Hours with the Ghosts or, Nineteenth Century Witchcraft

Entered according to act of Congress, in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-seven. BY WILLIAM H. LEE, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

TO MY WIFE

"It is no proof of wisdom to refuse to examine certain phenomena because we think it certain that they are impossible, as if our knowledge of the universe were already completed."--Prof. Lodge.

"The most ardent Spiritist should welcome a searching inquiry into the potential faculties of spirits still in the flesh. Until we know more of these, those other phenomena to which he appeals must remain unintelligible because isolated, and are likely to be obstinately disbelieved because they are impossible to understand."--F. W. H. Myers: "Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research," Part XVIII, April, 1891.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Author's Preface 11

INTRODUCTORY ARGUMENT 13

PART FIRST: =Spiritualism= 18

I. Divisions of the Subject 18

II. Subjective Phenomena 23 1. Telepathy 23 2. Table Tilting. Muscle Reading 40

III. Physical Phenomena 46 1. Psychography or Slate-writing 46 2. The Master of the Mediums: D. D. Home 93 3. Rope Tying and Holding Mediums; Materializations 135 The Davenport Brothers 135 Annie Eva Fay 149 Charles Slade 154 Pierre L. O. A. Keeler 160 Eusapia Paladino 175 F. W. Tabor 182 4. Spirit Photography 188 5. Thought Photography 197 6. Apparitions of the Dead 201

IV. Conclusions 207

PART SECOND: =Madame Blavatsky and the Theosophists= 210

I. The Priestess 213

II. What is Theosophy? 237

III. Madame Blavatsky's Confession 250

IV. The Writings of Madame Blavatsky 265

V. The Life and Death of a Famous Theosophist 268

VI. The Mantle of Madame Blavatsky 272

VII. The Theosophical Temple 287

VIII. Conclusion 290

List of Authorities 298

ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE.

Fig. 1. Spirit Photograph, by the author Frontispiece

Fig. 2. Portrait of Dr. Henry Slade 47

Fig. 3. The Holding of the Slate 51

Fig. 4. Slate No. 1 65

Fig. 5. Slate No. 2 71

Fig. 6. Slate No. 3 77

Fig. 7. Home at the Tuileries 97

Fig. 8. Crookes' Apparatus No. 1 116

Fig. 9. Crookes' Apparatus No. 1 119

Fig. 10. Crookes' Apparatus No. 1 120

Fig. 11. Crookes' Apparatus No. 1 121

Fig. 12, 13, 14, 15. Crookes' Diagrams 124-125

Fig. 16. Crookes' Apparatus No. 2 126

Fig. 17. Crookes' Apparatus No. 2 127

Fig. 18, 19, 20. Crookes' Diagrams 128-130

Fig. 21. Hammond's Apparatus 133

Fig. 22. The Davenport's in their Cabinet 139

Fig. 23. Trick Tie and in Cabinet Work 143

Fig. 24. Charles Slade's Poster 158-159

Fig. 25. Pierre Keeler's Cabinet Seance 162

Fig. 26. Pierre Keeler's Cabinet Curtain 163

Fig. 27. Portrait of Eusapia Paladino 176

Fig. 28. Eusapia before the Scientists 177

Fig. 29. Spirit Photograph, by the author 191

Fig. 30. Spirit Photograph, by pretended medium 195

Fig. 31. Sigel's Original Picture of Fig. 30 199

Fig. 32. Portrait of Madame Blavatsky 215

Fig. 33. Mahatma Letter 221

Fig. 34. Mahatma Envelope 225

Fig. 35. Portrait of Col. H. S. Olcott 233

Fig. 36. Oath of Secrecy of the Charter Members of the Theosophical Society 235

Fig. 37. Portrait of W. Q. Judge 241

Fig. 38. Portrait of Mrs. Annie Besant 273

Fig. 39. Portrait of Mrs. Tingley 285

Fig. 40. Autograph of Madame Blavatsky 293

PREFACE.