I was residing at that time in Falls City, Neb., a place of a few

thousand population. For two winters I had traveled some as a

magician, so when the medium came to town, and began to perform his

miracles, certain members of the community suggested having me

witness one of his seances, thinking I would be able to discover

whether his tests were genuine, or whether they were performed by

the aid of trickery. Accordingly, one evening, a prominent

physician invited me, with certain relatives and friends, to attend

a seance given in his parlors.

When we arrived I was introduced to the medium, an elderly

gentleman with a long white beard, and wearing glasses. He

appeared to be slightly deaf, as he placed his hand to his ear and

had my name repeated. He was introduced to the remainder of the

company en masse, the names of the visitors not being given to him.

The medium soon announced that "his mission on this earth was to

absolutely prove to humanity the immortality of the soul." He now

offered to give some tests to those desiring it, and asked for a

small table which was placed in an adjoining room. He invariably

held his hand to his ear, to catch what was being said, being

apparently quite deaf. He also used this same expedient when

listening to the voices of the unseen spirits, and reporting their

communications.

My father and another gentleman were selected for the first test,

as they were considered very skeptical in such matters. As they

retired to a closed room I did not see the experiment, but will

give some parts of it as reported to me, farther on. In a short

time they returned to the parlor, engaged in a discussion over the

matter; and my father remarked, "I do not know how you got your

information, but I feel certain it was not from my brother, or he

would have given a certain point correctly." The medium then said,

"If I will tell you where your father died, and the disease he died

of, will you be convinced?" My father replied, "I suppose I will

have to be, if you can do that."

They then retired, and the medium succeeded partially in the

experiment; and would have certainly succeeded entirely, had my

father followed his instructions. I will describe what was

reported to me of this test, farther on.

I now offered myself for a test. I retired to the room with the

medium, and incidentally offered him one dollar and fifty cents,

the same my father had given him; but he refused the money, saying:

"Your father is not convinced, and I will not take any more money."

He now took a sheet of paper from a tablet, and drew five straight

lines across it, spacing the sheet into six spaces about equal.

Next taking my hand, and looking earnestly into my face, he said:

"Promise me that if I succeed, you will not make light of this.

Promise me, for this is very sacred to me." I did so. He now

directed me to write names in the spaces on the sheet, any names I

pleased, writing but one name in each space. All the names were to

be of living or fictitious persons except one, this one to be the

name of some one I had known who was then dead. He said, "Be fair

with me, and I will scratch out the dead person's name." These

were his exact words, therefore I in no way tried to hide my

writing from him, although he stood at a distance and did not

appear to watch me. I took a pencil and began writing the names;

being unprepared I had to think of the names I wished to write. I

desired to select names of persons living at a distance, so that he

could in no possible manner know them. While I was writing he

talked incessantly, which in spite of myself divided my attention.

At the same time he kept urging me to write, and immediately after

urging me, would begin talking rapidly on some spiritualistic

subject. I remember saying, "You must give me time to think." I

thought I used great care, so as to write each name with the same

precision, and tried to betray no emotion when writing the dead

person's name. I selected the name "Cora Holt" for the dead

person's name. This was the name of an aunt who had died in

another State.

As soon as I had written the names he asked me to cut them apart

into slips, having one name on each slip. Now here I do not

remember whether he folded them himself, or had me help, as I was

not expecting them to be folded. However, we folded each one into

a billet with the writing inside.

He now directed me to place them in a hat, and to hold the hat

under the table, take out the billets one at a time, and throw them

on the table top. This I did while he stood with his right arm

extended toward the table and about one foot above it. After I had

thrown a few billets on the table, as I threw the next one, I heard

three loud distinct raps. He said, "There, that's the one that is

dead. Open it and see if I am right, but do not let me see it.

Fold it up again and place it in your pocket." I opened the

billet. I did not know what the name would be, as I had mixed them

under the table; yet I had a feeling that it was correct. I opened

it and sure enough the name was "Cora Holt." I refolded it,

placing it in my pocket. I must confess that I felt a momentary

creepy feeling pass over me, as my emotions were wrought up to such

a pitch by the intense manner in which I had watched all the

details of the experiment. I informed him that he was right, but

did not tell him the name. He now took my hand in his, and leading

me into the parlor, had me state to the company what had just

occurred. Now placing his hand on my head, he said: "I will

endeavor to give you the name." Closing his eyes, his body

trembled or shuddered with a kind of paroxysm, and apparently with

a great effort he pronounced the name "Cora Holt." This effort

seemed to greatly exhaust him, and coming out of his temporary

trance he begged us to excuse him, saying that there were opposing

spirits present and he could do no more that night; that he had

done all for us that lay within his power. He now took his leave.

This was all very impressive to me at the time, except the raps.

It was only afterwards that I thought out the explanation, which I

will give farther on. As to the raps, they had the sound as of a

pencil tapping loudly on a thin strip of wood, or a ruler, and not

the sound of tapping on a table. I had previously known of the

mechanical and electrical rappers, supplied by certain conjuring

depots, and worn on the person of the medium, or attached to a

table. My impression was at the time that possibly he had a rapper

in the sleeve of the arm extended over the table, and by directing

the attention to the table the sound would appear to come from

there. As I was sitting right against the table, I will say that

the sound did not appear to me to come from the table, but more

nearly from his person.

Referring again to the test given my father, the medium first

announced his prices, which he would accept if satisfactory. This

was agreed to and paid. He then had my father write names on paper

in a manner similar to the way I have described, except he did not

request my father to write a dead person's name; instead, he

requested him to write, among other names, his mother's maiden

name, his wife's maiden name, his father's name, also the names of

certain members of his family and of some of his friends, some of

whom should be dead. This my father did.

Among the names written by my father was his mother's maiden name,

viz., "Celestina Redexilana Phelps," a name certainly out of the

ordinary. He also wrote his wife's maiden name, his father's name,

his brother's name, and several other names--six or eight

altogether.

When the medium had the billets taken out of the hat he said, "You

have there the name of your mother; the name is something like

'Celestia (not Celestina) Roxalena (not Redexilana) Phelps,'" thus

giving wrong pronunciations to the first two names. However, when

my father opened it, sure enough it was his mother's maiden name.

My father now took another billet which had written thereon his

father's name. This the medium gave correctly, stating that this

was his father's name. The next billet had written thereon the

name of my father's brother; the name was James Asahel Abbott."

The medium then said: "Your brother James is here, and he says to

tell you that he is happy and that you are making a great mistake

not to believe."

Now this brother had always been called by his second name and not

by the name of James. My father said, "If you are my brother, give

me your full name." The medium replied, "James Ash-a-bell Abbott,"

giving an entirely wrong pronunciation of the second name. This it

was, with some other error, that led to the discussion they had on

returning to the parlor, and in which my father remarked, "If you

get your information from the dead, they should be able to

pronounce their own names correctly."

My father, not being familiar with the methods of trickery, could

not with exactness give all the minute details of the test as I

would have wished; and as I never had an opportunity to see this

experiment myself, I can only surmise the means employed in its

production.

The second experiment with my father had been an effort to tell the

disease of which my grandfather died, also the place where he died.

The medium required my father to write on the usual ruled paper, a

name of a disease and also a name of a place, in each space, that

is, one disease and one place in each space. He remarked in giving

directions, "Like New York measles, Philadelphia smallpox, etc."

He required, however, that my father write IN THE SAME SPACE the

correct disease, and also the correct place of his father's death.

The remainder of the spaces were to contain the names of any

disease or any place he might choose.

This my father did, writing in one space "Sacramento dysentery."

This was the correct disease, but the city was the place of my

grandfather's burial, and not the place of his death, the latter

being a village called "Hangtown." The medium quickly gave

dysentery as the disease, and Sacramento as the place of my

grandfather's death. It was plain that had my father written the

village where his father died, instead of his burial place, the

medium would have succeeded.

This, however, proved beyond a doubt that the medium obtained his

information FROM THE WRITING, and not from the spirits of the dead.

. . . . .

After thinking the matter over, I decided that, while I was

uncertain as to the manner in which Dr. Schlossenger had performed

all of these experiments, I could reproduce two of them with

certainty as often as he did. I immediately made the trial and

found I could succeed fully nine times out of ten on an average. I

might state that the doctor also failed about one time in ten on an

average; nevertheless, the people of the community were greatly

excited, talking of his miracles, in groups on the streets, for

some days. The medium was coining money, yet I found a few cases

where he failed totally. The failures were seldom mentioned; it

was the successes that excited the people.

The method I use in reproducing the first test given me, is to so

direct the attention of the subjects before the writing, by my

discourse, as to cause them to select unconsciously the name of the

dead person in advance. This is easily managed with a little

practice in talking, and still they will never guess that it is

done on purpose.

Now, as they begin to write, they will naturally pause before

writing each name, to think of a name to write. The pause may be

but slight, yet there is some pause. Of course, when they write

the selected name, no pause will be necessary; and if hurried

properly at that time they will make none. This is the object of

the incessant talking during the experiment. If left to

themselves, the subjects will, in about one half of the cases,

write the selected name in the third space from the top. In about

half of the remaining cases the selected name will be written in

the fourth space from the top. This is especially true if in your

instructions you direct the subject to "mix the dead person's name

somewhere in among the others where you cannot know where it is."

