These answers are certainly remarkable. The very words of the question
inside the sealed envelope are here openly repeated, and although the
six eminent, scientific ghosts, Hare, Combe, Fowler, Spurzheim, Gall,
and Rush do not agree with each other on all points, yet a slight
divergence, or contrariety, in opinion is at times observable to the
grosser eyes of flesh among doctors upon earth; and then they were all
in accord over the sex of the skull, in which problem, having one
chance out of only two, they could not go very far afield. Moreover, the
very framing of the question as to sex might suggest female, and as to
color might suggest black.
But had not the envelope been opened?
It occurred to me to cut the edges of the sealed envelope carefully,
whereby I could examine the flap, on the inside. It was done. The paper
of the envelope under three of the seals was torn, and deception stood
revealed. The seals had been cut out, and restored to their position
with mucilage.
Although, in legal phrase, I might rest my case here, yet I was anxious
so to seal an envelope that while its contents could not be extracted
without the destruction of the envelope and a betrayal of any attempted
fraud, yet that an answer to the question enclosed should be quite
within the clairvoyant power, so called, of the Medium, if he really
possessed any, and as to the existence whereof I was sincerely anxious
to obtain some satisfactory proof. Animated with this desire, I
proceeded as follows:
In the 'communicate' from the Spirit of Dr. Hare, reference is made to
Cornelia Winnie's possible knowledge of the information which I was
seeking in regard to the skull. Could this have been a lure to tempt me
to knock again at the Spiritual door of which Dr. Mansfield is the
porter?
At any rate I accepted the suggestion. On a sheet of note-paper I wrote:
'Can Cornelia Winnie, or any other Spirit (Dr. Hare refers me to the
former), give me any particulars of the life or death of the colored
woman who once animated this skull here in my Library. I am entirely
ignorant myself on the subject.'
This was folded, placed in an envelope, gummed and sealed precisely as I
had folded, gummed and sealed the previous letter. This I marked with
ink on the outside 'No. 1.'
On another sheet of similar note-paper I repeated word for word, and
line for line, and dot for dot, the very same question. This paper was
also folded and put into an envelope, BUT two or three stitches of red
silk were then passed through the flap of the envelope and the enclosed
paper, sewing the two securely together; these stitches were made at the
point of the flap, and again at each of the four corners. Over these
stitches, and concealing them, seals of red sealing wax were affixed.
Exteriorly the two envelopes were precisely alike. The stitched envelope
was marked on the outside 'No. 2.' As the contents of both were
identical, a clairvoyant Spirit that could answer No. 1 could answer No.
2, but nothing less than superhuman power could extract the paper from
No. 2 without so tearing the envelope as to betray an un-Spiritual
origin. These two envelopes were enclosed to our Medium with the
following note:
'Dear Doctor Mansfield. The answers to my sealed letter were so
satisfactory and so very curious that I should like to follow up the
interesting subject, if I am not taxing your powers too heavily. I
therefore enclose two more sealed envelopes, marked No. 1 and No. 2. If
it be possible, I should like to have you sit with No. 1 first. If the
Spirits respond, pray send me word and let me know how much I am
indebted to you.'
My object in asking the Medium to sit first with No. 1 was that, if he
were fraudulent, finding the ease with which No. 1 could be opened, he
would undertake the opening of No. 2 with such freedom and assurance
that the envelope would be torn beyond the healing power of mucilage,
and a confession of failure would have to follow.
In a few days the envelopes were returned with the following brief note:
'Dear Furness: Send you what came to your P K the 2d gave no response my
terms are $3 for each trial--warrant nothing.
Respectfully,