Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-03
SHADES SLATE WORK.
A Seance With the Greatest Living.
Spiritualistic Hedium.
SPIRITS THAT PROCRASTINATE.
After Twice Asking POstpOnement, They
Lose Patience.
A SLATE sPLINTERED 10 FRAGMENTS

DIR. Henry Slade, the great slate-writing
medium, is in Pittsburg, and was visited
last evening by a DISPATCH reporter, as
much with view 70 getting pointers on
Tuesdays election as to investigate the
methods adopted by that now celebrated
gentleman in his capacity as postmaster
general of the special delivery department
from the other world. THE DISPATCH
man purchased number of ordinary school
states, to make sure that the material used
should be untampered with before the
seance.
on>reaching the doctors. residence that
gentleman declared himself too unwell to
give any sittings, having refused all comers
yesterday, but finally yielded to the per-
suaEions of friend and consented to make
the attempt although doubling whether the
sitting would be successful one. The
doctor, who has achieved such wonderful
celebrity or notoriety, as the matter may be
viewed, in both the United States and
European countries, is a tinely-built man,
about 8 feet II inches in height, with large
and expressive dark eyes, heavy dark
mustache and sallow complexion. His hair,
which is turning somewhat to gray, is
closely cut but strong and wlry, and has
whole face has a somewhatsaturninee express
sion. His demeanor is perfectly gentle
manly, and although he looks somewhat
wild when the influences" are being felt,
his manners are always courteous.
The table used at the manifestations last
night was of unpainted pine on plain
frame with two folding leaves, the table
when extended being about five feet square.
At this, the doctor, The DISPATCH man
and friend seated themselves, and all three
Joined hands waiting for developments. In
a few minutes three raps were distinctly
heard in the center OF the table, followed by
three others against window shutter re-
moved some six feet from any of those peo-
pie engaged. These were followed by five
raps on the table and five others at the shut
ters, and then single and double raps in va
rious parts of the room. During the prog
ress of these manifestations both DIR. Shades
hands were placed on the top of the table,
at which he was sitting sideways with his
feet extended parallel with the leaf and in
full view of the visitors. However unsatis-
factory such a prevalence of spirits in re-
porter's work might appear to a managing
editor, the evidence that some unknown
power was at work was very fully appreciated
by the seeker after occult knowledge.
CROSS CUT INFLUENCES.
DR.. Slade exclaimed, 1.-THE influences are
very strong, but unsatisfactory. I can feel
myself drawn in every direction, but cannot
interpret what it is that is wanted. We
will try the slate" He took one of the
states provided by the reporter and care
fully examined il to see that there was no
wire binding or other metallic attachments,
to which, according to the doctors theory,
Al 80 I.
ordinary ward schoolboY has to states of
any description, except as weapons of
offense or defense. Holding it under the
edge of the table, with Just his hand and
about two inches of the slate visible, while
on the top of it rested piece of slate pencil
about one-quarter of an inch long, several
distinct raps upon it were audible immedi-
ately. Then q scratching could be dis
tinctly heard, while the doctors whole
right hand was in full view and his left
resting on that of the reporter, on top of the
table.
Producing the slate from beneath the ta-
bic, when a rap announced that the writing
was concluded, plainly written In an irregu-
lar line across the face was. "Come to-mor-
row."
DR.. Slade said he was afraid the sitting
would be unsatisfactory, but taking another
face to face, with the little shred of slate
pencil still between, and held them under
the table again in the same position as the
one had previously been held. He
said: "The forces are abnormally strong
and are drawing the slate toward
you," at the same time moving
the two states from beneath the table and
resting them on the reporters shoulder and
arm, at an angle of about 45 degrees. Then
again the scratching noise between the
states resumed, and when it closed with a
rap, the opened states showed another dis
position on the part of the spirits to prefer
Sunday matinee to Saturday evening per-
formance, for the inscription "Come to-
again appeared.
THE SLATE OBJECTS.
Realizing that the spirits were probably
of the Hebrew persuasion and were strictly
the Sabbath, but desirous of one
more effort, the reporter begged for another |
rial. 1t was given. The doctor took one |
slate again, and, resuming the old position,
said it was again drawn toward the reporto- |
rial person, resting it upon the knee Of THE |
DISPATCH man. Whether from some secret |
aw Of animal magnetism, on account of the /
'cribbler always, even in his schoolboy |
laws, having had an aversion to arithmetic |
,r not. is not known, but the slate flew from |
MS knee across under the table, hung ver- !
ically over the edge, two-thirds of the slate
being visible above Tor a moment, and then,
without being touched by any
BODY present was dashed against the wall |
It the other side of the room.
The third visitor went alter the slate and |
brought it back to the table, when the
ioctor again took hold of 1t. He set it
pack in its old position, and apparently |
,xerting his full muscular power, held it in |
place, the other hands OF those present |
ouching, as in all the other experiments.
After an apparent struggle he withdrew the
late one-half from beneath the table, when
t was wrenched from his hand, ground into
fragments, the frame itself being reduced to
and all the pieces being pitched
,ver into distant corners.
This was the last effort of the evening,
ind demonstrated beyond a peradventure
hat the spirits had taken Ben Buffers ad-
yice, and would sooner fight or fly ten miles
han write letter. The manifestations
we're none the less extraordinary, however.
FOR ASTIGMATIC EYES.