In the remaining cases the subjects are liable to write the

selected name anywhere, generally first or last. Now my object is

to so manipulate my subjects as to cause them to write the selected

name when I want them to do so. This is done by continuous

talking, and distracting their attention until the proper moment.

I choose the third space, since this, being the one they are most

liable to choose of their own accord, is the easiest to force.

Just as they begin to write the first name, before they make a

mark, I say suddenly, "Now be sure and select names of living

persons that I could not possibly know." This is almost certain to

insure a pause, and the name of a living person to be written

first. I continue my talking in a natural manner, taking the

attention to a great extent from the writing, and nearly always

observing another pause just before writing the second name. When

the second name is almost finished I exclaim suddenly, "Now write

as rapidly as possible!" If the subjects have been properly

impressed with the seriousness of the experiment, they will almost

invariably, on finishing the second name (in obedience to my

command "to be as rapid as possible," and in their desire to please

me), hurry into the name already in their minds, thus writing the

selected name in the third place. If such is the case they will

now most surely pause to think of a fourth name. If so, I am

certain that I now know the selected name. However, if they should

rapidly pass into the fourth name, it is then uncertain whether the

selected name is in the third or fourth space. This, however,

seldom happens if worked in an expert manner.

In rare cases the subject cannot be manipulated by the performer,

in which case it is purely guesswork; even in such cases, however,

I stand one chance in six of succeeding; and if I make a second

trial on failing (not uncommon with mediums), I stand one chance in

three of succeeding.

It is hardly worth while to say that as I fold the billets, I fold

the third one slightly different from the rest, so that while it

will not attract attention, I can see at a glance what it is when

thrown on the table. I memorize the name; also, if in doubt, I

fold a second choice in a still different manner for a second

trial. Frequently I memorize more of the names, folding so I can

pick them out. Then, after giving the dead person's name with

proper effect, I pick up the others, hold them to my head and call

out the names. The effect of this on a subject is very impressive.

With a little practice the above test can be given with very small

chance of failure; and in the event of making a failure it can be

explained by the statement that "there are opposing spirits

present," or some similar excuse. If one has other tests at his

command, it is well, in the event of failure, to announce that he

will try something else, and then give another test. As these

experiments are always tried alone with one or, at most, two

subjects, a failure attracts little notice.

Now I cannot say positively that Dr. Schlossenger performed this

experiment in exactly this same manner; but I do have a

recollection of his hurrying me along in my writing at some stage

of its progress. I also know that I can succeed as often as he

did. I will add further that a few days later I prepared six names

in advance, and, with my wife, had a sitting with the medium; this

time, although I paid him, he failed utterly. He tried in every

way and had me write additional names. This time I guarded the

points in the above explanation, yet no matter how he tried, he

made an utter failure. All tricks require certain conditions, and

this is why it is not safe to repeat the same trick for the same

person. There is too much danger that the subject may notice the

sameness of the modus operandi.

Referring to the second test which was given by the medium to my

father, I will state that when the subjects are writing the cities

and diseases, they will naturally pause after writing the city, to

think of a disease to go with it. Of course, when writing the

correct ones, which are already in mind, no pause will be

necessary. Also advantage may be taken of the fact that a small

per cent of persons die of smallpox or measles. If in giving the

directions one says, "Write like this: 'Philadelphia smallpox, New

York measles,'" and the subject writes smallpox or measles in the

list, it is safe to eliminate that from the case. This is

especially true if written in connection with some large city, the

name of which occurs readily to the mind. It is safe also to

eliminate Philadelphia or New York if these should be written,

providing you mentioned these names in the directions, and that the

test is not being given in their section of the country. A small

per cent of the people of a country die in any two places of

prominence. Yet these places will be written readily by most

subjects if they are suggested, or at least other places of equal

prominence will be written. If an unusual place or disease should

be written, it is almost certain these are the ones.

It can readily be seen how expert one can become at this by

continuous practice, such as a medium has many times a day; how one

can learn to take advantage of every little point, and use it with

telling effect on unsuspecting strangers, who do not know what is

going to happen, or what to look for.

I have been told that Dr. Schlossenger had a very sharp eye,

although wearing glasses; and that the glasses were probably to

make the subject think it impossible for him to read writing when

they were moved out of position and placed on the forehead, as they

were during the tests. It has also been suggested that his poor

hearing was feigned, to enable him to hear remarks made about

himself in his presence. I have suspected that his memory had

become trained to a high degree of accuracy, enabling him to give

his tests with such marvelous success, as he did with nearly all

wherever he went. That he does not use one set of principles only

in his tricks, I am certain, but has many more at his command which

he uses continually. However, I can only vaguely guess at them

from having seen his tests but once.

Now, I do not say that this was the method employed by the lady

with Rev. Savage, given in the account at the beginning of this

chapter. But as the experiments are practically the same, it is

safe to conclude that the methods used are the same, or nearly so.

If the test were genuine in the case of the lady mentioned, it was

probably genuine in the case of Dr. Schlossenger. On the other

hand, if it were trickery in one case, it probably was in both.

MIND READING IN PUBLIC

Not long ago I received a letter from an old-time friend, in which

he urgently requested me to make a journey to his city. In bygone

days he and I had spent many hours together, discussing the

mysteries of existence, the hidden powers which nature manifests to

us, and the origin and destiny of the human soul. My friend is a

physician, and what is more, an earnest student; and he is also an

investigator of that strange phenomenon in nature which manifests

itself in organized beings subjectively, as thought, feeling and

things spiritual.

Many times had we discussed the possibility and also the

probability of an existence of the spiritual part of man after

death. Many times had he reported to me cases of strange phenomena

that tended to prove the indestructibility of spirit.

When I received this missive, it stated to me that the writer most

earnestly desired my presence in his city, that I might assist in

investigating a very strange and marvelous case of psychic

phenomena. The case was that of a certain traveling spirit medium,

who claimed the power to summon from the realms of the invisible

the shades of our departed friends and loved ones. He gave most

marvelous exhibitions to prove his strange and miraculous power.

My friend stated that he thought he had at last found a person with

at least some queer psychical gift, if not even possessing the

power that he claimed. He had watched the exhibition most

carefully, and had even served on a committee on the psychic's

stage; and he could find no evidence of trickery of any kind. He

was inclined to believe that this strange being really possessed

the power of vision without the use of human eyes as he certainly

read sealed missives, of which he could in no secret manner have

obtained knowledge.

Accordingly, on Saturday evening, I journeyed to a city one hundred

miles away to witness the work of this modern sorcerer. On my

arrival I suggested to my friend a number of ways by which such

things could be performed by trickery, but he informed me that none

of my explanations seemed to elucidate this strange work. The

secret did not consist in the use of odorless alcohol, for the

reason that the medium never touched the sealed envelopes at all.

In fact he was never nearer to them than ten feet. This also made

it impossible for him to use the principle on which the trick is

based, which is known to the profession as "Washington Irving

Bishop's Sealed Letter Reading."

He informed me that sheets of paper or cards were passed to the

spectators in the audience, and at the same time envelopes in which

to seal their questions were furnished for them; that the

spectators wrote questions as directed, many times signing their

own names to them. He was certain that many persons folded their

written questions before sealing them, and that the operator

himself did not even collect the envelopes on many occasions. He

informed me that the best evidence of the genuineness of the

performance lay in the fact that the medium seemed to have no fixed

conditions for his experiments; but seemed to perform them in a

different manner on each occasion. The conditions were different

in every case, yet he always read the questions with the most

marvelous certainty.

I thought the matter over after this, but could in no way think of

any plausible means of accomplishing his work by trickery. I

finally decided to wait and see the performance first, and to

figure afterwards on the method employed.

Accordingly, at eight o'clock that evening I was seated in the hall

with my friend, and shortly afterwards the "Seer" made his

appearance, taking his seat on the stage. He was a very slender

personage, with long hair and a particularly ghostly look. He took

his seat quietly on the stage. In a short time his manager

appeared and made an opening address, which I will not repeat, and

then asked some boy in the audience to pass cards around to the

spectators on which they were to write questions. Envelopes were

also distributed, in which to seal the cards. When the writing was

finished, the manager asked any boy to take a hat which he held in

his hand, and collect the sealed envelopes. After the boy, whom

everyone knew to be a local resident, kindly volunteered for this

service and executed it, a committee was invited to the stage to

properly blindfold the medium. This was done in a satisfactory

manner, and the committee then returned to the audience. The

manager now led the blindfolded medium to the rear of the stage,

where he was seated somewhat behind a table, on which were some

flowers, a music box, etc. However, the medium was in view

plainly; and he never removed the bandage from his eyes or in any

manner molested it.

When the boy came on the stage directly from the front with the hat

full of sealed envelopes, the manager placed a handkerchief over

the hat and asked the boy to take a seat near the front of the

stage facing the audience. He was also directed to hold the hat in

his lap, and to deliver the envelopes to the manager, one at a

time, as he should call for them.

The operator now delivered a lecture, lasting some ten or fifteen

minutes, explaining the strange powers of the blindfolded medium,

who sat at the rear of the stage in full view; while the boy still

maintained the seat at the front of the stage, and held the hat of

envelopes in sight of all.

