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

269the two canvases—which picture has the same finish and texture as the Bangs’ portraits. It canbe made to appear slowly, the eyes to open at will, etc., exactly as their pictures do. The process is,in fact, from all external indications, identical in appearance. In view of this fact, I think theauthenticity of the Bangs’ “spirit-portraits” may seriously be called into question! As to their slatewriting,I am certain I could duplicate it myself, under the same conditions.—Yours, etc.,HEREWARD CARRINGTON.SIR,—I beg to forward to you a letter I have just received from the well-known author andpsychic investigator, Rev. I. K. Funk, D. D. There is no doubt Dr. Funk did ask Mr. HerewardCarrington to visit the Bangs Sisters. The question is, “Did he ever enter the house ?“ The BangsSisters deny that he did. Lizzie assured me most positively that she would have recognised him, andthat they had never sat for him at any time. Personally, from what I know of both, I see no reasonto take the word of Mr. Hereward Carrington before that of Lizzie Bangs.What Dr. Funk calls slate-writing is the phenomenon of spirit-writing within sealedenvelopes put between hinged slates, not the “slate-writing” we are accustomed to hear of throughEglinton, Keeler, the Campbell’s, etc.—Yours, etc.,W. USBORNEMOORE,Vice-Admiral.The following is Dr. Funk’s letter:—My DEAR ADMIRAL,—Yours to hand in reference to the article by Mr. Carrington, in theAnnals of Psychical Science, concerning the Bangs Sisters. I made a number of tests of themediumship of these sisters, both as to picture-painting and slate-writing. I cheerfully beartestimony that I have not had to do with any other mediums who have been able to give meinvariably so satisfactory results. In not a single case have I detected fraud, although before myfirst visit to them I had read carefully the exposé by Dr. Krebs, which was furnished to me by Dr.Hodgson. They certainly did not attempt upon me any of the frauds described by Dr. Krebs, nordid they any of the tricks spoken of by Mr. Carrington. Having been forewarned against them, Iwould have been an unusually stupid investigator had I been caught by them.It has been my custom in making investigations, especially when I was not able to explainresults, to induce others whom I believed to be keen investigators to make trial, and I would oftenindicate the particular tests for them to make. I asked Mr. Carrington to visit the Misses Bangs andmake certain investigations, as I asked you and others. I never asked anyone to visit a mediumunder a false name, for I have long believed that fraud begets fraud in these investigations. When Ihave completed my investigations with these remarkable mediums, I shall gladly publish the exactresults.You are at liberty to make any use of this letter that you think fit—Yours most respectfully,(Signed) I. K. FUNK.New York, April 18, 1911.From “Light,” May 27, 1911.MR. HEREWARD CARRINGTON AND FRAUDSIR,—Mr. Carrington calmly states in Light of May 13, p.226: “I said there was a slit in, thedoor behind Miss Bangs. There is (or was) no such slit. What I meant was under the door—betweenthe lower edge of the door and the strip of wood over which it closes (2) As to the ‘strip of wooddividing the windows,’ I might have expressed this more clearly. There is one window, as AdmiralMoore says There are four panes of glass. These panes of glass are divided by a strip of woodabout an inch broad. This was the strip of wood I found freely punctured with tiny holes,” etc.Here are strange admissions. “In a door” means “under a door”; “windows” means panes ofglass!