SURE IDENTITY OF MY FATHER-IN-LAW--MADAM EHRENBORG WRITES TO ME IN
SWEDISH.
On the 8th of December, 1881, I and my wife had a slate-writing seance in
the forenoon, and were present in the evening at a trumpet seance with
Mrs. Green, and as my wife received a strong convincing test through the
name of her father, it is necessary before relating the facts to make a
short sketch of a part of his life. He was a Swedish nobleman, named Otto
Jacob Natt och Dag, who, by the favor of the dethroned King Gustaf Adolf
the Fourth, was educated in the military academy, and afterwards served as
officer in a rank regiment in Stockholm, which the new King Charles the
Fourteenth, Johan, the former Napoleon's General Bernadott, looked upon
with great favor. This young nobleman wrote an anonymous book about
reorganizing the Swedish army, in which many good and necessary reforms
were proposed. This book was not intended for sale, but a few copies had
been printed for his intimate friends. Some of his so-called friends
reported this, and mentioned his name to the King, who became enraged that
a young officer should dare to have the impertinence to interfere with his
business, and want to teach him, who had such a vast experience in
military affairs, the consequence of which was that he was transported to
serve in a common infantry regiment, far up in the northern part of the
country, a long distance from his near and dear relatives. Such treatment
naturally made him feel bad, and he asked permission to travel in foreign
countries, which he got, and went straight to Baden, in Germany, where he
called on his former King, Gustaf Adolf, and was kindly received. There he
republished his book in the German language, with some additions, which
the Swedish minister reported to the King, who then considered him a
traitor, and ordered his arrest, but his Swedish friends informed him of
this in time, and he went to America under the name of Frederick Franks,
which was the name of a German student, who gave him his passport, and
which he afterwards adopted and used until his death. The King, Charles
the Fourteenth, had him adjudged, unheard and absent, by a court for high
treason, for daring to pay a visit to the dethroned King, and the judgment
was that he should lose his place and rank in the army. Many years
afterwards the King regretted his harsh and unjust treatment of his
faithful, patriotic and skillful officer, and pardoned him, and ordered
his Swedish minister at Washington to inform him of it, so he could go
back and enjoy all his privileges; but his former guard officer had now
been for many years a republican citizen, who, with his artistic and many
other talents and business capacity, had made himself independent, and he
never went back. Nobody here but the family knew any thing of his Swedish
name, and my wife said to me that she would be more fully convinced of
her father's identity if he would sign himself with that name.
In the slate-writing seance in the forenoon I had put my own slate, which
Mrs. Green never touched, under the side of the stand nearest me, and on
Mrs. Green's slate the following appeared:
"Put out the slate and see if any thing is on it?"
I did so, and on my slate the following sentence appeared:
"God bless you both is the wish of your exalted friend,
"FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."
Among other things was the following:
"Now, dear papa and mamma, we have done all we can this morning. Much love
to you both. Grandpa will be with you to-night; Grandpa Helleberg, Mary
and Julia, too, Emil, Gustaf and Charley. You will have many bright and
beautiful spirits with you this evening to cheer you on your road to the
beautiful spirit world. There all are in peace and happiness--Emil,
Frances, Emma, Mary, Julia.
"EMANUEL SWEDENBORG."
On the evening of the 8th of December, at the above-mentioned trumpet
seance were present, besides me and my wife, the following persons: Mr.
and Mrs. Stebbins, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Catherine Remlin, Mr. and
Mrs. Green and Mrs. Boggs. We had spirit singing and talking, with many
other remarkable manifestations. Among the spirits who spoke were
Garfield, Washington and Lincoln, three ex-Presidents. Two slates were put
on the table by Mr. Green before the light was put out, and I had that
afternoon bought two very small silica slates, of which I gave one to my
wife, who held it in her hand, and the other, in the dark, I put on the
corner of the table nearest me, which nobody else knew any thing about.
When the seance was over several names and messages were written on the
two big slates, and on mine was the following on both sides:
"My Dear Daughter--Oh, how happy I am that I have found a way to
communicate to you. I will be with you often.
"O. J. N. D."
On the other side appeared:
"My Dear Daughter--According to promise I am with you. I have many things
to tell you. With my heart full of love for you,
"O. J. N. D."
These were the initials of my wife's father's Swedish name, Otto Jacob
Natt och Dag, and we were highly pleased with the result. Subsequently he
communicated often, signing his name in full, as above.
On the 23d of March, 1882, at Mrs. Green's, among other communications,
was the following:
"Dear Papa--All of your Swedish friends are here, and intend to use their
influence to-day and give you a surprise before the seance is over. All
are present except Swedenborg, who we expect very soon. We are not sure of
success, but we intend to try. The surprise will be Grandpa Franks trying
to communicate inside of the double slate, with your assistance holding
the slate and all of your friends influence combined. Madam Ehrenborg
withheld her message to-day to add her strength and help grandpa with his
surprise to mamma and you. * * * Swedenborg has come; get the slate. This
is all you will get from me to-day. Your loving son,
"EMIL."
We cleaned the double slate and put it under the table, where I held on to
one end of it and pressed the two slates together with my hand, while Mrs.
Green held the other end, and we both felt and heard the writing going on
inside the two slates. The writing continued about ten minutes, after
which a tap was heard, when I took the slate out, opened it, and in my
father-in-law's handwriting found the following communication, which I had
photographed and electrotyped as seen opposite:
On the 23d of July, from 9 to 11 A. M., at Mrs. Green's, I had cheerful
writings from our three sons and grand-daughter, Julia Muth first, and
afterwards there appeared on the slate the following communication in the
Swedish language:
"Dyra goda waen C. J. Helleberg! Jag prsenterar dig min Hoegaktning och
evinnerlig waenskap.
"FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."
Which, translated into English is:
"Dear, good friend C. J. Helleberg, I present you my esteem and eternal
friendship.
"FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."
I had it photographed, as shown.
[Illustration]
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