Newton, J ?. Letter to Isaac Post.

Title

Newton, J ?. Letter to Isaac Post.

Creator

Newton, J ?

Contributor

Post, Isaac, 1798-1872

Description

Handwritten letter from J ? Newton to Isaac Post, n.d.

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

113

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

                     Jackson Tennesee [sic] Feb 8th
    Mr Isaac Post
    Dear Sir - You will excuse me a
stranger for writing this of course unlook^ed^
for letter-I only know you by reputation
as a Spirtualist - & by character I know
I can rely upon you for a correct
answer - to my question - Sir from the
year 1855 I have turned my attention
to Spiritual Phenomena - I have been
present at many Circles & have seen
enough of their misterious [sic] inteligence [sic] to convince
me that through some unknown power or
influence - Wonderous [sic] developments have
been made & remarkable for their truthfulness
I am like many others seen much
but know little of their Wonderful Phenomena
I am a resident of St Louis Me
but some six weeks ago took up a
temporary residence in this the western
portion of Tennesee [sic] the belief in spiritual
Mediumship is unpopular here as it is
in all places where the teachings it produces
are unknown - Now to my business -
I wish to asertain [sic] through your experience
if truths can be asertained [sic] - through Spirit
Medium ship - to condem [sic] the guilty and

(Page 2)

enable men to trace the perputrator [sic] of crime
If so & indeed I know of [illegible] of no
greater demonstration of its efficacy or usefulness
then [sic] aiding to trace the guilty & bring them
to a merrited [sic] punishment - Our heretofore
quiet litttle town was last week thrown in
greate [sic] commotion by the commital of the
most cold Blooded Murders that it has ever
been our sad lot to record - and all efforts
to discover the author of this most atrocious
Murder has [sic] thus far been fruteless [sic], notwithstanding
every method has been imployed [sic] that the
ingenuity of man can conceive -but no
light can has thus far been thrown ^up^on their subject
       The circumstances are these - a young man
highly esteemed for his many Virtues
who was at the time of his death acting
in the capacity of a clerk of the Union Bank
of Tennesee [sic] - It seems by the Circumstances
that the young man was persuaded to enter
the Bank at night with some Friend who
pretended to want a check to the Amount of
Five Hundred dollars - and while in an
attitude of writing the same, the Murderer
struck his Victim with a [Caneiliny?] hammer
used in the Bank - the Blow penetrating
the Brain some 2 inches - the check Book
was found with the Branes [sic] of the young man
upon it - the Assassin with greate [sic] presence

(Page 3)

with [sic] greate [sic] presence of mind tore from
the check Book the half written check &
threw it in the fire, half of which
escaped the flames but not enough to show for whom
the check was written - The Friend then entered
the Vault & coolly selected the paper & gold
money that woud not detect him, to the
amount of as near as can be asertanned [sic] ^$^23000
and after carfully [sic] [aggusting?] all things
left the Building ^& to [illegible]^ he was delivered the next
day about 12 oclock [sic]. - All circumstances go to
prove that the Murderer was a deposetor [sic] &
one in a Hundred [illegible] in the young Man
Confidence [-?] in his [business?] habits he was
very strict never willing to do the least
favor for his most intimat [sic] Friends in
an unseasonable hour, consequently nothing
short of a plea of nesessity [sic] that excited the
[symphithe?] of the young Man [indusied?] him
to violate one of the strictest rules of the Bank
hence our best Men all feel implicated
as we must come to the conclusion that the
author of the crime was occupying a high
and trustworthy position in out midst -
Now sir can not some light be throw [sic] on this
subject through Spirtual agency - I am
aware that developments of a far greater character
have been made and how can the beauty of
spiritualism be more clearly demonstrated

(Page 4)

than bringing the guilty to their just
punishment Sir I feel deeply [illegible]
to writ [sic] you to to try & get a communication
from ^through^ this [illegible] of truthful inteligence [sic]
whose can the author of this Murder. be found
what Circumstances [Led?] ^led^ to its committal -
where can the money be found that was the
caus [sic] of this awful crime - his blood is
unrevenged & loudly calls from the Blood stained
floor fer [sic] justice to be delt [sic] out to him so dead
to all sense of christian feeling-
   The name of the murdered man was
George Miller - a young man pretty [beloved?]
[obliterated] [obliterated] him & whose untimely end
all are deeply Lamenting, when circumstances
so Misterious [sic] caused his death
Now sir to gratify me will you be so good
as to try & get a communication on the questions
that I would ask. - & write me the result of
the Effort whatever it may be it shall be
dispensed of with carful [sic] judgment -
hoping to hear from you soon I remain
yours very truly       J Newton
                            Jackson
                                     Tenn

Tags

Spiritualism

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Newton, J ?, “Newton, J ?. Letter to Isaac Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/2414.

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