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INTRODUCTION 5

THE "EXAMINER" SEANCE 14

SOME STARTLING DAYLIGHT SEANCES 19

CHARACTER OF THE NARRATORS 55

INTRODUCTION.

Before this little volume is read a few words of explanation should be carefully weighed, for otherwise the reader might go away with many false impressions.

The author desires to say that every word here printed is absolutely and literally true. Nothing has been added or suppressed, but the entire truth has been expressed, usually in the exact language of the distinguished gentlemen whose narratives make the bulk of the book. In most instances the witnesses summoned wrote their accounts with their own hands, and the original manuscripts are still preserved.

Though many years have passed since the events recorded herein transpired, all who witnessed the phenomena are still alive, and all are well-known and reputable citizens of San Francisco. It was only a few days ago that the author met Captain W. S. Barnes, who was District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco in 1893 , and he said: "What I saw in the presence of the medium has puzzled me all these years. I can truthfully say that the things that took place at Mayor Ellert's office are the most wonderful events that I have ever come upon. They are absolutely beyond my understanding."

The circumstances with which the narrative deals are an important contribution to the history of psychic research, and they are presented for what they are worth while the witnesses and actors in the story are alive.

Before Senator Spencer and I could say, "Good day, sir!" the old man said something like this: "Gentlemen, I am Dr. Louis Schlesinger, the famous Spiritualist medium. It is well known that I can talk with the good angels, and I desire to have a series of seances here in Modesto."

"Our advertising columns are open," I said, "and we shall be pleased to announce your meetings at the regular rates."

"I have no money to spare," he replied; "but I think you will say something about me when I show you that man lives after death."

The Senator whispered to me , "I guess he's escaped from the Stockton Lunatic Asylum."

Stockton was but twenty miles away, and I assented, but said, "Suppose we sound him before we send for an officer."

So we agreed to give Dr. Schlesinger an opportunity to convince us that he was a man of rare endowments, as he pretended to be.

Coming to the point, it was arranged that the Senator should retire to the press-room while I remained with the aged suspect.

"Take eight or ten slips of paper," said Dr. Schlesinger, "and write one name on each--some of living, some of dead persons; and don't tell me or anybody on earth what names you have written on the slips. Roll them into little pellets--and come back here with your mind at rest, for I am not insane, as you think."

We were somewhat surprised, for both were certain that the old gentleman could not have heard Senator Spencer's whispered doubt concerning our visitor's sanity.

In a few minutes Senator Spencer returned, bearing a number of paper pellets which he held in his clenched right hand.

Doors were closed and a table was rolled to the center of the room. Dr. Schlesinger closed his eyes and appeared to fall into a light slumber. At once there were many distinct raps on the table, as if some one had thumped upon it with a finger. This was rather singular, as we could see that our visitor's hands in no manner touched the table.

Suddenly the old man opened his eyes and said: "Gentlemen, are you satisfied that I do not know any of the names on those papers?"

As Senator Spencer was as truthful and honorable a man as ever lived, one whose word was better than most men's bonds, I replied: "I am sure you have not seen the names and that you do not know one of them."

"And some of the names are not known to anybody in California," added the Senator.

"Then I'll have to show you that I can talk with the spirits of the departed," said Dr. Schlesinger.

Without further delay he said: "I see the spirit of your mother standing over you. She calls you Dillard, which is your middle name, and she says she died in Kansas City, and was buried in the old cemetery at Westport. Am I right?"

Senator Spencer turned pale and said: "That is absolutely correct. Which one of the pellets bears her name?"

He then held the bits of paper between his right finger and thumb, and when he had picked up three or four of them, the medium said, "That is the one which contains your mother's maiden name."

I have now forgotten the maiden name of the Senator's mother, though I think it was Dillard. The answer, however, was correct.

Next, without asking me to write anything down, the medium thus addressed me: "I see the spirit of your mother's mother. Her name was Eliza Johnson, and she calls you 'my son,' and says, 'Tell Anne that immortality is the glorious truth of human life.' Anne was the name of her eldest child--your mother."

If Senator Spencer was convinced that Dr. Schlesinger had told him the truth, I had the same kind of conviction in my case; for every word uttered was correct. I have never understood how this old man came to the results announced, nor have I ever seen any one who was able to explain his power.

THE "EXAMINER" SEANCE.

Ambitious to arrange something of unusual interest, I approached Mr. Hearst and S. S. Chamberlain, who were in charge of the news department of the paper. I told them what I had seen Dr. Schlesinger do in Modesto, and outlined the plans that were afterwards carried out--seances at the office of Mayor Ellert and the Chief of Police, in the presence of prominent citizens. First, however, it was necessary for the editors to see the medium at their offices; for they feared there would be some failure, and that the citizens invited would be disgusted because of their loss of time in useless experiments.

