HPB-SB-8-12

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vol. 8, p. 12

H. P. Blavatsky Scrapbooks

from Adyar archives of the International Theosophical Society

vol. 8 (September 1878 - September 1879)

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A Remarkable Private Seance

A Medium Carried out of a Closed Room

Last Saturday night, at a seance held at the house of Mrs. Makdougall Gregory, 21, Green-street, Grosvenor-square, London, Mr. Eglinton was the medium. The seance was held in the drawing-room on the first floor, therefore high above the street; the shutters of all the windows of the room were closed and barred; they could not have been opened without admitting light from the street. The door was locked on the inside, and the key left in the lock. The table around which all the sitters sat, was about two yards from the lock, and accidentally in the most favourable position for enabling all the sitters to gaze into the passage if the door had been opened either to a large or small extent.

The members of the circle were seated around the table in the following order, in the dark, and with their hands interlinked:—Mr. Eglinton; Mrs. Fletcher; Mr. W. H. Harrison (of 38, Great Russell-street); Mrs. Makdougall Gregory; Mrs. Wiseman (of 1, Orme-square, Bayswater); Mr. George Sutherland (of 117, Sloane-street); Mr. J. W. Fletcher; and Mr. Arthur Colman. After some ordinary manifestations had taken place, Mr. George Sutherland was raised, chair and all, and placed on the centre of the table, where he was seen when a light was struck. Another sitter and his chair were raised about two feet. Mr. Harrison, half seriously, asked if the spirits could take Mr. Colman through the ceiling, by way of giving variety to the manifestations; this remark was spontaneous, no medium present having said anything to lead the conversation in that direction. Mrs. Fletcher and Mr. Colman then called out simultaneously that Mr. Eglinton had broken the circle and left them, and Mrs. Gregory told them to join hands. At about the same moment a chair, probably Mr. Eglinton’s, was heard to fall lightly on its feet, apparently some yards from the circle, and a violent “bump” caused by the falling of a heavy body on the floor of the room above, caused everybody to think that Mr. Eglinton had been carried through the ceiling, so a light was struck. From the time the remark was made about Mr. Colman, to the time the light was struck, was about a minute. From the time Mr. Eglinton disjoined hands, to the time the fall in the room above was heard, was probably less than ten seconds; some of the sitters a few minutes after the event occurred, estimated it at five seconds.

When the light was struck, Mr. Eglinton was not in the room. Mr. George Sutherland unlocked the door, by turning the key which was in the lock, and it was then noticed that the passage outside was feebly illuminated by reflected light, from the gas in the hall below. Mrs. Gregory and several sitters proceeded upstairs, and found Mr. Eglinton lying in a deep trance on the floor, with his arms extended. This was about two minutes after he disjoined hands in the room below. In two or three minutes he revived, and complained of the back of his head being hurt, as if by a blow; beyond this there was nothing the matter with him, and he was as well as ever in a few minutes.

The sitters were all satisfied that the phenomenon was genuine, and that the door could not have been opened, closed, and locked on the inside by any of the mortals present without their knowing it.

This case is paralleled by others in the history of modern Spiritualism, as well as by ancient church legends. Mr. Eglinton tells us that he has had the same manifestation twice before—once at the house of his friend Mr. Davis, where he states that it was given under test conditions, some of those present having their backs against the door at the time. The production of manifestations in response to the sudden suggestion of somebody present is not uncommon. The late Mr. Guppy used to speak of it as a remarkable thing that when Mr. Benjamin Coleman, of Upper Norwood, was present at Mrs. Guppy’s seances, the spirits were almost sure to do whatever he asked. The facts herein recorded cannot in any degree be paralleled by any experiments known to physicists, and are at present foreign both in degree and in kind to their experience and their theories.

<Untitled> (We desire to receive...)

We desire to receive no more communications at present about Theosophy, except the reply which Madame Blavatsky will doubtless desire to give when she sees what has been published. The occasional examination of various hypotheses like those of the Theosophists, will bring up many ideas about the spiritual nature of man for consideration.

