< New Discoveries in Spiritualism (continued from page 10-70) >
experimentalists are thoroughly well pleased with its action when in use.
After two preliminary seances to try the apparatus and method of working, and to correct errors in both, what may be called the first seance proper took place, with Mr. Haxby as medium, on Tuesday, Oct, 7th, 1879. Mr. Haxby entered the cabinet at 3.2 p.m., and left it at 4.33 p.m., the total duration of the stance being thus 91 minutes. The diagram drawn by the apparatus is represented on another page, but reduced in size, the original being more than 2 ft. long. In the reduction many of the finer details and vibrations are necessarily lost. The figures near the vertical line near the beginning of the diagram represent weight in pounds, and the figures near the horizontal line at the bottom of the diagram represent minutes of time from the moment R the medium entered the cabinet.
Mr. C. C. Massey, Mr. Blackburn, Mr. Joad, and myself were present at this seance, and sat on chairs varying from five feet to two yards and a half from the front of the cabinet. All objects possessing weight and available for being supped into the cabinet in the dark, had been previously removed from the room. If any medium looks out of the cabinet for some object possessing weight to put in it while he leaves it, there is nothing available for the purpose.
First of all, the pencil in a state of rest, with no weight in the cabinet, drew a horizontal line, because of the steady rotation of the drum before its point. Then a chair was put in the cabinet, and after a vertical vibration of the pencil a higher horizontal line was drawn, marking a weight in the cabinet of 14 lbs. After a minute or two the medium entered and took his seat, and the time was noted. After a vibration or two the pencil indicated an additional weight in the cabinet of 129 lbs., representing Mr. R Haxby and his clothes: total weight now in the cabinet (including chair), 143 lbs. These lines are always taken in the light, which is afterwards put out or lowered.
In the rest of this article I will leave the chair out of the calculation, and deal only with the changes from the 129 lbs. normal weight of Mr. Haxby.
On reference to the large diagram on page 190, it will be seen that 11 1/2 minutes from the beginning of the seance there was a reduction, marked A, of the weight in the cabinet, which increased irregularly until it reached a maximum of 20 lbs.; after the lapse of 3 1/4 minutes the normal weight in the cabinet was restored. No manifestations corresponding with this temporary decrease were observed; the same kind of decrease is to be found in other diagrams, and a short time hence I will publish some speculative ideas in relation to its cause.
At B, 22 minutes, a removal of 93 lbs. was indicated, which a minute later increased to 95, leaving 34 lbs. in the cabinet, but at 24 minutes the normal weight was restored. My notes made at the time show that from 22 to 24 a draped form came out, touched Mr. Massey and Mr. Joad, and allowed Mr. Blackburn to feel its arm, then returned to the cabinet.
During this seance light enough leaked into the room through cracks in the shutters to let us see where the forms were as they moved from place to place; sometimes they brought their own light to let us see their features, and sometimes they stood alongside me, and the phosphorus lamp I was using to make the records, and they bore light enough from my lamp to let me see their features. On such occasions their feet stood from six to seven feet from the centre of the front edge of the cabinet. My lamp I will describe, and a ground plan of the positions I will give, on another occasion.
At 27 minutes, C, the same form came out, took Mr. Blackburn’s cigars from him, and handed them to Mr. Massey, At 32 minutes it re-entered the cabinet. It was out of the cabinet for five minutes, during which time there was a quivering weight in the cabinet of 21 lbs. The weight missing from the cabinet was 108 lbs.
At D, 35 1/2 minutes, “John King’s” form, bearing a light, came out for 9 1/2 minutes, leaving a weight of 49 lbs. in the cabinet; the weight missing from the cabinet was 80 lbs. While he stood six feet from the cabinet, I saw his living features plainly, and at this moment something fell in the cabinet. He returned and picked it up, saying that it was a key from the medium’s pocket. At 45 minutes he returned to the cabinet, and by the marks on the diagram seems to have placed one foot on it for 1 1/2 minute before entering.
At E, 55 minutes, is a mark on the diagram, with no corresponding record on the part of the observers.
At 56 minutes, F, “Abdullah” came out. At 58 he stood by me, with his feet seven feet from the cabinet. Mr. Blackburn tried to measure his height as he stood against the door near me; I felt his feet at the moment, but he drew them away; they had socks or stockings on. At 61 minutes he walked behind the chairs of some of the sitters, who were then between him and the cabinet, and his feet then seven feet from the front edge of the cabinet. By permission Mr. Blackburn felt his whiskers, and testified they were growing to the skin of his face. Mr. Haxby has no whiskers. After 8 minutes absence from the cabinet, Abdullah returned, and all this time there was a weight of 78 lbs. in the cabinet, and 51 lbs. missing from it, a condition of things altogether inexplicable on the theory of trickery without spiritual powers on the part of the medium.
Between 70 and 71 minutes, G, there was great oscillation of the cabinet without change in weight. One of the spirits in the cabinet said that another was pulling it up and down to give him a ride.
At 73 1/2 minutes, H, after violent oscillations of the cabinet, another form came out, and remained for 2 1/2 minutes. There was then 35 lbs. in the cabinet, and 94 lbs. missing. The form touched Messrs. Joad and Massey, and took one of Mr. Blackburn’s cigars from the table alongside him. It was afterwards found in the cabinet.
At 78 minutes, (I), at the request of Mr. Blackburn, the spirits irregularly increased for 1 1/2 minute the normal weight of the cabinet, the maximum increase being 7 lbs. They said that they did not produce the increase by raising it with materialised hands.
From 85 to 86 minutes there were violent oscillations, said to have been produced by a spirit <... continues on page 10-74 >