VARIED PHENOMENA AT MRS. WRIEDT’S SËANCES

Possibly my experiences at the séances of Mrs. Wriedt may comfort some who are bereaved, and may help those who are “almost persuaded.”

I have had the privilege of sitting in Julia’s circle for nearly three years at Mr. Stead’s Wimbledon house, and have never missed a service save through illness. I sat next to Mr. Stead at supper two or three weeks before his fatal journey, and heard him say that when he came back from the other side he would shake the floor and walls and stamp round the room. I was also present at supper on May 29, when the room was shaken as though by an earthquake. I had to take hold of the table as my chair rocked. I heard heavy steps round the room, and saw Mr. Steads chair moving alone. (See Miss Scaterd’s account in Light of August 3.) I was present at the séance on May 6, and saw Mr. Stead’s etherealisation, and heard his conversation with his daughter. My place at the séance was always between Mr. Robert King and my husband, and about eight feet from the medium.

After the preliminary service Mrs. Wriedt turned out the light. Immediately a hand would touch me, within (I should say) ten seconds. I generally held a hand of those each side of me. The materialised hands were often placed gently on my head, and stayed there for some minutes. My back was to the wall. My hand was often firmly grasped by a hand of warm flesh and blood, which I am convinced was my son’s. He passed from this life three years ago aged nineteen. Once I mentally said: “If you are my boy, give three grips.” Immediately the hand gave three grips.

Sometimes Mr. King would say: “I see your boy standing by you.” I only saw a pillar of faint cloud. Invariably from this light came a hand caressing my face. Once a bunch of pinks was gently unfastened from my waist, and Immediately a sitter opposite said: “I have had some flowers given to me.” Afterwards we found they were my pinks. One night, being tired, I stretched my hands above my head. Two hands, coming as it were, from the ceiling, took mine and pulled me upwards till I stood on tiptoe. I felt I should have been lifted, but became agitated, and the hands melted away. I invariably told the circle of these hands, and Mr. King reached up and felt them grasping mine. My husband also felt them. I touched the forefinger of the right hand, and found it roughened, as my boy’s often was by attending to his motor bicycle. At one séance a heavy satin coat was rather in my way. It was gently lifted from me, and put on the back of Admiral Moore’s chair at the other side of the room. I was sitting on part of this coat. It left me like a cloud, although I had not moved. Sometimes, when the hands were placed on my head, My son’s voice would say: “It is I dear.” The voice did not come from behind me, where the hands were, but from high in the centre of the room.

A remarkable test is that the hands never groped. They deliberately took my hand, touched my forehead, placed flowers in my hand from the vases eight feet away. I am certain no one moved in the room. Could we do this in darkness? I once mentally asked my boy if Mrs. Ella Anker could not have the hands, and immediately she delightedly exclaimed that a little hand was caressing her. We then heard a child’s

voice talking to her in Norwegian for some minutes. I also felt a baby’s hand pat me. I took hold of it and felt the tiny nails; they were very soft, as a baby’s would be. We had been sitting for over an hour, and no child was in the room.

The best results occur when the same sitters meet and take the same places week after week. I was fortunate in being near to Mr. King, as his mediumship helped me greatly. My boys voice—a whisper at first—became stronger and more natural. He spoke to each sitter in turn, and in response to my request told each the colour of his or her aura.

I feel much compassion for those in sorrow, and earnestly wish everyone could have the comfort I have had.

I saw lately in some paper that those who come back are evil spirits. That should be a great comfort to those who say so and believe so, for if evil ones keep their identity, remember even the terms of endearment in their old home life, and give their time to comforting those in sorrow, surely the good spirits should also keep their identity and be allowed to visit their loved ones. We must make no conditions. They tell us their missionary work is terribly difficult. On this earth plane they need a medium. If they ask for a paper or aluminium tube for acoustic purposes, or darkness for the creation of simulacra, we must not imitate the savage chief who demanded a photograph without the use of camera or darkroom.

When I suffered the terrible loss of my only child three years ago I knew nothing of Spiritualism. Mr. Stead has my eternal gratitude. He told me to go patiently forward even for seven years. I am doing so, and have had the most wonderful and convincing proofs. I may say I have read every word of Light these three years.

