The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-08-05
NEARER. NY GOD. TO THEE.
Carlyle ". Harris Returns to Earth
and Tells Strange Story.

Potts, lies smouldering in the Rural Gem
etry on the Troy Road, his spirit seems
to be roaming elsewhere. It was last
heard from in Providence, r. l., where it
appeared on Tuesday, June 20. Areporter
of the Boston Globe, who was invited
to be present at the rooms of we'll
known medium in Providence to meet Mr..
Harris, gives this very interesting account
of the meeting.
MODUs OPERANDI.
The modus operandi was very simple,
differing greatly from the usual pro-
gramme of spiritual seances. There was
no dark cabinet, no slow music, turned
down lights or gong into a trance, for
these, the medium explained, were no
longer necessary as adjuncts for the truly
intelligent medium. Among the low
down mediums, however, these crude
preliminaries are still indispensable, she
stated
In one corner of the room there was
light Japanese screen about four feet high,
and it was announced that from behind
this slight barrier Mr. Harris would come
when it was his pleasure to come forth.
That the audience might not suspect a
concealed ghost, all were invited to visit
the corner, take up the carpet, sound the
walls, etc.
Every one peered over tue screen, but
no one was impolite or sceptical enough
to rip up the carpet.
"Let us sing" said the hostess, and an
old lady began "Nearer, My God, to
Thee pitched in high key, and with
every note prolonged.
"Oh, dear, not that solemn thing" ex-
claimed the medium. "All that sort Of
thing has gone by. Doleful airs are as
depressing to spirits as to mortals, but
we did not discover it until we had in
fiicted much pain and anguish upon our
friends on the other side. Many time
in this room have 1 had people sing the
most solemn hymns they could think
of in order to draw spirits out, little
knowing that l was doing the very thing
best calculated to keep them back. Near
er, My God, to Thee, was generally the
hymn selected for cnticing the spirits to
appear, but l have since been informed
by them that they were both offended
and Disguised.
''The spirit of great man who makes
this place his home, whenever he visits
earth, has told me that there are many
spirits who have quite enough gloom of
their own to occupy their minds, and
that when they visit they like the sur
roundinss
TO BE CHEERFUL.
must envelop the room has also been dis.
PEELED You see that this room is illum-
mated by clusters Of bright incandescent
electric lights. There is not corner of
the apartment which you cannot see.
The stirring of a mouse would be percep-
tible to you, so that shall not rest un-
der the imputation of darkening the room
for the purpose Of covering fraudulent
operations, an imputation which many
mediums needlessly expose themselves to.
You will observe that 1 do not go into
the trance state. An impression once
prevailed that the spirit drew from the
body of the entranced medium certain
elements requisite for naturalization and
that until medium had fit no one
could get anything. All delusion, l
assure you. The higher spiritualism re-
quires no such fuss or muss Of its medi-
ums, and the sooner the people of my
profession get down to treating the spir-
its the same as they do ordinary beings
the sooner they will succeed"
A Miss Paoli, who was at the piano, be-
gan to play lively bar or two from the
"Devils Dream" whereupon an elderly
man asked if such an air would not be
offensive to Mr.. Harris, taking into con
sideration the popular impression con-
corning Harris destiny when he went to
the chair of death.
ia, no, indeed!' exclaimed the hos
tess. "If the music is cheerful, it does
not matter to him whether the dream is
the DEVILS or not. Why, here is Mr..
Harris himself"
And sure enough, stranger was pres
ent, sitting in the chair Miss Paoli had
occupied before she went to the piano.
Nobody saw him come from the screen,
and unless attention had been directed
toward him no one would have noticed
his presence.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me make
you acquainted with my spirit friend,
Carlyle W. Harris"
Harris did not rise, but he smiled
pleasantly, and said he was charmed to
find himself in such agreeable society.
The medium advanced and shook him
warmly by the hand, so did several 9TH
ers, but there were those who, supposing
that the hand he extended was red with
the blood of Helen Potts, held back and
did not press for more than sight of the
famous assassin.
There was strong desire to question