ProceedingsSocietyforPsychicalResearch，Vol。IV。，pp。385-6。
“NowIthinkithighlyimprobablethatthemovementofthejugglerentirelyescapedtheperceptionoftheofficer；highlyimprobable，thatistosay，thattheofficerwasabsolutelyunawareofthejuggler’sactionatthemomentofitshappening；butIsupposethat，althoughanimpressionwasmadeonhisconsciousness，itwassoslightastobespeedilyeffacedbytheofficer’sIMAGINATIONofhimselfasstoopingandplacingthecoinupontheground。Theofficer，Imaysay，hadobtainednoinsightintothemodusoperandiofthetrick，andhisfundamentalmisrepresentationoftheonlypatentoccurrencethatmighthavegivenhimaclewtoitsperformancedebarredhimcompletelyfromafterwards，onreflection，arrivingatanyexplanation。Justsimilarly，manyanhonestwitnessmayhavedescribedhimselfashavingplacedoneslateuponanotheratasittingwithamedium，whereasitwasthemediumwhodidso，andwhopossiblyeffectedatthesametimeoneortwootheroperationsaltogetherunnoticedbythewitness。“
Inreadingthroughdescriptionsofslate-writingseances，weveryseldomfindthestatementmadeastoWHOplacedtheslatesonthetable，orunderthetable，etc。，generallytheaccountreading“theslateswerethenplacedonthetable，“withoutanyqualifyingstatementastoWHOplacedthemthere。Accountsofthiskindareabsolutelyworthless，fromanevidentialstandpoint。Wemustatonceaskourselves：whoplacedtheslatesinthatposition？andifitwasthemedium——asitprobablywasinthevastmajorityofinstances——thenthattest，inallprobability，ceasestohaveanyevidentialweight。Anyonecanreadoveranumberofaccountsofslate-writingperformances，andverifythesestatements，ifhechoosestodoso。Frequently，thestatementismadethatthesitterdidactuallyplacetheslateonthetable，wheninrealitythemediumdidso。Thiserrorisquiteunconsciousonthesitter’spart，ofcourse，buttheaccountisfalsified，nevertheless。
Mistakesofthiskindareverycommon，thesitterthinkingafterwardsthathethesitterMUSThaveplacedtheslatesonthetablehimself!
ItwillbeseenfromtheabovethatthereisagreatdifferencebetweenwhatACTUALLYtranspired，atanygivenseance，andwhattheaccountsSAYtranspired。Thegeneralpubliccannotgetthatall-