'Twixt two worlds : a narrative of the life and work of William Eglinton

CHAPTER III.
THE
"BLACKBURN SEANCES."
r:S already mentioned, these experimental seances were, for the most part, held
at the rooms of the late British National Association of Spiritualists, 38,
Great Russell Street, with various mediums. The results obtained were
valuable, and marked a distinct advance in our knowledge of occult science.
Mr. Eglinton contributed not a little towards this end ; indeed, more seances
were held with him, as medium, than with any other, while the records of
that period speak in no measured terms of the uniformly satisfactory conditions observed at his
sittings. As an example of the impression given to those who came in contact with him one
instance will suffice. Writing in the Spiritualist of December 22nd, 1876, Mr. W. Newton,
F.R.G.S., in summing up a few of the results of a fairly good seance says:— "All were impressed
with a conviction of the thoroughly genuine nature of the phenomena, and it is unnatural to
suppose that fourteen individuals keenly set upon preventing fraud, should, at the same time,
deliberately meet for the purpose of imposing on each other a mutual delusion." A week or so
later (Spiritualist, January 5th, 1877) he adds, "The value of these sittings is great to those
who desire evidence of physical power external to the medium ; whilst the readiness of Mr.
Eglinton to submit at all times to the most stringent and frequently somewhat uncomfortable
conditions, helps to confirm the conviction of his thorough honesty induced by observance of the
phenomena which occur in his presence." Similar testimony was borne in many other quarters,
but one other must suffice. The Secretary of the B.N.A.S. Experimental Research Committee,
when summarising the results of these sittings, incidentally says, " Those who have
attended the series of seances .... have reason to thank Mr. Eglinton for his thorough sincerity,
The orderly manner in which the seances have been conducted,
simplicity, and cordiality. . . .
the strict yet simple tests imposed, and the facilities given to strangers to satisfy themselves
of the bond fide nature of the manifestations, have had lasting and beneficial results." Testimony
like this, often repeated, was one of the few gleams of light at an exceptionally gloomy period
in the history of Spiritualism. The whole movement was passing through a crisis. Mediums were
being assailed on every side from without, and, in some cases, from within the movement.
"Exposures" were thick in the air. Mr. Lawrence had been sentenced to three months'
imprisonment, as also had Mr. Slade, whose sentence, however, was quashed on appeal. Later,
Dr. Monk was sentenced to the same term at Huddersfield. Fortunately Mr. Eglinton escaped ;