A Book Written by the Spirits of the So-Called Dead Part 14

"I will now relate one of a more startling nature and of more recent occurrence. The ill-fated steamer Pat Rogers was at the time of her destruction in the mail line service, and plied between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky. She left port Louisville for Cincinnati at 2 P.

M. At 4 o'clock, same afternoon, and two hours after her departure from Louisville, and nine or ten hours before the terrible casualty, I saw written in the air, 'Steamboat disaster to-night.' My husband remarked: 'See if you can not get the name of the boat.' Presently I saw plainly the name PAT ROGERS, which was immediately followed by presenting the whole vision, the conflagration, and pa.s.sengers struggling for life amid the angry and turbulent waves.

"I might narrate many more instances of this kind that belong to my individual experience, and volumes might be written if similar experiences of others should be included.

"I come now to speak of my present powers and their development. When my husband had entered upon his second term as Mayor of the city of Aurora, he built us a home in a high alt.i.tude on a hillside overlooking the beautiful city in the valley below. Here in the purer atmosphere with quiet surroundings were my present powers brought forth by a n.o.ble and trusty band of spirits whom I shall never cease to love for their fidelity to me and to truth, and for their ability and unceasing and intelligent efforts to advance the great and blessed cause of spiritualism. My dear spirit sister, Alice Vernette Winesburgh _nee_ s.h.i.+rley, who, in her day, was a marvelous physical medium, has been and still is the active controlling spirit of my band, with others great and good, who sustain and aid her. She always signs her name simply NETTIE, by which she was called and known in earth life. She has clung to me with the true devotion of a sister, and has sustained herself in the position a.s.signed her by the band with signal fidelity and ability. I shall speak more of this band toward the close.

"In obedience to the request of the spirits we formed a circle for development, and found two gentlemen and their wives who were sufficiently liberal, and who had natural tendencies toward a belief in spiritualism.

They agreed and we met twice each week, and it was not long before we discovered that power for physical manifestations was being developed. We sat in the dark around an ordinary plain stand, on which was placed a slate and pencil, a small bell, and a paper horn. We also would place on it a goblet filled with water. The manifestations began by the stand moving around and tipping. This phenomenon soon occurred in the light, and by means of it we at first were directed and instructed, using the alphabet in spelling out words. We met regularly and sat patiently. For a few months the development was slow but surely indicated progress, and the invisible operators continually exhorted us to patience, promising certain results from time to time, which they invariably performed. They stated to us what may not be generally known, namely, that all developments with a view to permanence are slow, advancing cautiously, step by step, leaving nothing neglected or uncared for. Besides the health and well being of the medium should be carefully guarded and too oft by hurrying forward the development ruinous consequences resulted to the instrument and the success of the mediums.h.i.+p. We soon noted the fact that we were in the hands of careful, prudent, and able spirits, and we therefore implicitly obeyed their directions, and have never since had any occasion to regret it. Finally the bell began to ring, and the various members of the circle were touched by materialized spirit hands. Also, names and words were written on the slate and occasionally materialized locks of hair would be found on the stand upon closing the seance, which, in a few hours, would wholly dematerialize. This indicated materialization of spirit forms and was so announced to us. The next step was whispering to us through the paper trumpet, and by that means they were now enabled to give directions.

After the lapse of about twelve months we were directed to procure a curtain for materialization, which we accordingly did, but before this the manifestations in the dark had become simply remarkable, not to say extraordinary. On putting up the curtain and taking my position behind it, several sittings pa.s.sed without any appreciable result, until finally faces were discovered protruding from behind and above the curtain, two or three at a time, and after this it was not long until full form materializations were obtained. Upon the expiration of my husband's term of office, the band insisted that we should move to Cincinnati, if only for a year, a.s.signing as the important reason, that they would be enabled there to collect and appropriate new elements necessary in the completion of the development. We had by this time learned that the wisest thing was to obey, and consequently in July, 1881, we moved to the Queen City. Soon after we got there the band concluded to abandon for the time being any further attempt to perfect the phase of materialization and demanded a tin trumpet, which was made according to their directions. In length, thirty-eight inches; at large end, four and one-half inches in diameter, and at the small opening one-half inch; and we commenced holding trumpet seances with amazing and astonis.h.i.+ng results. Hundreds of the best citizens of Cincinnati can testify to the wonders of the trumpet circle in my presence. One seance written up by Judge A. G. W. Carter, of Cincinnati, I here insert as ill.u.s.trating partially only the magnitude of this power. It appeared in that excellent paper, _Mind and Matter_, of Philadelphia:

"My wife and myself, by invitation, were present on Thursday night, January 26th, at a seance given to a select circle of ladies and gentlemen by Mr. and Mrs. Green, at No. 309 Longworth street, this city, where Mrs.

