The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-01
WITH THE SPIRITS.
Spy Mans Expert
ences with Worces-
ter Society.
A lS-YEAR old MEDIUM.
She Explains the Real
Reason for Cold
Shivers.

The Worcester Spiritualists began
their fall work Sunday before last with
meetings in G. A. r. hall, and the first
speaker was Miss Brainard, 19-year-
Eold girl from Lowell, who was said to
be a medium with wonderful powers.
She spoke again last Sunday, and to be
instructed, The Spy man attended the
afternoon meeting. He learned quite a
good deal in a short time. He even
learned of brother he never possessed.
But not to anticipate. the meeting
was opened with hymn. after which
Miss Brainard read one of Father
Ryan's poems. and read it we'll. Then
another hymn was sung, and the young
medium closed her eyes and stood up
She explained that 1t was not Miss
Brainard who was going to speak, but
Miss Brainard's guide. Miss Brainard
was said to be in a semi-unconscious
state, and didn't know what was being
said
Inspired or not, Miss Brainard or the
spirit that spoke through her made a
very good address. 1t was short and
refreshing, and purported to be in an
swer to the question, what spiritualism
really Is. 1t concluded with a general
exhortation to be good for the sake of
pelng good, and not for fear of pun
ishment or hope of reward, and was
very sermon-like at the finish. In the
middle of 1T, however, she, or the spirit,
told now spirits came to men as inspira-
ton. and that all geniuses must be
spiritualists, even though they did not
peheve. Spiritualism, she or it said,
has been misunderstood for SO long
that 1t is not surprising that so few be-
lieve. Even mediums have not realized
Just what manifestation meant, but
nave thought it necessary for the spirit
to communicate by means of tables
turning or by rappingS. In this con-
neetion tie Fox sisters were mentioned
Just word about the Fox sisters would
not be amiss.
In lSa9, and subsequently, two sisters,
Margaret and Catherine Fox, startled
the world with their marvellous spirit
ual demonstrations. They would get
communications by means of rappings.
END though every means was tried to
| discover the method they used, the Sc
| cret remained with them until they be-
came old. These sisters were Catho-
lies, and as age advanced, they re-
nounced the business of bringing COM
| munications from the spirit world and
gave much of their time to the church.
Their confessor, in the interests of sci
ence, prevailed upon them in time to
give up the secret of the rappings. and
several scientists were invited to wit
ness the revelation. The Fox sisters be-
gan py taking off their shoes, and then
| 1t was found that the Joint of their
great toes had been dislocated. so that
they were able to snap them in and out
OF place at will, making the rappings
that had SO long dehed the world of
science and mystified the world at
large. OF course, this is not told in con-
nection with Miss Brainard, but simply
as an interesting bit of information.
After the address, the medium an
nounced that she would give demon
strations of the spirit world, or rather
her other guidewould take possession
of her body and use 1t to talk through.
BY the way, as far as could be under
stood, the first guide seemed to have
been dead a number of years, yet II
pronounced the word neither as
'nyther." The second guide did the
same thing. The Spy man didn't find
how Miss Brainard pronounced that
word
Some explanations were necessary
before the demonstrations began. Tho
guide announced through the BODY Of
Miss Brainard that the young lady was
entirely unconscious during the tests,
ana woul deremeber nothing of what
happened. Also it said that those who
came to deceive would probably be de-
ceived
PIECES OF paper were passed through
the audience on which questions might
De written, to be sent up to the guide
nee Miss Brainard. These questions the
spirit said, mieht be- of a worldly ma
ture, though it would be better to make
them to deal with things in the spirit
world only. They must be designated
IN some manner, by a number or in.
ltial. The questions would not be read
aloud, and the papers would be de-
stroyed as soon as the answers were
given, but the writer would be able to
recognize his question by the answer
given.
Then the spirits began to arrive. The
spirit would make Miss Brainard's hand
PICK up one of the pieces of paper. and
tnen MISS Brainard's face would frown
ana the answer would come. The first
communication was about some one
who had died forty years ago. The
spirit, using Miss Brainard's mouth and
hands and expression, told of the pale
emaciated spirit, who had returned to
say that she had kept her promise. II
told OF little house with an old FASH
Toned chair, and in the chair sat some
uouy VINO was wondering if the one he
loved had kept her promise and come
back to him. She had come back often.
but he didn't recognize her presence,
though sometimes as he sat in that old
fashioned chair, he felt cold shivers pass
down his back. That was because he did
not understand that the spirit of this
loved one was patting his cheeks. This
Is something The Spy man learned. He
always thought cold shivers down
ones back was the sign of a draught.
Then she went on to describe some little
keepsakes he possessed, things he treas
ured, and among them was a photo
graph in case with clasps, and he
often looked at this picture and won-t
dered.
Then the spirit which was in Miss
Brainard asked for the writer of the
question and an old man stood up and
acknowledged it, saying that he under
stood perfectly and that the last words
of his wife were that she would come
back to him if she could.
And this went on, sometimes being a
child who wished to communicate and
more often an older person. Then came
The Spy mans question He had
thought up beforehand what he would