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

THE EXISTENCE OF Sl'IRITS. 43spelled, niul communications were made. At subsequent sittings, thegrandfather and brother of the medium manifested their presence successivelyby spelling their names on the disk. My flither, by means ofthis apparatus, gave me the name of an uncle who was killed by the Arabsnearly seventy years ago.In order that, without any possibility of contactwith the legs, the medium might sit at the table, the length was subsequentlyextended to six feet, being so made as to separate into threeparts, for convenience in carrying from one place to another. It is underthis modification that it is represented in Plate 2 accompanied by a description,with the medium sitting as when employed in obtaining someof the manifestations herein mentioned. On the left may be seen thewheels and axle. The front wheel may be distinguished, with its groovesecuring the band which embraces it, together with the pulley on the disk.171. The disk represented in this figure differs from the one representedabove, (employed in my first investigations,) in having the alphabet inthe usual order.the other, when requisite.But they are so made as that one can be made to replace172. On one side of the long table, Plate 2, a board or tray on castors isrepresented. This was used sometimes as a support for the hands of themedium, by its being interposed between them and the table. On oneoccasion, where the hands of the medium were supported by the plate andball upon this tray, it was moved briskly to and fro upon the table, thehands of the medium and the ball and plate accompanying the motion.173. On various subsequent occasions I have had this experiment ofputting the hands of the medium on a plate and balls repeated, and withthe same result. The interposition of the plate and balls makes it muchmore difficult for spiritsto move a table than when the hands are directlyapplied. In the latter case, the spirits actuate the hands primarily, andthe table or apparatus secondarily ; but when the hands are incapacitatedfrom influencing the motion, the spirit has to assail the inanimate matterdirectly, assisted only by an emanation from the medium. In this attackupon ponderable matter, the spirits of the second sphere are the mostcapable ;but even with their assistance, the condition of the medium mustbe very favourable to render success possible.174. I next resorted to an apparatus like the plaything called a seesaw,excepting that the fulcrum, instead of being under the middle of the board,was situated at one-fourth of the whole length from one end. There wasone foot on one side of the fulcrum, and three feet on the other. Thedisk and its axle was transferred from the table, Plate 1, near to the longerend of this seesaw-like apparatus. The cord attached to two weights wasemployed as above described, so that as the disk was made to rise or Mlwith the vibration of the board by the action of the cord, a revolutiontook place, bringing the letters successively under the index, as alreadyexplained to have resulted from the movements of the table.