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MAGUS

90 “The narrative fits in with others of a like nature. Only a few weeks ago we recorded some similar occurrences in America and Mr William Howitt once published a pamphlet full of authenticated cases of stone-throwing by spirits. Two or three years ago we printed an account of stone-throwing by spirits at Peckham in which case windows were broken over and over again, in broad daylight, under the eyes of the police. It is pleasing to see that the narrative speaks well of Mr. Allen and his family, for not only are plenty of similar disturbances on record, but in ignorant communities unjust suspicions against the chief sufferers have sometimes taken root; only a few weeks ago we published how similar disturbances took place in the presence of a poor scared child who happened to be a medium; consequently, the poor little girl, to escape persecution, threw herself into the river in the attempt to drown herself. Sometimes these manifestations are attached to places rather than to persons; the place is then said to be “haunted” and in several cases, on inquiring into the history of immediate locality, it has been discovered that a crime has been committed on the spot. We would not advise anybody to form a spirit circle in the house, since a person possessing incipient medium-ship might be injured by developing it near low influences. It might or might not be safe for fully-developed mediums to go there; their own spirit guides should first be consulted as to whether they would be able to protect them from the power in the house. The simplest plan for Mr Allen to adopt is, when they are rolling stones about, to ask them to give one knock for ‘no’, three for ‘yes’ or to give raps at particular letters when he calls over the alphabet. Then ask them who they are and what they want. They should be dealt with kindly and the investigation be carried out in a most serious and not a flippant spirit, for communion between the two worlds is a very serious thing. Among experienced spiritualists, it is very generally believed to be a law that ‘the lower the spirit the greater its power over common matter’. The lowest spirits sometimes use their power mischievously at their own idle pleasure and sometimes use it for good purposes, under the guidance and instruction of higher and better spirits by which good work they gradually raise themselves and by working off their sins take a place in spirit life, in accordance with the universal law of eternal progression”. Belfast News Letter, 24 February 1890. Shooting at a Ghost: An Extraordinary Story. Our Portadown correspondent writes—A ludicrous incident took place in Edenderry the other night. It appears that since the dead body of a woman was discovered in the River Bann a few weeks ago the boathouse has been haunted, and the inhabitants of Francis Street and Foundry Street terrified to such an extent by the nightly visits of the “boathouse ghosts” that they were

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