WCP2585

[1]

Valentines, Ilford

Feb[ruary]. 15 1881

My Dear Mr. Wallace,

To yours of Feb 9, for which accept my thanks, I only reply, so far as affects the assertion which I made, without verification, of Miss F Cook¹ having been captured or detected as Crookes² & I have now verified it, & found I was wrong).& I have written to Mrs. Corner³ to say as much.

1.The incident was at Joy Cox’s⁴

2.The medium was Miss Showers⁵

3.She was not ‘captured’, but detected, being found in the cabinet with her head turned[? Illeg] in white standing on a chair looking thro’ the curtain.

4.S. Maurice Davies⁶, who gives the narrative in chapter x 2 of his ‘Mystic London’, affects to give it in the words of a friend who was present — & by implication seems to say he was not. But this is a transparent blend[?illeg] for the style of the friend communications in chapters xxxix & x 2 — is unmistakably his own.

How it came to pass that I muddled up Miss F. Cook — with Mrs Showers is easily told. In the narrative, Miss C. & Mrs S. are referred to as the new young lady mediums: and ‘Florence’ is several times (equivocably) mentioned, once as being like Miss S. But this Florence, is ‘Florence Maple’ a supposed spirit said to be materialized thro’ Miss S., but really Miss S. herself. The detection and message[?illeg] of the medium, but not the imposture, seems to have been most complete. A Miss S. appears, from another book I have, to have made a confidant of Joy Cox & [2] as some amends for having taken him in to have explained in minute detail the moons operandi: even to showing him a private letter from another lady medium giving full instructions for carrying out a successful impersonation. Cox did not commit the breach of faith which publication of the letter [?-illeg word] have been but wrote a long account of the affair to home — who published it.

Cox says, in ^March 1876, that up to this time five materializing mediums had been caught & exposed. Two of these of course were Mrs. Holme’s⁷ & Miss. Showers (both American); & I suppose another was Eva Fay⁸, as if not, who were the other three?. It is but fair that such cases now be recorded, with a note to those in which the medium was believed to be sleep-walking.

Was not Dr Monck⁹ prosecuted, like Slade¹⁰ — & convicted? I have an imperfect recollection of some proceedings against him.

Such things too should be recorded as a safeguard against delusion, if not imposture. In so very serious an enquiry one can hardly be too cautious. & this I [3] say with full recognition of the brainless & superstitious deceptions of the outside world in all ^modern prefer natural things.

I believe we have pretty well decided upon going on with Haxby¹¹, when he is better. He told me of Monk’s Thiefs, & Mrs. Corner of Holmes’s. Both mediums seem to be dying of paralysis

I am | Yours very truly | C. M. Ingleby[signature]

A. R. Wallace Esq.