus, and
other anclents, Pers!ans, Greeks, Arabs
and Egyptians, many of whom are now
the pupils of Socrates in the spirit world
and here-why, what is that?" He
ceased talking. From the plano then
came faint sounds 80 like the distant ap.
preach of q railroad train that all imme.
diately recognized it, becoming louder
every moment, and then with it was
heard the sounds of a distant band OF
music, likewise increasing in volume.
until with a rush and furore the entire
building seemed tremulous with excite.
ment-the piano, as on a previous oc-
casion, being lifted from the floor to en-
phasize the whole affair. When ali was
silence for a moment, as if a train had
stopped, then some one came who said
81 am Hermes, the Egyptian, and / am
sent to announce the presence of the
a%nclents."
Then was said in another distinct
voice; 1.-THE forms and etiquette OBJ.
servable with us are very much the same
as with you of our former plane of life.
We are e!ghty-seven In number, and we
came not by chance nor for any trivial
purpose, but came as a band of ancients
with greetings to our modern co-workers,
and to meet them In a congress to be
held at a time when the worlds greatest
exposition is In progress In the city of
New Orleans, and Aristotle, our scribe.
stands with his book in hand to record
all that transplres. Our coming was
made possible only by the presence of
this unheralded medium, and the COM
bined influence of this class of earnest
seekers of truth, assembled In the seclu-
sion of a private home, and, as 1t were,
with closed doors, being too sacred and
impossible of accomplishment before a
promiBcuous public"
Then was played by Persians. Greeks,
Arabisns and Egyptians music In the
style of their own times-as was said the
three instruments and q drum impro-
vised for the occasion, being made to
take PARTIAL at the same time. OF
this l can give no proper Idea and must
torbear.
HorSford's Acid Phosphate.