SPIRITUALISM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 795, 19 April 1910, Page 9

SPIRITUALISM.

SETTING A TRAP FOR SPIRIT.- . .; -■■ FORMS. ■ ■ ..• • ; AN UNREHEARSED EFFECT.' Is Spiritualism a fraud? Are tho spirit-rappings and tho spirit forms of tho seance, the prophecies of the mediums and the clairvoyant, tho visions of the tranceimediums, genuine evidence of a spirit-world, or are they mere catchpenny tricks 'engineered by charlatans to charm moiiey. from the [Kksketa. of. the credulous? ' ". These pertinont question's;are asked, in; the March numbor'of."Pearson's Magazine," in the course, of. an announcement ,of a series •of articles in which a full inquiry is to'be made into the phenomena of modern Spiritualism. Mr. William Marriott, 'the well-known expert v on' phyeic matters,: contributes the first artiole, which'deals with those seances at which spirit • forms "materialiso," and his ■ exposure of the methods by.' .which ' these . surprising "phenomena" ':are protl.uoed 'is at once' ■ convincing. and. , thorough. Mr;'- Marriott expounds lucidly rWs< theory that are. all mere,conjuring tricks, perpet-. rated! by people who.havo not .the jurer's legitimate excuse—that ho only bewilders to amuse. .'." . .

Here :is Mr. .Marriott's account, of one of the seances.he attended in tho course of ■.his - investigations:—"The room was quite an ordinary one with no special appointments, except that across one corner a curtain was hung, behind which we were, allowed to see a small bpx ottoman, apparently empty, though lio close examination was permitted. "The male medium took bis place on a chair ill front of this curtained enclosure. ' The sitters formed a .semicircle round, and some four or five feet away. ' Presently -the: medium was seized with tremblings. . This was tho sign that he was being controlled. Hβ was helped into the cabinet by his wife, tho curtain was drawn, and the gas put out. Strains of melody greet our ears. They come from the farthest corner of the room near the ceiling. Looking up, we are able to. drmly discern the head, shoulders, and hands of a spirit form playing .some stringed instrument. "Tho light is turned up, when suddenly the lady medium is controlled. She tolls us that sho is travelling in realms of light, a light so pure and lovely as never was on land or sea. She is the bearer of messages from tho spirits, who say they will to materialise a complete form who will converse with, us. . ;. ■ '

"Presently a stately form emerges from the cabinet. He is partially luminous, and carries a luminous globe in his hand which ho holds near his face to' ; make it moro visible. With majestio tread he walks round the circle. ■ The lady medium; recognises him as King Draco. Ho gives a gracious inclination of his bead, moves, his hands as if to bless, and retires into the cabinet. "This should have closed the seance. To-night an unrehearsed effect was in store for the believers. "As tho form entered the cabinet, he eat down on what he thought was the settee. It happened to be my knees. I had quietly slipped into tho.curtained Enclosure and was sitting, waiting for him to come back. As my arms went round him ho gave n yell, followed by language which I will not repeat.. My friend had the light up in a moment. And there for. the faithful was the eddifying sight of the medium, clothed in flimsy white draperies,'struggling-in-the arms of mysolfl"—The "Scotsman."