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

—
On Materialisations and Apparitions formed with the Medium in Full Vieiu. 183
This seance was not the only occasion on which I had observed this phenomenon of the
presentation of an apparition in the light with the medium in full view. My observation on
the first occasion was, however, far from perfect, and so I abstained from a publication of the
details. Others, however, had been more fortunate, and I received a relation of a similar
experience from Mr. J.
H. Mitchener. His account is very interesting, as corroborating in many
respects the evidence just adduced. He desires me, if I publish it, to state that he has simply
narrated facts as he observed them, and that the statement has not been submitted to the other
sitters. He says:— "The seance took place on the nth February, 1885, the psychic being Mr.
Eglinton, whose character is so highly esteemed. The circle comprised eight persons, exclusive
of the sensitive or medium : four ladies and four gentlemen. By request, the gas was slightly
lowered, and, shortly afterwards, the medium—or sensitive, as I prefer calling him—came
into the room where we were seated, and, in a state of apparent trance, marched backwards
and forwards in front of the sitters. In a few minutes, an appearance resembling a white
handkerchief was seen to hang from his side, as from the trousers pocket. The sensitive then
paused in front of me (I occupied a chair at one end of the circle), and seizing my hand,
retained it in his own with a convulsive grip during the progress of the phenomenon that
followed. Meanwhile the white vapour continued to come forth from the left side of the
sensitive, momentarily increasing both in volume and density. As it commenced to assume
the outline of a human form, it was watched by all with close attention and absorbing interest.
The sensitive struggled, as if to disengage his arm from me, yet never relaxing the death-like
grip of his hand. As the spectators continued gazing, the vapour—if vapour it can be called
condensed, or if it were a substance, it contracted, gradually assuming the shape of a human
being until the complete figure of a tall, handsome-looking man, with a dark beard was
materialised before the eyes of the eight persons composing the circle. When fully developed,
the
'
spirit ' was
several inches taller than the sensitive. For several moments, ' spirit ' and
sensitive stood side by side— the sensitive being supported by the outstretched arm of the
'spirit' placed lovingly around him. At this point the sensitive released my hand, and withdrawing
from the ' spirit ' a distance of from three to four feet, revealed a white band, about
four inches in width, connecting his side with that of the spirit. The cord of spiritual
parturition was then severed. Mr. Eglinton stumbled backwards into his chair, which had
been placed behind the curtain, leaving the sitters alone with the ' spirit.' Our materialised
friend then walked before the circle, shook hands with me, and with one or two others.
His hand was warm, and as firm to the touch, and as powerful in the grip as that of
any human being."
Such testimony might be indefinitely prolonged ; and amongst other witnesses who have
observed the same phenomenon may be mentioned Mr. C. Blackburn, Mr. Hensleigh Wedgwood,
Miss Symons, of 43, Beaufort Street, Chelsea; Mrs. Lewis, of Weybridge Heath; Mr. F. W.
Benthall, of Heybridge ;
Mrs. Raeburn, of Edinburgh ; Dr. Morell, LL.D. (late one of H.M. Inspectors
of Schools) ;
Mr. M. Theobald, of Granville Park, S.E. ; the Rev. J. R. Phillips, of Oldham ; and
Miss Corner, of 3, St. Thomas Square, Hackney, but I have no room for further cases. Scattered
through the periodical literature of Spiritualism, there are numberless instances of the kind.
Surely, however, those I have quoted arc sufficient to prove the reality of this, the crowning
phase of spiritual phenomena