The Spiritualism Sensation.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 39, 13 November 1894, Page 4

The Spiritualism Sensation.

A considerable sensation has been caused by an exposure in connection with spiritualism in Sydney. For some months past great'interest has been centred in the spiritualistic seances held by Mrs Mellon, who was reported to have remarkable powers of calling upon and materialising spirits. Mrs Mellon had gathered quite a large circle of disciples around her, including a well-known city medical man. According to statutory statements which have been made by Messrs T. 8. Henry (a city architect) and W. C. L. Wallace (of the firm of Winchobs, Carson and Co), a seance was arranged at Mrs Mellon’s private residence. There were about 18 ladies and gentlemen present, the “ circle ” being formed in a somewhat similar manner to others held previously. As the seance was a materialisation one, the sitters were arranged in a semi-circle in two rows. The lights in the back portion of the apartment were turned out, and in front of the room were left dimly burning. Across a coiner in the darkened end a pair of curtains were hung on small brackets, and this corner was to do the duly of the cabinet where the materialising medium was to work. Mrs Mellon retired into the cabinet or curtained recess, and the circle joined hands and commenced to sing. After the singing had proceeded for about ten minutes, a shadowy form appeared between the curtains, emerged a little way into the room, and answered certain questions. After intervals, other “spirits” appeared in the same way, and whilst one “ spirit,” that of a little blhck girl, was in evidence, Mr Henry approached and seized her with both arms about the shoulders. He found that the “ spirit ” he had grasped was the medium, Mrs Mellon, completely in flesh, and on her knees. He instantly called for lights, and Mr Wallis at once struck a match and lit the gas. With the light full on Mrs Mellon was seen with a black mask on her face and white drapery like muslin around her shoulders. Her shoes and stockings were off and her feet were bare. All this time Mr Henry had retained hold of Mrs Mellon. Then he released the medium, who hurriedly ' hid beneath her petticoats the drapery which had been on her shoulders and the mask. A gentleman in the company, which was now in confusion, stepped across to the cabinet and picked up a black beard, which was similar to that usually worn by a spirit familiarly known at the seances as “ Geordie.” It was immediately snafehed from bis hands. Mr Hem y made a thorough search of a cabinet into which Mrs Mellon had retired earlier in the evening. He found there Mrs Mellon’s shoes and stockings, some old muslin, and a black shawl, which was identified as one which had been used by one of the spirits. An excited discussion took place among the company, and a spiritualist attempted to explain away tbe exposure by references to occult power and evil influences. A test seance was arranged for a subsequent night, but Mrs Mellon fainted, and it had to* be postponed. Her explanation is that tbe first manifestation was that of a man about six feet high about whose identity she asked from the cabinet, and failing to get a satisfactory reply, she said that he*was a black man, as his feet and hands were black. Then there appeared the figure of Josephine, who, as state!, was de-materialised in the presence of the sitters. After came tbe black girl Cis.de, and while the latter was responding to an appeal by Mr Henry to give him some chocolate, he seized the materialised form. Mrs Mellon slates that she then fell from the chair in the cabinet; that those in the room heard her and thought she had fainted, but she slates that she seemed to shoot into the form of Cissie, the consequence being chat Mr Henry, instead of catching Cissie, held her by the arm when the matches were struck. The drapery on her shoulders was dissipated in the atmosphere. Bhe was subsequently released, when she retirecl into the cabinet, where two ladies followed her and saw that her legs ha I become so thin that she was unable to support herself on them. It is alleged in the latter stage of an explun Uion given by Cissie that most of her power is deprived from her lower . extremities, hence their thinness.