A Book Written by the Spirits of the So-Called Dead Part 15

"IDA."

"My daughter pa.s.sed away on the 18th day of December, 1875, at the age of seventeen, and she was an only child. The above message from her possesses peculiar value to me, for therein are a number of valuable tests and evidences of her ident.i.ty. My belief in the return of the spirits of the departed is of brief duration in point of time antecedent, and was mainly brought about, through the mediumship of Mrs. Green. I can not express the real happiness I enjoy since I have been the recipient of this new light divine and I can only say, 'G.o.d speed the good work.'

"Cincinnati, Ohio."

ANNIE WINTERBURN.

"_Dear Brother_: Oh, how happy I am to-day to be able to write you on the inner surface of a double slate with your own precious hands holding it with the medium. You did not need this as a test, for your mind is clear and your heart is in the cause, but we give it to you because others have been thus favored, and we have resolved that you shall not be neglected when the good things pertaining to spirit intercourse are being given to others. Oh, John, you do give us so much real happiness by your n.o.ble and upright conduct, and by the opportunities you give us to hold sweet communion with you. Thus our lives become interblended, and the happiness of all increased. Spirits do derive great benefit from mortals, and to that extent are dependent on them. When a child dies in the tender years of infancy unschooled in the multifarious concernments of mortal life, it is brought back into contact with human affairs that it may learn those experiences of earth which were denied it by its early and untimely departure from the form. In all the pursuits of your life each individual is constantly attended by spirits interested in the same, and in these and many other ways are spirits aided in their progress and happiness.

Whenever and by whomsoever you are told differently heed it not, but rely on what I have stated. We are interested in your proper instruction, and we will not lead you astray or into error. All those near and dear to you are here, and bid me to send you their love greetings. They pray without ceasing that you may be kept steady and firm in your high resolves and n.o.ble purposes until the end, when you shall rejoice in the anthem of victory. Hold up your head, dear and precious brother; be brave and resolute in the hour of temptation. Do no harm, but all the good you can in the world. And when the blessed angel called Death shall beckon you away from the labors and vicissitudes of mortal life to the sunlit evergreen sh.o.r.es of the summer land, be a.s.sured that among the hosts of others who will meet and welcome you with happy and rejoicing hearts you will see and be enfolded lovingly in the arms of your loving sister,

"ANNIE."

"I, John Winterburn, resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing communication from my spirit sister came in the manner, to wit: I examined a double slate, and found it clean and without any writing whatever upon it. A small piece of slate pencil not larger than a grain of wheat was placed upon it and the slate closed. I then held on to one side of the slate, holding it tight together as folded, and the medium, Mrs. Green, held on to the other side. Soon we heard writing, and in the course of fifteen minutes the signal was given indicating that the writing was completed, whereupon the slate was opened, and on both sides of the inner surfaces was found, neatly written, the above communication.

The t's were crossed, and the i's were dotted. I know, as well as I am capable of knowing any fact requiring the exercise of my senses in their normal state, that the communication was written by invisible power, and I firmly believe it comes from the source it purports to come, namely: my dear sister, now in spirit life. The seance was in broad daylight, and under circ.u.mstances that precluded fraud or deception on the part of the medium or any one else in the body.

"JOHN WINTERBURN, 185 Longworth street."

"This same Mr. Winterburn has had regularly one sitting a week with Mrs.

Green for seven or eight months, and among other spirit relatives and friends who were active in communicating with him was his spirit sister Annie. She seems to possess considerable poetic ability, and occasionally wrote poetry to her brother. Recently Mr. Winterburn visited his mother country, England, and the last sitting with Mrs. G. before his departure, his sister Annie addressed the medium in the following feeling stanzas, which Mr. Winterburn copied as they came on the slate, viz:

"Dear medium friend, both good and true, 'Tis hard that we must part from you, And though we cross the surging main, We will return to you again.

"Returning with our spirits' love and power From British isle or sunlit bower, Our fond hearts' loving blessings to impart To comfort and cheer your n.o.ble heart.

"Dear brother's heart you have made glad, Dispersing sorrow and conditions sad; And where'er we roam, on land or sea, Our hearts shall turn in love to thee.

"Farewell, dear medium friend, farewell, To thee our grat.i.tude we ne'er can tell, We can only say heart's full of love, We'll meet you on the sh.o.r.es above.

"And there, in that bright land of joy, Where mingles naught of earth's alloy, We'll lead thy steps with blessings rare To our homes above our joys to share.

"Angels of light, refulgent bright, Be with you when you take you flight From scenes of strife and sorrows here To a just reward in a higher sphere.

"Farewell, farewell, alas! farewell, The parting is like a funereal knell; But when you climb the golden stair, Your true friend, Annie, will meet you there."

CHAPTER XXIII.

A SPIRIT PEELS A BANANA, AND EATS SOME OF IT, AND DIVIDES THE REST IN FOUR EQUAL PARTS--REPORTS OF CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ABOUT SPIRIT SEANCES AT MRS.

GREEN'S.