After the lecture, the manager requested the boy to give him one of

the envelopes, which the boy did. The manager did not look toward

it in any manner; but took it in the tips of his right fingers,

held it in the air, and asked the medium to give the writer of this

question a test. The medium shivered a few times, allowed his

frame to convulse slightly, and thus began:

"I feel the influence of one who was a brother. I get the name of

Clarence. Will the one who wrote this question identify it as

his?" There was no response from the spectators, and the medium

asked again that the writer speak out. Still silence greeted his

request; when suddenly he pointed his bony finger into the crowd,

while his blinded face confronted them, and exclaimed: "Mr. John

H----, why do you not respond to your test?" A gentleman in the

audience then acknowledged the test as his. The medium then

continued: "Clarence was drowned. I sense the cold chilly water as

it envelopes his form." At this the lady sitting with the

gentleman began to cry. The medium continued: "The drowning was

wholly an accident. There was no foul play. Now, Mr. H----, have

I answered your question, and are you satisfied with your test?"

The gentleman, a well-known citizen, acknowledged that he was

perfectly satisfied.

The manager then laid the envelope on a small table and asked the

boy for another one. The boy gave him another from the hat when

the blindfolded medium, ten feet or more distant, gave the second

test.

He shivered again and began: "I feel the influence of a young lady

who died suddenly. She says, 'Sister Mary, I am very happy, and

death was not so hard to endure. I want you to consult a good

honorable attorney, and take his advice in the lawsuit you ask me

about.'" The medium then continued, " Miss L----, your sister

regards you with a look of great tenderness and love. Are you

satisfied with your test?" A lady then replied that she certainly

was entirely convinced.

The manager now laid this sealed envelope beside the other one and

again called for another. This was continued until all of the

envelopes in the hat were removed and the questions answered. None

of the envelopes were opened. In some instances the medium first

read the questions, word for word, before answering them; and when

he did so, he described the writing minutely, even the formation of

the strokes of the letters.

After all of these tests were given, the medium removed the

blindfold and seemed much exhausted. Then the tables were removed

to one side of the stage, and a cabinet erected; after which some

cabinet manifestations that were very interesting were given. When

these were over, the manager collected the sealed envelopes from

the table, and placed them on the front of the stage, inviting the

writers to call, should they so desire, and get their questions.

Some availed themselves of this opportunity and tore open a number

of the envelopes until they found their own questions. The

audience seemed greatly impressed with this exhibition, and the

next day it was the talk of the town.

. . . . .

On the next evening I again repaired to the public hall to witness

and, if possible, fathom this performance. This time, however, I

found that an entirely different method was employed. Envelopes

and slips of paper were distributed; and after the questions were

written and sealed the manager went about the room, gathering them

up in a small black bag with a drawstring around its top. As he

gathered up each one, and while the writer still held it, he gave

to that person a number which was to serve as that particular

person's number during the tests. At the same time the manager

marked the number on the subject's envelope, while the subject held

it, drawing a circle around the figure, after which the subject

dropped the envelope into the sack.

When all were collected, the operator took the sack in the tips of

his fingers, and holding it aloft, walked up the runway to the

stage where a cord hung from a screw-eye fastened in the ceiling

above. The other end of the cord was attached to a piece of

furniture on the stage. The manager now attached the black bag

containing the envelopes to the end of this string, and then taking

the other end, drew the bag up to the ceiling near the screw-eye,

where it remained in full view during the tests.

While the manager was doing all this, the ghost-like medium had

been walking about the stage, reading in a large Bible. He now

laid the Bible on a table and advanced to the front of the stage,

while the manager delivered a lecture on spiritual philosophy and

also on the strange power of the medium. After this the manager

announced that the medium would hold a Bible service, during which

time he would give the tests.

The medium now took his Bible, and seating himself in a chair

facing the audience, began by reading a verse. After this he

closed his eyes for a time, and then gave the first test. He

began: "I will give these tests in the order in which the manager

gave you your numbers, commencing with number one. Now, Mrs. Clara

S----, I see standing near you an elderly lady, somewhat stooped;

but I cannot see her face plainly. She seems to be your mother.

She says to tell you that your son is doing well where he is, and

for you not to worry, for he will return to you in time. Are you

satisfied?" A lady in the audience was visibly affected, and

acknowledged that the medium had answered her question correctly.

The medium read another verse in the Bible, after which he gave the

second test in a manner similar to the way in which he had given

the first one. After this he read another verse, and so continued

until all the questions in the sack were answered. The manager now

lowered the sack, and emptying the envelopes into a small basket

distributed them unopened to their writers.

The effect of this exhibition was fully as great as was that of the

former one, and the medium continued to be the wonder of the town.

. . . . .

On the next evening I again attended the meeting. On this occasion

questions were written and sealed as on the former occasions. This

time the medium was dressed as a "Mahatma," wearing a large turban.

As soon as the questions were written, the manager collected them

in a small wicker basket, and emptied them on a table on the stage.

He only talked for a moment, describing what the medium would do.

During all this time the medium was seated near the front of the

stage. The medium now tapped a little bell he held in his hand, as

if summoning the spirits, and began giving the tests in the most

marvelous manner. He seemed somewhat nervous, and finally arose

and walked across the stage, stopped a moment and then continued

his walk. Meanwhile he kept giving the tests. Occasionally he

would walk about nervously, and sometimes he would seat himself in

the chair for a time; but he kept right on giving test after test,

with perfect accuracy, while the sealed envelopes remained in full

view on the table. During this time, and in fact during the time

the audience was writing the questions, neither the medium nor the

manager had ever left the sight of the spectators for even an

instant.

After all the tests were given, the medium, very much exhausted,

fell on a couch on the stage; while the manager scooped the

envelopes back into the basket, and then distributed them to their

writers in an unopened condition.

I will now explain how this "occultist" gave these various billet

tests.

We will first refer to the tests given the first evening. A boy

from the audience gathered up the sealed envelopes in a hat, and

brought them to the stage, sitting with them in his lap; while he

delivered one at a time to the manager, who held it aloft, during

which time the blindfolded medium in the rear gave the test.

There was a simple little move that escaped the eyes of the

spectators in this instance. The spectators did not know what was

to happen, neither did the boy. The move was executed as follows:

Just as the boy came on the stage with the hat the manager received

the hat in his right hand and in a natural manner. Nothing was

thought of this, as there was nothing suspicious in the act.

Meanwhile the manager directed the boy to take a chair that sat to

the left of the front of the stage, and to place it to the right

side in front, facing the audience, and to take his seat thereon.

Now, this conversation with the boy naturally occupied the

attention of the spectators; and while the boy was executing the

directions the manager turned to the table, which was somewhat back

on the stage, and apparently took a large handkerchief from it, and

with the hat still apparently in his hand, he stepped to the boy,

giving him the hat of envelopes and the handkerchief, at the same

time instructing him how to cover the hat, and how to deliver the

envelopes one at a time. All of this maneuvering seemed so natural

that the audience thought nothing whatever of it.

Now, as the manager turned to the table to get the handkerchief,

and while most eyes were on the boy as he placed his chair and took

his seat, the manager deftly exchanged the hat in his right hand

for another hat just like it, that was filled with "dummy"

envelopes and which was behind the flowers, music box, etc., on the

table. As he immediately turned with the hat apparently still in

his hand, but with a large handkerchief in his other hand,

everything seemed natural and the audience thought nothing of the

incident.

The manager now, after giving the boy the hat and handkerchief,

invited a committee to come forward and blindfold the medium who

had been seated at the left of the stage. The committee first

placed a lady's glove on the eyes of the medium as an additional

precaution, and then placed a handkerchief over this and tied it

behind his head. This method of blindfolding is the one usually

employed by most mediums. If the face of the medium be properly

formed, he can easily shift such a bandage with his eyebrows,

sufficiently to see directly under his eyes, by looking down

alongside his nose. The committee now retired to the audience, and

the performer led the medium to a seat behind the table.

Now, while the manager delivered the lengthy lecture, the medium

quietly tilted over the hat of envelopes behind the objects on the

table; and then taking one at a time, opened the envelopes and

removed the cards, arranging the cards on top of each other like a

pack of playing cards. The lecture lasted long enough for the

medium to complete this task; and as he held the cards in his left

hand, he could now move slightly to the right so that he was pretty

well in view of the spectators. However, his left hand did not

come into view.

By the time the lecture was completed, the spectators had entirely

forgotten the fact that the manager ever received the hat from the

boy at all. In fact, next day I noticed from the talk of the

spectators, that they invariably asserted that the hat never left

the boy's hands or their sight.

Now, while the manager held each envelope aloft, the medium had but

to read the top card in his left hand and give the tests in a

dramatic manner. After the tests, when the tables were set to one

side and a cabinet erected, an assistant out of view received the

cards from the medium's left hand; and then while behind the

scenes, replaced them in envelopes, sealed them, and then exchanged

these for the "dummy" envelopes on the small table. After the

entertainment the manager placed the originals (now again sealed)

near the front of the stage for the writers to take and keep as

souvenirs if they should so desire.

It is evident that this method could be varied a little. For

instance, when the manager holds the envelope aloft, the medium

could first read it and carefully describe the writing. He could

then ask for the envelope, so as to become en rapport with the

writer, in order that he may give the correct answer. In this case

he could leave the surplus cards on the back of the table behind

the music box, and have in his left palm only the single card he is

reading. When he receives the envelope he should place it in his

left hand directly over the card and tear off the end of the

envelope. He should then apparently take out the card from the

envelope, but in reality take the original card from the rear of

the envelope with his right hand. He should then with his right

hand press this card on top of his head and give the answer, while

his left hand lays the opened envelope on the table or music box.

