More Slate Mediumship by Fred Evans

During Mr Evan’s sojourn in Melbourne, Australia, the following remarkable phenomenon occurred: About eleven-o-clock on the morning of April 20th 1889, Mr Evans placed two slates together for the purpose of consulting his guide John Gray, on a matter of importance. After the writing had ceased, Mr Evans opened the slates and was surprised to see lying n the lower slate a printed slip with writing upon it. On examination it proved to be a receipt for an amount paid by Alexander Costello for examination of his legal qualifications for admission to the Queensland Bar. On the slate was found written the following explanatory message:

Dear Fred:- Enclosed in these slates you will find a receipt belonging to Alexander Costello. I took it from his study in Merton Road, South Brisbane, as a test of spirit power, and I now desire you to forward the receipt to Mr Costello, detailing the circumstances. Your guide, John Gray


Mr Evans immediately forwarded the receipt and explanation to Mr Costello, and on April 27th, received the following letter:

Merton Road, South Brisbane, April 25th 1889
Dear Mr Evans:- It was as great a surprise to me as it was to you when I opened your letter, and found the receipt for the examination fee within it. Strange that I was thinking about the paper only a few days ago, and the advisability of having it should it be wanted. Have shown your letter to Mr Widdop (Justice of the Peace), and he requested me to ask John Gray (through you) how the phenomenon occurred. I have been doing my best to think over the matter, and I am inclined to think that the last time I saw the paper was in my study, and that – since you left for Melbourne. I have no doubt whatever in my own mind that our unseen friend took the paper to Melbourne only a short time ago.

Yours sincerely,
Alexander Costello

Here was a piece of paper, measuring about 3x6 inches – surreptitiously removed from a desk in the private room of a gentleman in Brisbane, and carried by Spirit John Gray to Melbourne and there deposited between closed slates, proving conclusively the power of spirits over matter. The distance between the place the paper was removed from and deposited in is about 1,300 miles. Mr Evans had never been in Mr Costello’s house, and had not been within 1,000 miles of Brisbane for over three months and a half!