Afterward, during the forenoon (you know she has been and still is my guest), she recurred to the subject, and added that if hereafter her health improved it would give her pleasure to make a free-will offering to the Commission of a number of seances for further investigations.

I forgot to tell you, when we last met, that yesterday morning, the 6th of November, I brought away from Mrs. Patterson our sealed slate.  It contains no writing, so Mrs. Patterson says.  During the many months that it has been in this Medium’s possession I have made to her the most urgent appeals, both in person and by letter, to fulfill her promise of causing the writing to appear in it.  Her invariable excuse has been her lack of time.

I Remain Yours,

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS,

Acting Chairman.

7th November, 1884.

It will be seen from the last paragraph of the preceding letter that the attempt to produce ‘independent writing’ on the inside of the slate sealed by the Commission was without result.

The slate was sealed on May 31st, 1884 (as described in the records of the meeting of that date), was placed in the hands of the Medium, Mrs. Patterson, the next day, where it remained until November 6th.

GEO. S. FULLERTON,

Secretary.

* * * * *

January 16th, 1885.

The Commission met on Friday evening, January 16th, 1885, for the purpose of examining a second slate which had been sealed by Mr. Furness and left with Mrs. Patterson, and was now returned to the Commission.

The slate was screwed and sealed by Mr. Furness, just before Christmas, and was in the hands of the Medium until January 12th.

[So importunate was the Acting Chairman in his entreaties to Mrs. Patterson to bring to bear on these slates all her Spiritual power, that at last he induced her to name a certain afternoon that should be devoted to the task.  He went to her house on the day named, and sat with her while she held the slates in her lap.  To increase to the utmost all available Spiritual force, Mrs. Patterson’s two daughters and her brother-in-law, Mr. Winner, were called in and shared the session.  After sitting for nearly two hours, the little pencil had not made its appearance on the outside, but could still be heard rattling inside, and the obdurate Spirits were abandoned for the day.—­H.H.F.]

The slate was secured as follows: 

[Illustration]

The two leaves of the slate were fastened by four screws at 1, 2, 3 and 4; one side of the slate was already secured by the hinges 8, 8; the slate had then been wrapped by the tape 9, 9, as indicated, the knot being at 4; seals had then been set over the heads of the screws, upon the tape, at 1, 2, 3 and 4, and also over the ends of the screws, upon the tape, on the other side of the slate; a seal was also placed upon the ends of the tape at 5; and two seals at one corner, at the places indicated by 6 and 7.  The corner marked by the arrow (<—­) was protected only by the screws and seals at 3 and 4.