My friend, Dr. L. M. Taylor, of Washington, D. C., an investigator of Spiritualistic phenomena, and skeptical like myself of the objective phases of the subject, has had many sittings with Keeler for independent slate-writing. One séance in particular he is fond of relating:
“On one occasion, after I had written my slips, folded them up, and tossed them on the table, I said to Keeler who was obtaining his ‘psychic’ impression of them, ‘I wish, if possible, to have a spirit tell me the numbers and the maker’s name engraved in my watch. I have never taken the trouble to look at the numbers, consequently I do not know them.’ ‘Your request is an unusual one,’ replied the medium, ‘but I will endeavor to gratify it.’ We had some conversations on the subject that lasted several minutes. Suddenly he picked up a slate pencil, and scrawled the name, J. S. Granger on the upper surface of one of my slates; the two slates had been previously tied together with my handkerchief and laid on the table in front of me. ‘You recognize that name, do you not?’ asked Keeler. ‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘that is one of the names I wrote on the slips. J. S. Granger was an old friend of mine who died some years ago. He was a brother-in-law of Stephen A. Douglass.’ ‘If you wish to facilitate matters,’ said Keeler, ‘place your watch on top of the slates, concealed beneath the handkerchief, otherwise we may have to wait an hour or more without obtaining results, and there are a number of persons waiting for me in the ante-room. My time you see is limited.’
“I detached my watch from its chain, and placed it in the required position. Keeler then took a piece of black cloth, used to clean slates, and laid it over my slates. Finally he requested me to take the covered slates and hold them in my lap. I took care to feel through the cloth that the watch was still beneath the handkerchief. In a short time I was directed to uncover the slates, and untie them, which I did. Upon the inner surface of one of the slates the following message was written: ‘Dear Friend, Stephen is with me. I have been through that beautiful watch of yours, and, if I see correctly, the number is 163131. On the inside I see this—E. Howard & Co., Boston, 211327. And then your name as follows: Dr. L. M. Taylor, 1221 Mass. Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. Signed J. M. Granger.’
“I then compared the name and numbers in my watch with those on the slate, and found the latter correct, with the exception of one number. A relative of mine was present in the room during this séance, and I showed her the communication on the slate. Afterwards we passed the slate to Keeler who examined it closely. When he handed it back to me, I was surprised to see that the incorrect number was mysteriously changed to the proper one.”
This is a very interesting test, indeed, because of its apparently impromptu character. I have seen similar feats performed by professional conjurers as well as mediums. A dummy watch is substituted for the sitter’s watch, and after the medium has ascertained the name and numbers on the sitter’s timepiece, he succeeds in adroitly exchanging it again for the dummy, thanks to the black cloth. The writing on the slate in the above séance was evidently produced in the same way as that described in my sitting with Keeler, after he had ascertained the name on the slip. The name of Stephen, of course, was directly obtained from Dr. Taylor. Not having been an eye witness of Keeler’s movements in the watch test, I am unable to say how closely Dr. Taylor’s description coincides with the medium’s actual operations.
In May, 1897, Mr. Pierre Keeler was in Washington, D. C., as usual. My friend, Dr. Taylor, who was desirous of putting the medium to another crucial test, wrote down a list of names on a sheet of paper—cognomens of ancient Egyptian, Chaldean, and Grecian priests and philosophers—folded the paper, and carefully sealed it in an envelope. He took ten slates with him, all of them marked with a private mark of his own. Mr. Keeler eyed the envelope dubiously, but passed no criticisms on the doctor’s precautions to prevent trickery. The two men sat down at a table and waited for the spirits to manifest. Dr. Taylor, on this occasion, was absolutely certain that his slates had not been tampered with, and that the medium had not succeeded in opening the envelope. In a little while the comedy of the pencil-scratching between the tied slates began.
“Ah”, exclaimed the physician, “a message at last!” Then he thought to himself, “can the medium possibly have deluded my senses by some hypnotic power, and adroitly opened that envelope without my being aware of the fact? But no, that is impossible!”
Mr. Keeler took the slates away from Dr. Taylor, and quickly opened them, accidentally dropping one of them behind the table. In a second, however, he brought up the slate, and remarked: “How awkward of me. I beg your pardon,” etc. On the surface of this slate was written the following sentence: “See some other medium; d—n it!—George Christy.” Dr. Taylor is positive, as he has repeatedly told me, that this message was not inscribed on his own marked slate, but was written by the medium on one of his own. The exchange, of course, must have been effected in the pretended accidental dropping of the doctor’s slate by the medium. This is a very old expedient among pretenders to spirit power. All conjurers are familiar with the device. Imro Fox, the American magician, uses it constantly in his entertainments, with capital effect.
Dr. Taylor, unfortunately, did not succeed in getting possession of the medium’s prepared slate. Another exchange was undoubtedly made by Mr. Keeler, and the physician had returned to him his own marked slate. When he got home that afternoon, and had time to carefully scrutinize his slates, he found that they bore no evidence of having been written upon at all. Having also examined these slates, I am prepared to add my testimony to that of Dr. Taylor.
The reader will see from the above-described séance that unless the medium (or a confederate) is enabled to read the names and questions, prepared by the sitter, his hands are practically tied in all experiments in psychology.