Dr.Carpenter`s Criticisms
I am very much indebted to Mr. Whitear for bringing to my notice Dr. Carpenter’s use of my name in Fraser’s Magazine; and also to Dr. Carpenter himself for giving me the opportunity of making the following explanation:—
Dr. Carpenter speaks of me as “a well-known author who was far from being unfavourably disposed to Spiritualism.” The latter clause of this description is quite true; so much so that I felt bound to put on record every fact which might seem to tell against Spiritualism, in order that I might correct a bias of which I was quite sensible. Hence it was that I imported into my book the adverse evidence Dr. Carpenter quotes; and this circumstance, I may add, led to my ceasing to be a member of the Council of the British National Association of Spiritualists.
But since Dr. Carpenter accepts me as a witness against Spiritualism, he can scarcely refuse to hear me in its favour. Will he allow me to say, then, that after a patient study of twenty years, pursued, so far as I am capable, on the true inductive method, and, taking into account (as he himself acknowledges) all the adverse evidence, I come to a conclusion diametrically opposed to Dr. Carpenter himself? I know that the phenomena occur. I believe their origin to be spiritual. I hope that the spirits may sometimes be those of departed friends. Such is my present state of mind; but I should never have dreamed that this could have had any relevance beyond my own narrow circle, had not Dr. Carpenter’s very flattering estimate convinced me of the contrary.
I never could see why we should lose our tempers on this subject. Some Spiritualists denounced me because I would not pin my faith to every medium, or say that phenomena were genuine when I knew them to be simulated. The wiser ones saw that I was doing good service by sifting the wheat from the chaff; and I am quite sure Dr. Carpenter will not now appraise my testimony differently because my conclusions differ from his own. To me the matter is purely one of evidence. I am now of Professor De Morgan’s opinion, that the preponderance of such evidence is in favour of the pneumatological theory. I agree that it is “ponderously difficult;” but to me it seems the only one that will “cover the facts.”
Seances in the Light
Now that seances for physical manifestations in a strong light are so much wanted in England, the following account of manifestations, through a Californian medium, is of interest. The description is given by Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, in a letter to The Banner of Light, of Dec. 22nd, written from San Francisco:—
“The next good tidings I can conscientiously publish to the world is in reference to Mrs. Ada Eoye, whom all my Eastern readers will remember as Mrs. Coan, the far-famed rapping, writing and test medium, whose public seances have been known and recorded throughout the Eastern States without the black mark of failure in the missionary labour of over twenty-five years. Mrs. Eoye is now a settled resident of San Francisco, married to an excellent man, whose mechanical genius as an inventor has already made him a name as a Californian institution. Mrs. Foye practices her inimitable mediumship more as a matter of duty than necessity, and though her tests were strong enough some twenty years ago to convince the most inveterate of sceptics—(to wit) myself—I believe I can affirm they are even more clear, irresistible and convincing now than they ever were.
“Mrs. Foye, it will be remembered, is the only medium known who can sit in a public audience and obtain tests, not only by ballots, but also through rapping, writing and clairaudience. She writes in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Italian, Chinese; the Kanaka dialects of Sandwich Islanders, or any language which questioners may desire. She sits now, as formerly, in a public hall, well lighted, at a table with no cloth, curtains, drapery, or other equivocal paraphernalia. A committee is selected from the audience to sit at her table on the raised, well-lighted platform, and watch her. The only condition she makes is that the said committee shall be composed of sceptics, and that the audience, instead of singing or making any noises to drown the machinery of action, shall preserve an unbroken stillness. On the occasion of my taking leave of my first hall in this city, Mrs. Foye kindly volunteered her services in illustration of my lecture. She banished every one, even myself, from the platform, lest there should be the appearance of collusion. The brilliant lights, the unclothed table, the modesty and simplicity of the dear little lady’s demeanour, completely disarmed suspicion. She then called for a sceptical committee, and ballots or folded papers containing names of spirit-friends, and I believe there were several hundred closely-folded papers thrown on the table in response to her invitation. To the well-accustomed audiences of America I need not describe the simple, clear and convincing methods pursued by this celebrated medium. It is enough to say she and her committee hold bundles of these ballots in their hands, the spirits rap loudly and forcibly when their own names are touched, pick them out by raps, and before the ballot is opened write through her hand or speak in Mrs. Foye’s ear the name contained in the paper. The committee open the paper, and never find it wrong. Then follow tests of age, dates of births, deaths, country, diseases, or whatever other tests the audience may demand, and in all, and throughout the space of many years of public mediumship of this character, Mrs. Ada Foye has never made failures or mistakes.”
Mrs. Foye should come to London.*
* Yes, together with the Medium Choate: (See following)
Seances in New York
Mr. Watkins, the independent slate writer, spent a few weeks here, and gave great satisfaction to his visitors; but his stay was altogether too short. He left just as his wonderful powers were becoming known, and the sceptics and doubters were finding out that there really was a power at work which they could not frighten away with the cry of “Humbug,” or frown down with “cold contempt.” We hope his absence will be brief.
We have at our house two slates that were purchased by a gentleman, a small bit of pencil being placed between the two at the time of purchasing. They were wrapped in heavy paper, and the card fastened with sealing wax. These were purchased by this gentleman on his way down town to business in the morning. In the evening he visited Mr. Watkins, carrying his package with him, which never left his hand; neither did Mr. Watkins touch the package until after the writing had been produced. Upon opening the package the two inner sides of the slates were found to be covered with a fine and closely-written communication, with the name of “Alice Cary” signed at the bottom. This is but one of many instances where writing has been produced by invisible means in the presence of this medium.
Mr. James M. Choate, the medium through whom flowers are brought, has also been in our city for a few weeks. As Mr. Choate’s flower stances were held in the dark, it was proposed by a few friends, after having had two or three sittings with him, that in order to have these seances under more strictly test conditions, he should be placed in a sack. He readily consented, and one was procured, made of coarse book muslin, in which he was entirely enveloped. It extended about eighteen inches above his head, and, after being securely tied, the strings were fastened to the chandelier under which he sat. The first evening under these conditions no flowers were produced, but the controlling spirit assured us that when he had thoroughly mesmerised the material of which the sack was composed it would be no impediment to the manifestations. At our next sitting his promise was fulfilled, and eight or ten flowers were brought, and were lying upon the floor, outside of the sack, when a light was produced.
Every precaution was taken to prevent intrusion. The doors were bolted and threads drawn across them; even the panels of the doors were securely fastened. The room contained no articles of furniture except the chairs on which the company comprising the circle were seated.
At our third seance in the same apartments, owing to some unfortunate circumstances which rendered conditions unfavourable, no flowers were produced.
Mr. Newton, being desirous of investigating Mr. Choate’s mediumship still further, and, if possible, of dispensing with the element of darkness, conceived the idea of enclosing the medium in a canopy of cloth, so constructed as to entirely exclude the light from the presence of the medium, and around this the circle could be formed in the light. This would obviate the necessity of fastening doors and windows, and give every one an opportunity of seeing that no one present left his seat. Accordingly a canopy was made, consisting of three thicknesses of cloth, and a company of friends again commenced the investigations, which were conducted in our parlour. With the exception of the first evening under these conditions, flowers were produced at every seance, after the medium had been searched by a committee of gentlemen, sometimes his entire apparel being removed and examined, to make <... continues on page 4-140 >
Editor's notes
London Spiritualist, No. 281, January 11, 1878, p. 23