In this case, as soon as he answers the question, he should return

the card to the manager with his right hand and ask the manager to

have some boy run with it to its writer. After it is returned to

its writer, the manager can hold aloft another envelope and the

medium continue with the tests. After the tests, the manager

should remove the torn envelopes, as they contain "dummy" cards.

I will now explain the method pursued on the second evening. After

the questions were written and sealed, the manager went among the

spectators collecting the envelopes in a cloth bag. He first

numbered the envelopes, at the same time instructing each spectator

to remember his number, after which the envelopes were dropped into

the bag. When all the envelopes were collected, the manager lifted

the bag in the tips of his fingers and ascended to the stage with

it in plain view. He quickly attached it to the cord and drew it

up to the ceiling. So far all was fair; but just at this moment a

person in the rear of the hall made the statement that he desired

to place his envelope in the bag also. The performer asked a

gentleman on the floor to take the bag, which he now lowered and

detached, and to kindly go to the gentleman and get his envelope.

While he was doing this the manager held the audience by his

discourse. The two gentlemen were, of course, paid confederates;

and when they met behind the spectators, they merely exchanged the

first bag for a duplicate under the coat of the rear confederate,

who then slipped around behind the stage with the original.

When the other confederate returned to the stage with the duplicate

bag and handed it to the manager he ran this one up to the ceiling.

This method can be varied by the manager making the exchange under

his own coat in the first place when in the rear of the hall after

collecting the envelopes.

Meanwhile an assistant behind the scenes opened and copied the

questions neatly on a sheet of paper, and NUMBERED EACH ONE. As he

did this he slipped each one into a duplicate envelope, which was

also numbered by the manager with a ring drawn around the figure.

This he sealed. As soon as all were copied this assistant

carefully drew the medium's Bible just out of sight from the table

near the flies where it rested, inserted the sheet containing the

copied questions, and pushed it back into view again.

During this time the medium was walking slowly about at the front

of the stage while the manager delivered his lecture. At the close

of the lecture the medium stepped back to the table where he had

laid his Bible a short time before, picked it up and came forward

taking a seat facing the audience. He next opened the Bible and

turned the leaves over slowly, passing the sheet of paper and

reading and memorizing the first question quickly. He then turned

the leaves beyond this sheet of paper and finally selected a verse

and began reading it impressively. As he read this verse he

allowed the Bible to tilt forward sufficiently for the spectators

to see that there was nothing like a loose sheet in it, should such

an idea occur to anyone.

As he had turned over other pages after secretly reading the

question, the sheet was hidden from view. After reading the verse

he allowed the Bible to close, and then closing his eyes gave the

test for number one. After this he again opened the Bible and

turned the leaves through it slowly, read the second question

secretly, and finally found a second verse, which he proceeded to

read in a solemn tone, he then gave a second test, and so continued

until all the tests were given. He then lay down very much

exhausted, and the manager lowered the cloth bag containing the

dummy envelopes, and emptied them upon a small table near the front

of the stage. He then stepped to the rear of the stage and picked

up a little wicker basket, into which he scooped the dummy

envelopes from the small table where they lay in full view. He now

descended and rapidly returned the unopened envelopes to their

respective writers.

The basket is what is known as a "Billet changing basket." It is

lined with red satin and is a small affair with straight sloping

sides. It has a handle which, when down, locks two flaps up

against the sides of the basket. This is done by two little

projections on the base ends of the handle. They are of wire and

are bent into such shape that they project downward when the handle

is down, and hold the two side flaps up against the sides. These

flaps are of pasteboard, and are covered with red satin the same as

the basket lining. There is a spring in each flap which closes it

upon the bottom of the basket when it is released by raising the

handle. Envelopes in the bottom of the basket are thus hidden and

retained, when the flaps are released, and the duplicates drop into

the basket, from the sides where they were concealed by the flaps.

This basket can be supplied by the conjuring depots, or it can

easily be made. The handle can be made of wire and wrapped with

raffia grass which is on sale at the department stores. A

pasteboard lining covered with red satin must first be sewed into

the basket, and then two flaps of pasteboard should be hinged to a

pasteboard bottom by pasting on a hinge of cloth. A suitable

spring can be made of spring wire and sewed into position, after

which this is all covered with red satin and placed in the basket.

The basket should have sides about four inches high, and the bottom

should measure about seven and one-half by ten inches. The sides

and ends slope outward, and the basket is open wicker work.

Suitable bows of ribbon on the ends of the handle and corners of

the basket conceal the mechanism.

In the present instance, the assistant behind the scenes, after

reading and placing the questions in duplicate envelopes which the

manager had previously numbered, sealed them and placed them in the

sides of the basket, bent up the flaps into position, and lowered

the handle locking them in place. He now pushed this basket into

view on a table at the rear of the stage; and when the manager was

ready to return the envelopes, he scooped the dummy envelopes from

the table (where they lay after the bag was emptied) into this

basket. He then lifted the handle which released the flaps,

covered up the dummy envelopes and dropped the originals into view.

These he took down and quickly distributed to the writers. Being

numbered, this could be quickly done.

. . . . .

I will now describe the method employed on the third evening. This

time dummy envelopes were placed in the sides of the basket, and

the handle left in a lowered position while the operator gathered

up the envelopes. As the manager returned to the stage he took the

basket by the handle. This released the dummy envelopes, and

covered up the originals retaining them. He emptied the dummy

envelopes upon the small table and then laid the basket on a table

near the flies in the rear, and rather out of view. An assistant

behind the scenes took out the original envelopes, opened them, and

as he read the questions repeated them into a small telephone. The

wires from this telephone ran under the stage carpet to a pair of

metal plates with a tack in the center of each plate which pointed

upward. These plates were located under certain spots in the

carpet and directly in front of the medium's chair. There were

also two other pairs of wires leading to two other positions on the

stage. The medium was dressed as a "Mahatma" on this evening,

wearing a large turban. A large tassel dangled by his left ear,

completely concealing a small "watch-case receiver" which was

attached to this ear. Two tiny wires led from this receiver,

inside his collar, down his person, and were connected inside his

shoes to other wires which penetrated the soles of his shoes.

These latter wires were soldered to copper plates which were tacked

into position on his shoe soles. He now took his position in the

chair and placed his feet over the hidden tacks, which now

contacted his shoe plates, completing the circuit, so that anything

whispered into the telephone on the stage was repeated in his ear.

He then gave a few tests, tapping his spirit bell, which was a

signal for more information from the assistant.

He soon grew nervous and walked away giving a test as he walked.

He now paused in a certain position for a moment, placing his hand

to his head as if somewhat dazed and tapping his bell. In this

position his feet were again over two concealed tacks, and he again

secured information for another test, which he gave as he walked

about. He now paused in a third position and gave another test,

after which he returned to the chair, continuing his work. This

maneuvering he kept up until all the tests were given; after which

he fell upon a couch exhausted, but with his feet from the

spectators.

The manager now stepped to the rear of the stage and took the

basket, which was now in place containing the original (?)

envelopes behind the flaps; and stepping to the small table he

scooped in the dummy envelopes; then taking the basket by the

handles, he stepped down the runway and rapidly returned the

unopened (?) envelopes to their writers. The assistant had, of

course, sealed the questions in duplicate envelopes previously

numbered by the manager. He had placed these behind the flaps, and

shoved the basket into view on a table at the rear of the stage.

I use a variation of these tricks in my double parlors. I have

made a "billet changing basket" as above described, and have also

made a similar basket except that it contains no mechanism.

I pass cards and envelopes to the spectators in the front parlor.

When the questions are written and sealed in the envelopes, I

gather them up in the mechanical basket; I step to a table in the

rear parlor and apparently empty them upon it. In reality, I have

just raised the handle so that the originals are retained, and the

dummy envelopes are emptied on the table instead.

I now step to an adjoining room for an instant, to get a small

decorated screen. I secretly leave the basket containing the

original envelopes in this room and return with the other basket in

my hand in its place. I place the small ornamental screen on the

table back of the envelopes, but leave the envelopes in view and

request the spectators to notice that I do not go near them until I

get ready to give the tests. I now carelessly lay the non-

mechanical basket on a table in the room where the spectators are

and proceed with some other tricks.

Usually I give the series of experiments described in the chapter

entitled "Mediumistic Reading of Sealed Writings." I state to the

spectators that I will not give the tests for the sealed envelopes

until later in the evening.

Meanwhile, should anyone think of such a thing, he can easily

examine the little basket, which he thinks I have just used; as it

still lies on the table in the front parlor with other discarded

paraphernalia, including slates, etc. I use no assistant; so after

a time has elapsed, and when by the performance of other sealed

readings, suspicion has been diverted from the tests with the

billets, my wife retires on some trifling errand. While out, she

opens the envelopes in the basket, prepares the sheet of questions,

and places it in the Bible; then she re-seals the questions in

envelopes previously marked by me, places them in the sides of the

basket, raises the flaps and lowers the handle. She then usually

enters with some light refreshments for the spectators, which

explains her absence with a word.

I continue with other experiments for ten or fifteen minutes after

her return; then I gather up my surplus paraphernalia, including

the dummy basket, and carry all to the room adjoining the back

parlor, where I leave it. I return instantly with the mechanical

basket which I place near my own table; and then I give another

experiment of some kind.

