he tollgate keeper
standing without occupation on the turnpike, and asked him for a
direction to the strongest spiritualist in Chelsea City. He directed me
to a merchant. He was not at home, and I asked his clerk, to give me
directions to some other spiritualist. He put several on a paper, the
first of whom was Mr. Mansfield, and I was impressed to go to him. I was
quite a stranger and without asking about the occupation of this
Mansfield, I asked only for a direction to his house. When I found it, I
was told that Mansfield was at his office No. 3. Winter Street in
Boston. Without asking, what his occupation was, I came at length on the
3d of December, 1858, into his office. When I was in his office, the
portraits of the dead drawn by some entranced medium with whom I was
personally acquainted, and other paraphernalia reminded me, that that
must be the celebrated medium J. V. Mansfield, of whom I read in
newspapers, that many sealed letters not only from different quarters of
America but also from other parts of the Globe, were directed to
departed acquaintances of the writers, and answers were asked from the
departed which he could not give also in the case, if he would read the
letters. But answers were to be given without opening the letters, by
him as writing medium of spirits. He had to return the letters without
opening the seal, and to add the answers as written by his mediumship.
While reading the reports regarding that medium, I thought to see him,
when I would come again to Boston. But while I was in the first part of
November, 1858, in Boston I did not remember this, and came at my return
from New Hampshire in the briefly related manner on the third December,
1858, against all my expectation to him. I think that he was present at
the two above mentioned Conferences in Boston, in which I spoke before
starting for New Hampshire. When I conversed on the 3d of December with
him in his office, he invited me to come on Saturday, December 4th 1858,
to his office and from thence to ride with him to his house in Chelsea
City and spend Sunday, December 5th, with him. I was impressed to do so.
That Sunday was the second Sunday in Advent. On the 4th, after the
arrival in his house we both were tired and went to bed at 10 o'clock
P.M. I rested well, till I was awakened by a female departed spirit who
was in great distress and entreated me to give her assistance to kill
her husband. I understood it in a spiritual sense to st