The answer on the slate is entirely in the Morse alphabet, and reads as follows:

DEAR HARRY:

I live and am at rest.

THOS. MEREDITH.

As neither the medium nor the sitter had any knowledge of the Morse alphabet, the fact must be recognized that fraud was quite impossible. It is also apparent that neither the soul of the medium nor that of the sitter could have read the hidden message or dictated the answer. And still further, that although the question, written in telegraphic code, was signed, "H. E. H," the answer was addressed “Dear Harry,” spelling out Mr. H.'s first name in full, although only the initial had been written in the question. How could that have happened if the medium had by any power, psychic or otherwise, read the question and dictated the answer? Manifestly, the only reasonable explanation of the phenomenon is that the spirit of Thomas Meredith, who was an expert telegraph operator during his earth-life, was present, and that his intelligence read the question and dictated the answer to his friend Harry, who had signed the question only with the initials of his Christian names, "H. E. H———.'

Another question was addressed to Rev. A. H. Ross, formerly pastor of the First Congregational church of Port Huron. It reads as follows:

REV. A. H. Ross:

What is your opinion of spiritualism now, as compared with your earthly ideas of it?

A fac simile of the answer to this inquiry, the body of the writing reduced something more than one-third in size, while the signature is an exact reproduction of that on the slate, is given on page 335. It reads as follows:

The religious views I promulgated did not agree with the truth I have learned. There is much error in the spiritualism of today, but it is fundamentally correct. I am not able to find hell, A. H. Ross.

or satan.

Another question was as follows, names being omitted: Will you send mother a test to prove your return? Do you know what is on the slip of paper in my purse? if so, write it to me. A fac simile of the slate written answer to this question is given on page 336. It reads as follows:

This is new, strange and wonderful to me. I am here, you may be assured. I could not be here writing this if I was not. I am thankful you are interested in this, for you will find it absolutely true. I am not able to see in your purse. Put the slip of paper on the table among the others; then I can read it.

It is noticeable that the spirit who dictated this message spoke of the experience as "new, strange and wonderful." This is in line with all reports brought from the spirit side of life. Decarnate souls have little or no knowledge of the ways and means by which communication with incarnate souls can be held except as they observe, study and learn.

The difference in the writing of the two messages reproduced herewith is manifest at a glance. Yet both came under the same circumstances and conditions. . Is it reasonable to assume that the same intelligence guided the force which produced both of them? It does not seem to me so.

There is much similarity between the body of the writing in the communication from Mr. Ross and his hand writing during physical life, perhaps as much as could be expected between writing with a pen upon paper and with a pencil upon a slate by the same person. But quite marked is the similarity between the signature of the slate writing and Mr. Ross's signature during life, as reproduced herewith:

Fac simile of physical

signature

Fac simile of spirit sig

nature

The signature written by his physical hand is reproduced from a receipt signed by him, and I have his signature to other papers signed "A. Hastings Ross," in which the resemblance of the initials to the slate writing is even closer.

On one occasion Mr. Ross manifested himself to me through a medium, giving his name, and speaking of personal relationships we had had during life. I said:

"Mr. Ross, I have a slate-writing purporting to have come from you, with the signature closely resembling yours as you wrote it during physical life. Did you write that message and signature?"

The reply was, in substance:

We do not claim that in all such cases the writing is done by ourselves. When we communicate we are obliged to use the forces as best we can, and are frequently aided by other spirits who have developed a specific line of work. I dictated the message on the slate and endeavored to make the signature characteristic, but it is not exact.

In some cases messages are written on slates when the medium does not touch them, and even when he is some distance

away. Sometimes a small piece of pencil is placed between the slates, and sometimes messages are written and pictures are made in colors with nothing whatever between them. It appears to be mainly a question of the manner in which the medium has developed. If he begins by using pencils, and continues it, the forces will not operate without it. But if the development is without pencils, there will be materialization of the substance necessary to cause the writing.

Mr. Willard J. Hull reports some of his observations of independent slate writing, as follows:

I have seen two common school slates, six by eight inches, washed, thoroughly examined and then tied together in the presence of fifty people in a room lighted hy three gas jets, and the slates hung by the cord to the chandelier, where these lights were burning. The possibility of manipulating them by the medium or a confederate was absolutely removed from every mind in that room, and yet, in the space of three minutes, during which there were evidences of great physical strain on the part of the medium, the slates were taken down, and we all saw a communication of three hundred and twenty words, closely written, and in several different colors, appertaining to matters incident to that gathering. At another time, in the presence of the same medium, I saw two slates which had been purchased at a grocery store by parties on their way to the meeting, thoroughly washed and examined by a committee, tied together and hung upon a gas fixture twenty feet from the medium and in sight of three hundred people. At the expiration of two minutes the slates were removed and upward of thirty names, signed to brief messages, were found, every one of which was recognized by different persons in the promiscuous audience as belonging to their dead. What is the conclusion to be arrived at from all this?

Here were thought, design, volition and the means necessary to carry them out in presentation to the human faculties, wholly independent of brains, muscles, tissues and nerves of the physical body. A body may be necessary as a medium to convey them to us, but their own inherent identity was independent

Mr. A. B. Richmond writes:

Now the occult phenomena of independent slate writing is a fact so well established as to defy contradiction. What then, is its logic? What does it prove? First, that there is a force outside of the pencil and human contact that moves it; second, that that force has human intelligence; third, that it has memory of past events; and fourth, that it has the mental characteristics of persons that have passed away. I have had slates closed, sealed and locked together written full of answers to interrogatories propounded by myself and others, and that, too, when there was no pencil placed between them, and all contact with the medium made absolutely impossible, and all occurring in broad daylight when there was no possible opportunity for deception or the work of magic. I am an expert magician myself and understand the feats of legerdemain