I now pick up the basket and announce that I have decided to return

to their writers the envelopes on the table in front of the screen

before attempting to give the tests. I do this as if it were a

later notion. I now scoop in the dummy envelopes, and raise the

handle, which action covers them up and releases the originals (now

sealed). I now distribute to the writers their envelopes, which I

can do, as they are numbered as described earlier in this chapter.

I request each sitter to hold his envelope until I shall give his

test. Then I usually perform some other little experiment before

giving the tests.

I now take up my Bible, which I will stake I brought into the room,

unnoticed, when I returned with the last basket. I then seat

myself and leisurely turn the leaves through the Bible, reading

verses, and giving the tests as before described.

I always first read a question secretly, and then turn by the sheet

of paper and begin reading a verse of Scripture. As I do this I

permit the front of the Bible to lower enough for the spectators to

see the printed pages. This prevents suspicion. Meanwhile, the

spectators have forgotten that I ever stepped from the room at all

with the basket, and even that my wife retired for some

refreshments. Neither did they notice the Bible when I brought it

in.

The effect on each person, as I call him by name and describe the

"influence" of his "dear one," giving names and most marvelous

information, is far superior to what it would be were I merely to

read the questions literally, and give the answers.

SOME FAMOUS EXPOSURES

Probably the greatest swindle ever perpetrated in the name of

spiritualism was recently brought to light in Stockton, California.

The medium and his confederates materialized everything from frogs

and small fish to a huge bowlder of gold quartz weighing several

hundred pounds. This latter had to be brought from the mountains

with a mule team.

The materializing was done through sliding panels in the walls,

while the believers sat holding hands about the opposite side of a

table, and loudly singing sacred hymns. They had the only door to

the room locked and sealed, and never dreamed that the spirits who

brought the quartz from the mine were mules.

Thousands of dollars were invested in this "spirit mine," the

believers stacking their money on the quartz as it lay on the table

at a dark seance, and receiving deeds in return for their money,

which the spirits dematerialized.

The medium established, or had his spirits establish, a "Treasury

of Heaven," for the faithful to deposit their money in, and on

which they were to receive fifty per cent interest. This interest

the believers continued to receive at dark seances from the spirits

for a time. Each sitter's interest was found on the table stacked

in front of him when the lights were lighted. When the spirit bank

became insolvent and the chief medium disappeared, the believers

were out about thirty-five thousand dollars.

No less a personage than a millionaire of Tacoma, Washington, is

said to have contributed largely to this spirit fund. I had known

of this case for some time before the exposure (conducted by a

performer engaged for the purpose), and knew that certain

interested persons were contemplating bringing it about, in order

to rescue certain estimable persons from the clutches of these

mediums. This was successful; and the confederates of the medium

signed written confessions in the presence of one of the most

devout of the believers, and a gentleman who is otherwise very

intelligent. Upon this the gentleman was greatly crestfallen, but

he still insists that there are certain mediums who are not

impostors; and that certain mediums in Chicago who produce spirit

portraits are genuine.

A full and very interesting account of this exposure is given in

the San Francisco Examiner of March 3 and 4, 1907.

. . . . .

I could report enough cases of materialization to fill a volume.

These I know of, from various sources, and in every case they were

invariably fraudulent. I will give a short account of a

materialization which a very expert medium, who is on friendly

terms with me, witnessed. The gentleman was originally a minister,

and afterwards began investigating spiritualism, as he was a

believer in it. He hoped to become a medium; and at one time paid

two lady mediums of some renown, who reside in Chicago, three

dollars a sitting for three sittings a week. These sittings were

conducted for the purpose of developing this gentleman in

mediumship. He continued this for a long time, but he was no

nearer to being a medium than he was in the beginning.

At one time he detected one of the sisters passing a slate to the

other, and substituting another in its place. He saw the edge of

one of the slates protruding from behind the dress of one of the

sisters. They never knew they were discovered as he said nothing,

but this "opened his eyes." After this he investigated everywhere,

and at every opportunity, and grew to be a very expert medium

himself.

Recently, when in Los Angeles, he visited a seance conducted by a

medium who claimed to be a Buddhist priest. This medium was known

under the name of "The Reverend Swami Mazzininanda." He had an

altar in his home, constructed something like those in Roman

Catholic churches. He had various candles and images on this

altar, including an image of Buddha, and also a number of mystical

figures. It was a great mixture of "fake" Buddhism, Roman

Catholicism, and modern spiritualism. The medium also wore the

costume of a Buddhist priest at his seances.

This "priest" held services here for the faithful. He conducted

all in Hindoostani (?), his native tongue. He chanted, prayed to

Buddha, etc., all in a queer-sounding "gibberish." Certain

evenings of the week were devoted to "soul-travel," and certain

evenings after the religious services a "Black Chapter" was held.

The gentleman whom I have mentioned attended one of these dark

seances. He sat with other spectators around the room in perfect

darkness. The spectators were not required to hold hands, so great

was their faith. Finally, in the darkness, a queer-looking,

vapory, luminous form floated around in the air and paused in front

of the spectators. My friend slipped down quietly on his knees,

and gradually worked closer and closer to the luminous form, until

he could detect that the vapor was a kind of luminous "cheese

cloth." He did not desire to expose this "priest," but he desired

to have the "priest" know that some one had discovered him. My

friend accordingly took hold of the gauze and gave it a very slight

downward jerk. He then immediately returned quietly to his seat.

There was an immediate pause in the discourse of the "priest," who

had really been floating this form on the end of a stick. Everyone

knew that something had happened, but no one but my friend knew

what it was. The "priest" then said in his slow, peculiar,

eccentric and measured tones, "I have received a very great shock;

and I will be unable to continue further this evening." The next

day, when in conversation with some of the "faithful," this

"priest" stated in his peculiar manner of speaking, and with

intense earnestness, that which follows: "Last night I received a

very great shock. I was just in the middle of the 'Dark Chapter'

and the spirit of the Master, Krishna, was out. Having spent the

greater portion of my life on the Himalayas, my right eye has

become injured by the snows." Then pointing to his right eye, he

added, "My right eye has a defect in it which you cannot see; but

on account of that, I can only see in the dark with it. I

immediately turned my right eye downward and I looked! I

distinctly saw a lady's hand reached out toward my robe in the

darkness, and this hand took hold of it and jerked it lightly just

like this." The "Reverend Swami" here illustrated, by slightly

jerking his coat downward. It was very amusing to hear him, in

great seriousness, relate this in his low and measured accents to

his faithful followers.

Shortly after this, when the Los Angeles Herald was conducting a

crusade against the numerous mediums of that city, and when it had

an exhibit in its windows of the confiscated material of some of

them, this "Buddhist priest" was arrested and imprisoned for some

of his practices.

Hereward Carrington

More Tricks of "Spiritualists"

"MATTER THROUGH MATTER"

There is one very clever "test" that is sometimes performed which

would seem to show that something of this sort IS accomplished. It

is, however, nothing more than an ingenious trick, and this might

be a good time to explain its modus operandi. The general effect

of the illusion is this: The medium requests some one to assist him

in an experiment in which he is going to attempt to pass "matter

through matter." As the test is one in which a confederate might

easily be employed, he is very careful to choose some person who is

well known, or whose character is above all suspicion. If this

were not so, the entire effect of the test would be lost upon the

investigators. Having secured his assistant, he hands him, for

examination, a solid steel ring, just large enough to slip on and

off the hand and arm easily. The ring is perfectly solid, and may

be examined by anyone desirous of doing so. When this part of the

performance is finished, the medium and his sitter then join or

clasp their right hands (as in handshaking), and the sitter is

instructed not to release the hand for a single instant. To "make

assurance doubly sure," however, the hands are fastened together in

any way the sitters may desire; the hands being tied together with

tape, e. g., and the ends of this tape tied and the knots sealed.

The tape connects the wrists and the hands of the medium and his

sitter, and this tying may be made as secure as possible. A piece

of thick cloth is now thrown over the two hands and the lower part

of the arms, concealing them from view. With his disengaged hand

the medium now takes the iron ring and passes it up under the

cloth, so as to bring it in contact with his own arm. He holds it

there for some time, but ultimately snatches off the covering

cloth, and reveals to the eyes of the astonished audience the ring-

-now encircling his own arm--in spite of the fact that the ties are

still in statu quo, and the sitter never let go his hold for an

instant. The ties and the ring may again be examined, if desired,

before the hands are separated.

This is an exceedingly effective test, and has every appearance of

being genuine--indeed, it is hard to see where trickery can come

in. The trick is one of the simplest imaginable, however, and is

performed in the following manner:

The medium has provided himself with TWO rings exactly alike; one

of these the audience is free to examine, the other the medium is

wearing on his right arm, under his coat. When the two hands are

clasped together, therefore, it is a simple thing for the medium,

under cover of the enveloping cloth, to slip the duplicate ring

down his sleeve, and on to his own hand, and that part of the

"miracle" is accomplished! It remains only to explain what becomes

of the first ring. The cloth thrown over the arms is very thick

and stiff, as stated, and the inner side of this contains a double

partition, or sort of bag, into which the medium slips the

duplicate ring. The cloth may now be shown on both sides, without

disclosing the ring, and the medium makes away with it as soon as

possible, in order to avoid detection.

DECEPTION EXPLAINED BY THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY

The object [of this passage] is to enable the reader to see, more

easily, how it is that the watchful observer is deceived into

believing that a thing is so, when in reality it is not, and vice

versa; and also to give an idea of the various methods employed by

the medium in order to accomplish his results.