Green daily and nightly sits, giving private seances through her mediums.h.i.+p to any person or persons who desire to converse with the spirits, or see manifestations, and learn about the spirit world. There were about twelve persons, ladies and gentlemen, present, and being seated according to the direction of the spirits, a dark circle for spirit manifestations was held, and with extraordinary success. There was a large trumpet or horn standing beside the table, and a small music box and a guitar and a tambourine on the table.

"It was not long before the music box began its music, as well as the guitar and tambourine, and they all floated through the air, around the circle, and above our heads, and sometimes touching each one of the circle, as they were giving forth their music. Singing was indulged in by the members of the circle, and during the songs, the long horn or trumpet moved from its place, and went about the circle, through the air; and through it, or inside of it, different spirits accompanied the singing with their voices; sometimes so loudly as to take the full burden of the songs upon themselves. Then, when there was a cessation of singing, by means of the trumpet the spirits would freely converse with us--some in whispers, and others in sonorous voices, so that the whole company could readily hear and easily distinguish what was said.

"At one time one of the company, a Swede, Mr. h.e.l.leberg, sang a Swedish song, accompanying himself on the guitar; and in singing and playing this song in his native and, to us, foreign language, he was accompanied by a loud female voice, singing in his language, through this same horn. Mr.

h.e.l.leberg then sang a Swedish love song, and was again, in perfect soprano harmony, accompanied by the female spirit voice.

"These demonstrations I thought were most remarkable, as I had never seen nor heard the like before, and they fairly attested the great mediumistic ability of Mrs. Green. At this time, and indeed during the whole seance, Mrs. Green was in a profound trance at the table, and kept so by a rough and gruff Indian spirit, who called himself 'Chip,' and occasionally spoke to us in a rough and gruff way about his 'medy,' and the power he had to invoke and exercise in keeping her in the profound trance condition. Ever and anon, also, a smart, witty and talkative Indian maiden, who called herself 'Winnie,' by the permission and condescension of 'Chip,' would take possession of the medium, and talk most freely and interestingly to each and all of the members of the circle.

"And, by the way, I must relate this peculiar and remarkable fact, the only time of its occurrence in all my long experience with the spirits.

There was in the circle another trance medium, Mrs. Taylor, who was put into the trance condition very easily and readily. Well, this spirit 'Winnie' would exchange from Mrs. Green to Mrs. Taylor every once in a while, talking through each medium with equal facility, and to the great delight and edification of the members of the circle. This was indeed something remarkable, and I ventured to inquire of the spirit 'Winnie' if this was a common occurrence. She replied, through one of the mediums, that it was so uncommon that she never knew of it occurring at a circle sitting before; that spirits always had their own medium, and it was very seldom that they would or could talk through more than one chosen medium, and especially at the same sitting of a circle, as was the case with us.

"To narrate all that occurred at this remarkable seance would fill many printed columns. Sufficient for the present to say, that we had all sorts of manifestations from the spirits through the gifted medium, Mrs. Green, for the long period of three full hours, and yet the medium or the spirits were not at all exhausted, and apparently not even fatigued. The manifestations, it seems to me, were quite equal to any I ever witnessed from Maud Lord, or any of the best mediums, and convinced me beyond all manner of doubt, that the gifted Mrs. Lizzie S. Green is destined to take a prominent and important stand in the glorious domain of mediums.h.i.+p.

Angels bless and take care of her in all her ways.

"A. G. W. C."

"In the meantime, the independent slate writing progressed wonderfully, and now const.i.tutes one of my best and most highly cherished phases. They write now with the utmost facility with their own materialized hands, and, strange as it may seem, they have actually written without the presence of any visible pencil at all. They have written long messages on the inner surfaces of double slates, the parties holding on to them at the time the messages were being written. They have done this for me in the presence of C. G. h.e.l.leberg, John Winterburn and William Layton, and others, honorable people of Cincinnati, who will take great pleasure in certifying to the same. I do not refer to these truly marvelous things in a spirit of egotism or self-boasting, for I am ent.i.tled to no credit except in so far as I may have, by prudent conduct, honest living and carefulness, a.s.sisted in securing the proper conditions for the invisible intelligences--I mean invisible to mortal eyes only. While I naturally feel proud of these n.o.ble gifts, I have learned to be humble with them, as my spirit guides have so often admonished me to be. And I feel like using them for the benefit of humanity and the upbuilding of truth.

