The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-11
We now ask the question, What i:

note the opposl e OF Materlallsm, or
that there is in man a spirit that rises
above matter, which constitutes him a
rational free being, endowed with in
tellect: sensibility and free will. This
is orthodox doctrine which all ought to
accept. But Modern Spiritualism,
which is the subject of this lecture, and
in the discussion of (which we are now
engaged, is in its present development
a species of religious belief, that certain
strange physical and mental phenom-
ena, which cannot be explained by the
known laws of nature, are the result OF
the direct Intervention of incorporeal
spirits. In other words, it is the belief
that such things as table-rappings, lift
ing of weights, not in contact with the
medium, clairvoyance or knowledge OF
distant occurrences, luminous clouds,
and raterialized forms ofspirits, which
can be felt, embraced and even photo
graphed, are all the direct manifesto
tions and operations of spirits in whose
existence men have believed for ages.
In order that this discussion may be
as little abstract as possible, and that
you may better understand from
selected illustrations what Spiritualism
is, and in its various forms processes to
accomplish, I will now offer few ex-
amples.
Case l. The first case I shall men
ton is that of Mary Carrick, an Irish
girl, is years of age, who came to this
country in May, 1867. Immediately
upon her arrival she was engaged in a
very respectable family in large New
England town; appeared to be in good
health, and performed the duties re-
quired of her in satisfactory manner.
She was totally unacquainted with the
subject of Spiritualism. After about
six weeks, the bells communicating
with the outside door, and with the
various apartments in the house COM
menced ringing unaccountably. The
bells was isolated, but they did not
cease ringing.
Some time after this, frequent loud
and startling raps on the walls, doors,
or windows of the room where Mary
worked began to be heard. Sometimes
they were heard in her bed room, and
upon going there it was ascertained
that she was sound asleep.
About three weeks later, series of
still more extraordinary phenomena
commenced. Sofas were upset, crockery
fell to the floor, tables lifted and moved
about the room, cooking-utensils were
hurled from one point to another. At
length journal of observation was
kept, and such entries as these were
made:
August 5th. AS Mary was washing,
a low table, laden with two large tubs
of water, was suddenly moved. August
9Th. AS Mary was ironing, the table
was repeatedly lifted. Flat-iron was
thrown to the floor. The table was
lifted in this way at moments when
she was several feet from it. A heavy
soap-stone slab, weighing forty pounds,
was repeatedly lifted and dropped.
And thus the strange phenomena
continued to be witnessed from day to
day by the whole family, until the girl
was attacked with hysteria and insani-
ty, and she was sent to the asylum.
No rappings or other phenomena
occurred during her absence. After
three weeks she was pronounced able
to resume her work, and she returned
in happy frame of mind. The phe-
nomena did not occur again until two
months; the girl grew very feshy, and
was learning to read and write with
considerable rapidity. Herhysteriform
attacks, however, required, and she was
again sent to the asylum, where she
was employed as housemaid.
1t is worth noting, in passing, that
this girl was subject to fits Of epilepsy,
and complained of pains and soreness
at the base of the brain, or in the
medulla oblongata.
Case 2. The next case is that of
Mollie Fancher, of Brooklyn, n. Y. I
do not know that Miss Fancher pro-
fesses to be a spiritualist, but her case is
analogous. am satisfied that there can
be no possible doubt in regard to this
case. She has been visited again and
again by learned physicians, and min
listers, who have told the strange story
of her life repeatedly. What I shall say
Of her is taken from long account
given in a religious paper called The
Lutheran. published in Philadelphia,
and I believe was also published in the
Philadelphia Times. 1t is written by
Rev. H. w. Myers, of Reading, Pa, a
Lutheran minister, and L regular cor
respondent of The Lutheran. He has
visited Miss Fancher twice recently.
The story of her life is briefly this:
While coming from school, when a
child, she was thrown from street car,
and sustained internal injuries. Eigh-
teen or twenty years have elapsed, and
she has passed through many strange
and mysterious changes. She has a
beautiful form, and lies constantly with
one arm behind her head. She receives
little nourishment, and the manner in
which she has continued to live so long
is truly marvellous. She is sometimes
in a trance for weeks and even months.
She is able to read letters without being
opened, and can tell the hour when a
screen is interposed between her and
the clock On one ocra sion cba ra