Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-21
WRITTEN BY SPIRITS.
SpOOk Messages Received in a
Stranger Manner From Onset
BY A BELIEVER IN WASHINGTON.
Portraits of Many Famous Historical
Characters Also Drawn.
A BELIEVER IN WASHINGTON.
QUEER CONTENTS OF A SEALED BOOK
rrRoN A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE

\
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2O-For some time
past there has been unusual stir in the
ranks of Washington Spirltualists, and it
crops out that this is largely due to expert
ments that have been made by persons who
NAV Law some claim to being scientific
investigators, who would scorn to mingle
with the common herd of mediums who
charge a quarter for public and dollar for
private seances. A report of some of these
investigations, circulated at quiet meet
ings has had the effect of convincing MANY
vet half doubling and to arouse the interest
Of others, some OF them from among the
highest officials OF Government circles
The old stories of such men as Lincoln,
Conkling and others being regularly con-
suited are revived. and ther2 is quite boom
in so-called scientific spiritualistic circles
for those who do not degrade their medium
ship or research by engaging in it for profit.
Among recent converts is Judge S. Newton
Pettis, of Meadville, Pa, who has a law
office here and spends much of his time in
Washington. Another well-known Penn
svlvania resident here for some years, a
prominent and successful lawyer, is Glenn
w. Cooper Mr. Cooper is not only con-
vert, but a strong medium.
sLATE-wRITING TESTS.
A circle composed of such men as these,
and led possibly by DR.. Theodore Hans
mann, prominent physician of the aristo-
cratic quarter of the city. has recently made
some remarkable experiments in slate-writ-
ing. The result of one Just concluded is
told by DR.. Hansmann with special satisfac-
zion.
In the absence of Mr. Keller the me-
dium with whom 1 usually experiment from
/ Il. L !
not long since 10 try a new test in spiritual
iStic writing. l took a small blank book
and wrote in it a dedication to the memory
of Queen Louisa, of Prussia, mother of the
late Emperor William Here it is in nv
own handwriting. 1t is, as YOU see, in Ger
man script and dated July 4, 1891. Several
witnesses were called in and looked at this
book with the minutest care on the 9th of
July. In their presence ii was carefully
wrapped, sealed and addressed TO Dr. D. j.
Stanburv, Onset, Mass A few davs ago it
was returned, and the witnesses were in
vited to attend the opening of the package
at my Office last SUNDAY.
THE PACKAGE OPENED.
accordingly at $50 p NJ. it was opened in
the presence of Messrs NJ c. Edison, A. J.
Benton, D. L. Burnett, Judge S. Newton
Pettis, W. H. Burr and Mr. Agnew. The
had been sealed preparatory TO sending off,
and had scrutinized it closely to see that |
outside of the title page there was not line |
Of any sort written in the book
Each of the six gentlemen above named |
was called on to make close inspection, |
and their unanimous verdict was that the |
package had not been tampered with. 1t |
had come back TO me precisely in the con-
dition it was when forwarded to Dr. Stan
1
sending 1t away was used for its return, as
shown by the addresses and postmarks. The
inclosed package bore the five wax seals,
with the imprint of my own seal ring,
very peculiar one. The paper was also
CUmmed very carefully, so that there was
NJ possible way OF opening it without tear
ing or cutting.
MESSAGES FROM ONSET.
after this had been noted by us all, 1
proceeded to cut open the package at both
ends. and ii was no easy task to get the lit
tie book free? What if there should be
nothing in it after all? The only intimation
received from the medium at Onset was that |
the package had been kept lying on his
table, and that once he had fallen into
trance, but he could not say whether any
messages had been recorded or not.
80 we opened it with feelings of some
anxiety The first page had this message:
Those whose portraits appear herein are
thy friends. We send thee greeting Next |
came a good likeness of the Emperor Will
lam, of Germany. Here it is, and it is as nat
Ural as any picture l ever saw. On turning
another leaf there was written 'Unser Fritz,
and on the following page was his picture. /
The dedication, YOU will remember, was to
Queen Louisa, mother and grandmother of
two emperOrs.
SOME FAMOUS PORTRAITS.
"Observe that the drawings and names are
in gilt and indelible Look at the rest of
the portraits. Here are Rudolph, of Aus
tria: the Empress Josephine. Won Hum
boldt, Goethe, Henry VIII, General Rose
Grams, General Joseph z johnson, Sweden
borg, Marie Antoinette, Otto (mv deceased
SOM, George Combe Anton Mesmer, and
others, including a few unknown faces"
The names of all those above enumerated
appear along with the drawings. and it
must be admitted that most of them look
like autographs. No shadow
OF doubt rests on DIR. Hansmann's mind that
the spirits of the departed affixed their own
signatures He talks of them as though
they were his ordinary companions, and
Goethe and Heine, though invisible to his
eve, seem around and about him constantly,
as do long-departed friends whom he asso-
ciated with in the Fatherland over half a
century ago.