853. I pass on to a small group of cases which form a curious transition from these communications inter vivos to communications which I shall class as coming from the dead. These are cases where the message professes to come from a deceased person, but shows internal evidence of having come, telepathically, from the mind of some one present. I shall begin with a case such as is often cited as proof (insufficient proof, I think) that a deceased person is communicating.

Our informant, Mr. Lewis, a man of business in Cincinnati, states that an automatist to whom his (Mr. Lewis's) family were absolutely unknown wrote a message, with true name, purporting to come from an infant sister long deceased. Mr. Lewis, naturally enough, accepts this message, as similar messages have often been accepted, as an indication of his sister's actual presence.

The account is quoted from Proceedings S.P.R., vol. ix. p. 64.

From Mr. S. Lewis, 347 Baymiller Avenue, Cincinnati.

April 9th, 1888.

On January 28th last I called at the house of some friends; and on this occasion there was some planchette writing. The friends I called on, I believe, are professed Spiritualists. Some four or five of us (I also did) sat around a table in a full and well-lighted room (lighted the entire evening). The operator of the planchette was a lady; her husband was at the table, also three other friends, including myself. Different communications (so called) were received by different ones at the table, from different friends (as the Spiritualists say), who have passed into the spirit world. I can't give all communications to-day, but one I wish to state. But first let me say that many years since in my father's family the first little one that came to live - a short time - with them was a little girl, named Angeline; she lived only about two years and died; next to this little girl was a brother, named Charles (in after life a clergyman in the Episcopal Church); and next to Charles was another little sister also named Angeline, and next to her was another sister named B. Ann; then next to B. Ann appeared, well, your humble servant, myself, to behold many of the beauties of this beautiful world.

So that you see that between the two brief years of my first little sister, Angeline (1st), and my own coming on this globe there was born one brother and two sisters; therefore, my first little sister, Angeline (1st), I never saw; and only heard my mother (in her lifetime) speak of Angeline (1st), and I have also seen her name in the records, etc, in the Bible at my old home.

The operator of the planchette, on the evening of which I am speaking, knew nothing of my father's family (excepting, of course, myself). I never had mentioned one word to the operator (of planchette), or any one else in that little company, anything whatever about my brothers and sisters or even about my father's family in any way or manner; and besides, we all lived and grew up in the north part of the State, not far distant from Lake Erie, while the operator has (I think) lived in the south part of this State not far distant from the Ohio River: and there never has been any acquaintance nor any communication between any member of my father's family (or any one else even) to give any history or information of any kind to the operator,and I certainly never gave the operator any information whatever until after the occurrence and the writing on the planchette, which wrote this evening, January 28th last, the following, viz.: "Mr. Lewis, I am his sister, I am glad you came here to-night; come again (signed) Angeline".

Now I want to ask, how could originate in the mind of operator any ideas or thoughts about this little sister Angeline (1st) and myself? I had not for years past even thought of her until the name was written on the evening spoken of.

The operator is not, never has been a paid medium. S. Lewis.