The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-28
ONSET'S STRANGE DOINGS
JOE Stiles CALLS UP SPIRITS, AND,
WHATIS MORE. THEY CONE,
A Medium who seems 10 Have the Use Of
Gabrielle Traup-Humor From the
Shore beyond.


Cod already"
That for which women were prayer
fully hanged In old Salem Is practiced
unqer encouraging conditions at Onset.
The witches OF colonial days were me
diums. Spiritualism then was Of the
evil one, and was repressed. To-day II
flourishes nowhere in so many and such
vigorous forms as in New England. Its
mediums are OF Puritan stock. Its up
holders are descendants OF the Pilgrims.
From jonathan Edwards TO James Free
man Clarke was a long step. The pro
gression" TO MinOt J. savage Is almost
as great 4 Phychic2l research, SELF
appointed committee OF theologians and
professors and wise men generally has
Just declared:
We find slate writing fact
I'VE find naturalization fact
Whether produced by spirits, so called.
We are not prepared TO say.
ThiS committee took medlun from
her home In carriage TO the mouse
Of one Of the members. As soon as she
reached the floor, the medium was con-
Quoted to room by wives Of members
Of the committee. She was stripped
that is the word Not one of the garments
she wore into the room went out with
her. She was dressed in black through
out. she was placed In a cabinet con-
stTuctcd by the committee. Two white
forms appeared. This is what the Spirit
ualistS at onset tell.
onset is where the seekers after the
spiritual go TO see and hear new things
1t IS a branch OF Buzzard's Bay. When
President Cleveland walks down from
Gray Gables 10 the anchorage OF the
| catbOat Ruth he looks across scant two
miles Of water and rocks and sees the
! cottages, the hotels, the outdoor audito-
rum. and the temple OF the summer city
| Of the New England Spiritualists, CIV
| ing bright color TO sombre pines which
| heavily fringe the points and siens OF
Onset.
g,t.r bI1nire1C
| The resident population OF believers swell
| ed TO the thousands. On Sundays excur-
| SONS brought curious visitors by tne
| ten thusand. And the stranScSt OF tho
| seasons phenomena were wrought ny
| Joe Stiles. the believers say.
! The short, thick-set. hnd1y-1aced old
| gentleman, with cropped gray beard, neat
/ In attire. is not Mr.. Stiles, but Just Joe
| Stiles 70 everybody. A smile turks In the
| corners OF ms mouth, and beneYoience
looks out of his blue eyes. hs voice
! is as agreeabiy moduiated as the tones OF
| an organ. Two things Joe stiles does
| which makes him eminent among medi-
! ums He rhymes by inspiration, but not
! az other poets, who claim credit Tor thelr
! spCndeeS. Joe Stiles passes under contyoi.
| The spirits take possession OF nm. WIN
| eyes half closed ne reels off verse In vary
| ing quantities and TO suit all occasions.
| The SCansiOn seems to be all right. Inc
7 and local illusions forbid much previous
| preparation. Yet with his eyes closed ana
| without apparent mental effort Joe Stiies
| Tecites cOuplets or eplcS as ldst as lhe
words can roll from his unctuous Tongue.
But this isn't what prompts me Sp1rt-
! ualiSts to class Joe Stiles as a medium OF
the first magnitude. Control poetry Is
| a little beyond Inspiration oratory, but
the latter is common among MEDIUMS.
The speciality in which Joe Stiles leads all
mediums Is his power to call back the
Departed in groups and troops ana 10
name them, Persons places where they
L. CT lAOl
relations and Instances are given. Joe
Stiles rarely hesitates HIS readiness Is
as wonderful as his accuracy. Turning 10
| a lady he said.
Eyes. knew him" she replied.
"There IS another doctor comes 10
| zee you-Dr. David H.-nis last name Ism
pronounced the way 1t IS spelled-G-r-o-s-
| I-e-n-O-r.'
Il knew him, too" IA.
And Or. John Cheever-know him.
Il should say | did," replied the lady
raising her eyebrows in surprise. o..
"Hc's got some red liquid In bott1eT
Yes He was a botanic physician, but
, ne died twenty years ago m surprise
that he should come to me. for | saVeC
, the life Of d woman after he said sh'
was going 10 die
The person 80 whom the three doctor
: manifested their presence through 30
I Stiles was one OF those self-c0ntatned
self-assertive New England women, Wit
a gift for doing the right thing In case
! ! Of desperate sickness or accident. !
amused her nightly that the three OIL
S doctors whom she had met at the bedside
| Of their patients many years before shoul
I | return from spirit life 10 greet her IN
+ smile fingered ON her face long aftcr 80 90,
b ! STILES had directed mig attention TO an
other part Of the circle.
= There is a spirit here who says SO
Will remember her Joe sites SAID, al
With her hands folded in her lap. IN
Z announcement produced not the slightes
Impression on the firm. matter-of-fac
"She saws Ter name IS Julia Watson
! no NIarston." said the medium, Instant
correcting himself. do you remembe
herr"
"She died in MANI suggested Joe stile
inquiringiy. ,,,, u.o. .,o .,,,.
, | she saws" continued Joe Sites, "tha
she was never hltched 10 any man I
l | life. Is that right?
d The old lady nodded. with queer III
= And she is quite content where sh
is hut rather regrets the manner Of he
death. which vas somewhat sudden"
: For the first time the old lady SCENE
! | TO feel an interest in the revelation. Sh
: opened her mouth for one OF those EXPIRE!
$ sive but silent New England laughs
do you know what she means b
that" asked Joe stiles
| \ quick nod and-"She hung herself.
= That's it." said the medium. and di.
! missing Miss Marston, he asked:
2 Does anyone here know Ethan Perry
I He passed out at Hanover, and when /
/ this life he used to drive hogs"
4 II knew him said n bass voice in III
2 rear row near the door.
And here fev9 a5s old e5 Rsye FustS4
E George, l.; Borden, Holden Borden. an
jim Sole"
4 Il knew every one OF them" said lad
D Jim Sole says he's building his maj
d sion above, suggested the medium.
I "for he was a carpenter I'm New Bedford
e This is what Joe Stiles can do. He doe
Il | Il day after day The circles chang,
V New spirits come. He sits in a roo,
i with dozen persons and calls the name
/ of twenty or thirty Of their deuarte
y | friends. He takes the platform befor
= as thousand people sitting on the Ion
= benches which rise in tiers on tae hill
side. and he calls a roll Of the dea,
= which numbers a couple OF hundIe,
o Every New England community has II
the local eenealogy. neurology. and chrC
nology: This peculiar gifted person ca,
mentally. go up one street and dow
. another telling who lived in almost ever
- house, recalling little circumstances {
~ family history and personal character
"a ! istics. When natives OF a New Fnrlan
- town get together thousand miles frol
" home there is almost always some or
y who can entertain the others wit
u this strange faculty for recalling nam,
" and characters and local history. Nov
,, villages what many New EnClandel
= can 10 for single community. He do,
- II with the same puzzling ease and II
= / tense satisfaction. Joe Stiles enjoys n