XXXVII] SPIRITUALISTIC EXPERIENCES 341 



failure of twelve men, who went for the express purpose of 

 detecting and identifying confederates, utterly failing to do so 

 or to secure any tangible evidence of their existence, is really 

 a very strong proof that there were no confederates to detect. 



To any one who has carefully studied Mr. Myers's monu- 

 mental volumes, and given due weight to the whole of the 

 evidence he adduces for the reality of such phenomena as 

 are here narrated and what is known of the various stages 

 that lead up to them ; and considering the proof that even 

 detached hands are capable of moving material objects, it 

 will, I think, appear probable that some such result as here 

 occurred was to be anticipated. I cannot remember a single 

 instance in which a confederate has been secured by such a 

 seizure, though cases have occurred in which the seizure of 

 the spirit form has resulted in the seizure of the medium — 

 which is not remarkable if we remember the amount of evi- 

 dence showing that these forms originate from the body of the 

 medium, and either visibly or invisibly return to it. Also, 

 considering the demonstrated fact that clothing, flowers, hair, 

 and other objects pertaining to or brought by these psychic 

 forms have sometimes a permanent, sometimes a temporary 

 existence, the fact of any such objects being found on or 

 near a medium is of itself no proof whatever that they were 

 brought by the medium for purposes of imposture, except on 

 the assumption that no such phenomena were possible^ in which 

 case no evidence one way or the other is required, since the 

 question has been already decided against the medium. 



In Washington, where I resided several months, I made 

 the acquaintance of Professor Elliott Coues, General Lippitt, 

 Mr. D. Lyman, Senator and Mrs. Stanfield, Mr. T. A. Bland 

 the Indians' friend, and Mrs. Beecher Hooker, all thorough 

 spiritualists, as well as many others unknown to fame. With 

 the three former gentlemen I attended the seances of a very 

 remarkable public medium, Mr. P. L. O. A. Keeler, and both 

 witnessed phenomena and obtained tests of a very interesting 

 kind. The medium was a young man of the clerk or trades- 

 man class, with only the common school education, and with 



