Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-01
SPIRIT RAPS.
Their Anniversary Celebrated Here
Last Night.

anu the practlces growing out OF 1t did
not exist before the year 1848. The
original medium, the Witch of Endor.
who called up Samuel for the edifcation
OF Saul, was engaged in astonishing the
inhabitants of GiIboa many centuries be-
fore Christ. The particular year from
which the anniversary is dated is that Of
the famous manifestations at Hydesyille.
IN New York State, at the house of John
d. Fox. The rappings and other strange
noises heard at that time are regarded
by the true believers as the first appear
anee of spirits on the stage of the modern
era, and the year 184S, and the day
March 3lst, are used by the sect as the
basis from which to figure.
The announcement published for sew
eral days in the papers that q special
programme commemoration of the anni-
versary would be offered to the public
last night, attracted large number of
people to the Good Templars' Hall, ON
North Main street, where the perform
ance was to be held. About 500 persons
were present, most of whom showed, by
their intense interest in the proceedings
and their enthusiastic applause, that
they were believers. The rest of the
audience was made up of people of q
curious turn of mind, or those in search
OF amusement. When 'test" of any
kind was given, it was quite possible in
glance around the room to pick out these
sceptics by the sarcastic grins with which
the business was viewed. One man il is
true, rose to his feet in the course of the
evening and announced that he had been
converted, but from the very small
amount of enthusiasm shown by the be-
lievers themselves it was evident that he
had acted in this same role before, and
this was merely return engagement.
The performance was managed by Pro-
fessor Taylor, who is an active spirit
among the spirit raisers. He began by
asking the audience to all join in the
hymn "Nearer My God to Thee" but to
consider as they pronounced the words
that, "God" meant only the ideal and
embodiment of what there was good and
beautiful in the world. The exertion of
reconstructing the hymn to new con-
ception seemed to have a demoralizing
effect upon the audience, for very few
sang and those not at all well.
There was piece of instrumental
music, two or three songs and some reci-
tations of original poetry. The latter
was on the subject of spiritualism, and
in way commemorative of the anniver-
Hary.
Professor Taylor then delivered the
principal address of the evening. He
said he would not speak of the future Of
spiritualism, because there was another
brother to follow him who had chosen
that subject, but he would speak of the
origin and growth of the belief. Various
II fx,l l%aI -
past which had influenced the history of
the world, but which at the time were
regarded as trifing. One of these was
Another was the birth of Christ. OF the
Saviour, the speaker believed that
he was one of the best mediums that
ever existed, and he differed from most
mediums of this modern time in that
the feats which he accomplished were
not merely intended to show his miracu-
lous power, but to do some good. The
spirit rappings at Hydesville had been
considered unimportant at the time, vet
they had marked the origin cf new in
tellectual and moral era. Spiritualism was
growing stronger all the time and the be-
lief was extending to all parts of the
globe. Many people who really believed
were afraid to acknowledge it. The
speaker had recently caught prominent
minieter of the gospel of this city having
a seance all alone with a lady medium.
In the course of time the belief would be
all powerful.
A young lawyer by the name of Baker
was introduced. He was to speak on the
subject of the future of spiritualism. He
contented himself with expounding the
philosophical side of the belief and ex-
planning how he had come to adopt it.
He was convinced that whenever it came
to universally prevail upon the earth
there would be new era of peace and
good will.
Professor Taylor announced that, by
special arrangement, Miss Maudie Jones,
the famous medium, would give an ex-
hibition of the slate-writing test. This
had never before been attempted in so
large an audience, and he could not
promise that it would be a success.
Every one present must will to help her.
Miss Jones assembled the plat
form and called for a bucket of
water with which to wash the
states which she had brought
SO that the audience might know that
they were clean. II there was any one
in the company that happened to have
any states with him she would be glad to
use them, By a singularly convenient
two of the audience we're so
and they turned them over to
the medium, after testifying that the
states had been carefully cleaned before
they were bound together.
Miss Jones then sat down, hold
ing one of the pairs of states
in her hands and turning IL
over and over. In the meantime
Mrs. Paterson, another medium whohad
been summoned to the platform to give
a few ''tests'' by naming over the spirits
that che saw in the room.
II see the spirit of Samuel Smith,"
she said.
"That is my father" cried out some
one in the audience.
81 gee little Mary Jones'"
"My daughter" cried another.
Thus Invent around, and most of those
present in the room who were habituaI
attendants, had the names of some of
their dead relatives called off. At
length Mrs. Jones announced that
she was ready to have the states opened,
and the strings were cut by the parties
who had handed them in. Each was
immeasurably astonished to find the in
sides of the states completely covered
with writing and pictures. One OF the
experimenters declared that he was now
once and for all, convinced of the truths
OF spirituslism. The pictures were OF an