The Harry Watkins Diary, Volume 11 [July 22, 1853–June 12, 1854]

27 August 1853

Sat. (Saturday) 27th . …slip Cloudy—rain in the evening—down town [sic downtown] A.M reading & sleeping P.M. removeYesterday Having heard a great deal about the wonderfulexpand_less things done by spiritual mediums, my curiosity was raised to witness some of the miracles that have astonished so many wise heads. I therefore, in company removewith removeof withexpand_less a couple of friends, visited the removewife house of W Hamblin, son of the late T. S. Hamblin, whose wife was reported to be a medium. The lady was quite willing to gratify our curiosity and so took her seat at removethe aexpand_less table ready to summon "spirits from the vasty deep". There removeappears to be two areexpand_less, it appears, two kinds of mediums—rappers and table movers. Mrs Hamblin was removethe one of the latter

class. The plan of operating was by removelay placing the hands upon the table, when removethe aexpand_less spirit gave notice of its presence by careening the table on two legs. All being prepared, one of the party asked if there was a spirit removespresent when, behold "the table began to move"—and, by running over the alphabet, we learned that the spirit of the defunct Hamblin was about and ready to answer any questions that might be put. "To what base uses may we not return, Horatio." To think that the noble spirit of Hamblin, which, when it inhabited its mortal tenement, "seemed a veryremove god, god, 'mongst men"—one born to command should now be found removeexciting the wonder and gratifying moving old tables around to removegratify excite the wonder and gratify the pleasure of those with whom, while living, he would not have exchanged more words than go to make up an answer. I was very anxious to hold communion with the spirit of Jo Gilbert, knowing full well that the medium was unacquainted with him and that none but himself could answer my questions. It required a great dealexpand_less of remove…slip coaxing to induce Hamblin's spirit to hunt up Joe's and bring it to us and when it did come it seemed profoundly ignorant of all that hadexpand_less transpired when the spirit was in the flesh. It being evident that we should get no information from Gilbert, some person suggested that perhaps it might not be his spirit after all, and, upon enquiry, this was found to be the case; through the medium we learned that Hamblin had been present all the time

and had been trying to fool us! From this it would appear that there is no more reliance to be placed on spirits than on mortals Bah! what nonsense! How men of sense can be gulled by it is beyond my comprehension. Mrs Hamblin being called out of the room for a few moments I thought I would try if I could be made a medium, so seating myself at the table and placing my hands thereon I put removethe it through the same evolutions as had the lady, with this difference—I did it all without spiritual aid. After trifling away nearly two hours in this foolish manner we left. The persons with me were firm believers in spiritualism whether the removeep experience of this afternoon shook removethat their belief or notexpand_less I do not know, but of this fact I felt convinced that you may call spirits from the other world but whether or not they will come when you do call has not, as yet, been demonstrated. I was told that removeone aexpand_less Mrs Brown one of the original discoverers of this phenomena, could astonish meexpand_less if not convince me of its truth. She might astonish removeme but the fact she charges one dollar admission to her "circles" would not convince me of her truth, for nothing could make me believe that the "Great Spirit" would permit his little spirits to exhibit themselves at so much per head. Something should be done to expose this rapping and table moving [sic table-moving] for it is driving man…illegibley weak-minded persons to the Lunatic Asylum