MARKING A SPIRIT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2376, 28 October 1880, Page 2

MARKING A SPIRIT.

In a latter to the “ Standard,” Dr Forbes Winslow gives an account of a visit he paid to a seance given by Mr Bastian, a medium. On entering the house, Dr Winslow says, he was shown into an upper room with folding doors dividing the bedroom from the sittingroom. Says Dr Winslow: “All lights were now turned out, with the exception of one small jet, and before long a supposed spirit, clad in dress clothes, made its appearance at the door behind the curtains. One of the audience. Mr Cumberland, apparently pretended to recognise this as the spirit of his departed brother, but on its third appearance smothered it with cochineal by means of a squirt with which he had provided himself, aud, jumping forward at the same time, he seized the spirit, and after having a severe struggle to drag what proved to be some human being into the room, withdrew, his lingers being nearly dislocated in the contest. . . Ultimately accompanied by Dr Kolmers and Mr Cumberland, I insisted on going into the bedroom but the medium was stated to be very ill in a tranee. He had, however, time to take off his disguise, but not to efface all the cochineal from his face. . .

Declaring my identity, I pronounced the whole thing an imposture from beginning to end,”