Slate Writing

A form of direct writing, or "autography," that has been one of the popular phenomena of séances. The method is the same in the majority of cases. The medium and the sitter take their seats at opposite ends of a small table, each grasping a corner of an ordinary school slate that they thus hold firmly pressed against the underside of the table. A small fragment of slate-pencil is first enclosed between slate and table, for the use of the spirit-writer. Should the séance be successful, a scratching sound, as of someone writing on a slate, is heard at the end of a few moments; three loud raps indicate the conclusion of the message; and on the withdrawal of the slate, it is found to be partly covered with writing—either a general message from the spirit world, or an answer to some question previously written down by the sitter.

Among the mediums who were most successful in obtaining spirit writing in this manner were Henry Slade and William Eglinton. The former, an American medium, came to England in 1876 and succeeded in mystifying a number of people of education and of scientific attainments. His critics attributed his success, in part at least, to his frank and engaging manner.

Ray Lankester exposed his trickery, and Henry Slade was prosecuted. Although sentenced to three months' hard labor, the omission of certain words in the accusation made the conviction of no effect. But Slade found that England had become too hot for him and speedily left.

Many of the accounts of his séances in different countries are of interest, chiefly because of the discrepancy that exists between the observations of credulous Spiritualists and those of trained investigators. Richard Hodgson, however, has pointed out that even in the latter class, instances of flawed observation were the rule rather than the exception, particularly where sleight of hand played a prominent part.

William Eglinton was a worthy successor to Slade as a medium for slate-writing manifestations and attained extraordinary popularity, with more than a hundred people testifying to his mediumistic powers in the Spiritualist journal Light. Speaking of Eglinton's performances, C. C. Massey of the Psychological Society said: "Many, of whom I am one, are of the opinion that the case for these phenomena generally, and for autography, in particular, is already complete."

Eglinton's manifestations were produced in full light, and his séances were seldom without results, so it is hardly surprising that many persons, ignorant of the lengths to which conjuring can be carried and overconfident in their own ability to observe correctly, should have seen in slate-writing a phenomenon explicable only by a Spiritualist theory.

But there was definite proof of fraud in several cases. Muslin and a false beard, part of the make-up of a "spirit," had been found in Eglinton's portmanteau, and various persons declared that they had seen his messages written on prepared slates previous to séances.

Other well-known exponents of slate-writing were Fred P. Evans and Laura A. Pruden.

Spiritualists themselves responded to exposures by asserting that fraud might occasionally be practiced by genuine mediums, owing to the uncertainty of the "power" and the constant expectation of phenomena. Particularly was this so in the case of professional mediums, who felt obliged to produce some results, and who had to resort to trickery when other means failed them.

S. J. Davey, an associate of the Society for Psychical Research, London, having discovered the tricks of slate-writing, practiced them himself and was accordingly claimed by certain Spiritualists as a medium as well as a conjurer, notwithstanding his protestations to the contrary! This was undoubtedly a powerful argument against the good faith of slate-writing. If his sitters could mistake these sleight-of-hand tricks (which Davey practiced with the express purpose of discrediting professional mediums) for genuine spirit manifestations, they might also be misled by the legerdemain of Slade and Eglinton, and other well-known mediums. It has been objected that even a skilled conjurer such as Professor Hoffmann (Angelo J. Lewis) professed himself mystified by slate-writing performances.

The methods adopted by Davey were of a simple nature, requiring little or no apparatus. In the case of a long, general message, he would prepare a slate beforehand and substitute it for the test slate. A shorter message, or a reply to a question, he would write on the reverse side of the slate, with a scrap of pencil fastened in a thimble, and so withdraw the slate that the side written on would be uppermost. There is reason to believe that similar devices were used in other séances for their simplicity and the absence of all apparatus rendered them particularly difficult to detect. But where the sitters were more credulous, intricate furniture and appliances were used and the most elaborate preparations made for the séance.

Slate writing is now a largely discredited phenomenon because it is open to conjuring fraud and it has never required anything in the nature of the reverent atmosphere of a Spiritualist séance. The businesslike way in which vague messages or answers to questions are obtained does not suggest either spirit agency or the operation of a paranormal faculty.

Sources:

Abbott, David P. Behind the Scenes with the Mediums. Chicago: Open Court; London: Kegan Paul, 1909.

——. The Revelations of a Spirit Medium. St. Paul: Farrington, 1891. Rev. ed., edited by Harry Price and E. J. Dingwall. London: Kegan Paul, 1922.

Farmer, John S. 'Twixt Two Worlds: A Narrative of the Life and Work of William Eglinton. London: The Psychological Press, 1886.

Owen, J. J. Psychography: Marvelous Manifestations of Psychic Power Given Through the Mediumship of Fred P. Evans. San Francisco, 1893.