SPIRITUALISM EXPOSED. After a Three Years' Investigation It is Branded a Fraud.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1887, Page 7

SPIRITUALISM EXPOSED.

After a Three Years' Investigation It is Branded a Fraud.

Modlkv sphitualism, with all its alleged attendant phenomena, has probably received its death-blow at the hands of the Seybeit Commission. For over t-hico years imotigation lias been in progress, and notwithstanding all that was developed at seances held with all the best mediumistie ability available dm ing that time, not one test has been accomplished that w;is not easily explained by member of the commission and the fraud piaetlsed detected. After the mediums failed in their attempts Magician Kellar was called in, ami he peiformed all that the mediums had done and in better shape. The prestidigitator disclaimed any ability as a sphitunlistic medium, and plainly showed that the sphit^ had nothing to do with his marvellous tricks. The remarkable work of the commission was the idea of the late Hcmy Seybert, who was one of Philadelphia's wealthy citizens. Years ago he was an ardent investigator into all manner of spiritual phenomena, and linally became a convert to thcncwcieed. Mediumislic charlatans found him an easy and profitable prey. Sir Seybert died early in 1884. Shortly before his death he pie&ented to the UniveiMfcy of Pennsylvania the sum of $60,000 to found a chair of philosophy, but imposed as a condition of acceptance that the University .should appoint a commission to in\ estimate the system of modern sphitualism. The trucfc was assured, and the following were appointed : Horace Howard Fuiness, Professor William Pepper, Dr. Joseph Leidy, Robert Ellis Thompson, Professor George A. Koenig, Rev. George S. Fulleiton, Colonel Eman Sellers, Dr. James W. White, Dr. Calvin B. Knew, and Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. Mediums from all parts of the country were invited to make displays of their powers. Those who accepted wove handsomely paid for their services, Slade receiving 9300 a seance. Materialising, rapping, slate-writing, and physical mediums weie all privately examined to see if he could repeat. Among the professionals tested wcie: Miss S. E. Patterson, Fred. Biiggs, Mrs Margaret Fox Kane, Henry Slade, Mrs Maud E. Lord, Pierre L. O. A. Keelor, Dr. llothermul, Mr Powell, Mrs M. B. Thayer, Mrs Best, Mr Copeland, Mrs Wells, Dr James Y. Mansfield, R. W. Flint, Mrs Dr. Eleanor Mai tin, and Mrs Eliza A. Martin. Not one of them succeeded in doing anything °f a remarkable nature or without fraud. Relative to messages on slates from the spirits, the commission declared that in every case trickery and legerdemain had been practised. Spirit-rappings were produced by methods an amateur juggler would blush to adopt. The commission denounces spiritualism as a melancholy spectacle of gross fraud. — Philadelphia correspondent of the ' ' Cincinatti Inquirer."