Preliminary Report of the Commission Appointed by the University of Pennsylvania to Investigate Modern Spiritualism: In Accordance with the Request of the Late Henry SeybertUniversity of Pennsylvania. Seybert Commission for Investigating Modern Spiritualism
Religion
Preliminary Report of the Commission Appointed by the University of Pennsylvania to Investigate Modern Spiritualism: In Accordance with the Request of the Late Henry Seybert
University of Pennsylvania. Seybert Commission for Investigating Modern Spiritualism
Parapsychology -- Investigation; Spiritualism
When the slate was shaken no sound of the rattling of the pencil was
heard--a pencil-scrap having been enclosed as usual in the slate when it
was sealed. The Medium had declared that the pencil was gone, but said
she did not know whether there was writing on the slate or not.
The seals were first examined and declared intact.
Then Dr. Leidy pushed a thin knife-blade between the slates at the
unprotected corner, marked by the arrow on the sketch.
Then Mr. Sellers pushed in a thick knife-blade a little to one side of
Dr. Leidy's. (The exact place is marked on the rim of the slate
itself.) Both the blades were thrust straight in--Dr. Leidy's exactly at
the corner, and Mr. Sellers's at the point marked, and neither of them
was worked about between the slates.
The slates were thus separated by the thick knife-blade about one-tenth
of an inch.
The seals were not broken by this.
While the slates were thus separated, it was noticed that the wood was
discolored and rubbed glossy on the sides of the crack.
Mr. Sellers then removed the tape, seals and screws.
The slate being opened, no pencil was found and no pencil-marks appeared
on the slate.
The rims were worn smooth and blackened at the corner where the slates
could be separated; this was very distinct.
Some soap-stone dust, which Dr. Koenig identified under a microscope as
the same with a remaining fragment of the pencil inserted (which Mr.
Furness had preserved), was found rubbed into the same corner, showing
that _the slates had been separated and the piece of pencil worked out_.
Mr. Furness then produced three slates of the same sort (with hinges,
and about 8 in. by 6.) to be used in the presence of Dr. Slade.
They were screwed up with a bit of pencil inside, in the presence of the
Commission. Each was marked on the inside by Mr. Sellers, with a scratch
from a diamond. To Mr. Furness was delegated the work of sealing them.
[As Dr. Slade, however, refused to use any of our sealed slates, our
labor was wasted.]
GEO. S. FULLERTON,
_Secretary_.
* * * * *
The following is a stenographic report of a meeting of the Commission,
to consider the reports offered by several members of séances with Dr.
Henry Slade, who came to Philadelphia to meet the Commission. As he
refused to sit with more than three of the Commission at a time, it was
necessary to visit him in sections. Arrangements had been made to have
all the members sit with him in turn, but it was soon decided that
continuity of observation was valuable, and certain members were
appointed to do the whole work.
(A record from the notes of the Stenographer, Mr. J.I. Gilbert.)
PHILADA., February 7th, 1885.
A formal session of the Seybert Committee was held to-day at 8 o'clock
P.M., at the residence of Mr. Furness, No. 222 West Washington Square.
The session was devoted to consideration of the séances held with Dr.
Henry Slade, from January 21st to January 28th inclusive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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