A War Office Ghost

A few days ago the War Office received a notification of the death of one of its military pensioners, who is stated in the documents to have been “killed by a ghost.” A man named Clement Dixon (otherwise Ixion), a pensioner of the Third West India Regiment, died on January 2nd last at Rio Pongas, about ninety miles north of Sierra Leone. At the time of his death he was a watchman at the Sangha Factory, and his employer, Mr. F. J. Morfa, wrote the report of the decease of Clement Dixon, to the military authorities. The statement is, that on the morning of January 2nd, when Clement Dixon had to take a canoe down the river, he suddenly fell sick, and after a time became senseless and unable to speak. All means were tried for his recovery, but he died at three p.m. Mr. Morfa added that it was supposed that “he saw one of the evil ghosts of this place, and took a loan of something from the said ghost;” he did not tell the ghost that he intended leaving the place in the canoe, so the ghost upon discovering the fact was “desperately vexed” with the watchman, and took away his life “as a forfeit for his ill conduct.” Mr. Morfa further stated that an old man who attended the dying watchman, was able to give further particulars about the matter, and we shall be thankful if he will send us those particulars for publication, together with other information about the ghosts of Rio Pongas. The name of the deceased is entered on the War Office books as Clement Ixion, who was admitted to pension August 14, 1860; stationed at Sierra Leone.

Slate Writing

To the Editor of the “Religio-Philosophical Journal” (Chicago, March 2).

Sir,— As it is necessary to bring all facts that bear on Spiritualism before the overwise people who will believe only in facts, 1 will write you a few lines, for the truth of which I stake my honour and reputation as a public journalist. In the vicinity of Cleveland resides one of the most respectable, highly educated and wealthy families, who, although liberal in all things, had until a few months ago paid no attention to Spiritualism. A friend of the family from the city, knowing the desire of this family for investigation and truth, invited several members of it to attend a seance given by Mr. Chas. E. Watkins, in Cleveland, who claimed to receive communications written on a slate from departed relatives or friends of the sitter. The old country gentleman, as we will call him (and who will some day be heard from over his own signature), bought before going to the séance two new slates at a book store; these he tied together, and they never left his hands even for a second; they were not even opened, only for a moment to allow the medium, Mr. Watkins, to throw a piece of slate pencil between the slates. The writing was at once heard, and in a few seconds the medium said, “Open your slates,” and untying them, there was found written upon one side a message from a sister, signing her name (a German one); the whole being a very fair, honest and satisfactory test. The family now took an interest in Spiritualism, and decided to investigate it at their leisure at their own home. They had not long to wait for developments; after sitting around the table the first evening, a young lady (a prospective daughter-in-law) was at once thrown into a trance and gave some wonderful tests of spirit power and existence. Shortly after, a daughter was controlled by a Dr. Field, of London, and a musician; both controls are exciting astonishment, the doctor (in spirit) being able to examine any person and locate the disease immediately. The musician controlling his medium, plays the most difficult compositions on the piano (the daughter never played before). A few weeks more and a son-in-law and a cousin were put under control, also the old gentleman himself—all three being developed as writing mediums, writing on the most beautiful and instructive subjects. There are now developed in this one family, five persons who represent nearly all phases of mediumship. Hundreds can testify to the truthfulness of the above remarks, and as I have witnessed the development and manifestations personally, I know whereof I speak.

Hugo Preyer, Editor of the Ohio Staats Zeitung, Canton, O.

<Untitled> (The new book by...)

The new book by “M.A. (Oxon),” on Psychography (Harrison: 1878), will be published next Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday evening next, at the usual fortnightly meeting of the National Association of Spiritualists, 38, Great Russell-street, London, a paper will be read by Dr. Kenneth Mackenzie, F.S.A., on “The Spirit World, as seen through Crystals, Mirrors, and Vessels of Water.” Dr. Mackenzie, who was long one of the most active members of the Anthropological Society, has collected much out-of-the-way information about the interesting subject of visions in crystals.

Spiritualism Manchester.—Mr. W. J. Colville will deliver an inspirational address and poem, on subjects selected by the audience, in Hulme Town Hall, Manchester, on Sunday next, at seven p.m. Admission, free; a collection to defray expenses. On Sunday, March 3lst, he will deliver an address in the Temperance Hall, Grosvenor-street, at 2.30 p.m.; and in the Hulme Town Hall, at seven p.m. He will return to London for about a fortnight at Easter, and will lecture at the Langham Hall on Good Friday.

Editor's notes

Sources

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  London Spiritualist, No. 291, March 22, 1878, p. 138