Scientific American commemorates Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday with a reprint from 1996 detailing Darwin’s war against professional psychics in Victorian England. Wallace, Darwin’s rival, backed spiritualism. Surprising allies emerged during a bizarre trial, including Arthur Conan Doyle, defending spiritualists. Darwin himself shunned belief in hauntings, advocating professional stage magicians over mediums. The trial showcased scientists’ ineptitude against magicians, only unmasking a fraud in performance. The trial ended with Slade, the medium, escaping prosecution, leading to his descent into obscurity. Despite the rift caused by the trial, both Darwin and his cousin remained haunted by beliefs in the supernatural long after the trial concluded.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/charles-darwin-and-assoc/