SPIRITUALISM.
To the Editor. Sib, —In your impression of the 17th September, 1874, yon add that Mr Crookes and I were engaged in watching the photographing trom first to List of the materialisations of a spirit (Katie King). The facts are —I was present at one sitting only, with Miss Florence Cooke (now Mrs Comer). Mr Crookes had very many sittings with her in his own laboratory, and he and his assistant were the jihotographers. At my sitting I put Miss F. Cooke under electric test, and tested her “ conductivity” all the evening like a telegraph cable. I published an account of it in the 1 Spiritualist’ of March 21,1874. Now, the results of that evening’s experiments seemed to me to prove that the spirit “ Katie” was not Miss Cooke, and, as the latter was unacquainted with electricity she could not tamper with the experiment in a manner to me, nor could the most experienced electrician have removed the wires from Miss Cooke’s wrists without it being instantly known to me by my galvanometer and rheastat. But one > night’s experimenting is not sufficient to decide and finally dispose of such a question. Mr Crookes has taken fifty photographs of Katie, who is 4|iri taller than Miss F. Cooke. Those I have seen. He adds that she, the: materialised spirit, only weighed a little over 401bs, while Miss Cooke weighed about lOOlbs. I lent him my electrical apparatus, and we discussed and devised more accurate tests,-which he carried out. He has no doubt of the genuineness of the phenomena. One experiment was very crucial : while the current was passing continuously through the medium, he tested the conductivity of the materialised form, and found that his own bo;ly, as also that of the medium, Miss ■ Cooke, was between five or six times greater than that of the materialised spirit. I was not present, chiefly because “Katie” states that she has great difficulty in “materialising” in my presence. _ Other “ spirits” generally say the same—viz., that my mesmeric power is' inimical to the production of these phenomena. While I fully believe the genuineness of the manifestations with Miss Cooke as medium, I do most assuredly know that many impostors are about deceiving inexperienced people. As it pays well, there are sure to be many such. Mr Dale Owen, of New York, is cautioning people not to believe in the phenomena of a spurious “Katie King,” who is no other than a clever performer. I send a copy of the ‘ London Echo’ of January 1,1875. These impostors are delaying the spread of the knowledge that under certain circumstances our friends and others who have left their bodies—died—can, sometimes, and do return to us.” At the same time I am not sure that these impostors are not doing a great deal of good by making earnest inquirers apply such rigid tests that the experiments resulting, when genuine mediums are present, are much more conclusive and much more valuable in consequence. D. D. Howe and other genuine mediums I have met with, have not only willingly submitted to severe coa^l^on9 > hut have also courted them. When a “ medium” objects to any non-painful test but highly conclusive test, don’t trust him or her.—l am, &0., nn , C. F. Tablet. I ureat Winchester street, London, E.C.. January 2, 1875. Vide the ‘Quarterly Journal of Science,’ voL ALT., just published; It is edited by W. Crookes. Page 81 there is an article on Human Levitation,” ancient and modern. [ln a postcript Mr Tarley informs ns that he could not get a copy of the ‘Echo’ in time to send by the January mail, but will forward it next mail.— Ed. * E. S.’j
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Evening Star, Issue 3763, 16 March 1875, Page 3
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612SPIRITUALISM. Evening Star, Issue 3763, 16 March 1875, Page 3
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