One of the investigators wrote a number of names on slips of paper, before Dr. Schlesinger arrived. They were not seen or known to any one save the person that prepared them, and the slips on which they were written were carefully folded and clasped in a bundle, by a rubber band or elastic. Great pains was taken by Mr. Henderson to prevent the medium from handling or seeing the slips. Without seeing the writing, Dr. Schlesinger at once gave the names correctly. One of them was that of Thaddeus Stevens, the eminent Pennsylvanian; and when the folded slip on which his name was written was touched by Mr. Henderson, the medium said: "That is the name of Thaddeus Stevens, who knew you well. He calls you Alexander, and sends you his love."

Then the name of the sitter's deceased uncle was properly announced, though it had not been written on any of the slips. Correct information was also given concerning the uncle's religion while "in the flesh."

SOME STARTLING DAYLIGHT SEANCES.

It is as well to say that is was a mirthful assembly at the outset, and the newspaper man who had arranged for the experiments was the butt of many little jokes. The idea that the medium could do anything more than a little clever juggling seemed farthest from anybody's thoughts.

Dr. Louis Schlesinger, then a man about sixty-one years of age, was the spiritualist medium who said he could convince all present that the dead return, and that he could hold communion with the living. The following spectators were present, and the written reports of some of them are given in full in the subjoined narrative: Mayor Levi R. Ellert, District Attorney W. S. Barnes, President Theodore F. Bonnet, of the San Francisco Press Club, Ex-President Grant Carpenter, of the same club, H. H. McCloskey, then a State Central Committeeman of the Republican party, and many other casual observers.

At another seance Chief of Police C??rett?m?n iloinen, koska se her?tt?? teiss? semmoisia ajatuksia."

"Ja jos min? --?"

Tunsin h?nen sametinhienon k?tens? huulillani.

"Ei sanaakaan en??, sir. Teid?n olisi pit?nyt jo puoli tuntia sitten olla toimistossanne t?ytt?m?ss? velvollisuuksianne, mutta minulla ei ollut syd?nt? muistuttaa teit?. Jonkun ajan kuluttua, voitettuanne itsellenne aseman maailmassa, voimme me palata asiaan."

T?ss? syy, miksi min? tuona sumuisena marraskuun iltana juoksin Camberwell-raitiotievaunuun palavin syd?min ja vakaasti p??tt?neen?, ett? ei p?iv??k??n saisi kulua minun etsim?tt? teht?v??, joka olisi rakastamani naisen arvoinen. Mutta kuka olisi osannut aavistaa, mihin uskomattoman merkillisiin vaiheisiin t?m? urot?ihin pyrkimys minut saattoi, ja mit? ihmeellisi? askeleita sainkaan ottaa, ennenkun p??sin sit? toteuttamaan.

TOINEN LUKU

"Koettakaa onneanne professori Challengerin luona."

Min? olin aina paljon pit?nyt Mc Ardlesta, tuosta vanhasta j?r?st?, koukkuselk?isest?, punatukkaisesta uutistoimittajasta, ja min? toivon, ett? h?n my?s piti minusta. Beaumont oli tosin varsinainen toimitusp??llikk?, mutta h?n eli olympolaisen korkeutensa ohennetuissa ilmapiireiss?, josta h?n ei voinut erottaa mit??n kansainv?lisi? selkkauksia ja kabinettihajaannuksia v?h?arvoisempia tapauksia. Toisinaan n?imme me h?nen ylh?isyytens? vet?ytyv?n kaikkein pyhimp??ns? tuijottavin katsein, henkens? leijaillessa yli Balkanin vuorten ja Persian lahden. H?n oli meille saavuttamattomissa. Mutta Mc Ardle oli h?nen ensim?inen adjutanttinsa ja h?net me kyll? tunsimme. Astuessani huoneeseen tuo vanha mies ny?k?ytti p??t?ns? ja ty?nsi silm?lasit otsallensa.

"Kaikesta p??tt?en te hoidatte hyvin teht?v?nne, mr Malone", sanoi h?n yst?v?llisesti skotlantilaisella murteellaan.

Min? kiitin h?nt?.

"Kaivosr?j?hdys oli hyvin kuvattu. Niin my?s Southwarkin tulipalo. Teill? on kyky esitt?? asioita seikkaper?isesti. Mik? olikaan asianne?"

"Pyyt?isin teid?n apuanne,"

H?n n?ytti levottomalta ja v?ltti katsettani,

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