BUTT AND THE DEVIL.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 184, 10 June 1896, Page 2

BUTT AND THE DEVIL.

Wo resurrect the following 1 from a copy of the London Standard of December, 18S1 : —" Now Zealand, November, 7. Such a marvellous tiling has happened here during the last few days that I must tell it to you. For some time the Spiritualists hero li .ve been holding seances, and one of tho;e who atteudud and prosided was a Mr ?.I;:tr,ivers who does his business hero in 'i'auranga, but as he has a Maori wife lie goes every >aturday to Maketu, t..-on-ty miles of?, where his wifo lives. A few days ago, when he was at Maketu some of tho residents asked if l le would givo them a seance, which lie did at his house, and after going through certain ceremonies he tried the divining rod with tho alphabet, and when any spirits appe ired lie always asked them if they were good or bad spirits, but refused to have any thing to do with bad spirits. After that seance was over it was decided bv. all present to hold another meetingou tho following Saturday. AVl)en Mr Matravers appeared that day ho saw some of the people and asked if they were coming, and they one and ull refused to have anything more to do with it. This rather astonished him, but j»t last lie got tho reason. " It seems that on tho Monday, two dayß after Mr Mat,ravers' seance,, those who had been at it thought that they might try it themselves ; so on Monday they all met in Mr Butt's hou-e. Mr Butt is a strong, powerful man. six feet' high. There were also Mr Oarnachan, captain of the steamer, and some others ;none of them, I should say, would have any belief). They all met, and everything \v<yiton satisfactorily till they tried a divining rod with the alphabet. Butt and C.irnachan had hold of the rod, and when it began to sway about they asked if there was a spirit. Answer, ■ Yes.' ' Who are you ?•' 'lam a soldier who died in India, at Marsten;' and then Butt thinking of tho formula that Matravers always used about being good or bad, asked the question, and the answer was ' An evil spirit,' Butt then said. ' Wo don't want tho like of you ; send us your Chief.' After waiting a few minutes both Butt and Carnachan felt an electric shock going through them, when the rod began to sway Butt asked, 'lsthere a spirit'?' Answer ' Yes,' Butt then said, ' Who are you'/' Answer, 'I am the Father of Ail Evil.' Butt laughed outright at the absurdity, and said, 'lf you are the Father of Evil, show some manifestation on me.' Directly he said tho words ho was gripped on the shoulder, thrown into the air, and then sent headlong under the table. When' the others recovered they picked him up, finding he was in a .-wo n and a'l twisted up. Af'tor a long tinio they succeeded in recovering him by using a good deal of water. When he recovered consciousne s Butt complained that something was gripping his shoulder, and when they took off his clothes they found the marks of three fingers and thumb, and where ho had been touched there were great wales, and he still carries tho mark on his shoulder. All present received such a shock that they refuse to have anything; more to do with it, and sti'l shudder at the mention of it. " Now, the question is, how could such a powerful man be swung up in i.-ie -.it .iiiw tiuOii thrown as hc vre.e a child ? I have heard the* story from each of them, and have sifted it, aud at last come to tho conclusion that it is truo in every particular as I h»vfi given it to you, and I wish von woe'd ask some of the learned men about it and let'mo hear their opinion."