The Spiritualist newspaper > No.393, March 5th 1880

March 5, 1880.
THE SPIKITUALIST.
115
secured, i nd the medium did not arrive in the
house until all the operations just described had
been completed. The book slate did not be¬
long to him but to Captain James. Its size
was 11 inches by 8 inches.
Mr. F. Collingwood brought a somewhat
smaller book slate of his own with him to the
stance. He put a crumb of pencil between the
leaves, and in the presence of the company
tied and sealed the slates in much the way
already described. Mr. Rita did not touch the
slates before the stance began, and there is no
evidence that he did so afterwards.
When the stance began, Captain James and
his guests sat round a table in total darkness,
and after the lapse of about twenty minutes,
during a portion of which time some of the
ordinary dark* circle manifestations took place,
the voice of the controlling spirit asked General
Maclean, Mr. Collingwood and Mr. Harrison
to place one hand each on the two slates which
were lying on the top of each other on the
table. They did so for about five minutes,
when feeble vibrations were felt, as if writing
were being executed inside the slates, and
feeble noises, as of writing on slates, were
heard.
The gas was then lit, and the closed slates ex¬
amined. The knots, strings, seals, and gummed
papers were in the same condition as at first.
They had manifestly not been tampered with.
The strings were still tightly strained round
the slates, without any slack.
After all present were satisfied that the
fastenings were intact, the strings were cut,
and the slates opened.
Inside the slate fastened by General Mac-
lean, it was found that the words “ Good
night ” had been scrawled in very large badly
formed letters. In Mr. Collingwood’s slate the
words “ God bless you ” had been written. The
writing was in dry and dusty slate pencil.
Later on, one of the spirits was asked if he
could cut out with a pair of scissors, in pitch
darkness, the outline of a head and profile
of about six inches average diameter, which
had been previously drawn with a pencil on a
sheet of paper. The spirit, in reply, asked
Mr. Collingwood to hold one side of the sheet
of paper in his hand, and then with scissors
cut out four-fifths of the outline as requested,
thereby proving the power of the spirit to see
perfectly in the dark.
♦
The Glasgow Association of Spiritualists will hold
a conference in its Rooms on Sunday morning, March
7th, at 11,30, and at 6.30 will be addressed by Mr.
Harper, of Birmingham.
[Great freedom is given to correspondents :who sometimes express
opinions diametrically opposed to those of this Journal and its
readers. Unsolicited communications cannot he returned; copies
should he kept by the writers. Preference is given to letters which
are not anonymous.
PSYCHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA.
Sir,—In Commandant Ay 1 ward’s recent hook “The
Transvaal of To-day ” there is a very good ghost story
which I think is worth transferring to your columns :
it will he found on pp. 204-209, of the work mentioned.
It is interesting to note how similar these occurrences
are in various parts of the world, breaking out amongst
people who are unlikely to have heard of the corres¬
ponding disturbances elsewhere.
Two clergymen not long ago sent me reports of
mysterious occurrences in their houses, stone throwing,
&c., of which they were eye witnesses and careful
investigators ; one of my informants was the rector of
a country parish in Ireland, and the other the rector of
a parish in Staffordshire, and there are of course
numerous similar published reports equally well
authenticated.
Could any of your readers who have sufficient leisure
supply me with a classified list of trustworthy cases
bearing on this subject,—cases either directly known
to them or properly accredited reports published in
your paper. You do not, I believe, issue a classified
index to your paper: it would be very useful. May I
also ask for any good cases of mind-reading, or of good
subjects in the so-called “willing” game.
Letters may be addressed to me as above; no names
will be publisned unless permission is given.
W. F. Barrett.
Monkstown, Dublin. -
SUNDAY MEETINGS.
Sir,—Thank you for your kind insertion of the
announcement of the Goswell Hall Meeting for Sunday.
This movement at Goswell Hall was commenced
about four months ago by a few humble Spiritualists,
in the hope of doing something towards spreading the
cause, and that others, more able, would come to their
assistance, supplying some of their deficiencies ; which
latter expectation has not yet been realised to any
considerable extent. At the same time, the movement
progresses. The Goswell Hall undertaking is not yet
paying itself, but if a little more interest could be
created, doubtless it could soon be made to do so.
Mr. W. Wallace, pioneer medium, will occupy the
platform on Sunday next, March 7th, and the following
Sunday evening Miss Keeves, trance speaker, will
officiate. H. J. Stevens, Hm. Sec.,
224, Albany Road, Camberwell, S.E., March 2nd, 1880.
SPIRITUALISM IN GERMANY.
Sir,—Dr. Robert Friese, of Breslau, has done eminent
service to the advance of truth, by issuing a pamphlet
in reply to an attack on Spiritualism by a Dr. Nagel,
who misguided his audience by speaking of the folly of
“ reviving ghost-stories,” as the chief feature of the
new dispensation, and by ridiculing its advocates,
Prof. Zollner and similar victims of conjuring not
excepted. Space would not permit me to enter into
the details of this excellent paper, but Dr. Friese has
hit the nail on the head, completely showing up the
ignorance of the rabid unbeliever.
If more such attacks are equally ably responded to,
the Professoren diinkel (learned conceit) in Germany will
soon abate, and a fair hearing for Spiritualism result.
C. Reimers. ;