The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-01

could see nobody, but there was the sound
OF many voices. From unseen sources
came continual reproaches. What did
you ever do for us?' they seemed to ask.
Did you help the poor?' Where is the
training school you might have founded p
is the world any better for your great
wealth. Then the clamor hushed, and
there came the single wall OF a child cry
ing that il was so hungry. After that
the reproaches swelled in volume y gu
got all your money from our labor
and you never did anything for u.s. was
said In a mighty chorus OF deep voices.
This continued az long as we were there
The spirit moaned and moved from side
to side of the couch as il half hearing the
reproaches."
Did you undertake TO give relief"
"No. The time was too soon. We did
not feel that it would be justified. Per-
haps we could not have helped the spirit
of Gould if we mad tried Ii was only
about eight or ten DAYS after death. We
had not gone to hell in search of Mr..
Gould but 10 do some service to the un-
happy spirits there. My companion was
tired and We were about to return to this
world. Wait q minute my companion
said, suddenly. There is something here
We must see Nv companion then led
the way as if guided BY controlling in
fiuence to the place where We could see
Jaw Gould, as | have described"
Discipline or punishment Is admins
tered to the wicked spirit Immediately
after death, according to The doctrine of
spiritualsm. The sentence served, the
progression through the spheres may be
begun. Thus Nanderbilt's spirit was, ac-
eording to the discovery of Mrs. Hart, the
medium. doomed to visit the tenement
houses of New York City for six years as
a penitentIal performance. This was TO
show the rich man what he might have
done with his great fortune. After the
wicked spirit has suffered the prescribed
punishment 1t may need assistance to
release it frem hell and start it on its
course. That assistance is rendered
through this dual membership.
81 remain conscious, with my reasoning
faculties alert" said tue narrator. My
companion, who is highly sensitive,
passes into bodily condition of total ig
norsnce of what is Transporting. The soul
of my companion leaves the body and
goes into hell as it is called. 1t seems TO
me sometimes as if my astral body goes
with the soul and advises and encourages
on the spot in the work OF release"
To the request for an account of more
OF these remarkable experiences he said:
1--WE came not long ago to the cell of a
murderer who had been hanged. The
cell was not locked. The door was latched
Ii the spirit had exerted itself it might
easily have raised the latch and passed
out But the spirit seemed not to know it
could help itself out. 1t lay in one cor
ner of the cell still suffering The soul
looked in and said Why. this is Fetch
err? | had never heard of Fletcher. The
soul said: He killed his wife twenty
wears ago and was hanged for it in
Philadelphia l asked If the spirit cou ID
not be released. There was some diff
Guilty. The soul of my companion seemed
not 10 have the power TO raise the latch
| inquired what this meant. Soon |
learned that my companion hed known
something of Fletcher IL this world.
The crime had been peculiarly
atrociOus one. Fletcher was a worthless
character. He had married a young
woman with money had spent all that he
could get his hands on. and had slain his
wife. My companion had at the time ex-
pressed the feeling that "the scoundrei
ought TO be hung | argued that the
punishment OF the spirit had been suffic-
ientv prolonged ! pleaded for the for
giveness of the murderer in the mind of
nv companion. The forgiveness was
granted mentally. Then the power came
to the soul to lift the latch and to bring
out the spirit of the murderer. The spirit
was stared on its way through the
spheres"
The narrator turned to the desk and
selected from package a letter. As he
unfolded it he SAID: Il took occasion to
write to Philadelphia and make some in
quiries about this Fletcher case Here is
what my correspondent, who had official
knowledge of the affair, answers: Fletcher
was hanged at Movamensing prison on
the 9Th OF January, 1873. He was wife
murderer.
You see, il was Just twenty wears ago.
continued the narrator. the opinion my
companion had expressed at the time. and
had never changed, was a barrier which
prevented the release of Fietcher's spirit
by u.s."
Have you always been successful in
these efforts ??
"Once We failed utterly. 1t was in the
case of the spirit OF thief. We had re.
leased other spirits of thieves. forty or fiftv
OF them, and had sent them on their way
positively refused to accept our protfered
help. Ii said ii had been put there. and
there il must stay. Ii argued that there
could be no change for the better. and we
were obliged te leave it. Al another time
when We released number of thieves we
found the spirit OF a mere child. IL seemed
to bad to leave the spirit of the child
unattended after the release SO we led
il long distance unit! we came TO a noun
tain side. There we saw a cottage, and in
front of il the spirits of three or four
women One OF these Woment sprang up
as soon as she saw the little spirit She
recognized her offspring We jeff them
together, she to guide the chiid-spirit in
its upward course"
"Do you ever encounter opposition from
evil spirits?"
res; / remember that we found some
unfortunate creatures in a dungeon. They
seemed to be surrounded by wall, and
in that wall was grated opening. Down
through the bars we could see the forms
of these poor women. | said to my com.
panion: We must get them out My
| companion tried the grating, but could
not move it. | tried 10 think OF some
plan of rescue. My companion became
terror stricken. She said tina: evil spirits
had come and were trying 10 drive her
away. | encouraged her with all of my
influence to be firm. She struggled and
put up her hands and twisted her head
and moved her lips "a If trying to speak
She was greatly agitated. L put forth
everv bit OF spiritual strength that could
command. MY companion gradually be.