"At Ballarat the state of affairs can only be described as deplorable. That city, with East Ballarat, has a population of about 44,000, and at one time (1878) had a flourishing Psychological Society, which body secured the services of Dr. Slade and Mr. Jesse Shepard for a series of seances, the results of which were recorded in a work issued by the late Mr. James Curtis, called ‘Rustlings in the Golden City,’ an English edition of which was lately issued by the publishers of ‘LIGHT’; and, so far as Mr. Shepard's mediumship was concerned, the results were published in a pamphlet compiled by Mr. R. Lorrimer and issued by the society. Mr. Curtis was an old and respected citizen of Ballarat, owning one of the large printing establishments there."
From "Psypioneer" newsletter, edited by Paul Gaunt
Volume 2, Number 8; August 2006, page 185
Continuing my exploration and presentation of primary source materials concerning Jesse Shepard and the Villa Montezuma, I offer this for your kind consideration.
First published in 1890, Rustlings in the Golden City was a collection of report documenting the happenings at private séances in Ballarat and Melbourne, Australia. The reports were gathered together in 1883 by the author and then circulated among a small circle.
Nearly a decade before he would come to San Diego and take up residence in the Villa Montezuma, Shepard travelled to Australia in 1877-78 and stayed for some time. The sixth chapter or report in this book is entitled "Sitting with Mr. Jesse Shepard" and is a first-hand account of Shepard's séances in Melbourne and Ballarat. This text is taken from the Third Edition (1902).
Cover for 1896, Second edition.
Title page, 1896, Second edition.
******
CHAPTER VI.
SITTINGS WITH MR. JESSE SHEPARD.
"The signs of those that are inspired are multiform... Again, the body is seen to be taller or longer, or is elevated, or borne aloft through the air."—Iamblicus.
BEFORE Mr. Slade had taken his departure from Victoria, Mr. Jesse Shepard, medium, arrived in Melbourne.
His séances consisted principally of musical performances, said to be given under control of high-class spirit musicians.
Other phases of mediumship, often in combination with the musical, presented themselves, such as movements of inanimate objects, raps, materializations, etc., and also inspirational writing, and development of mediumship in others.
His mediumship was widely different in style and character to Mr. Slade's. Mr. Slade desired as much light as possible, whilst Mr. Shepard generally regarded darkness, or semi-darkness, as desirable, if not necessary, for the exhibition of many of the manifestation of spirits through himself. Yet darkness was not always insisted on, as I have held séances with him in darkness, semidarkness, and full daylight, and never without spirit manifestations of some kind.
I first met with Mr. Shepard at his private lodgings in Melbourne. After chatting awhile, he got a sheet of foolscap and pencil, and wrote a full folio in a crooked scrawley hand. The writing was addressed to me, and purported to come from a historical* spirit, who lived and flourished on the earth two thousand five hundred years ago. This was not a séance but a casual call. Mr. Shepard informed me that he was engaged for several evenings to hold musical sittings at a private gentleman's house, and he would ask permission for me to sit one evening there with him and his family.
The favor having been obtained for the following evening, a little before eight o'clock I was on my way to Dr. Motherwell's residence, Collins Street.
The séance was held in the gentleman's large drawing room. There were altogether present six persons, including the medium. Shepard seated himself at the grand piano, nearly in the centre of the elegantly furnished apartment. The others sat back about a dozen feet from the medium at the key-board, forming themselves in a segment of a circle, with a small table immediately in front on which was placed a guitar, tambourine, and pasteboard speaking trumpet. Dr. Motherwell seated himself on the left side of the semi-circle, I sat on the right, and three ladies in their chairs immediately between us. The room was darkened—but not absolutely dark, for we could still see one another.
The music commenced. In a few minutes I was quite sure there was a spirit standing at my right hand. I could not see but could feel the spirit. A soft cool wind played about my face and hands, and then I could feel a gentle pressure around me. This evidence of spirits' vicinity is sometimes peculiar; and since that time I have often been favored with a like consciousness of the immortals presence. I cannot attempt to fully describe the sensation, but its nature is as positively substantial as enveloping waters are whilst one is bathing. The spirit that was so close to me whispered her name—the name of a dear and loving friend. Again, in a little while, the low soft voice gently repeated her name and other endearing words; and still once more, a little later, her name was softly breathed, accompanied by a loving message. No words could be spoken more distinctly, or more clearly heard. The medium was all this time performing pleasing operatic and other music at the grand piano.
During the séance, two or three hymns were sung by the group of ladies and gentlemen with piano accompaniment. Whilst one of these songs of praise was being chanted, a spirit-chorister in a magnificently clear pure tenor voice, the source certainly not more than twelve inches from my face, joined melodiously in a verse of six lines of the popular hymn then being sung. No human tones ever seemed to me so clear as this harmonious voice.
At the time the musical performances were going on, spirit hands were now and again about me—on my face, head, shoulders, and arms; and names (with messages) were given of some of my ancient relatives who had ages ago gone to the "land of rest."
The other sitters were likewise similarly favored with messages from their spirit-friends, and said that they also were constantly being touched by spirit-hands.
A single line of a hymn was sung to me by an Independent spirit voice; the next line was warbled to the adjoining sitter; and so on to the end, and back again.
