Glimpses Of The Next State.Pdf - Spiritualists' National Union

119I cannot deny that it is possible a personating spirit may have been at work here. It isvery improbable, for the identification was good, and the spirit did not assent to every suggestion,as a false spirit generally does; several times came “No, no, not that.” In any case, fraud on the partof the medium was an absolute impossibility, for she could not, by any chance, have known thename of Sir W. W., my connection with him, the Bath bridge, his journey to Africa, where he died,or his repugnance to the subject while on the earth plane.Sir W. W. was followed by Iola, who described to me minutely and correctly how I had beenoccupied in the hotel the previous evening. Among other things she said ‘‘ You had a little glass.Q.: “What do you mean?”A.: “A little beverage; ha! ha! ha!”This was an allusion, I suppose, to some whisky-and-water I had taken before going to bed.Dr. Sharp followed. He said he was born in Glasgow, and died in Evansville, Indiana; the doctrineof reincarnation was not true; people in different spheres could live together. He chatted for sometime, and, saying “Good-bye,” threw the trumpet with great force on the floor.The atmospheric conditions were bad. It was raining, and there was fog and a heavy atmosphere.February 8, 1909. 7.85 to 9.5. p.m. Atmospheric conditions very good.(86) Dr. Sharp came first for a short conversation. Then Josephine, who, it may beremembered, I first met at the Jonsons’, in Toledo. She repeated that she came as a guide to helpme.Q.: “Are you helping Iola?”A.: “Iola is more likely to be able to help me.”This was afterwards explained by Sharp, who said Iola was able to get closer to me, and thenJosephine’s assistance came in.Sir W. W. was quite strong; he laughed and talked louder than is usual through the trumpet.He repeated that his wife loathed the subject of spiritualism, and could not understand how I couldtolerate such nonsense.Q.: “How about F.?” (a mutual friend).A.: “Oh !“ (laughter in the trumpet) “he jeered at it.”Q.: “Yes; but I remember you and him jeering at me together.”A.: “Oh! yes; but I knew no better then. I am doing all I can to learn.”Iola followed, very strong, and talked for some minutes. She referred to having been with meat the house of “the light-haired young man,” and said “she got mixed there.” (The light-hairedyoung man was Mr. Kaiser, another trumpet medium in Detroit. His seances are described below. Iquite understood her allusion to” getting mixed,” and it furnished an excellent proof that she hadbeen really present.) She again, at my request, described accurately what I had been doing theevening before. Here followed some private details, in the recital of which she gave the correctnames of my wife and her brother.Q.: “Do you remember a séance at Toledo ?”A.:” At the young girl’s—yes. I put my hand on you; I touched her.”Q.: “And the singing?”A.: “Yes, yes !“Q.: “Do you remember R. Square?”A.: “Yes, and our romps in the house.”(The young girl mentioned above is Miss Ada Besinnet, with whom I had sat a few daysbefore and received a remarkable test from Iola. The “romps in the house” refers to someChristmas fun fifty years ago.) A new voice in the trumpet, “ Scott, Scott”; then a blurred word.Q.: “What name ?”A.: “Scott W.” (giving initial only; finally, “Scott Willcox.” This was a man who died tenyears ago in Southsea.) A curious incident now happened. Mrs. Wriedt was impressed, suddenly, totell me to ask him how he came here this evening. I did so, and his reply was: “Mr. Henry Usborneinvited me.” (I do not know that I have in my notes any incident during my time in America moreconvincing than this. Mr. Henry Usborne is a brother-in-law of mine, who passed over in 1890.Mind-reading will not account for it, for it never entered my head that this spirit would be hunting