The record-union., 1898-07-17

readers, in the following narrative, an
authentic account of the efforts of a
number of prominent San Franciscans
to ascertain whether it is possible for
people still in the flesh to communicate
with spirits of the departed.
1t was on September 4, 1893, that a
number of the most prominent citizens
of San Francisco held a daylight Sc
ance at the office of Mayor Ellert, DR..
Louis Schlesinger being the spiritual
ist who said he could convince them
that he was a true medium. The fol-
lowing persons were present during
the experiments, and the written re-
ports of some of them are subjoined {:
Mayor l.. r. Ellert, Chief of Police
Crowley, District Attorney w. S.
Barnes, President Theodore F. Bonnet
of the Press Club, Grant Carpenter, ex-
President of the Press Club; Judge
Robert Ferral, DR.. r. E. Bunker, also
Charles L. Patton, Republican Central
Committeeman; II. II. McCloskey of
Merced, and others.
The seance was arranged by the
writer of this narrative, who was at
the time engaged on one of the San
Francisco dailies. All of the expert
ments were, therefore, the purpose of
getting material for a newspaper ar
ticle, which article now for the first
time appears. Before going into details
as to what occurred it is necessary to
give a few explanations.
DR.. Louis Schlesinger, the aged occu-
pant of large frame house at No. l
Polk street, assured all the gentlemen
who We're at the seance that he could
converse with the souls of the departed,
and that his own house was constantly
filled with bands of angels from the ce-
lestial Depths
Before he appeared in the Mayors
office, and before the citizens there as
sembled he produced a testimonial
from Will S. Green of the Colusa
SUM- also a clipping from that paper
dated December ), 1880, to the effect
that the phenomena could not be eX-
planned by trickery. The seance began,
therefore, with great deal of inter-
est, and before it had been concluded
the doctor had succeeded in greatly
puzzling all who saw him. They at
once wondered by what psychic power
or gift Of necromancy the aged me-
dunn operated. His feats bewildered
all who saw him.
The doctor began by saying that,
while his home was always filled with
spirits, he was usually able to call
few choice and master spirits to an
office or around any desk, table or
counter
One of the meetings was at the May
or's private office, and the other was
at the office of Chief Crowley of the
police force. At his own request, Dr.
Schlesinger was not introduced to any
of the persons present. He coon called
their names, however, and said they
were given to him by the spirits in the
raps that all could hear, on the desk.
The doctors favorite method of com
municating startling information to
the sitters was to have them write,
before they came into the medium
presence fifteen or twenty names,
some names Of living and some OF
dead friends. Each name being on a
separate piece Of paper, the visitors
were requested to fold each slip sepa-
rately and tightly, so as to preclude
any possibility Of it's being read by
the medium This done, the slips, all
of equal size, were put into nat anu
thoroughly shuff1ed- The doctor would
then say: Pick out any name your
self. and / will read 1t without looking
and before you yourself know what the
name is" There would then be raps,
and in a few seconds the doctor would
give the name correctly. These names
were written and folded in a room
apart from the doctor.
Granting that there is such thing
as mind reading" said Chief crowley,
II do not think mind reading would
account for what was done for me, pc
cause he read things that were not IN
my mind, telling me my mothers mai
den name and where she died.
DR.. Schlesinger calls his gift claren-
dent mediumship, and says his rlghl
ear is deaf to all terrestrial sounds, but
| ouickened as with sixth sense 1oi
communications from the other world
He says he can both see and near splr-
| its ana that bands Of them encircle
him, and at times, in the presence OF
some peculiarly fit" visitors, manifest
themselves with great clearness ano
| mower. To prove that the sounds he
hears are celestial voices, he does many
! things which battle those who witness
the strange phenomena which apouno
! in his presence wherever he goes.
II was with much difficulty that thos;
who participated in these seances ano
| whose accounts Oh WIhe eASy SO" 60
subioined. were induced to give the
| medium a hearing Chief Crowley was
particularly opposed to giving serious
attention to what he denounced a.
| .trickery and sleight of hand and al
terwards called marvellous and beyono
| mower of explanation. flnally h'
wrote down number of names on sep
arate slips. as explained in the fore
going, and among those names ap
| peared that Of his mother-her maider
name The medium at once told th'
Chief which pellet contained his moth
er's name. then read 1t, and in few
moments told where she died ant
where she was buried.
| Il cannot explain this, which is mar
yelous," said Chief Crowley, for dt
not believe human being in San Fran
cisco knew that my mothers maidei
name was Elizabeth Mccarthy, tha
she died in New Jersey and was buried
| in New York"
| Chief Crowley then wrote down lis
of years, among them the year Of hi:
mothers death. DR.. Schleslnger point
ed to the year 1888 as that Of her death
| Correct" replied Chief Crowley
| whereupon the medium said, "and thu
name Of your father, Patrick ]. Grow
| ley, is also here, and he comes will
I hos eat h4A n =