The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-20

mouth at the Onset Bay Spiritualists
camp meeting, where thousands Of splr'
itualists are eating fish and clans by
day and consulting spirits by night.
For several days Mrs Eta Roberts
has been an object OF interest to believer
and skcptic alike. She had a wire cage
built by local joiner, and placed it on
thestuge OF the Casino. A large crowd
was present on the night OF her first
performance. The medium invited ex.
animation from everybody, and then,
the committee OF investigation reporting
fRvorably, II seal was put on the lock.
The black curtain that covered the cage
soon began to move and figure in
white stepped into view. For an hour
suppositious spooks held high carnival
tall spirits, short spirit, spirits with long
robes, ana spirits without any robes to
speak of, appeared in rapid succession,
until the audience was motionless with
fear and dumb with establishment. The
sitting was brought to sudden con.
clusion by the mediums being
pitched head first, apparently through
the locked door, and almost into the
faces OF tho spectators. Examination
showed that the lock had not been tam
pered with.
The performance was under the pres
idGncy OF Meredith Little, OF Glen Falls,
r. !. The names OF the spirits were
announced, and Mr.. Little said he
recognized some Of his own dead
friends
So much interest was aroused that
another sitting was arranged. 1t took
place ut the mediums house, and
Meredith Little, John Brooks, OF Phila-
dclphiu, H. Baker, of Topeka, Mrs. DR..
Bland, wife of DR.. Bland, of Washing
ton, Mrs. Kate stiles, Of Boston, and
three Others were present. The me-
dium was Gagged, as usual, and the show
proceeded with the usual results, en-
cept that there were more OF them.
There was not the same responsiveness
us on the former occasions. Mr. Little,
the presiding elder, hadn't kissed his
spirit bride with quite so much warmth
rs usual, aud Pickle" q Choctaw
squaw, didn't get anybody to dance the
Irish fig with her. There was, in fact,
n wet blanket over the company. Mrs.
Kate stiles, who calls herself the me.
dium for King Philip, stamped her foot
on the pine floor and demanded an i'm
mediate termination.
With fear aud trembling, Mr.. Little
asked the medium il they might look
around and sec for themselves. "0f
course; there's nothing to see" replied
the medium. So, led by Mr.. Little, the
company began to search under the
chairs, under the bed, behind the doors,
up stairs, down stairs, inside, and out
side Of the house, and had it not been
for pile OF clothing found in the
kitchen adjoining the spOok chamber,
all would have been well for the
bcievcrs, but on discovering the cloth
ing carefully placed on chair, the in.
quirers resumed the search.
Mr. Little, armed with Il cane, began
probing tho closets and finally ran the
cane way under the bed. AS he cx-
claimed that there was something there,
every woman i'll the company uttered Il
deep "Oh"
Come out here, you evil spirit" ex.
claimed Mr.. Little, "come out here, |
sayw and he gave the bed vigorous
pull into the middle OF the small room.
There was nothing to be seen.
"By love! struck something with
my stick rs sure us am alive ho con-
tinued, as the blazing lamp, held with
trembling hands, revealed only the va
cant space.
"Oh, we are mistaken; she's a medi-
um guess, after al" added a sympa-
thetic voice.
Lets try again." said Mr.. Little,
and with all his strength he pulled tho
bed away with so much rapidity that
it revealed disappearing stockinged
foot.
"Ah, here yuu arep he cried. "Nye'ye
got YOU, have We? | could shake the
very breath out OF your body. viii
make short work ont OF youm And he
drew forth from under the bed n young
girl whose lack OF clothing was the most
striking feature OF her appearance.
elbow did you come here, you little
imp?' he continued Us he shook her By
the shoulder.
"Oh, Just come in for fun; I climbed
in at the kitchen window, and | have
have been having great time, being
Rugged and kissed just as ii | was a
real spirit," replied the half-dressed
girl, wholly unabashed. at was only u
trick was playing for the fun" and
then sho turned and lied to the kitchen
in search OF her clothes, closely follow
ed by the company. They seized her
and took her back. As they drew the
girl to the light they saw she was little
Annie West, neighbours daughter,
about IA years old.
$50 you have been playing spirit,
have your" they asked.
"Ycs, its fun. Pm 1000 years old,
am To- and the girls eyes twinklpd.
"Whcre did you come from, child"'
asked Mrs. Roberts.
81 got in ut the kitchen door to play
spirit. Didn't you see me? When the
other spirit was out OF sight then came
out"
"Yuu Rre II confederate. and shall be
made to confess said Mr.. Little US the
spokesman for the crowd
al have nothing TO confess, except
YOU squeezed and kissed me, and called
me YOUR old duCEey sweetheart" an
swcrcd the girl, mystiiying the company
more and moro.
"You shall confess; I'll choke it out
OF you," cried one of the men vehe-
mently, whereupon Mrs. Roberts stepped
between them, saying:
"This has gone far enough; the child
shan't be touched. She says she's
PLAYED joke; if that's so, she has hurt
INC worse than anybody else. Now got
out OF here, all of you, and let tho girl
dress herself"
The case OF Mrs. Roberts was laid be-
fore the directory OF the Onset Bay
Grove Association.
Mrs. Roberts still remains, but Miss
~ -. nnf,., - 80, H., ,,1,,l