A SMALL ADMISSION WILL BE CHARGED TO DEFRAY EXPENSES.
PIERRE L. O. A. KEELER.
Pierre Keeler’s fame as a producer of spirit phenomena rests largely upon his materializing séances. It was his materializations that received the particular attention of the Seybert Commission. The late Mr. Henry Seybert, who was an ardent believer in modern Spiritualism, presented to the University of Pennsylvania a sum of money to found a chair of philosophy, with the proviso that the University should appoint a commission to investigate “all systems of morals, religion or philosophy which assume to represent the truth, and particularly of modern Spiritualism.” The following gentlemen were accordingly appointed, and began their investigations: Dr. William Pepper, Dr. Joseph Leidy, Dr. George A. Koenig, Prof. R. E. Thompson, Prof. George S. Fullerton, and Dr. Horace H. Furness. Subsequently others were added to the commission—Dr. Coleman Sellers, Dr. James W. White, Dr. Calvin B. Kneer, and Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. Dr. Pepper, Provost of the University, was ex-officio chairman; Dr. Furness, acting chairman, and Prof. Fullerton, secretary.
Keeler’s materializations are thus described in the report of the commission:
“On May 27 the Seybert commission held a meeting at the house of Mr. Furness at 8 p. m., to examine the phenomena occurring in the presence of Mr. Pierre L. O. A. Keeler, a professional medium.
“The medium, Mr. Keeler, is a young man, with well cut features, curly brown hair, a small sandy mustache, and rather worn and anxious expression; he is strongly built, about 5 feet 8 inches high, and with rather short, quite broad, and very muscular hands and strong wrists. The hands were examined by Dr. Pepper and Mr. Fullerton after the séance.
“The séance was held in Mr. Furness’ drawing-room, and a space was curtained off by the medium in the northeast corner, thus, (Fig. 25):
FIG. 25. PIERRE KEELER’S CABINET SEANCE.