Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern SpiritualismPutnam, Allen
Religion
Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism
Putnam, Allen
Spiritualism; Witchcraft -- New England
On Saturday Dr. Storer had seen come forth from the cabinet, as Dr. F. L.
H. Willis also had on a former occasion, "a weird phantom, bearing the
semblance of a woman, and clothed in a flowing costume of white. Over her
head was thrown a vail of delicate texture, and in one hand she carried a
handkerchief that looked like a bit of a fleecy cloud. Her dress was
exceedingly white and lustrous, without a wrinkle or a fold in it." That
description by Willis is called by Storer "perfect," and is adopted by
him. This "weird" personage was called Katie. Dr. Storer, after fixing the
medium in the cabinet on Monday, as above described, says,--
"Very slowly the door [of the cabinet] opened, and soon her [Katie's]
entire form was seen dressed exactly as before--trailing skirts, vail, and
mantle, but with a belt which she gathered in her hands and rubbed
together that we might hear its silken rustle. Standing by the door, she
addressed me, saying that when she had walked entirely away from the
cabinet, she wished me to go in quickly, and, without moving the chair,
feel after the medium, and all about the cabinet, and see if I could find
her. She stepped out about five feet into the room, and at once I sprang
into the cabinet, felt in the chair, swept the floor and walls thoroughly
with my hands--but--not _a vestige of medium_ or _anything_ remained."
The italicizing is ours. We design to imitate the doctor in both frankness
and wisdom--to restate and accept his facts--but make no attempt at
explanation of them. We adduce the case because it parallels in
marvelousness the statements of Braybrook. What happens now may have had
its like before to-day. The modern case out-marvels, perhaps, the ancient
one; for we know not whether the guards felt for their prisoner or only
failed to see her. How they ascertained that she was gone is not told. Dr.
Storer felt the chair into which he had bound Mrs. Compton, felt the floor
and the ceiling all over, and could find nobody in the little cabinet,
which was but a triangle partitioned off at the corner of the room, whose
inner sides were only five feet each in length, so that a man, without
changing his position, might touch any part of it, unless the ceiling
overhead was above the man's reach. Shortly afterward, says Dr. Storer,
"the cabinet door was opened, and in the chair, tied as we had left her,
without the breaking of a thread, or the apparent movement of her person,
or in any respect differing from her appearance when last seen, sat the
medium, in that fearfully lifeless trance, from which nearly a half hour
was required to arouse her. I will not give any speculations of my own
upon this most marvelous exhibition. I submit the facts and vouch for
their entire accuracy."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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