The fault in the Latin of the above quotation attracted the attention of the Commission.
Mr. George S. Pepper, who had been well acquainted with Mr. Seybert in his lifetime, declared that he had never known any Latin at all!
The investigations of the “Seybert Commission” in other directions than that of the “rappings,” were far more fascinating and productive of results. It would be impossible to give an adequate idea of them here. The Commission employed the most celebrated “mediums” within their reach, and paid them liberally to place them in communication with the “Spirit world.” They saw (and they show in their report that they did see) the secret of every “wonderful” thing done by the “mediums,” and found it in most instances exceedingly simple, and generally rather clumsily performed. Professional jugglers constantly outdo professional “mediums.” This, the latter cannot deny, and they seek—oh, monumental impudence!—to make people believe that jugglers are nothing more nor less than “mediums,” and that “mediums” are never in any sense jugglers!
Thus the notorious Slade:
“Mr. Sellers. Do you know a man named Kellar, who is exhibiting in this city?
“Dr. Slade. I do not. I never knew him.
“Mr. Sellers. You may, however, be able to explain to me a very remarkable slate writing experiment which Kellar has performed. (Mr. Sellers here describes at length Mr. Kellar’s trick with the fastened slates.) How did Mr. Kellar do that?
“Dr. Slade. He is a ‘medium.’ He does that work precisely as I do it.
“Mr. Sellers. But can he not do it by trickery?