The Spirit and the juror.

One of our correspondents, a man of great learning and the bearer of official scientific titles, which does not prevent him from having the weakness of believing that we have a soul and that this soul survives the body, that after death it remains wandering in space and can still communicate with the living—all the more so since he himself is a good medium and holds numerous conversations with the beings from beyond the grave—addresses to us the following letter: “Sir, “Perhaps you will judge it fitting to welcome into your interesting review the following fact:

“Some time ago I was a juror. The Court was to try a young man, barely out of adolescence, accused of having murdered an elderly lady under horrible circumstances. The accused confessed and recounted the details of the crime with an impassivity and a cynicism that made the assembly shudder.

“Nevertheless, it was easy to foresee that, by virtue of his age, of his absolute lack of education, and of the incitements he had received within his family, extenuating circumstances would be invoked on his behalf, all the more so since he laid the blame on the anger by which he had been seized, acting under a provocation of insults. “I wished to consult the victim regarding the degree of her culpability. I called her during a session, by a mental evocation. She let me know that she was present, and I gave her my hand. Here is the conversation we had: I, mentally; she, by writing:

Q. What do you think of your murderer?

Answer. – It will not be I who accuse him.

Q. Why?

Answer. – Because he was driven to the crime by a man who courted me fifty years ago and who, having obtained nothing from me, swore to take his revenge. He preserved in death the desire for vengeance, taking advantage of the dispositions of the accused to inspire in him the desire to kill me.

Q. How do you know this?

Answer. – Because he himself told me so, when I arrived in the world that I now inhabit.

Q. I understand your reserve in view of the incitement that your murderer did not repel, as he ought and was able to. Nevertheless, do you not think that the criminal inspiration, which he so willingly obeyed, would not have had the same power over him, had he not nourished or harbored, for a long time, sentiments of envy, of hatred, and of vengeance, against you and your family? Answer. – Surely. Without that he would have been more capable of resisting. That is why I affirmed that the one who wished to avenge himself took advantage of the dispositions of this young man; you will have to grant that he would not have addressed himself to someone who was disposed to resist.

Q. Does he take pleasure in his vengeance?

Answer. – No, for he sees that it will cost him dearly. Besides, instead of doing me harm, he rendered me a service, by making me enter sooner into the world of the Spirits, where I am happier; it was, therefore, an evil action, without profit for him.

“Extenuating circumstances were admitted by the jury on the basis of the motives indicated above, and the death penalty was set aside.

“With respect to what I have just recounted, there is a moral observation of high importance to be made. One must indeed conclude that man must watch over his least thoughts, even his evil sentiments, apparently the most fleeting, since these have the property of attracting to him evil and corrupt Spirits, and of delivering him up, weak and disarmed, to their guilty inspirations: it is a door that he opens to evil, without understanding the danger. It was, then, with a profound knowledge of man and of the spiritual world that Jesus Christ said: “Whosoever shall look upon a woman with impure intention, in his heart, has already committed adultery with her.” (Matthew, chapter V, verse 28.) “I have the honor, etc.

Simon M…”