Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

200 MODERN SPIRITISM
Sir Walter Scott told Dr. Hodgson that he had seen
a planet further from the sun than Saturn, and said
its name was Mercury! George Eliot said, "I don't
know as there is enough light to communicate."*
Dr. Funk, the well-known New York psychologist,
in 1878 sat with Mrs. M. Fox Kane, one of the two
Fox sisters (see Chapter II.) who started Modern
Spiritism in 1847 by cracking their knee and finger
joints to produce "spirit" raps, etc.
The spirit controlling the medium (Mrs. Kane)
said, "I am John Seitz. I died nine days ago at
Springfield, Ohio. "
Two days after this Dr. Funk had another sitting
with the same medium. Again the spirit said:
"I am John Seitz. I died eleven days ago at Springfield,
Ohio."
Dr. Funk wrote to his sister, who replied
John Seitz was alive and well.
The Non-existent Doctor
Dr. Phinuit, the celebrated spirit control of Mrs.
Piper, who stated he was formerly a French doctor
in Marseilles, has been shown, not to be what he
professed. He said he was born at Marseilles in
1790, and died in Paris in 1860. Enquiries
give any trace of him. He had no knowledge of
fail to
medicine, and only appeared to know a few French
phrases
!
A Madame Dupont, a very respectable lady,
received, through a medium, a message from
"Rudolph," whom she knew, stating he had died
at eleven that evening, and giving long details of
his last hours. Then she had constant seances, at
* Quoted from British Weekly,