I must first of all call the reader's attention to one or two rules

which every conjurer learns at the commencement of his study, and

which he learns to apply so constantly that it becomes second

nature to him. The first is: Never let the eyes rest on the hand

that is performing the "sleight," but always on the other hand, or

on some object on the table or elsewhere, as this will have a

tendency to draw the eyes of the audience to that point also. The

sitters or audience will always look at the point closely watched

by the magician--their eyes have a tendency to follow his, and

wherever he looks, there will the onlooker look also. Needless to

say, the magician makes use of this fact, and many tricks and

illusions are dependent upon it for their successful ac-

complishment. Whenever the magician or medium looks intently at

one hand, therefore, the OTHER hand should be watched, as it is a

sure sign that THAT is the hand which is performing the trick.

Another fundamental rule that is observed by all sleight-of-hand

performers is: Never to let an audience know beforehand what is to

be done; i. e., the nature of the trick that it is intended to

perform. If the spectator knew what was forthcoming, he would be

on the lookout for movements of the performer at certain critical

times--just at the periods when close observation is least wanted--

and would quite possibly detect the performer in the act of

executing certain movements which would show how the trick was

performed. But not knowing what is coming, the spectator is unable

to watch closely at the critical moment--not knowing what that

moment is--and so is unable to detect the trick, his attention

being diverted by the performer, just before this movement is made,

to some other object or movement.

The methods of diverting the spectator's attention are various.

There is the use of the eyes, as before shown. Then there is the

spoken word, the performer telling the onlookers to observe some

certain object or action, and the effect is to cause them to watch

it, as they are told. They follow the line of least resistance.

The combined effect upon the spectator of the spoken word and the

eyes together is generally irresistible.

Another important factor is this: A performer should always let any

suggestion, right or wrong, soak well into the spectator's mind

before attempting to change it. This is for two reasons. In the

first place, if the suggestion is correct, if, e. g., the performer

really DOES place an object in his left hand, and it is shortly

found to have vanished from that hand, he is annoyed by hearing

some one say that he was not really sure it was there in the first

place, as "it was covered up so quickly." If, on the other hand,

the suggestion given was a false one, if, e. g., the performer says

he has placed an object in his left hand, when, in reality, he has

not done so but has palmed it in the right, then it is still

necessary to allow a certain time-interval to elapse between the

performing of the action which apparently placed the object in the

hand, and the showing of the hand empty, for this reason. If the

hand into which the object is supposedly placed is IMMEDIATELY

shown empty, the natural conclusion of the sitter is that the

object was not in reality placed there at all, but was retained in

the other hand, which would be the fact. If, however, the

performer allowed some time to elapse, between the action of

placing the object in that hand (supposedly) and the showing of the

hand empty, he, meanwhile, keeping his eyes fixed on the hand,

suggesting to the sitters that the object IS there, and in every

way acting as if it WERE there, the idea will gradually gain a firm

hold on the minds of the spectators that the object is there, in

reality, and they are correspondingly surprised to find it

ultimately vanished. It is just such a knowledge of "the way

people's minds work," as a friend once said to me, which enables

the conjurer to deceive the public; and it is precisely the same

cast of mind that the medium possesses. He is, in fact, a good

judge of human nature.

Another fact that must be borne in mind is that, when once a

spectator has seen a movement made two or three times in the same

manner, he frequently "sees" the performer make that movement on

another occasion, when the performer had, in reality, only STARTED

to make the movement, and suggested the rest. Thus, if the

performer throws a ball up into the air two or three times in

succession, and on the fourth occasion merely pretends to throw it

up, really retaining it in the other hand, the great majority of

the spectators will really "see" the ball ascend into the air on

the fourth occasion, and will so state, on being asked. We here

depend upon association and habit.[1]

[1] A very similar illusion is mentioned by Professor Hyslop, v.

Borderland of Psychical Research, Pp. 228-9, in which pellets were

apparently placed in a box, really being palmed in the medium's

hand.

Professor Jastrow summed up this portion of the psychology of

deception very well when he said:[1]

[1] Fact and Fable in Psychology, pp. 124-5.

"He (the conjurer) must dissociate the natural factors of his

habits, actually attending to one thing while seemingly attending

to another; at the same time his eyes and his gestures and his

'patter' misdirect the attention to what is apparently the

essential field of operation, but really only a blind to distract

attention away from the true scene of action. The conjurer directs

your attention to what he does not do; he does not do what he

pretends to do; and to what he actually does, he is careful neither

to appear to direct his own attention nor to arouse yours."

Prof. Max Dessoir, in a very fine article on "The Psychology of

Conjuring," writes as follows: "By awakening interest in some

unimportant detail, the conjurer concentrates that attention on

some false point, or negatively, diverts it from the main object,

and we all know the senses of an inattentive person are pretty

dull. . . . When causing the disappearance of some object, the

conjurer counts one, two, three; the object must really disappear

before three, not at three, because, the attention of the public

being diverted to three, they do not notice what happens at one and

two. . . . A specially successful method of diversion is founded

on the human craze for imitation. . . . The conjurer counts on

this in many cases. He always looks in the direction where he

wants the attention of the public, and does everything himself

which he wants the public to do. . . . If the trick is in the left

hand, the conjurer turns sharply to the person to his right,

presuming correctly that the spectators will make the same

movement, and will not notice what is going on in the left hand. . . .

Every sharp, short remark will, for a moment, at least, divert

the eyes from the hands and direct them to the mouth, according to

the above-mentioned law of imitation."

The successful conjurer has carefully studied beforehand every

movement that is made--every word that is spoken--during a

conjuring performance, and has seen that these all fit naturally

into place, and help conceal the real workings of the trick. The

right and left hands must be trained to operate independently, and

without the need of looking at either. Many conjurers practice

doing two separate things at the same time, one with either hand;

and the ability to do this is essential. Above all, the performer

must be full of conscious self-possession, and feel himself to be

master of the situation, no less than to feel the ability to cope

with any emergencies that may arise.

Turning, now, to a consideration of the seance, we find that many

of these psychological rules still hold good, and their operation

enables the medium to perform many actions which would otherwise be

impossible. A certain suggestion is given to the sitters, and

imagination and inference do the rest. "Our conclusions as to what

we see or hear are always founded on a combination of observation

and inference; but in daily life it is seldom necessary to

distinguish between the two elements, since, when the object and

its mode of presentation are familiar, our inferences are generally

correct. But it is different when, owing to circumstances, such as

a bad light, we have to infer more in proportion to what we

perceive than usual; or when some one, e. g., a conjurer or a

ventriloquist, is trying to deceive us by presenting one object

under the familiar aspect of another, and suggesting false

inferences. It is not uncommon to find people at seances

encouraging each other in the belief that they see, say, a living

human figure, when all that they actually SEE is something moving

which is about the size of a human being; the rest is inference."

How true these last remarks are is demonstrated by the statement,

made in The Revelations of a Spirit Medium, that an old wire mask

frequently used at materializing seances had been recognized "by

dozens of persons as fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, cousins,

sweethearts, wives, husbands, and various other relatives and

friends. None but the medium knew that it was only a fifty-cent

wire mask, hence none but the medium could enjoy the humor of the

occasion."

One of the most instructive incidents I know, in relation to this

question of the psychology of deception, is the one given by Doctor

Hodgson[1]--the case of the officer and the Hindu juggler. In this

case, a trick was performed before an English officer and his wife,

and Doctor Hodgson happened to overhear this officer telling some

travelers of the experience at dinner that evening. "Referring to

the movements of the coins, he said that he had taken a coin from

his own pocket and placed it on the ground himself, yet that this

coin had indulged in the same freaks as the other coins. His wife

ventured to suggest that the juggler had taken the coin and placed

it on the ground, but the officer was emphatic in repeating his

statement, and appealed to me for confirmation. He was, however,

mistaken. I had watched the transaction with special curiosity, as

I knew what was necessary for the performance of the trick. The

officer had apparently intended to place the coin upon the ground

himself, but as he was doing so, the juggler leaned slightly

forward, dexterously and in a most unobtrusive manner received the

coin from the fingers of the officer, as the latter was stooping

down, and laid it close to the others. If the juggler had not thus

taken the coin, but had allowed the officer himself to place it on

the ground, the trick, as actually performed, would have been

frustrated.

[1] Proceedings Society for Psychical Research, Vol. IV., pp. 385-6.

"Now I think it highly improbable that the movement of the juggler

entirely escaped the perception of the officer; highly improbable,

that is to say, that the officer was absolutely unaware of the

juggler's action at the moment of its happening; but I suppose

that, although an impression was made on his consciousness, it was

so slight as to be speedily effaced by the officer's IMAGINATION of

himself as stooping and placing the coin upon the ground. The

officer, I may say, had obtained no insight into the modus operandi

of the trick, and his fundamental misrepresentation of the only

patent occurrence that might have given him a clew to its

performance debarred him completely from afterwards, on reflection,

arriving at any explanation. Just similarly, many an honest

witness may have described himself as having placed one slate upon

another at a sitting with a medium, whereas it was the medium who

did so, and who possibly effected at the same time one or two other

operations altogether unnoticed by the witness."

