A SEANCE AT CASTLEMAINE.

Evening Star, Issue 3200, 23 May 1873, Page 3

A SEANCE AT CASTLEMAINE.

It is not often that opportunity is afforded of giving an account of proceedings like those detailed in the Melbourne Age of the 3rd April, in which persons known to be above suspicion have taken part. We omit much that is irrelevant in the account given, and confine ourselves to extracts giving a bare statement of facts :

For years past several members of the family of Mr John Paton, of Caatlemaine, have had the reputation of possessing very remarkable meduimistic powers. Mr Paton is known to be a respectable man, holding a Government appointment. Mrs PatOn is a woman who seemingly would not lend herself to an imposture, and apparent!}” could have no motiv- in doing s». In company with a number of gentlemen, all thorough believers in Spiritualism, I started by the afternoon train for Castlcmaine, so as to arrive in time for the sconce, arrangements for holding which had previously made by Mr Paton. Though admittedly Spiritualists, I have every reason to believe that those gentlemen were animated by a desire to investigate any phenomena presented, in a strictly impartial spirit, with a determination, if fraud or imposture were discovered, to expose it, in defiance of the consequences. They included Mr Stanford, Bourke street; Mr Carson, of Collins street; Mr Dempster, of Russell street; Mr Terry, bookseller, and publisher of the Harbinger of Light ; and a medical gentleman who did not accord permission to publish his name. We arrived at Caatlemaine at half-past six o’clock and were met at the station by Mr Paton and a Mr Bamford, to whom we were formally introduced. A light tea was provided, while Mr Terry, Mr Bamford, and Mr Baton went away to make arrangements for our reception at the house of the last-rantioneil, where the «(hnce was to be hold, promising to call for us in an hour. At the e~ d of that time Mr Terry aud Mr Bamford returned. It was then proposed that wc should furnish ourselves with sealing-wax and a seal, in order to guard as much as possible against deceit being practised. Armed with the necessary materials, wo drove to Mr Paton’s hous", which is situated about a mile from the town. As well as could he discovered in the gloom, it is a detached weatherboard cott-ge, standing about 120 feet from the road, in an allotment fenced in and partly cultivated. The front gate, however, was nailed up, as afterwards explained by our host, to prevent the depredations of jnvenil-s, and so we were led along the fence on the outside through what seemed old abandoned diggings, up to the rear of the premises. We were in the first instance ushered into the sitting-room, or parlor, where were seated Mrs Baton and Mrs Bamford, to whom we were introduced. The room was small and neatly furnished. A large wood fire burned on the hearth, aud a largo kerosene lamp with an ornamental globe stood upon a table in the centre of tbe roem, which gave a warm comfortable aspect to things. The two ladies appeared to be about the same age. and that might be thirty-five. Mrs Bamford was attired in black, and Mrs Baton in a red cloth jacket, and dress of dark material They were both, we were informed, mediums, though of different orders. From their appearance, manners, and conversation, they might be pronounced intelligent and entertaining ladies. Mr Paton regretted that his son was absent at Maryborough, His presence would haye infallibly ensured a manifestation. Tbe boy was said to have produced-the most wonderful effects by hia presence. Upon his entering a room, the table, though covered with obina and other fragile materials, rose, it was alleged, from tho ground, swayed to and fro, and not unfrcquently attempted a somersault. He bad been raised in the air aud placed upon the shoulders of a guest seated in the same room ; he had written a spirit communication not in his own style os handwriting, and kept up a conversation at the same time with a person on a totally d ; fferent subject from that referred to in the writing, and without looking at the paper had carefully dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s. They frequently held stances, which were accompanied by the most striking manifestations. The doors, windows, and every mode of ingress and egress had been carefully sealed, but dishes of eggs, live fowls, money, and ptfier articles were produced upon tfie table, after the most rigoroqs examination of the room had bepn made, All this was related with an air of truthfulness and honesty, but it could not fail to strike one inexperienced in dealing with the marvellous that the subject was treated in an off hand matter of course fashion, as though familiarity had bred contempt. The ladies sat by looking smilingly complacent, and occasionally putting a finishing touch here and there to tho narrative. We listened to the recital with, I am bound to believe, much more of astonishment than incredulity, so that when we were invited into the room where the stance was to be held, we looked and felt no doubt extremely serious, and proce' ded to adopt the qsqal precautions with a good deal of solemnity. The room fronts the road, and is about twelve feet square, with a fire place to the right on entering, facing a window on the left. The open fire-place had been blocked up with wooden cases. On the walls, throe of which were lath and plastered, and the fourth a simple canvas partition covered witli brown wall paper, were hung some large steel engravings. In the centre of the room stood an oval-shaped telescope tab’e, on pastors, ami very heavy. A carpet, half-a-dozen chairs, and a sofa, the latter placed on the off side of the room, completed the furniture We examined the window carefully to see that there were no apertures or swinging panes. We found it carefully nailed up, but to make assurance doubly sure we sealed it by means of a broad slip of paper and seal-ing-wax. We treated the door in a similar manner. Having then got a newspaper, we completely covered the front of the fire-place, securing the cornice and edges with sealing wav* The walls werp then qubjected to a severp scrutiny, the pictures raised to see if there were any private panels, but nothing of the kind appeared, and so we took our places round tbe table. Beside mo on the right was seated the medium, Mrs Baton, on the left Mr Stanford, our vis a vis being )lr Paton and Mr Bamford. W hen we were all supposed to be in position, it was reroaikcd that M rs Bamford did not take her seat at the table. She had taken a chair in the far corner near the fireplace, Tho reason for her doing so was aske 1, when she replied that if she joined the circle she would disturb the magnetic influence and prevent any manifestation. I did not half apprfivh of this arrangement, but being present ai a matter of courtesy, and as the lady appeared to have a mind of her own, I raised no objection at that time. I then suggested that the arrangement adopted in all the circles I had ever attended should be pursued, namely, that a continuous chain of hands should be laid upon the table, by each crossing his or

