The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-06
SPIRITUAL" pHYSIC.
1T TAKES THE FORM OF OLD RYE
WHISKY.
DIR. SHADES Illness and Treatment by
GhostIy Praetitioners-How the Pre-
scriptions Were Brought Over the
Border '-Simmons' Story.

NEW YORK, April 6.-The spiritualists cf
this region are highly interested in the III
ness of DR.. Henry Siaie. the noted medium
whose mystic slate writing commands THEN
tredence, notwithstanding the alleged ex
posture of its fraudulency by London scien.
tsts. He is convalescing from nervous
prostration which at one time seemed surf
to kill him.
The assertion is that Dr. SHADES recovery,
and his sickness, too, were controlled by the
spirits who were his ghostly hackers. His
friend, Mr. Simmons, says they gave direc-
tion in regard to the medical treatment to be
pursued, and when DIR. Siade could not tell
what the spirits told him they communicated
with Mt. Simmons through raps or some sig
nal agreed upon When remedies were required
AT all events, pretense of such method
was carefully maintained. The disease was
nervous prostraton intensified by rigid
spasms.
Before Dr. Slade became a spritualist, F"
says Mr.. Simmons "he was a clairvoyant
He is under the influence of the same spirits
now that he was then. We call them
physicians when they select what medicines
to Use. When DR.. Slade was well enough
W PtuA nc illiuScll uiTScbed NlldD llleuiCihcA
should be employed"
WAS no regular physician employedp
at was thought best to employ q regular
physician As they are called" was the
slightly hesitant reply, "lest there should be
trouble with the authorities if the worst
should come to pass. We called in Dr. S. K.
Elliott, aud Slate won't to DR.. Elliotts house
near Sailors Snug Harbor, Staten Island
But he took very little OF the good doctors
nostrums, although he required almost con-
slant attention since his sickness began 6
month ago. When Slade could not speak ii
was agreed that he should signal when he
wanted to communicate with us.
By they" Mr. Simmons meant the in
visible powers, and that was the word for
them he constantly employed in the CONVEX
Sation.
This signal" continued Mr. Simmons,
'was the lifting of his right fore and second
fingers and working them last each other.
Then l was to ask whether they wanted to
communicate. Invariably three raps were
heard. Then came the inquiry for the rem
edy, if they were ready to prescribe. Again
three raps. Tiren would repeat the alpha
bet, stopping at each letter to
hear two raps for no and three
for yes When these raps sounded,
that was my letter Beginning the alphabet
again, secured the second letter, and so on
until word or sentence was formed. In
that way l spell out once for instance In
dian hemp"
what were the remedies most frequently
prescribed by the spirits.'
Liquor, think 1t astonished me to see
how much alcohol he could take. with red
pepper in it, too, and yet not show the slight
est trace of any effect. They tell me,
added Mr.. Simmons, shutting his
eyes as though resigning himself
to their" influence that Dr..
Slade in this sickness is undergoing a conf
plete change in his mediumship. He will be
different hereafter in his public life from
what he has been in the immediate past
When he was taken sick he was in Phila-
delphia, and he found himself in New York
city without the slightest recollection how
he came here. They indicate to me
not quite clearly as yet-that he
will be a painter. If so, then he will
be returning TO his maiiumship mani
Tested when he lived years ago in Jack
son, Mich. Under the influence of a Scotch
ne VIII ELS eyes StuL III
sixty minutes q picture Of his first wife.
OF course he did not paint the picture 1t
was the Scotch painter ana DR.. Slade did
not know what he had done when he came
out of his trance. While under the influence
of the painter he talked a broad Scotch
dialect. Would You like to see the paint
ing"
Mr.. Simmons brought from lock-room
where it had been leaning against q wall, a
large framed portrait OF woman's face. It
was pastel, exceedingly well done. The eyes
were soft clear, AMI brown, and a smile lin
gerei around tie Erctty lips The hair was
arranged in puffs at the side of the head,
just as was fashionable quarter of con-
fury ago.
'rhe children who knew Mrs. Slade rccog-
nized the portrait as soon Us they saw it,
added Mr.. Simmons
Would yon much mini, Mr. Simmons, %
the correspondent finally asked, telling ex-
actly in what form the spirits prescribed al
cuhol.n
"Old rye whisky" he replied.