In reading through descriptions of slate-writing seances, we very

seldom find the statement made as to WHO placed the slates on the

table, or under the table, etc., generally the account reading "the

slates were then placed on the table," without any qualifying

statement as to WHO placed them there. Accounts of this kind are

absolutely worthless, from an evidential standpoint. We must at

once ask ourselves: who placed the slates in that position? and if

it was the medium--as it probably was in the vast majority of

instances--then that test, in all probability, ceases to have any

evidential weight. Anyone can read over a number of accounts of

slate-writing performances, and verify these statements, if he

chooses to do so. Frequently, the statement is made that the

sitter did actually place the slate on the table, when in reality

the medium did so. This error is quite unconscious on the sitter's

part, of course, but the account is falsified, nevertheless.

Mistakes of this kind are very common, the sitter thinking

afterwards that he (the sitter) MUST have placed the slates on the

table himself!

It will be seen from the above that there is a great difference

between what ACTUALLY transpired, at any given seance, and what the

accounts SAY transpired. The general public cannot get that all-

important fact too strongly rooted in its mind: that the events

which transpired at a seance may not be reported accurately, so

that the report of the seance may be altogether wrong and

erroneous, though the sitters, and those who drew up the report,

may have been thoroughly honest in their belief that the report is

accurate in every respect. The effect of all this is very great

indeed. Many spiritualistic seances are quite inexplicable AS DE-

SCRIBED, but the description is not a true report of what took

place at the seance in question. The facts are distorted.

Consequently, the person taking it upon himself to explain what

took place at the seance is called upon to explain a number of

things which, in reality, never took place at all. We must

remember, in this connection, that a number of conjuring tricks, AS

DESCRIBED, would be quite impossible to explain by any process of

trickery. The description of the trick was not correct.

Let me make this still clearer, and at the same time illustrate the

difference between what apparently occurs, and what actually

happens, by the following example: A conjurer places a coin (say a

quarter) in each hand, and closes his hands. Another quarter is

now placed upon the fingers of each hand, so that there is now one

quarter in each hand and one-quarter on the fingers of each. The

magician announces that, by simply opening and closing his hands--

which are held at some distance from each other--he will thereby

transfer one of the coins from one hand to the other, so that there

will be three coins in one of the hands, and only one left in the

other.

Now, if the sitter were writing out an account of what happened, it

would most certainly read as follows:

"The magician then tried the experiment--of opening and closing his

hands rapidly, and causing the coin to be transferred, as promised--

but failed in the attempt, the coins from the back of each hand

falling on to the table in rather a clumsy manner. They were,

however, again placed upon the backs of the magician's hands; the

movement was repeated, and this time successfully. The coins

disappeared from the backs of both hands, in one of which was now

found three of the coins, while the other hand contained only one."

Such is precisely the description of the trick, as it would be

given by the average person, on seeing it, and it would represent

his honest opinion of what occurred; as it stands, it is quite

inexplicable by trickery. Needless to say, the account is NOT a

true statement of what actually occurred, as the following

explanation will make clear:

The first time the coins were dropped on to the table, the movement

was not so "clumsy" as might have been supposed. It was, in fact,

intentional, being the principal factor in the accomplishment of

the trick. What ACTUALLY transpired at that time was this: The

magician, by a quick movement, dropped both coins from ONE hand on

to the table, at the same time dexterously opening the other hand a

trifle, and allowing the second coin, on that hand, to fall into

the interior of the hand itself. Thus, while both hands are still

seen to be closed, one is empty, and the other contains two coins.

It is obvious, therefore, that, when a coin is placed upon each of

the hands again, the magician has only to repeat the opening and

closing movement, and there will be three coins in one of the

hands, and only one in the other.

This trick illustrates, in a very simple and striking manner, the

possibility of reporting a fact in an entirely erroneous manner,

quite unconscious of the fact that this error in reporting has been

committed. Just in this same manner, are many slate-writing and

other phenomena misreported, and hence an explanation of the

seance, AS REPORTED, is rendered impossible. The trouble is that

the "report" does not REALLY report what actually occurred.

. . . . .

Many of my readers may feel somewhat insulted at this accusation

that they cannot detect such obvious trickery when it exists, and

that they are liable to make such mistakes in recording a seance as

those here mentioned. They may comfort themselves with the

thought, however, that it is no disgrace to make mistakes and

errors of this kind; for, as Professor Jastrow pointed out:[1]

[1] Fact and Fable in Psychology, p. 148.

"The matter is in some aspects as much a technical acquisition as

in the diagnosticating of a disease. It is not at all to the

discredit of anyone's powers of observation or intellectual acumen

to be deceived by the performances of a conjurer; and the same

holds true of the professional part of mediumistic phenomena.

Until this homely but salutary truth is impressed with all its

importance upon all intending investigators, there is little hope

of bringing about a proper attitude toward these and kindred

phenomena."

These remarks will make it clear to us why many men of science have

been deceived by very simple tricks and fraudulent devices, while

investigating spiritualistic phenomena--their scientific culture is

no guaranty that they are any more capable of detecting fraud than

is the man-in-the-street--in fact their training has made them very

much LESS capable of detecting fraud than the average person, who

comes more in contact with the world, and is an acuter judge of

character and human nature.

Anonymous

How Spirits Materialize

From "The Revelations of a Spirit Medium"--a book out of existence

now, since the plates and all copies were bought up by

"spiritualists" and destroyed. The following is given by courtesy

of Mr. Hereward Carrington:

Reader, have you ever attended a "seance" for "full-form

materialization?" Have you ever thought you had met your dead

relative's spirit at these "seances"?

If you have never had the pleasure of attending a seance of this

"phase" you have missed a rare treat. The writer has assisted at

many a one and will relate to you some of the wonderful phenomena

occurring at them and the means used to produce them. . . . There

are hundreds of "materializing mediums" doing business in this

country, who are swelling a good-sized bank account. Their

business sometimes runs into the hundreds of dollars in a single

week. This "phase" of mediumship is considered by the spiritual-

ists as the highest possible attainable, and if you are a clever

"full-form medium" your financial welfare is assured. . . . Many

and various are the methods employed by the different "mediums" in

producing this phase. It is in Boston, New York, and San Francisco

that it is worked the finest. The full-form seances most often met

with are very simply worked, and easy of performance by the medium.

You are usually given a seat in a circle of chairs about the front

of a "cabinet" made by hanging heavy curtains across the corner of

the room. If you are a stranger or one who looks or acts as though

he would "grab" the "spirits," you are seated at the farthest point

from the cabinet; or, if there are two rows of seats, you will be

given a seat in the back row. . . .

I made my way to the "materializing seance," at which my friends

hoped to materialize. I was admitted to the seance room and found

about twenty persons already assembled. I was seated in the front

row of chairs. The cabinet used was a closet about six feet long

and four feet wide. The ceiling of both the room and the cabinet

was of wood. After a thorough examination had been made of the

cabinet by all those who cared to do so, the sitters were

rearranged to suit the medium. There were present now thirty-five

persons. The seance room was very large. The door had been taken

off the closet that served as a cabinet, and in its stead were hung

heavy curtains. The floor of the room was carpeted with a dark

carpet, as was the cabinet. The light was furnished by a lamp

placed in a box that was fastened to the wall some eight feet from

the floor. This box had a sliding lid in front, controlled by a

cord passing into the cabinet. By this means the "spirits" could

regulate the light to suit themselves, without any movement on the

part of any of those in the seance room being necessary. When

everything was in readiness the medium entered the cabinet, seated

himself and was tied, and so secured to his chair that it was

impossible that he could have any use of himself. He was most

thoroughly secured to his chair, and his chair nailed fast to the

floor by passing leather straps over the rounds in the side and

nailing the ends to the floor. After it was shown to the sitters

that he was utterly helpless, the curtain was drawn. The manager

now placed an ordinary kitchen table in front of the door of the

cabinet, so that it stood away from it about two feet. The table

contained no drawer. On the table was laid writing materials, a

guitar, and small bell. The manager seated himself close to one

side of the cabinet entrance, and started a large Swiss music box.

Before it had finished the first air the lamp was shut entirely

off, making the room inky dark.

An illuminated hand and arm was now seen to come from behind the

curtain, and played an accompaniment to the music box on the

guitar. We could see plainly the movements of the hand, arm, and

fingers, as it manipulated the strings of the instrument. It did

not appear necessary to finger the strings on the keyboard,

although the air was in a key that made it impossible to tune the

guitar so that an accompaniment could be performed WITHOUT

fingering. However, but one hand was visible, and it was picking

the strings. After the tune was finished, the hand left the in-

strument, and moved out into the room to the front of the table,

and from the sound we knew it was writing on the tablet that had

been placed there. The arm was of bluish light and appeared to end

just above the elbow, and to have no connection with the body. It

finished writing and seemed to float into the cabinet near the top.

The light was opened and the manager requested those who had tied

the medium to examine his condition and see if the ropes had been

tampered with. The examination was made and it was evident that

the fastenings were undisturbed. The communication was read aloud

to those present, and contained the following:

"We are pleased to meet so many seekers after light and truth here

this evening, and, from the conditions, as we sense them, we will

have a satisfactory and pleasant seance. The way to obtain the

best results is for each person to maintain a passive condition and

take what we have to give. You may rest assured that our best

efforts will be put forth to give you entire satisfaction. The

Control."

The writing was exactly on the ruled lines although written in

absolute darkness. The hand and arm, although luminous, did not

give out a particle of light. The arm had been at least five feet

from the cabinet opening and seven feet from the medium. Surely,

it was not he. The message read, the light was again shut down and

the music again started.

