At the next act of the seance, as I understood it, a ‘test’ was called for.  A young man, whose name I did not distinctly hear, now took the chair of the former Medium.  He promptly announced the appearance of the Spirit of an Indian girl, and then personified her by assuming a silly address in broken English.  In this manner he expressed himself as seeing various Spirits of friends and relatives of the company hovering among them.  They were announced by the first name in a rather uncertain and expectant manner, and in a few instances they were supposed to be recognized by some of the company, but mostly did not accord with their knowledge.  As an example, the Medium informed Dr. Koenig that a tall man named Charley was holding something over his head and encouraging him in some great enterprise.  Dr. Koenig did not recognize the man, nor could he be made to comprehend anything of the subjects of which he was informed by the materialized Indian girl.  During this second act of the seance, I could detect nothing that could be attributed to other than ordinary human agency.  The Indian girl retired, and the seance closed.

JOSEPH LEIDY.

* * * * *

February 10th, 1887.

I enter Col.  Kase’s house, 1601 North 15th Street, in company of Drs. Leidy, White and Mr. Sommerville, a friend of the first.  We are received by the Colonel and pass scrutiny.  The seance takes place in the second story sitting-room.  This is furnished with a large oak table, a square piano, and one corner is made into an alcove, the curtains of which are thrown back and reveal several drawings in black and white—­one of the young Raphael.  Over the mantlepiece a painting representing the apparition of a Spirit-form, to a young lady sitting in front of a fire-place.  On entering this room find the Medium, Mrs. Thayer, engaged in seating the audience.  She is a middle-aged lady of good proportions, hair black, color flushed, the light eyes look weary, the lower face rather square, deep lines around the mouth.  She is evidently not in very good humor.  After a while the company, between twenty and thirty persons, mostly women, get seated.

Owing to the many people present I could not see what preparations had been made.  Medium requests that the piano be moved against the door (to keep off illicit Spirits?).  Chair placed against the door.  Light turned out completely.  Singing of “Sweet by-and-bye.”  Medium requests a lady to invoke Divine blessing.  Disgusting cant.  More singing.  Darkness impenetrable.  Sudden bumping noise on the table.  Match struck by the Colonel just as something crawls over my hand and falls to the floor.  It is a red-bellied terrapin.  Some ferns appear neatly arranged on the table in front and to the left of the Medium.  Expressions of gratification.  Dark.  Singing.  A pine-bough is thrown against me.  Screaming on account of terrapin.  Match.  Several parties have large lilies in front of them.  My neighbor