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

by Unknown

“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 mediumship. 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 passed 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, assigning 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 astonishing 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 illustrating 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 mediumship 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. Helleberg, 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. Helleberg 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 mediumship. 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 constitutes 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. Helleberg, 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 entitled to no credit except in so far as I may have, by prudent conduct, honest living and carefulness, assisted in securing the proper conditions for the invisible intelligences—I mean invisible to mortal eyes only. While I naturally feel proud of these noble 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.