The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism

by A. Leah Underhill

“Having been deputed by a select company, who visited the two sisters, Mrs. Fish and Miss Fox, at their room in the Phelps House, on Friday evening last, to report what we there saw and heard, it becomes my duty to ask you to give place to this communication in your columns.

“The company consisted of Dr. Scott, C. C. Bristol, J. Stringham, F. Rumsey and lady, Mrs. Bradley, Mrs. Stevens, and myself.

“When all had assembled we took seats around the table. Mrs. Fish and Miss Fox, the two ‘mediums,’ were requested to take seats on a sofa which stood between the table and the wall. Dr. Scott and myself were seated, by arrangement, on the right and left of these two ladies, and they were requested to put their feet on ours, and to keep them there, which they did. The purpose of this arrangement will be understood by the reader. When all was still, the Spirits (I use the word assentingly) commenced such a clatter of rappings that there seemed to be quite a company of them. This, we were told, was to manifest their presence and their willingness to be consulted.

“The confusion of sounds ceased, and the alphabet was called for by five distinct raps, which it appears is the invariable signal. Mrs. Fish called the alphabet, and the letters designated by the rappings made the following words: ‘Get a better supply of paper before you get engaged, and let your minds run in one perfect channel. In that way you will soon be able to get satisfactory demonstrations.’ A supply of paper was procured, and all were seated and still again. Two small bells had been placed under the table, one at each end. When all was quiet, the signal for the alphabet was given, and the spelling which followed was, ‘All sit close to the table and to each other. Move the bells.’ The bells were then moved to near the centre of the table. Alphabet called again. ‘Put your hands on the table.’ All obeyed the mandate, and immediately the bells commenced ringing. They rang for a few minutes, and again the alphabet was demanded. The spelling was, ‘You will perceive, by what you have already heard, that a great and mighty development is about to be made to mankind.’ At this moment a rap was heard at the door, which was made by a gentleman who wished to come in, but who retired on being informed that it was a private party. Some remark was made by the younger of the two mediums, in relation to the interruption, which affected the other to tears. A considerable interval of silence followed, and we began to fear that our entertainment would not be resumed; but the call for the alphabet proved that we had not been deserted by our invisible friends. The spelling was, ‘We want you to cheer up, dear children. All sit close. Hands on the table.’ Now the bells commenced ringing again, moving all round under the table, giving forth tones the most musical, mellow, and soothing. The ringing ceased, and the alphabet was called. The spelling was, ‘This is done to harmonize you all.’

“Question by the acting medium.—‘Do the Spirits wish us to be in a happy state of mind?’

“Answer.—‘Yes.’ Then followed, ‘I want you all to reach out your feet, except the four on the sofa.’ This was done, and immediately Mrs. Stevens said something had taken hold of her feet. She was directed to ask if it was a Spirit, which she did, and received an affirmative answer. ‘Is it the Spirit of my father?’ ‘Yes,’ was replied, and the respondent continued, ‘we are glad you came here.’

“Following this was a harsh, grating sound, not unlike the friction of a saw which is pushed slowly through a board, and drawn back quickly. This was continued but a short time, when the alphabet was called for, and the spelling was, ‘I breathed so when I was dying.’ Then the same sound of grating was heard, and it continued like one laboring in the last moments of life. These breathings became shorter and further between, till a seemingly ineffectual attempt, like a hiccough, closed the drama, and the death-scene was complete.

“Hereupon the alphabet was called for, and the following address was spelled: ‘Such is the end of man’s existence on the earth; but he suddenly awakes to a glorious immortality. This, my dear friends, is demonstrated to relieve mankind from the dread of changing existence. The appearance of suffering is not real; therefore I exhort you to look forward with joy for the happy transition from earth to heaven. You have need of great watchfulness and care that you may be permitted to enter the society of the blest. Done.’ What was very remarkable in the delivery of this address, as the medium read the alphabet, the letters were designated sometimes by raps, as usual, and sometimes by ringing of a bell. The latter method was used, I think, quite as much as the former. During the whole delivery the feet of the lady-mediums rested entirely on those of Dr. Scott and mine, and their hands constantly rested on the table. This, as it seems to me, puts to rest any question of their agency in producing the sounds. Mrs. Stevens, during the whole of the communication by ‘Spirits,’ felt a pair of large and powerful hands grasping her knees, the pressure of which, she avers, was quite painful. She also felt a weight in her lap, which was equal to that of her father while living. His name was Asa Ranson. The female portrait which hangs in the Common Council room is that of his daughter, and a sister of Mrs. Stevens. The latter lady says that the death scene which was enacted in our presence was a perfect representation of the reality which she had witnessed.

“At the conclusion of the address, it was asked by the acting medium, ‘Are the Spirits all done?’ No reply was made. It was then asked, ‘If we put paper under the table, will the Spirits write?’ Answer by the alphabet, ‘We will make marks on paper.’ A piece of paper was then taken and passed around, to be examined by the company. All saw that it was without mark or scratch of any kind. A scratching sound was then heard under the table, and also the sound that is noted when paper is torn. The alphabet was called, and the spelling was, ‘Look.’ The paper was taken out, and found to be torn in pieces and scratched as with a nail, or some dull instrument. It was then asked, ‘If we put paper and pencil under, will the Spirits write?’ Three raps were given as answer in the affirmative, and the alphabet was called. The spelling was, ‘Keep your pencil.’ Another piece of paper was then handed round. We all examined it closely, and found it all fair and clean, without the least mark whatever. It was put under the table by the last examiner, and the scratching commenced. Directly the alphabet was called for, and ‘Look’ spelled out. The paper was taken out, and found to be scratched as before, and torn a little; but the Spirit had fulfilled its promise. It had written—for the figure 7 in plain pencil-mark stood on the untorn part of it. The figure was found to be just one inch long, and seemed as if made by the hand of a farmer, or mechanic, who aimed at plainness rather than elegance in his chirography. I have the paper in my possession, and will exhibit it to any one who wishes to see it.

“I had forgotten to mention that during the communications from Mrs. Stevens’s father, she read the alphabet part of the time, and received answers by a rap on her foot. She was too much excited to continue, and the alphabet was read by the medium.