I desire to speak of a recent manifestation, which baffles my ability to understand, and proves that spirits by some chemical process are enabled to operate upon material substances and cause them to vanish. I only give one instance, and leave the reader to his own reflections and to adopt his own theory. I shall simply give the fact as it occurred.

I have a little grand daughter, Julia Muth, in the spirit world. When in the form she was partially fond of bananas. On the occasion of the recent anniversary of her eighth birthday, the 13th of July, 1882, I went to Mrs.

Green for a seance, taking with me a large banana. These slate-writing seances, as has been heretofore explained, take place in the full light. I sat, as usual, opposite to Mrs. Green, with the small stand between us. I placed the fruit on a slate, with a short letter of greeting, and put it under the covering of the stand, while Mrs. Green held another slate of her own. The spirits, after writing on Mrs. Green's slate for about an hour, wrote as follows: "Grandpa, take your slate from under the stand,"

which I immediately did, and on the slate was written, "I peeled the banana, and ate some of it, too; your little Julia Muth."

We removed the cloth covering from the stand and found the peelings on the floor, and on my slate the banana divided in four equal parts after the end piece had disappeared. We searched diligently, but without our effort being rewarded by the discovery of the missing portion of the fruit. Whither had it gone?

The _Cincinnati Daily Enquirer_ is a leading as well as an extensively circulated paper, published at Cincinnati, Ohio, and, in October, 1881, Mrs. Green was visited by a reporter of that paper, who was present at two of her trumpet seances. Although probably not a believer, he turned out to be a fair minded man who would not allow his prejudices, if he had any, to interfere with an honest account of what he saw and witnessed. In three issues of that paper, to wit, October 16th, 18th and 21st, 1881, appeared his report of a visit to Mrs. Green, and two seances he attended. They are here inserted, in the order of the dates given.

Issue of October 16th:

"In a neatly furnished suit of rooms over No. 309 Longworth street lives Mrs. L. S. Green, a spiritualist medium. Upon her last evening a representative of the _Enquirer_ called. He was cordially received by the lady's husband, being tendered a seat in a parlor in which was a piano, a pretty set of furniture; while an old-fashioned kerosene lamp threw its brightest rays over the room from a mantel-piece. Seated in a rocking-chair was Mrs. Green, plainly dressed, of a modest and retiring disposition, and features that stamped her as a faithful and loving wife.

The mission of the newspaper man was quickly explained. Her husband replied that as a rule mediums avoided reporters, as they were liable to distort and ridicule their statements. But where the thing is conducted honestly and openly, 'I can not,' he said, 'see what we have to fear from publication.'

"In reply to a question, Mrs. Green said that she was about thirty-eight years old, and had been a clairvoyant since 1868, her first mediumistic inclinations having developed that year. Her history since that time as a spiritualist has been quite full of interest. Previous to her becoming a medium she was a member of the Christian Church, and was as great a skeptic as one could find. So, in fact, was her husband. While a member of the Indiana Legislature in 1867 he attended a seance, where he received a message from his dead mother. At a subsequent one, another spiritual letter came to him, telling him that his wife possessed the powers of a medium, and asking him to bring her to one of the circles. After some persuasion he finally gained her consent to go. She there saw her first spirits, that of an uncle of the medium of the a.s.semblage, who had his head cut off by a train of cars. From that time her powers began to develop, showing themselves in messages that she wrote on paper or beheld in the air. Spirits as high as five hundred a day presented themselves to her view. Her continued increase as a medium so worked upon her that she lost her health, and she was compelled for the time being to abandon the business. About twelve months ago she resumed her writing--this time on slates. Messages Were written on the inside of folded slates, and often, after a seance, a fluid would be found on the outside of the slate, which, unless washed off then, could never be removed. This had been taken to chemist after chemist for a.n.a.lysis, and one and all had failed to make any thing out of it.

"One evening a small lock of hair was found in the corner of the slate, in the center of which was a small lead pencil. At that time this was believed to have been placed there by some one in the circle. It was folded in a piece of paper to be retained, but the next day it disappeared. From this time out Mrs. Green's materializing abilities began. She had great success in her seances, and frequently described catastrophes which, on the following morning, were found to be exceedingly accurate. She foreshadowed the explosion of the steamer Pat Rogers, and graphically described the collision of the United States with the America.

The details of a fire at a neighboring place one evening were recited by her. The next day it was learned that the hour and facts were most wonderfully correct.

"While the reporter and his friend were talking Mrs. Green called their attention to two spirits who were standing besides them, one a brother-in-law of the first-named, and the other a friend of the latter who died twelve years ago. Both were accurately described, much to the surprise and astonishment of the two skeptics. Mrs. Green, in explaining her power, said that she was entirely controlled by one spirit, and that when she first began to work it was shown by slaps on the hand, by shocks in her arms, etc. She did only as her influence compelled her to act, and while writing, etc., she knew not what she did, much to the surprise and astonishment of the two skeptics. Many startling results of seances were recited, such as the sounding of trumpets, the ringing of bells, singing, and the appearance of different spirits were detailed."

