AMUSING DEFEAT OF HOME THE SPIRITUALIST.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 28, 5 August 1871, Page 16

AMUSING DEFEAT OF HOME THE SPIRITUALIST.

The St. Petersburgb correspondent of the “ Standard” states that Home, the spirit jalist, who for some weeks past has been the talk of the fashionable world there, has suffered a complete fiasco. The success he had met with in the salons of St. Petersburg appears to have turned his head. Judging the Russians by those who believed in him, he expected to find them all equally credulous, and in an evil hour he offered to exhibit his manifestations before a committee of scientific men. The challenge was accepted, the committee stipulating that the locality should be chosen by them ; that instead of an ordinary table one of glass should be substituted, and that Home should not enter the room before the time fixed Tor the experiments. To these conditions Home consented. Six gentlemen, principally met in a room specially prepared for the purpose in the University of St. Petersburg. He came at the appointed hours, expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements, and the party formed the chain round the table, and waited patiently for the rappings. A lamp, with a powerful reflector, pre vented the possibility of any trickery under the table passing unnoticed, and ‘for some time there was no indication of the appearance of the spirits. At length Home pretended to be aware of their presence by the wavering light of a candle on the table, but this was explained as being caused by the ventilator, which was immediately closed, and

the candle burned steadily. Then he declared that the arrival of the spirits was announced by a peculiar rushing noise, which was heard by all present; but on searching fur the cause it was found that a hot air-pipe had been left open, and on its being shut, the noise ceased. Rather out of countenance by the failure of the experiment thus far, Home next drew attention to the rapidity of his pulse; but this was shown to be the effect of the heat of the room and the excitement of straining the attention for such a length of time ; moreover, one of the gentleman present had exactly the same number of pulsations. Though baffled and confused, Home did not wish to give in, and offered to change the weight of any object in the room. For this the committee were prepared. A pail was placed in a pair of scales, and there it remained without moving the balance in the slightest degree. These experiments took up a great deal of time i everybody was tired ; the trial was at an end; -but, not wishing to acknowledge himself beaten, Home offered to meet the committee again on a future day. But the next morning he sent word that he was indisposed, and two days after he left St Petersburg!!.