A SPIRITUALISTIC MEDIUM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1204, 23 December 1880, Page 2

A SPIRITUALISTIC MEDIUM.

A STRANGE Spiritualistic case was recently h<_ard at ihe Marlborough Police Court, London, when Miss Mary Ann Houghton, about 45 years of age, was charged with obtaining money by false pretences from Mr, Stewart Charles Cumberland, who described himself as a journalist and lecturer. The case excited much interest, a nnmber of English and -American; Spiritualists ;being present. Mr. Cumberland gave an account of Hia variows visits to "defendant, ranging from the 15th to the 18th September. On the 16th he called on her about half-past 4 in the afternoon, but his appointment was for 3 o'clock. When he arrived she told him that her "control spirit" had been there at 3 o'clock, but that he had departed "for the purpose, no doubt, of attending to other patients." They sat down and had some conversation as to who her " control spirit " was. She said it was Dr. Harvey. He said, "The discoverer of the circulation of blood ?" and she replied "Yes." After scfme time Miss Houghton rocked, herself in a. chair for some moments and assumed a " trance condition." She sighed and opened one eye— (laughter)— and then in a very gruff voice, which was not her ordinary voice; she asked him if he wanted advice - She caught hold of his hand. She. then appeared to be lost^ in. meditation. She said " his neuralgia w_ts very bad," that he was of a very nervous disposition ; that he was Buffering from liver corn-, plaint * that his spine was affected ; : that he was to place himself in the hands of the medium, and nodoubt ultimately a cure would be effected. . She, sai^ the spirit, recomtneuded a certain extract," a b ttle of which she produoedL She also said , that, in addition to Dr. Harvey, she Was *•« controlled " by different spirits and amongst others, a little Indian girl, who was as sharp as a needle, aud could tell her of events; At her dictation, he wrote a preiscription -gmhg the name of certain drhgs.pr^her^^ Colombo, root, seal, : : * Jdz mandrake root, \oz skull cap- -|oz watbo. : batk, : to be taken 'iin a pint and' a half;of. water to stand all night — a table-spoonful to be taken three, times a 4ay. He asked her if lie could get the signature of Dr. Harvey to the prescription;- and she replied that no doubt . when Dr. Harvey kneiv ; him better he would sign, -the paper. She likewise said that Drl Harvey on one occasion had given a prescriptibri written in Greek and Latin, of which language she knew nothing, but the. gentleman being a scholar, easily tead it. 1 The case was eventually'withdrawn.^

We are glad to see that steps are being taken by the English PoStmaster-Generkl to establish a parcel post between! England and the Colonies, the- mutual benefits of which we bave often urged .-.in • these; columns. Professor Fawcett is well-known to be a man who is .thoroughly in earnest in any reform which he undertakes, and we may therefore hope to see something practical result from his taking the subject into consideration". ' "it'" is to be hoped "that the Colonial -Goyerntnents -will do everything in theirpower to co-operate heartily Withf, the English Postmaster-General in this ii matter, seeing .that, anything /which tends to facilitate communication between these colonies and the t mother country means a material extension of- the; trade and prosperity of tho former.

Ii London a right 'to hiss during^ a theatrical ' perfbrmanc'-i. has been legally concedea. It was held that as no bbjecttions had been made to manifestations df approval, similar demonstrations of disapproval, were perfectly legitimate.