her thumbs, and laying his little finger upon that of hia neighbor. This, however, wa( objected to by Mr Patou, who said it was quite unnecessary. All that was inquired was simply to place the palms of our hands on the table. Some little conversation arose as to trying whether we could not have a manifestation in the light, but this was not considered feasible. 1 narrowly watched the medium. She appeared painfully nervous ; she trembled like one having the ague Her bands perspired, and at times her arms jerked from the table as though she had been laying hold of a galvanic battery. The light was then extinguished. Wo sat as described. Questions were asked and jokes bandied, the ladies entering into the spirit of the latter with more zest than I had expected, or than I thought was altogether appropriate. After waiting in the dark for about ten minutes,, Mr Paton became impatient, and addressing some imaginary being, he asked in a sort of half-friendly, half-com-manding tone, “Come now, spirit, lot us have a manifestation. You are keeping us very long to night.” The table then commenced to move, flowly at first, but gradually the agitation became greater. I asked our host whom he was supposed to be addressing. The answer was somewhat vague. I could only gather that it was one named Williamson. As the table began to move and sway with great violence, I did not follow up my interrogatories. We all became silent. Taps were distinct. “You are going to have something,” observed the lady in the corner. “ How do you know ?” 1 asked. “The spirits have told me so.” “In what manner ?” I rejoined, “By three taps on the forehead,” she replied. I could have desired to ask much more, but the surging of the table increased, and so I remained quiescent. The table then ceased to move, and we were all beginning to think we were doomed to disappointment, when, mirahile diclu, the fall of some heavy substance is heard on the centre of the table. The candle is relighted, and there before us lay a smoothing iron. Mr Ca-son raised it, and exclaimed, “ It’s hot,” and handed it to me, while we all stared at it in wonder. As ■vv© laanf«c<3. it round I asked tlae medium where she supposed it came from. She said that the spirits brought it from the kitchen. She bad been ironing that evening, and had left it at the fire “to have some fun with the spirits burning the gentlemen’s hands.” She laughed at this, and seemed to think it a good joke. It was then proposed to put out the light a second time, but prior to that being done I suggested that Mrs Bamford should leave the corner and seat herself on the sofa beside my chair, having Mr Stanford bn the other side. There were two circumstances which struck me about the iron Immediately before it was heard to fall the table appeared greatly exercised, and it must have fallen, judging by the dint it made in the from about a foot above the leaf of the tabic. Mrs Bamford agreed to take the seat 1 suggested, but on doing so she became greatly excited ; her whole frame trembled, and her arms were thrown upward with spasmodic jerks, while her eyes assumed a wild and fixed expression, the paroxysm finishing up, upon Mr Baton proposing to allow some alteration in the arrangement, with a crescendo exclamation from tho lady of “Nol" The light was then extinguished. I asked Mrs Bamford if she could explain the reason of her excitement. She stated that it arose from disturbing the magnet forces in operation round the table. It always had that effect, she added, but it would pass off. 1 noticed that she did get quiet enough in a short time. When in the dark once more wc commenced talking, when Mr Terry thought he saw a streak of light just near the ceiling. Mr Carson believed that be saw a cone-shaped luminous outline midway between the table and the ceiling. A learned disquisition here arose about the action of the retina and the circulation of blood in the small vessels of the