has data for any number of "messages." She talks in the style that she
imagines the person whom she attempts to personate would use, being one
of the doctrines of spiritualism that a person's character and feelings
are not changed by death. To make the humbug more complete, she narrates
imaginary incidents, asserting them to have occurred in the
earth-experience of the spirit who purports to have possession of her at
the same time she is speaking. Mediums in various parts of the country
furnish her with the names of and facts relative to different deceased
people of their acquaintance, and those names and facts are used by her
in supplying the "Message Department" of the "Banner of Light."

If the assumed "mediumship" of this woman was not an imposture, some of
the many people who have visited her for the purpose of getting
communications from their spirit-friends would have been gratified. In
most of the "messages" published in the Banner, the spirits purporting
to give them, express a great desire to have their mortal friends
receive them; but those mortals who seek to obtain through Mrs. Conant
satisfactory messages from their spirit-friends, are not gratified--the
medium not being posted. The mediums are as much opposed to "new tests"
as a non-committal politician.

Time and again have leading spiritualists, in various parts of the
country, indorsed as "spiritual manifestations," what was subsequently
proved to be an imposture.

Several years ago, a man by the name of Paine created a great sensation
in Worcester, Mass., by causing a table to move "without contact," he
claiming that it was done by spirits through his "mediumship." He
subsequently came to New York, and exhibited the "manifestation" at the
house of a spiritualist--where he boarded--in the upper part of the
city. A great many spiritualists and not a few "skeptics" went to see
his performance. Paine was a very soft-spoken, "good sort of a fellow,"
and appeared to be quite sincere in his claims to "mediumship." He
received no fee from those who witnessed his exhibition; and that fact,
in connection with others, tended to disarm people of suspicion. His
seances were held in the evening, and each visitor was received by him
at the door, and immediately conducted to a seat next the wall of the
room.

The visitors all in and seated, Mr. Paine took a seat with the rest in
the "circle." In the middle of the room a small table had previously
been placed, a