Spiritualism in Wellington.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 252, 20 September 1884, Page 2

Spiritualism m Wellington.

(Post.) ■ A fairly numerous audtenoe asaera- - ; bled m the Athenaeum last evening to listen to the lecture on Spiritualism, announced to be delivered ''under the spirit controls of Mr D. B. Wright.? -.\ The preliminary process of entraucing the lecturer, m order to bring hiuV under the controlling influeuce, took place m the small ante-room, aud was accotriplished m a few minutes .by a circle of sympathetic believers m Spiritualism, comprising three ladies and three gentlemen, including the "uoediam." The lecturer having showed hy several spasmodic indications that he was properly "charged," announced, m answer. to a question, that he was ready; and preceded by Mr W. M'Lean, who acted as chairman, ascended the platform, looking rather nervous arid having his eyer closed. He took a seat, and Mr M'Lean introduced the subject of the evening m ;.. a brief speech. in which he-asked for a t patient, hearing for the lecturer. In reference to the lecture itself, we' need say. little more than that it was a feeble attempt to answer the leadipg objection! to Spiritualism. The- general. imjfres- ■ sion was it did not require "a spirit" to make a much better defence of the "pc- '„.-- cult science" than that made b,y the^'jq- ''" fluence" qncjer whiclv M,r spoke last night. Some of th,e argui^ent^ qse4 were so absurd that the audjeqpe-rawhq at first were rather doqbtfu'l whether it was proper to make any demonstration of approval or otherwise m the presence of a spirit— could not restrain a very audible titter. This was especially the case when, m answer to the assertion made by anti-Spiritualists that a wellknown medium had been "bowled out" m personating a materialised spirit, he informed the audience that although it . was quite true that the medium had been detected m the manner described, they were not perhaps aware that atlthfe time of the detection the^ were five-mate-rialised spirits present. The lecturer then added triumphantly that 4O this f day. the objectors to Spiritualism Had' never accounted for the other four. The performance altogether was a very poor shilling's worth, and certainly was better calculated to bring Spiritualism, int0 , .,., contempt than to establish its genuineness.