"My clairvoyance was an early and permanent development and still remains with me, the other development not seeming to materially interfere with it.

"I have had with me for many years two Indian spirits, from whose a.s.sociation I have derived great pleasure; and I have ever found them true, faithful and honest. The male Indian has never given me his full and proper name, telling me that it was ugly. He was of the Chippewa tribe, and has always been known as 'Chip.' Chip abhors fire-water and tobacco, and every thing immoral, and in very many respects widely differs from the leading characteristics of his people. The Indian maiden, whom we call WINNIE, came to me in 1868, and gave her name as Winniepesaga, and said while quite young she was drowned in a stream of water in the Far West.

She is sprightly, quite talkative, exceedingly smart and interesting in conversation. Naturally gifted with clairvoyant powers and prophetic abilities, she has given very many remarkable tests, and by reason of her equability of temper, general good disposition and real cleverness in colloquial gifts, she is generally well liked by all who have come in contact with her spirit ministrations. She has controlled me for years, does yet, and her influence is sweet, soothing and strengthening. Captain Oliver C. Curry died at Jeffersonville, Ind., in 1874, and was a lawyer by profession, and was for a long time city attorney of that city. He was a cousin of mine, and has belonged to the band for two years, and has been exceedingly active, especially in the trumpet seances. By his suavity, intelligence and witty sayings, he has made himself quite a favorite with many. a.s.sisting in the development, I have had with me several spirits familiar with the laws of science, including a distinguished French scientist, our own Franklin and Professor Mapes. They seem to have only been engaged with the band temporarily in aiding the advancement of the development. They have my sincere thanks and profound grat.i.tude. I come now to speak of another spirit, although of an humble name, yet a grand and highly progressed one, who has been my leading counsellor, adviser and friend. In 1868, I laid away the lifeless form of a dear little boy, and in my unutterable grief this n.o.ble spirit first appeared to me and gave me words of consolation. He has been with me ever since. He pa.s.sed out of the form in the State of Georgia at the early age of thirty-three and had been at the time he came to me upwards of fifty years in spirit life. He always inspires me as being the very embodiment of purity itself, and his whole ambition seems to be to do good. This spirit also possesses wonderful prophetic power, and communicates with me only in case of an exigency, when I am in trouble, or otherwise need the sustaining and guiding power of the angel world. He gives me his name as HENRY TEANEY, and no Christian ever wors.h.i.+ped the gentle Nazarene with more devotion than I do my friend and guide, Henry Teaney. He is pure, n.o.ble and G.o.dlike, loves the right, hates the wrong, and never condescends to any thing little, hateful, or mean.

"Here I close after again returning thanks from the inmost recesses of my heart to my honored and n.o.ble band of spirits engaged with and through me in the great work of advancing the kingdom of G.o.d in the dissemination of truths vouchsafed to the children of earth through spirit communion."

CHAPTER XXII.

A VISIT TO SPLIT ROCK, KENTUCKY--CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM IDA TO HER PARENTS--ANNIE WINTERBURN TO HER BROTHER JOHN WINTERBURN, AND HIS TESTIMONY AND HER FAREWELL TO THE MEDIUM, MRS. GREEN.

Mrs. Green's home proper, is at Aurora, Dearborn county, Indiana. Aurora is a beautiful and enterprising little city of five or six thousand inhabitants, and is located on the western bank of the Ohio river, twenty-five miles or thereabouts below Cincinnati, Ohio. It can be reached from Cincinnati in less than an hour's ride over the Ohio and Mississippi railroad, which pa.s.ses through it. While her husband pursues the legal profession at Aurora, Mrs. G., in obedience to the wishes of her spirit guides and attendants, devotes her time and medial gifts at Cincinnati from Monday until Sat.u.r.day of each week, returning to her companion and daughter each Sat.u.r.day, and remaining with them over the Sabbath. This statement is deemed proper in view of and as prefatory to what I am about to relate as occurring recently, and which can not fail to be estimated as a truly remarkable spirit manifestation.

By the invitation of Mr. Green, Mr. Edwin Stebbins, of Cincinnati, and myself accompanied Mrs. Green to her home at Aurora on Sat.u.r.day, August the 5th, for the purpose of joining a small party of excursionists on the day following to the celebrated Split Rock, some three miles down the river from Aurora, on the Kentucky side of the Ohio. Our host had chartered a small propeller steamboat known as the Wave, which we boarded early Sunday morning (the 6th), and it required less than a half hour to land us at our destination. Our party consisted of our host and hostess and their daughter, Cora B. Green; Mr. B. F. Vandegrift, his wife, three daughters and son; James W. s.h.i.+rley, wife, and two small children.