eye, the doctor, as usual, coming in with a clincher. We had waited half-cm-hour for the first sign, so that we settled onraelves down to wait with patience the result of a similiar interval. Becoming desirous of preventing the ladies from assisting in any arrangement that there might possibly be, 1 intimated that with Mrs Baton’s permission I would place my hand upon her arm. Mrs Bamford was between Mr Stanford and myself, and could not move a limb without our knowing it. We remained in this position for nearly a quarter of an hour without anything occurring beyond the swaying to and fro of the table. At length Mr Paton suggested that the contact of my hand with tho medium's arm might exercise a disturbing effect. I accordingly withdrew it. We waited for a few minutes, \vhcn Mr Baton said, “ Light the candle, perhaps there is something.” The candle was lighted, and there-upon the centre of the table was a tin baking dish, about ten inches by four, and about four inches in depth. We looked at it, handled it, shook our heads, drew a long breath, and said it was very extraordinary. Mrs Baton appeared intensely amused, aud could with difficulty refrain from laughing outright. I thought her demeanor smacked of levity, but took it for granted that she was simply enjoying our astonishment at what was to her an ordinary occurrence. I was slightly consoled by this, as I was not disposed to think that anyone present would practise deception, as there was qo motive, and the people were so, very respectable. However, down vyent the light again. Our host did not appear satisfied, and commenced to grumble at the spirit about its dilatoripess and tho meagreueas of its achievements on the occasion. We all listened in s lemn silence. The table rocked, taps were heard, tho chairs creaked, and the chair upon which Mrs Baton sat was pushed bodily up against mine. She apologised, blamed the spirit, and withdrew it. I found tho table moving in a particular direction, as a rule, and suddenly put forth my hand ti ascertain the position of the hand of the medium. It was, however, planted firmly on the table, aud could nob have produced the motion. 1 was not answerable for the other. I then placed my hand upon her arm, and it in that posi. tion for tjqqi, H bcoamo heavy and painful tft the lady, however, so I withdrew it. Things were getting tame ; the “streaks of light ’ were said to be succeeded by “cold puffs of air” on the ladies’ bauds. Mrs Paton was asked to address the spirits. She did so. The table commenced to sway with great violence, and down came something on it with a heavy thud. The candle was lighted, and there lay a family quarto Bible. I cither believed or really did ho?r the no\'o o.t tfio book descending, its direction being from over the right shoulder pf the medium. This was regarded as beyond cavil. It was certainly unaccountable. Many would look upon it as miraculous. I looked round at the faces of the company, and there was but ona expression to be observed amongst the guests from Melbourne—that of the most unmitigated astonishment. We reached our hotel about midnight, sat down to discuss the proceedings of the evening. I had my opiujoq op the subject, and allowed piyrtjy tp be known, where upon e ( occurred, in which I was vpundly rated by the doctor for insinuating (although I had not hinted at such) that they had all been parties to a swindle, a cheat, an imposture. He offered to contribute L2O to tho hospital if I could prove a fraud, and proposed that I should wait for another seance, but I somehow felt I had got quite enough, Mr .Stanford argued tho matter out, aud agreed that all that had been done might have been accomplished by human agency ; but the others could not conceive this possible, having regard especially to the apparent absence of motive.' We all regretted that the ladies tad not been searched, | but we co.wld not ace how it could be done under the circumstances.