CHAPTER XXXVII 



SPIRITUALISTIC EXPERIENCES IN ENGLAND AND 

 AMERICA 



The publication of my book in 1874, not only brought me an 

 extensive correspondence on the subject, but led to my being 

 invited to take part in many interesting seances^ and making 

 the acquaintance of spiritualists both at home and abroad. 

 As what I witnessed was often very remarkable, and forms a 

 sort of supplement to the " Notes of Personal Evidence " given 

 in my book, and also because these phenomena have had 

 a very important influence both on my character and my 

 opinions, it will be necessary here to give a brief outUne of 

 them. 



I attended a series of sittings with Miss Kate Cook, the 

 sister of the Miss Florence Cook, with whom Sir William 

 Crookes obtained such very striking results. The general 

 features of these stances were very similar, though there was 

 great variety in details. They took place in the rooms of 

 Signor Randi, a miniature painter, living in Montague Place, 

 W., in a large reception-room, across one corner of which a 

 curtain was hung and a chair placed inside for the medium. 

 There were generally six or seven persons present. Miss 

 Cook and her mother came from North London. Miss C. 

 was always dressed in black, with lace collar, she wore laced- 

 up boots, and had earrings in her ears. In a few minutes 

 after she had entered the cabinet, the curtains would be 

 drawn apart and a white-robed female figure would appear, 

 and sometimes come out and stand close in front of the 

 curtain. One after another she would beckon to us to come 



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