Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-02
A REVEL OF SPOOKS.
The Annual, Gathering of Spiritual
lists at Cassadaga Lake.
MATERIALKING MEDIUMS WORK
An htimatfon-of Inyestigation,R Received as
sGreat Indignity.
WONDERS OF THE SLATE WRITINGS
tsrrc1An TELEGRAM TO THE prsrArcn.1

/
CAssADAGA LAKE, N. z, July 81
There is perhaps no place on this continen
to-day where greater variety Of opinions
may be found regarding questions of ma
terial and spiritual life than at Cassadagt
Lake. Though nearly all are Spiritualist'
in some degree, yet there are as many
phases Of opinion as there are different in
dlviduals making up the assembly. Many
of the older gentlemen might be readily
taken for doctors of divinity if they were
attending some Methodist conference; many
of those in attendance are people of fine
mind; all appear sincere except q few
'fakirs," such as hang around every meet
ing where money can be made by duping
the unwary.
Some of the many mediums to be found
on the ground are regarded by all spiritual
lists as genuine, but there are some who are
regarded as humbugs by many and looked
upon with suspicion by q still larger num-
Der. On the front of the Grand Hotel are
the following cards, which represent but q
few Of the mediums of different classes to
be found on the grounds: Mansfield, the
Slate Writer" "Dr. j. Pfeging, Mental
and Magnetic Healer" stM. A. Keller, In
dependent Slate Writing;" 'tMrs. Efie
Moss, Materializing Medium" ''Signor G.
Green, Materializing Medium, Business and
Private Seances"
GREEN Is NOT so GREEN.
Your correspondent by invitation of a
Spiritualist, who is somewhat skeptical as
to the naturalization of spirits, went one
evening this week to the entertainment ad-
vertised by Signor Green, who, by the way,
is not SO green I am inclined to think as
those who contribute 81 per head to see him
show. About 25 persons were seated around
three sides of a room perhaps 16 feet square.
One corner was reserved for Signor Green,
who is swarthy young man, with slight
cabinet, as 1t is called, was made simply by
hanging two curtains, each about yard
wide, to the ceiling, each coming to the
floor next the wall, leaving o triangular
space about 81 feet on each side for the
medium.
After seating all his victims as far away
from the cabinet as possible, Signor Green,
arrayed in dark-blue shirt and pantaloons,
entered his cabinet and the lamp was taken
from the room, leaving simply enough
light to distinguish white from black. After
entering the cabinet he professed to be
taken possession of by an old chum, "Jim,'
it, several years ago in railroad accident
Different mediums have different guides or
controls, some having several, and Jim
does the business at the other end Of the
line for Signor Green. After taking his
place in the cabinet, he seemed to be max
ing some effort, but uttering no sound ex-
cept an occasional grunt that is as nearly
described by "humph" as any other word
Pretty soon the curtains parted and
A WHITE FIGURE APPEARED.
"How beautifuli" was the exclamation
from all sides. After this spirit had been
sufficiently long in the flesh it vanished into:
the cabinet and in due time another ap-
peared. This was the lacemaker. Lace
making seems to be favorite occupation of
the other world, for in nearly every ma
terializing seance the lacemaker appears
The figure stands between the curtains and
can, by shaking and waving cheese cloth,
make passably good lace to be exhibited in
the dark. Other figures came out, some
offering to shake hands with one or two
favorites present. Your correspondent and
a lady by his side, who were perhaps more
anxious to grasp the hand than any others
in the room, were not given the chance.
At one time when the apparition had ad-
vanced about three feet from the cabinet
match which held in one hand was touched
by the thumb nail of the other and q faint
spark flashed out. 1t seemed to throw the
spirit into spasms and he, she or it vanished
into the cabinet and remarks of dissatis-
faction were heard on all sides against the
sacrilegious person who would carry matches
to a materiafizing seance. The effect was
bad and somehow dampened the ardor of
the spirits. The lace maker again came out
and another figure or two concluded the en-
tertainment. When the seance closed and
the light was brought back, went up to
Signor Green who was sitting near the
cabinet and asked the privilege of examin-
ing his clothing.
NDIGNITY OF AN INVESTIGATION.
This was even worse than lingering a
match, and as I began to feel of the
mediums clothing was told not to offer
any such indignities, and as Mr.. Green
looked as if he had fight in his eye forth
with was satisfied to postpone the examina-
tion. I am fully convinced that Signor
Green is fraud. 1t is but Just to say, how
ever. that many others who had the same
chance Of observing think that his material |
izations were genuine, and that his clothing |
was examined by a committee one evening |
before. am simply giving the facts as
they appeared to me.
Slate writing is one Of the favorite tests |
of Ilediumship and it would seem utterly |
impossible that any fraud or deception |
could be practiced, and there scarcely seems |
room to doubt that there is q power beyond
any human agency that does the writing
Here is an instance of which there are hun
dreds similar: A Meadville lady yesterday
went to P. L. o. A. Keller, the well-known
slate medium. She wrote questions directed
to three persons in the spirit world and held
the states on which she desired answers in
her hands She heard the writing going on
rapidly and on opening the states found not
only answers to the three questions with the
names Of the persons addressed, but COM
from seven more, one from
lady who lived in Cooperstown, Pa, and
died 81 years ago, and Of whom the Mead
vile lady had not thought for years.
A sKEPTIo IS MYsTIFIED.
Another case is that of Charles Fordtran,
Of Texas, venerable old gentleman, who
was born in Prussia in 1901, and who has
lived in Texas for so years. He is not q
Spiritualist, but out of respect to the MEM
Dry Of his departed wife who was, he comes
70 Cassadaga. He went to Mr. Keeler day
Dr. two ago in company with his son-in- law,
and they took the usual precautions to
guard against imposture. He received an
'wers to three questions addressed to indi-
vlduals, and also communications from four
others, one who had lived in Germany and
from whom the communication was NICER
man. The old gentleman did not want to
zive the name Of his wife, but asked the
medium to determine it. Mr.. Keeler said
ne would give the initials and said they |
we're A. A. E., which was correct.
There is something peculiar in regard to
'he doctrines as advanced by the speakers
lere, No matter how unreasonable or ah- |