A SPIRIT MESSAGE.

Evening Star, Issue 3271, 14 August 1873, Page 3

A SPIRIT MESSAGE.

According to announcement, the spirit of an individual known td when in the flesh, as John Pagan was supposed to, have delivered of a sermon o,n a sacred subject nt Weber’s Assembly .Room, Elizabeth street, on the evening of July 13. When in the body, this Pagan, it is stated, was a resident of Rochdale, but, probably from motives of delicacy, his latest address was not disclosed. Acting on the principle for which his earthly residence is noted, be co-operated on this occasion with a “ Christian medium,” a young married woman of about thirty years of age, whose cataleptic deliverances have excited great enthusiasm in spiritualistic circles. A large crowd assembled, encouraged by the advertised intimation that admission was free and that no collection would bo made. The room was soon tilled, and numbers had to tarn disappointed away. The proceedings wore commenced by a chapter of the Bible being read and a hymn sung to the orthodox tune of the “Old Hundredth.” The young woman then ascended the platform, composed herself in an arm-chair, rested her head back, closed her eyes, went into mild convulsions, and the trance was complete She then announced that the ejected, spirit

was present, and she or the spirit that was in her proceeded, through her means, to inflict upon the audience a monotonous, disconnected, and ungrammatical string of sentenc«s, in which nouns and adjectives were heaped promiscuously together in utter confusion. The words were delivered in a high, drawling monotone. The spirit was evidently suffering from a severe cold, and the disregard of the aspirate evinced was only equalled by the recklessness with which it was out of place. The matter was worse than the Tninner, 'Clio only poiflt bomjj that the nonsense was free from direct blasphemy. During the proceedings one or two disturbances °took place. The medium at once stopped and waited until quiet was restored, and then rebuked the audience for their behaviour. One woman went into hysterics, and had to be removed. At the close of the address, the spirit endeavored to repeat the Lord’s Prayer, but his memory partially failed him in the middle. Before taking his departure, he blessed his audience, young and old, and left with an assurance that a more powerful spirit should come on another occasion. The medium recovered from her trance without much difficulty, and the proceedings were terminated. — Sketcher.