Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

INTRODUCTION. 33111. Nevertheless, I am not surprised that an inference shouM havebeen made, which holds good as respects certain spirits or media, thoughnot others.If a pack of cards be so cut that the card exposed cannot beseen by any mortal present, it may be found that although certain spiritscannot describe the card, unless seen by some person present, yet otherspirits can describe the card under these circumstances. Among myguardian spirits, there are two who have repeatedly described the cardexposed fortuitously by cutting a pack, as in the process for determiningtrumps in a game of whist.112. Since reading Dr. Bell's remarks, cards, taken indiscriminatelyfrom a pack, and laid down behind the medium and myself, the denominationunseen by any mortal, have been named correctly by one of the spiritsalluded to, although, about the same time, another eminent spirit couldnot name cards when similarly employed.113. Agreeably to my experience in a multitude of cases, spirits havereported themselves who were wholly unexpected, and when others w^ercexpected. When I was expecting my sister in Boston, my brother reportedhimself. Lately, when expecting her, Cadwalader was spelt out, beingthe name of an old friend, who forthwith gave me a test, proving hisidentity. As this spirit had never visited my disk before, I had not thesmallest expectation of his coming.114. My spirit brother referred to a confidential conversation had withmy brother Powel, in which the former was alluded to, when nothing wasfarther from my mind than that he had been present as an invisible listener.115. I will now mention a fact of recent occurrence, which completelyrefutes Dr. Bell's inference : Being at Cape May, one of my guardianspirits was with me frequently.116. On the 8d instant, at one o'clock A. M., I requested the faithfulbeing in question to go to my friendMrs. Gourlay, No. 178 North Tenthstreet, Philadelphia, and request her to induce Dr. Gourlay to go to thePhiladelphia Bank to ascertain at what time a note would be due, andthat I would sit at the instrument at half-past three o'clock to receive theanswer. Accordingly, at that time, my spirit friend manifested herself,and gave me the result of the inquiry.117. On my return to the city, I learned from Mrs. Gourlay that myangelic messenger had interrupted a communication, which was takingplace through the spiritoscope, in order to communicate my message, and,in consequence, her husband and brother went to the bank, and made theinquiry, of which the result was that communicated to me at half-past threeo'clock by my spirit friend.118. This differed from the impression which I had from memory, andwas not, of course, obtained from ray mind. And it is evident that themedium could not have known of my message until she was made to re--ceive it.3