The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-07

n Drfxsns4~d In the United States Forty
one Years Ago-1ts Progress
T.s~xr-. ~~>x u-ux~

ggufES Hezrs B-oWE-
spsrisrslisrn. O. Is Is eoaaas0nly cailei-
wharh has foand such hosts OF neiseveTs
throughout civilization. Is generaAy sup
pc.ei 10 hare originated In the nasee
states about forty-oue years ago II - rars
that arr doctrine ~ philosophy has gainea
10 nauv and SO devoted adherenr IN 70
short tine Splrituailsna has made cen
verts in al conditions Of society ana -
every part OF the world But, ssTieils
speaking. the philosophy L. IS its ave
Gates clziTn. very os9-os1sr than hls1ofs-
WAIST i recent about it Is the spirit rap
ring phsnosmenz. which began n ISIS in
the family of John n. Fox. 1t tie hts.s VII
lsgs ~ HycesvIlle, Wayne counsF, y l.
Fox ana hts wife and their daughters
Kate and Margaret, 9 ard II years Oh as~'
xsre startled by strange rsp?iDgs IN differ
enf parts OF their house. particularly a.
nigat. In short tIEle these Tsppings
though still unaccoEntahse, we're made III
teIiiEinle. They assumed 20 eoaie ftoih
sssriss: shsy told the ere Of the FOX eel.-
dren they answered qnessisns negatively
by one rap. afTirmatiTely BY two 1oes
disclosed Is Is said, that the remains o.
murdered man were b1-ied IN ine csaaaE -
he FOR residence, and. search being maze,
skeleton was found III the idsatlcai Spot
Indicated The name OF the ssS6fn wa
rspped out and inquiry revealed that. iaFs
wears before, such person had sisi1sa she
house and never been seen or heasu VI
afterEard-
The Fox family went 20 Rochester,
where the rapS occurred at The com manu-
Of Kate and Margaret only, and eiaifVoF
ance. the moving OF chairs, faoles az"
other heavy pieces Of fnrnlfare, Win oahsi
phenomcnoa. we're manifested ~lihons W.
ibe agency. These drew attention, s,'u
forty years ago in the autumn oil ieas'' ihv
Fox sisters appeared in pnhlic nah' III
nhenanena were submitted 70 many tests
bfgt could be Traced 10 no human source
Public curiosity and interest we're
gradually aroused, and when the
girls gave an exhibition OF tbeh
peculiar powers the year following, In New
York. tie newspapers discussed the sas'-
iect. and it soon became OF national sighih-
canee. Endless controversies were started
mediums, through whom the phenomena
we're presented, sprang up all over the
land, and spiTitualism grew TO oe the bara-
inr question of the hour. Since then the
new philosophy has been debated by the
abiest minds in every quarter OF civiiiZ2-
ton, and il has unsettled 10 an extraor-
dinarv degree the old beliefs. rationalistic
as well as orthodox. of the whole world
Even before the spirit rappings in the
Fox family the societies OF Shakers at New
Lebanon, Watervliet, n. Y, and elsewhere
had at the same time startling psychicai
experiences. wherein certain members oil
the fraternity would lose their proper con-
sciousness. and the departed spirits, as was
maintained, OF persons OF various nation
alities would occupy their bodies ana
speak through them. Almost simultane-
ouslv Andrew Jackson Davis, shoe
makers apprentice at Poughkeepsie. de-
veloped through mesmerism wonderful
clairyoyant abilities. Albeit uneducafsd,
he was qualified. by report, to speak freely
and eloauentiy on medical, spiritual anu
scientific topics.
While in the meSmerie state he declared
he had intercourse with invisible beings.
and was instructed as to his place and
dnties as a teacher of the new tenets. lie
likewise dictated under the same condi-
tons. hundreds and hundreds OF pages on
a diversity of supermundane themes, an
odd com pound of eloquence, fus,ian and
absurdity. These were afterwards
published with the title, The Princi-
pies OF Nature; Her Divine Reve-
lations and Voice To Mankind" The
work had an immense sale and met with
the most contradictory criticism. Davis
thereafter wrote, In his normal mind, many
volumes OF a similar character tthey all de-
MED the supernatural authority OF the
Scriptures, the Great Harmonic" and his
autobiography attracting the most notice.
OF the innumerable mediums that have
appeared here and abroad within the last
forty years none has won such reputa-
ton as Home daniel Dougias), native oi
Scotland, who came 10 America when only
9 with an adopted aunt. Spirits are re-
puted IN have haunted him from his ealii-
est consciousness, and he remembered see
ing at Is a companion of his boyhood some
years dead. Al Il he became a regular
medium. and continued 10 be such until
his death, which occurred recently. He
lived in New York state and then in New
England up To is55-he was then D-doing.
besides the things that general mediums do,
many novelties.
During the last thirty years of his life he
made Europe his home. In Paris, Rome,
Berlin, Vienna and ST. Petersburg he ere
ated stir. He WAS presented TO the en-
peror OF the French, the car and the pope,
and received many superb gifts from
crowned heads and the nobility. Having
Joined the Roman Catholic church. he was
afterward expelled from Rome when it was
the City OF the Soul. under the papal do
minion, for practicing spiritualism. He
was q big lion in London. where he was
secretary OF the Spiritual Atheueum. All
association formed for the propaga-
ton OF Spiritualism. There he figured
as defendant in noted lawsuit, woman
Of wealth having given him large
amount OF property and then sought to ~
cover it, which she finally did. Two
Russian women OF rank were sucoessiyeiv
his wives. one of them. who died in South
eTn France. leaving him SON now near ~.
The most remarkable experiences and al
ventures were his in the Old World cap
itals. reminding one of Cagliostro, - Ger
main and Eon de Beaumont in the last
century. Mediums generally have
enjoyed local reputation. tiouriShets
for awhile, and then disappeared from he
public view. Home. however. made a
name III both heuispheFes, and drew the
worlds eyes TO the hast.
The Lords Not seif-supporting.
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