SPIRIT RAPPING.

Patea Mail, Volume X, Issue 1314, 27 February 1885, Page 2

SPIRIT RAPPING.

The other evening' six ladies and gentlemen, residents .of- Dunedin, sat round a table and joined hands in the usual style, for the purpose of trying whether they could obtain what are usually known as spiritualistic manifestations. Though novices at the business, they succeeded in obtaining some revelations which, if anything but pure nonsense, are of an extraordinary and important character. The first communicant from the unseen world was the disembodiment of a gentleman who, while in the flesh,lived ‘in the house where the... party were assembled. After answering a number of questions referring to private matters, he 'said that a battle had been fought that day at Berber, between the British troops, numbering from 2,000 to 3,000, and a rebel force 5,000 to 6,000 strong. The British .loss was forty-four killed and sixty-eight wounded ; while the rebels sustained a decisive defeat, losing in killed and wounded between 4000 and 5000. This friend of the house then mentioned that, lie. had a companion who wanted to speak ; and it was shortly elicited that the party referred to was no other than General Gordon. The General answered questions readily, corroborating the details of the battle. He added that he blamed the, Government for not sending him help before. With 500 British troops he could have held Khartoum against the rebels for some time, but he was not sure that he could have held out till Wolseley relieved him. There was no possibility of Wolsely taking Khartoum this season I He was not sure that Wolseley was a brave man. Beresford was, and he would make a name for himself during this camipaign. Gladstone would lose personal popularity over' this . affair, but his, Government vould not be immediately ousted from office. The Government should act quickly, or it would be too late to stop the rebellion this year. Asked about the manner of his death, General Gordon added that he was not shot, nor stabbed, but was “ brained from behind by traitors.” He lived two minutes after the fatal blow was dealt. We give the above details simply as a matter of curiosity. All that we guarantee is that the parties to whom the manifests--tions were made are above suspicion of trickery or imposition of any kind.Dunedin Star,