The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-06-07
4 Challenge to spooke.

4 Challenge to spooks.
Carleton in New York World.
l am pleased to learn from several
hundred Spiritualists who have writ.
ten me that I am d fool:
This is q cheerful unanimity in this
verdict, but large minority report
supplements it with the private an.
nOuncement that in addition to i'm.
becility l have convicted myself OF
being an assassin of sacred human
emotions and a thief of the dearest
comfort yet bestowed upon long SUI
:ering man. One solemn gentleman
asserts that he Is old enough to be NV
father, and therefore is a living wit
ness to the truth which l have "me.
ined."
An old lady writes to inform me
that II broke her chart" by my in
human. devilish and unaccountable
malice in exposing DR.. Slade, who had
given her many sittings and charged
only So per sit.
A gentleman laboriously writes from
the fremont house in Boston to saw
that he never has seen DR.. Slade. but
that ii dare to assert that swat
kins," "AIanstield" and other ;umin.
Gus mediums, of his city. employ jug.
glery IN their layout, I am a traducer
and a horse thief.
Another correspondent informs me
that not two days before my expose
OF DR.. slade appeared he had sitting
with the doctor, and asked me if l am
.such a lunatic as to imagine that ne
Cannot believe the testimony OF his
own eyes.
An aged and estimable lady tremu.
Iously writes me that in her opinion |
have lost my soul, and that the Only
chance OF its salvation left is for me to
renounce my scepticism and believe in
the Grand Development.
Taken as a whole, these contribu.
lions have made my mail precious to
me, and have learned how truly
grateful my efforts have been.
Propositions have been made to me
that l shall explain various phenome.
ma as related by my correspondents. or
in the event of my failure to do this,
enjoy the infamy which deserve. /
am not to have the privilege of per.
sonal investigation, but must explain
what is narrated.
All this afforded me great delight.
10 win SO much esteem by y few
hours work does not often fall to the
lot o: man, and feel refreshed and
stimulated to further action BY the
open Encouragement / have received.
shall accept the challenge.
Let the spooks hold a conclave in
an available cemetery with a south.
ern exposure and decide upon the
miracles which they will perform, The
matter being OF great interest in spirit
circles, it may be expected that the
most prominent ghosts will attend the
meeting and the newest kinds in mani
1estations will be offered.
The entire affair must be conducted
on business principles, as follows:
First-1f any slate-writing is to be
done, the slate must be kept in full
view and the mediums hands, feet
and other features carefully watched.
Second-ltspooks can write under O.
table, they can write above it. Writing
under table may be more wonderful.
but writing IN full view will satisfy
me, aud should be just the same to
the spooks.
Third-lf raps are to be produced,
they will be produced upon table OF
my providing, and no khee-joiht, fin
ger or toe JOINT raps by the medium
will be allowed. No fair minded spect-
er can object to this rule:
Fourth-1f any spook personally
acquainted with me wishes to intro.
duce himself he must write upon two
states held in full view, his name, age.
weight and condition, together with a
statement OF the incidents which hap.
pened last time we were together
whether full or otherwise.
Observation-Disclosures of fruits.
flowers. pie, etc, must take place in
the open air, as 4 guarantee of good
faith. and must be allowed to squirt
pepper-sauce into the eyes of any ap.
partition OF whose spiritual nature 1
may have doubts.
SIXTH will bring to said meeting
one one hundred. dollar bill in & seal.
ed envelope. and it will become the
property OF any medium whose chief
spook can read the number.
SEVENTH will present the name of
an intimate friend, now dead, and if
any medium can summon his spirit
and write down the place and date of
his death will pay 500 therefor.
Eighth-The heartless and opulent
sceptic who has volunteered to back
me in this matter will deliver $1,000
in cash to the medium who will sum.
mon any spook who can tell him the
name OF his dead uncle.
Nine-Prof. Hermann will be pres.
ent, and 500 will be paid to each
medium whose phenomena he can not
duplicate under precisely the same
conditions, and afterwards show thut
they are done by trickery.
Ten-The only conditions to be i'm.
posed are those which insure fairness
and the impossibilty OF fraud.
Spooks which can only work in the
dark will be barred.
Eleven-The investigation will be
conducted at prominent theatcr
within two weeks from the acceptance
OF this challenge. each party to de.
post $500 with the manager of SAID
theater rs pledge, and the gate money
to 20 to the spooks if they succeed and
to charity if they do not.
lpause for a reply.