Insertion of October 18th:

"Mrs. L. S. Green, the medium, gave a seance last evening to a few friends at her house, No. 309 Longworth street. There were five people present, three of whom were skeptics of the worst kind. The gathering was seated in a medium-sized; plainly-furnished room. In the center was a small stand, over which was placed a heavy green spread. As an opening, the lady took a small slate upon which was laid a bit of slate pencil.

This she held with one hand in under the table, and several messages were written on it in a clear and distinct hand. Then the cloth was removed, and on the table were placed a bell, two slates, washed clean, a gla.s.s of water, and a leather trumpet. At some distance from the medium stood a guitar, leaning against the wall, and a large trumpet, while near the newspaper man were two small trumpets. The light was then extinguished, the doors locked, and the seance begun. All took hold of hands, and one of the party sang. In a few minutes came a gentle tapping on the slates, then the bell rang violently, seeming to pa.s.s through air, returning and falling on the floor. The various members were touched about the face and body, and one exceedingly lady-like spirit took occasion to rub her hand down the reporter's face, testing fully the power of his nervous system.

Singing was continued, when the guitar was heard to play, rising in the air, apparently pa.s.sing around over the different persons' heads, hitting them lightly in the face, and finally landing in the reportorial lap.

"A breathing spell was taken when one of the party varied the programme with a selection upon the orgamina. The favorite old song, 'John Brown,'

was given, and it pleased the spirits hugely, as a deep ba.s.s voice was heard to join in with an occasional blast from the trumpet. Then the trumpet took a trip around the circle, announcing its coming with a rap on the head or shoulders of each one. The bell rose in the air tingling rapidly and landed this time on the table. The familiar taps on the person were continued, then there was a tremendous note from the trumpet, and a sweet voice joined in with Mrs. Green, as she sang, 'Nearer My G.o.d to Thee.' Although the manifestations were quite good, especially to the reporter, who was continually dodging imaginary trumpets and blows, the medium said the weather was bad for the most satisfactory work. The spirits announced that they were about ready to depart by a loud rap on the table and a sprinkling of those present with water. The light being turned on, the following communication was found on one of the slates:

"'Good evening, gentlemen. We are glad to meet you. The spirit band of the medium authorize and request me to thank the representative of that great metropolitan journal, the _Enquirer_, for the terms employed in reference to their medium and her gifts in yesterday's issue of that paper. This treatment, so rare, betokens a spirit of candor and fairness commensurate with this transcendently important subject. We extend you a cordial invitation to visit us whenever and as often as it suits your convenience, and we shall always endeavor to treat you with courtesy and respect.

"'NETTIE.'

"The lines were very regular, the i's and t's are dotted, and the signature was especially plain, it being the name of one of Mrs. Green's controls."

The third and last appeared in the issue of October 21st, and is as follows:

"QUITE INTERESTING--A SEANCE HELD LAST EVENING--SKEPTICS AND BELIEVERS a.s.sEMBLE TOGETHER.

"A very interesting seance was held last evening at the residence of Mrs.

L. S. Green, 309 Longworth street. Seven persons were present, including two mediums. The spirits were unusually frisky, and the manifestations were particularly gratifying to the believers, and rather dumbfounding to the skeptics. The arrangements and room were the same as in the others previously described, except that there were more musicians present. Very excellent music was rendered by an orgamina, a violin, a guitar, and a music-box. The selections given were sweet enough to summon the most bashful friends of the medium from their spiritualistic retreat. The departed were less inclined to epistolary efforts, and slate-writing was not conducted with any favorable results.

"During the evening one of the gentlemen sang a Swedish song, accompanying himself on the guitar. A female voice at one time, and a powerful ba.s.s later, were heard plainly in concert with him. The human singer alleged quite emphatically that his spiritual aids rendered the air in the same language he did. The guitar took numerous trips around the room, sometimes high in the air, again touching those present on the head and different parts of the body. A huge tin trumpet was blown most furiously, the blast sounding like the greatest effort of the ba.s.s-horn. Then it was pounded and thumped, creating a most awful din. This was explained as being the doings of a very powerfully materialized spirit. The statement was acquiesced in by a skeptic, who received a vigorous whack on the knee, fully convincing him that muscle, lots of it, too, backed the trumpet.

"A little music-box was taken from the table and wafted through the room, playing its peculiarly sweet airs all the time as it sailed toward the ceiling and over those about the table. It could be heard in every corner, high and low, and if a medium or friend was carrying it, said person must have been exceedingly lively, climbing over chairs, a bed, etc., without making any noise. It was claimed that when the box ran down it was wound up by those who took it through the air.

"Whenever songs were sung, or selections were played upon the instruments, soprano or ba.s.s voices joined in plain to all present. Members were delicately touched in the face and body. The tolling of a great bell was most cleverly imitated, and a little one was rung frequently. The spirits of loved ones were reported as standing at the sides of different members, some of whom were quickly recognized by the description given. Water was sprinkled on all, and the goblet filled with this fluid was pa.s.sed around, touching some in the face, others on the body. No communications were received except very brief ones."

CHAPTER XXIV.