Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

162 MODERN SPIRITISM
I
Attend Officially
I may say I had known Mr. Stead for many years,
through evil
and good report, and was not therefore
in the least surprised to see him one day at Harley
Street. He told me of this forthcoming effort, of
the wonderful demonstration at his own house,
and said he now required the services of four physicians
from Harley Street on the following Friday
to carefully and privately examine the two mediums,
and thus effectively guard against fraud.
I had to read a paper on the following Monday
at the Philosophic Institute on "The Borderland";
and hoping I might learn something of value,
though I refused at first, I consented eventually to
attend and examine one of the mediums in private,
with another physician. On the Friday I met the
other doctor at a large house in the neighborhood,
and soon the mediums arrived. The man was met
at the front door, taken by two doctors into the
pantry, stripped and examined, and then dressed in
an old suit of the footman's and kept isolated in the
room. The woman was taken to the top of the house,
carefully examined at her own request for any concealed
apparatus, etc., and re-dressed in a skirt,
blouse, stockings and shoes only, and kept alone in
the bedroom. She never saw her husband till after
the stance.
Remarkable Audience
In the large drawing-room a "cabinet" in the
corner was prepared by two screens with a broad
space between, over which a pole and curtains
were fixed, and inside the only thing was a chair