SPIRITUALISTIC EXPERIENCES 359 



to end, a matter of importance in regard to certain phenomena 

 that occurred. Three chairs were placed close in front of this 

 curtain, on which sat the medium and two persons from the 

 audience. Another black curtain was passed in front of them 

 across their chests so as to enclose their bodies in a dark 

 chamber, while their heads and the arms of the outer sitter 

 were free. The medium's two hands were placed on the hands 

 and wrist of the sitter next him. 



The seance began with purely physical phenomena. The 

 tambourine was rattled and played on, then a hand appeared 

 above the curtain, and a stick was given to it which it seized. 

 Then the tambourine was lifted high on this stick and whirled 

 round with great rapidity, the bell being rung at the same 

 time. All the time the medium sat quiet and impassive, and 

 the person next him certified to his two hands being on his or 

 hers. On one occasion a lady, a friend of Professor Elliott 

 Coues and a woman of unusual ability and character, was 

 the sitter, and certified at all critical times during the whole 

 seance that the medium's hands were felt by her. After these 

 and many other things were performed, the hand would 

 appear above the curtain, the fingers moving excitedly. This 

 was the signal for a pencil and a pad of note-paper (as com- 

 monly used in America) ; then rapid writing was heard, a slip 

 of paper torn off and thrown over the curtain, sometimes 

 two or three in rapid succession, and in the direction of certain 

 sitters. The director of the seance picked them up, read the 

 name signed, and asked if any one knew it, and when claimed 

 it was handed to him. In this way a dozen or more of the 

 chance visitors received messages which were always intel- 

 ligible to them and often strikingly appropriate. I will give 

 some of the messages I thus received myself. 



On my second visit a very sceptical friend went with us, 

 and seeing the writing-pad on the piano marked several of 

 the sheets with his initials. The medium was very angry 

 and said it would spoil the seance. However, he was calmed 

 by his friends. When it came to the writing the pad was 

 given to me over the top of the curtain to hold. I held it 

 just above the medium's shoulder, when a hand and pencil 



