Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-18
FIRM In THEIR FAITH.
Local Spiritualists Still Think Mrs.
Mattison Is All Right.
HOW THEY EXPLAIN HER FAILURE.
They Think the Mistake May Have Been
Made in Telegraphing.
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN AGAINST THAT

The test of Mrs DR.. Mattison, of Buffalo,
who tried on Sunday to diagnose a case in
the Homeopathic Hospital, this city, but
who was not successful, has awakened a
great deal of interest among the local Spirit
ualists, as we'll as among citizens generally.
A DISPATCH reporter yesterday called
| upon several prominent Pittsburgers who
believe in spiritualism. That is, they have
faith in manifestations from the other
| world through mediums and otherwise.
All of them expressed their conviction
| that Mrs. Mattison was thoroughly sincere
in her attempted manifestation, and most of
them offered some theory as to why the
| test failed.
John h. McElroy, President Of the Pitts
burg Gas Company, and President of the
Pittsburg society that devotes itself to the
| study of this creed, was asked what, in his
| opinion, was the cause of the failure. He
| answered:
tI am Just as desirous. as THE DISPATCH
| to know all about this matter. The only
| way can account for Mrs Mattison making
a mistake is that she was taken-in the
spirit, of course-to the wrong house. She
may have had previous call, and the an
swer to the Homeopathic Hospital may have
been intended for someone else. Suppose
she had been asked to diagnose the case of a
woman Just before she was called upon from
the Homeopathic Hospital. Do you not see
how easily misunderstanding might occur?
MEDIUMS LIABLE TO BE MIsLED.
ssSpiritualism is guided by rational laws,
like everything else, and medium is as
likely to be led astrav as anyone else. Or
it might have happened in this way: A
wrong address may inadvertently have been
given. How easy it would be for
person directing another to Sec
ond avenue to say Second Street Th
medium may not know Pittsburg and she
may wander about the streets in the spirit
Just as she would in the flesh. She might
get into a house in Second street, thinking
it was the one she had been directed to IN
Second avenue, and there would be nothing
in all this to indicate that the medium was
not able to do all that she tried to DO. My
own belief is that Mrs. Mattison Will clear
herself. That is, she will prove that the
diagnosis she gave was correct & IN mon one IYS ease
sick in the Homeopathic Hospital. VI
course, those who do not believe in spirit
ualism will try to ridicule the whole test, but
the time will come when the scoHers Will DC
turned into believers"
care there many believers i'll Pittsburgh"
asked the reporter.
Mr.. McElroy smiled as he answered: "More
than is generally supposed. Hundreds OF
the most intelligent men in the clty-law-
yers, Judges. ministers, merchants, manu-
facturers scientists and philosophers know
that the spirits of their loved ones that have
gone before are ever present in their daily
lives, and that it is given to them to make
themselves visible to mortal sight under
certain conditions.
WHY SPIRITUALISTS ARE SHY.
"The reason that we do not hear of these
believers is that so many newspapers have
cast ridicule upon spiritualism as to make it
painful to those who have faith in the creed.
Rather than be compelled to listen to doubts
upon something which they believe with all
their souls, they do not say anything about
it in public. But the list of Spiritualists in
PittsDurg is an honorable and eminent one"
Mr.. McElroy talked in a most interesting
way about spirits and their manifestations
In the course of many years he has had
great deal of experience, and it is impossible
to remain in his company for half an hour or
so without being disposed to think more seri-
would be easy thing for Mr.. McElroy TO
make converts.
Although Mr.. McElroy is in earnest in his
defense of Mrs. Mattison, the circumstances
are against her. There is no possibility of
the word avenue" having been transmitted
"street" to her, as the address was tele-
graphed back to PittsbuTg exactly as sent
from this city. Besides, there is no such
number or house on Second street.