The guitar that was placed on the table commenced and continued at intervals sailing, or floating, around the room near the ceiling, and over and about our heads, Sometimes touching or resting first on one, and then on another, whilst at the same time beautifully soft music escaped from its chords indicating its presence either near or distant; and, during these phenomena, the medium was performing splendid piano music. The tambourine now and then flew about the room in a boisterous manner, striking first one and then another on the head, knees, elbows, or shoulders. The speaking trumpet, too, floated about with voices speaking to all in turn, sometimes indeed with startling emphasis, and at other times with gently-spoken messages.
This never-to-be-forgotten séance finished with a performance, entitled "The Grand Egyptian March." Whilst the piano was rolling forth a volume of chords equal in power to several ordinary instruments combined, sounds like harp accompaniment were heard, together with noises like tramping or marching about and around the piano-forte with naked feet. Many other peculiar manifestations of spirit greeted the senses of the little company thus met together for gaining knowledge of and from the spiritworld.
This medium paid a visit of two or three weeks' duration to the city of Ballarat, and gave semi-public musical séance, and held developing classes and cabinet materializations. At the latter, at each sitting, several forms appeared outside the roughly constructed wood cabin which had been put together in this city for the medium's use. In addition to a door to this movable room, there was in its front a window or opening, about fifteen or eighteen inches wide and broad. At each meeting one after another of the persons forming the small assemblage was called towards the window. A curtain across the aperture concealing the interior of the cabinet was frequently partly lifted. My opportunity arrived: I was standing near the opening, and was favoured with a loving message from a spirit who was beside me outside the cabinet. The voice was low, but quite audible and distinct. None of the other sitters were within a distance of, three or four yards of the spot where I stood. The curtain moved up a little way and I was enabled to see into the cabinet. The medium appeared to be in a dead trance. Waiting a few minutes longer, the screen wholly lifted, when I looked in, in wonder, and saw a most exquisitely beautiful female figure—lovely indeed beyond any adequate description that I can write. The form was perfect from the crown of the head downward to the waist; a wreath of gold and green ivy leaves bound the beautiful brown hair; the delicate freshness and colour of the face seemed to be wondrously lovely and perfect, while the eyes were marvellously soft and deep with finished eyebrows and eyelashes. I saw this figure three successive times, each glimpse but momentarily, yet singularly clear and distinct, and luminous.
The full forms that materialized—some evenings there were seven or eight—came out of the cabinet door; they seemed complete, but most of them too shadowy to be recognized. One of the ladies present said she was quite sure about one of the spirit materializations, that it was her granddaughter, a child who had a few months previously passed on to the Summerland. Others confessed to recognitions more or less distinct.
I was invited to a séance one evening at a gentleman's house in this city. There were altogether five persons present in the drawing-room. At the opening Shepard performed some music on the Broadwood Semi-grand at the further or northern end of the room. This finished, it being noticed that the instrument was somewhat out of tune, the medium joined the other members of the party, about fifteen or sixteen feet distant from the piano. Without delay there commenced and continued a process of tuning; the strings were being struck, and the wrenching discordant sounds peculiar to this operation were distinctly heard as if a tuner were at work. No earthly human shape was near the instrument, and the inference deduced was, that our invisible friends were tuning for us when no other help was available. The great lid of the pianoforte was closed, the fall at the keyboard alone raised. An enjoyable evening was spent, whilst many curious phenomena, exhibitive of spirit-power, were made manifest, and which closely engaged the attention of the company assembled together for their enlargement of knowledge of psychological forces.
Mr. Shepard was strolling along the streets with me one very clear evening; at a little after ten o'clock we passed my place of business, when I suggested that we should turn back and hold a sitting in one of the workrooms. He agreed. I borrowed two chairs from the adjacent hotel. We sat: and in a very short time lights were seen hovering about in many shapes—some like cloven tongues, similar in form to those delineated in pictures of the Day of Pentecost. Spirit hands were frequently placed on mine; materialized faces appeared; voices from all parts of the room spoke messages; and I once saw lips slowly form in the air, which came and kissed me on the cheek, and then dematerialized. They were beautifully soft, warm lips. Twice I saw the medium elongated** as he sat within two or three feet of me.
My experience leads me to suggest that spirit manifestations can be most easily obtained when the surrounding atmosphere is in its clearest and brightest degree; and phenomena should be sought for in places not near busy crowds of people, but as far away as convenient from noises or disturbances of all kinds, and where the whole environment is of a pure and cheerful character. But, if conditions are not wanting, spirits may be found perhaps anywhere or everywhere. Late one evening, Mr. Shepard, another gentleman, and myself went into an oyster saloon, and sat down to supper. Whilst we were there, "raps" were continuous—on the ceiling, the sideboards, the chairs on which we sat and others, on and under the table, on and under the plates before us, and on the floor. Intelligence could also be furnished through these raps by questions being put either vocally or mentally.
The number and variety of spirit manifestations that I witnessed with Mr. Shepard would, amplified, fill a good sized book; but to fairly and fully represent this kind of literature, in combination with being witness to the phenomena, qualifications such as artist, scientist, shorthand reporter, and author, are desiderata.
* Cyrus. At a sitting with a lady, in trance, in New South Wales, a spirit spoke most eloquently through her organism. He claimed to have lived in Egypt about five thousand years back.
** His body became at least two feet longer, and thus remained a little while.
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