During the afternoon we were threatened with a rain-storm, and our party divided, some going into the caves for shelter, others repaired to a farm-house near by. The rain pa.s.sed around us, after which a party of five in number, namely, Mr. and Mrs. Green, Mr. and Mrs. Vandegrift, and myself, rea.s.sembled on the summit of the elevation overlooking the Split Rock. It was suggested by me that we have a spirit seance, but we had no stand, slate or pencil. The novelty of a spirit seance on that noted spot was sufficiently suggestive and interesting to induce us to improvise a seat for the medium, which consisted of a couple of stakes driven into the ground and a fence rail placed on them. I took out my annotation book and with lead pencil placed it on Mrs. G.'s lap, and she threw over them a rubber circular, making the necessary condition of darkness. We formed a semi-circle in front of the medium thus seated, and sang the "Sweet Bye and Bye," and "Nearer My G.o.d to Thee." In a few moments the covering over the writing material was raised up and down three times, indicating thereby that the writing had been accomplished. In this way we received in rapid succession three communications, which I hereby transcribe and number them in the order of their production.

_Number One._

"Good afternoon. Nice picnic. Many spirits with you, including Madam Ehrenborg and Swedenborg. Nettie, Emil, and Ida send much love to Mr.

h.e.l.leberg and Mr. Stebbins."

_Number Two._

"Mr. and Mrs. Vandegrift's friends send their greetings from summer land.

Also, Mr. Green's friends and relatives. All happy to be with you."

_Number Three._

"G.o.d bless you all, and hope we may all meet on this spot again. Good bye.

"NETTIE AND CURRY."

We were not only delighted but enthusiastic over the success of our enterprise. Here on this spot, both romantic and famous in history, with illy-provided conditions, we had communed with the loved ones from the land of immortal souls.

As the spirit daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is mentioned as belonging to the party of tourists that visited the planet Mars, and as communicating with others at Split Rock, Kentucky, and for other good reasons, I have deemed it not inappropriate to incorporate herein a letter of Mr. Stebbins to the _Spiritual Offering_, a paper recently established at Ottumwa, Iowa, and which is ably conducted and devoted to the advancement of spiritualism.

[For the "Spiritual Offering."]

INDEPENDENT SLATE WRITING,

BY

EDWIN STEBBINS.

On Christmas evening myself and wife secured an independent slate-writing sitting with Mrs. Lizzie S. Green, at 309 Longworth street, Cincinnati, Ohio, and we received the following communication from our dear spirit daughter, viz:

"Merry, merry Christmas to you all! I do not know of a better Christmas gift than to give you a spirit communication on this memorable day. I am so happy and excited I can not write good. Oh, I have a beautiful home and am advancing in music all the time. I have a beautiful library of books. I am a teacher, and have a nice little cla.s.s. We do not have as many scholars here in the spirit world as you do. We can not teach every one like we did here. We have to be attracted to each other magnetically.

Therefore our work is not in vain, for by this method spiritual growth must ensue. We work in harmony together, and nothing occurs to r.e.t.a.r.d our progress in learning. You would be surprised, and I rather think you are now, even at my style of composition. If you could see me as I am here, and hear me talk, you would see how fast I have progressed. Oh, how happy I am in my spirit home, but my heaven is not there. It is with my dear pa and ma, but duty calls and I must obey. I have been made extremely happy by your obedience to my will and all will be well. Henney says this is quite new to him, but when he saw you and me at his funeral his happiness was beyond expression. When you laid away my form of clay you did not think to see me here to talk and write to my loved ones dear.

"When you're sad and sometimes cry, Remember your Ida, dear, is nigh, To bless and comfort you while here, And guide you to a brighter sphere.

"And when the time comes for you to go we will meet you with our golden boat, and row you safely over the beautiful river to our home that I have helped prepare for you. Now, thanking Mrs. Green for her kindness to you and Ida, I bid you good night. All the relatives are here, and send you their Christmas greetings.

"Good night, good night, to all that's here, I leave and go to a brighter sphere.

Wis.h.i.+ng you all success in the new year, dear pa and ma, ever hold sacred the Christmas gift I present you to-day. Good night, Mr. Green, wife and daughter. Good night, my dear pa and ma. This indeed is the happiest Christmas I have spent since I left my earthly home. I must leave, but it is hard. Your loving daughter,