A lively correspondence has been going on all the week
about the American medium, Mr. Slade,—of whom we gave some account last week. In Saturday's Times Mr. Ray Lankester and his friend Dr. Donkin gave an account of a visit in which they declared that -they had detected Mr. Slade in placing a slate, which already con- tained a secretly-written message, in Professor Laukester's hands, with the assertion that it was empty,—the intention being to make (elsewhere) the sound of writing, so as to deceive Professor Lankester with the notion that the imprisoned fragment of slate- pencil was then, under spiritual guidance, tracing a message which had really been traced on the slate before, it was placed in his hands. Mr. Lankester says that he diagnosed this as the true rationale of Mr. Slade's modes operandi on his first visit----when he was alone—and brought Dr. Donkin with him to witness the verifi- cation. It turned out, say Professor Lankester and Dr. Donkin, just as was anticipated, while Mr. Slade " offered -no explanation what- ever, but exhibiting great agitation, remained silent and pale." Mr. Slade asserts that there was no complete message, but only two er three words, and that he had said, before asking Professor Lan- kester to hold the slate with him, "they are writing now,"—an ,assertion which is positively denied by both Professor Lankester and Dr. Donkin.
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