Physical mediumship is often scorned, but Jesus of Nazareth did not despise it, and thus comforted his disciples.

I can no longer say :—

Oh, for the touch of a vanished hand And the sound of a voice that is still. M. M.

Kingston-on-Thames.

The following letter was written to my friend Lady Hill, the widow of a late Governor of Newfoundland, who lives at Southsea. It is from a young relative by marriage, who, on hearing that I was collecting narratives of the sittings at Wimbledon, kindly gave me permission to send it to Light for publication :—

My dear Lady Hill,—I know you will be anxious to hear all about the séance. We [i.e., the writer and her mother] were much impressed with our experiences. The first spirit that talked to us was Uncle John, which is a curious fact, as one or two members of mother’s family that have attended séances with English mediums have said that Uncle John is always the first to come and speak. He said, “I have come to my sister”; and added that he was so pleased to be able to talk to us. We asked him if he would ask father and Alice to come, and he said he would send them. Later on mother was

knocked with the trumpet on her face and knees; then we heard kisses, and a voice saying “I am William.” He said to mother [his widow]: “I hope you are well; don’t worry.” Mother asked him if he was happy, and who was with him. He replied: “Yes, I am quite happy, and we are always together—seven of us.” I asked him who were the seven, and he said: “Father and mother, Stevie, Alice, Willie, and the little baby.” I said: “Oh yes; Gerald—that was the name of Maudie’s little baby she lost.” Then father said to mother: “You will come when you can, and thank you for all your tender care of me.” Then mother asked him if he ever came to her. He replied: “I am with you every night. Good-bye, dearest.” We asked him if he would send Alice, and he answered: “She will come.” Presently mother felt three gentle knocks on her shoulder, and the trumpet knocked me on the knees; then a voice, “I am Alice” (and several kisses sounded in the trumpet); “It is nice to be able to talk to you.” Mother explained: “Your children are very happy and well, and Vesey has never forgotten you.” Alice replied in quite a matter-of-fact way: “I am with them always.” I asked: “What message shall I give them?” She said: “Nothing, they would not understand.” Then I enquired if she was happy, and what she was doing. She replied: “Yes, quite happy; I am progressing, and am teaching in a kindergarten.”

This last answer is very remarkable, as I told one or two people a long time ago, soon after dear Alice passed over, that I woke up one night hearing her talking, and then saw her most vividly in a hat, coat, and skirt, just her old self, smiling. When I have mentioned this to anyone, I have always said: “It was so strange, as she seemed to be talking to a lot of children, which puzzled me.” She said one or two more little things, and then, “Good-bye to all, and to you sweet mother”; then kisses were heard in the trumpet.

There were several other people there who held conversations with spirits; one conversed in German. Mr. Stead had a long conversation with one gentleman present. We saw one or two spirit-forms at the beginning of the séance, but not afterwards. Sir Henry Irving, Cardinal Newman, Julia, and Dr. Sharp manifested. The latter controlled the séance; he got angry twice when the sitters were dense and stupid, and raised his voice very loud, which amused me. I did not feel in the least nervous. The only time I was startled was when the trumpet touched me; it was pitch dark……I think that what impressed me most was that everything was so natural.—Yours very affectionately  N.

I have already reported the strange fact that John King, the control of Husk and Williams, took charge of Mrs. Wriedt’s séances at Cambridge House, Dr. Sharp (the psychic’s own control) remaining in the background when the circle was composed of sitters who did not personally know him.

My friends Major and Mrs. R., with Colonel L., attended a well-selected general circle in the middle of May, when they were much interested. Among other events, John King came and accosted Mrs. R. as “The Rose,” an old joke of his band when she sat with Husk and Williams. At the end of the month this party formed a private circle one afternoon, made up of Mrs. R.’s daughter, a Mrs. F. B. and her son, a Mrs. B., and a Mr. J. In the evening Mrs. R. kindly sent me the following account :—

Dear Admiral Moore,—I am writing to tell you about today’s séance, which was most interesting. Grayfeather came strong, and said “Usborne” had sent him, and asked what we wanted. He told Mr. F. B. that a “Frenchie” was there for him, (This