Once more a hand appeared, and floating out to the table, again

began writing. Of a sudden the hand disappeared, and, after a few

seconds, I was astonished to feel a hand thrusting a paper into my

top coat pocket. Now appeared two hands and they played an air on

the guitar. Now came three, then four hands were visible, bright

as the day. Two of them began writing again, and, when they had

finished, two more sitters were the recipients of sheets of paper.

Soon the light was opened for an inspection of the cabinet, which

was made, with the conclusion that the medium had not moved. Those

of us receiving communications were afforded an opportunity to read

them. We found them nicely written, as before, and all contained

"tests." . . .

After the light went out again, more hands were seen; the table was

floated about over the heads of the circle, as was the music box,

which weighed at least fifty pounds. Another examination of the

cabinet was made and everything found satisfactory. This time the

light was not put entirely out, but a very dim light was allowed.

The music box was again set playing, and, while yet it was playing

the first tune, a tall figure, robed in creamy white, with gleaming

sparks in her hair, and on her head a sort of crown, issued from

the cabinet. She was recognized by a gentleman present, a

spiritualist, whose spirit guide she was, and who addressed her as

"my queen." She stood a few seconds behind the table and then

stepped out in the open space between the sitters and the table.

The gentleman now arose from his seat and, standing beside her,

holding her hand, conversed in a whisper with her for some seconds.

This was most assuredly a lady, if appearances go for anything.

Her hands were quite small, and were warm and lifelike, as several,

including myself, can testify, having been permitted to shake hands

with her. At last she started to the cabinet, and, as she went,

appeared to grow shorter, until, as she disappeared between the

curtains, she was not much taller than the table. The manager now

explained that the spirit had remained out rather too long and came

near dematerializing before she reached the cabinet. Now came the

spirit of a young man, dressed in a light suit of clothes, who gave

his name and said his mother was present. She was, and had a few

words of conversation with him when he disappeared into the

cabinet. The lady said that it was unmistakably her son; but there

was SOMETHING that was not as he had been, but what it was she was

unable to describe.

The next spirit to present itself was my son Eddie. He came out

from the cabinet calling "Papa, papa." The manager asked "Who is

your papa?" and he replied, "Mr. (Smith)." All this time he stood

between the table and the cabinet, and only his head and shoulders

could be seen. The manager told him to step out where he could be

seen, when he came around to the front of the table.

It was rather dark, but I could swear it was my son. He was just

the right size, with long flaxen hair and a very pale face. He

wore a light-colored waist and darker knee-breeches and stockings,

with a large black bow at his throat, Just as I remember seeing him

last in health.

While Eddie was still standing in front of the table a large man

came out and took him by the hand. Eddie spoke, saying:

"Must I go back, grandpa?" The form turned toward me, saying:

"My son, this is a great pleasure to us, but we must not long

remain, as it is our first attempt at materializing." He turned to

go when the manager said to him:

"If the gentleman is your son you ought to give him your name."

"The name of the child is Eddie, and my own is J. A. Smith,"

replied the form, as they vanished into the cabinet.

The manager suggested that it would be well to examine and see

whether the medium had been out or not. The cabinet was examined

and everything found satisfactory.

Spirit after spirit came from the cabinet, one or two at a time for

an hour; some of them came to friends, and others were "controls"

of the medium. Many of them were recognized by different ones of

the sitters in the room. I, for one, could swear to the identity

of my own son Eddie, while my father was plainly recognizable. . . .

The room was again made dark. Suddenly there appeared on the

floor, in front of the table, a light about as large as a baseball.

It moved about in a circle of perhaps a foot in diameter and grew

larger. It soon lost the shape of a ball and appeared to be a

luminous cloud. Seemingly we could see into and through it. In

the course of thirty seconds it had become as large as a six-year-

old child; still there was no definite shape, only a fleecy

cloudlike mass, turning, twisting, and rolling. At the end of

perhaps a minute it was the size and shape of an adult person. The

face could not be seen, but light, luminous spots were visible as

though the hair and ears were decorated with gems. The shape spoke

and requested light. As the light was turned on the luminousness

disappeared, and we beheld a beautiful young lady clothed in a

dazzling white costume. Her arms and shoulders were bare, and

about her neck there was a necklace of what appeared to be very

brilliant diamonds. Her feet were encased in white slippers, with

straps across the instep. In her ears and hair glistened and

shimmered beautiful diamonds. Her face and arms were as alabaster,

and altogether she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever

beheld. She was recognized by a lady and gentleman present as

their daughter. They had met her here before. They were from the

East, and were wealthy. The spirit requested that they come to

her, which they did, and were each kissed and embraced by it. They

held a moment's conversation with her and resumed their seats, when

the lamp was slowly turned down. As the light became dim the

spirit became luminous. The face and arms disappeared and the body

became as a cloud again, turning and twisting and growing smaller

until it was nothing but a small light spot on the carpet, which of

a sudden disappeared entirely.

Immediately after this manifestation an examination of the medium

and cabinet was made, and it was certain the medium had not been

away from his chair. The light was again turned out and the music

box started, when TWO bright spots appeared on the carpet, one at

either end of the table. These went through the same process of

development until, when the light was turned on, there was another

beautiful female spirit at one end of the table, and a child of

perhaps eight years of age at the other. The child was recognized

by a lady present as her daughter, while the adult spirit was

recognized and rapturously greeted by a gentleman who sat near me

on my left, as his "darling angel guardian." They had quite a long

conversation, in which they made use of very endearing language,

each to the other. I supposed it was the gentleman's wife. . . .

The spirits did not disappear as the first one had, but, when the

light had been turned off, the luminous shape revolved a few times,

and on two occasions assumed the garb and shape of men, and when

the light was turned on again, there stood the men with beards and

men's forms. After some eight or ten of these materializations and

dematerializations, before our eyes, the last couple completely

disappeared.

The light was again turned down and a luminous shape came from the

cabinet, followed by others, until seven of them stood on the

floor. The light was turned up until we could see the seven

spirits. Five were females and two males. They were of different

sizes. The curtain at the door of the cabinet was pulled aside and

we could see the medium sitting in the chair in which he was bound.

The forms now filed into the cabinet again, while the music box

played. After they had disappeared the light was turned up, an

investigation made of the cabinet, and the seance was over.

There, reader, is a truthful description of what can be witnessed

at the seances of mediums who are artists. None of your bungling,

amateur work here. The work of such a medium is always

satisfactory for the reason that if a man feels SURE that the

medium is a fraud, he has been so well entertained that he does not

regret the money paid for the opportunity to witness it. This is

the class of medium also who frequently succeed in getting large

sums of money from wealthy persons they have converted to

spiritualism.

Did the writer not give you the true explanation of the manner in

which these things were produced, you would probably say it was

conceived by a very fertile imagination. If you believed that he

saw these things you would perhaps offer the preacher's

explanation, by saying, "it is the work of the devil"; or that of

the scientist, by asserting that "it is the mesmerist's power over

your mind"; or "the operator has discovered an odd force in

nature"; or go off on a long dissertation on hypnotism and fourth

dimension of space problems. However, it is not the work of the

devil, neither are there any but NATURAL laws necessary to its

production.

The seance described actually occurred and was described in writing

by Mr. Smith in the language used, although it was not printed, and

the writer was one of those who assisted in its production. He

will now proceed to explain this particular seance. . . .

It will be remembered that the room and cabinet were carpeted with

a dark carpet, and that the ceilings were of wood. The ceilings

were decorated by being put on in panels. The ceiling of the

cabinet would not have been like that of the room had the closet

been a part of the architect's plans of the house. It was not, but

was made by the medium. He simply built a lath and plaster

partition from the corner of a wide chimney to the wall, thus

inclosing a space of six by four feet. The panel in the ceiling of

the closet was twenty inches square. This panel was "doctored" and

could be displaced, leaving an aperture large enough for the

"spooks" to get through with perfect ease. A light ladder which

reached within three feet of the floor of the cabinet was hooked

fast above and furnished the means of getting down and up again.

There were eight persons connected with the seance described by Mr.

Smith, seven upstairs and the medium in the cabinet. Of course it

was not necessary that the medium get out of his fastenings, and

the facts are that he did NOT. The table was placed across the

cabinet door, not to lay the instruments on, but to be very much in

the way should anyone make a rush and "grab" for the materialized

forms. In case this occurred, the "spooks" above would close the

light, making the room perfectly dark, and the manager would do his

utmost to turn the table on end, or side, with the legs out in the

room. Before the "grabber" could get the lay of things and get

past it, the spooks would have gone through the trap, closed it,

pulled up the ladder, and the "grabber" would have found the medium

writhing and groaning and bleeding from the mouth. The bleeding

was for effect, and was caused by sucking very hard on his teeth or

gums.

The table also served a convenient purpose in the materialization

and dematerialization through the floor. You now know where the

spooks came from, in this particular house, and how they got in and

out. Now let us see how they managed the materializations, and the

properties used to produce them. The trap and ladder were

practically noiseless in their operations, but the music box made

assurance doubly sure that the least sound from the cabinet should

not he heard in the seance room.

When the box began its first air the trapdoor was opened and down

the ladder came a young man clad in a suit of black tights. He was

entirely covered with black with the exception of his right arm,

which was bare to a point a little more than halfway from the elbow

to his shoulder. The bare arm glowed with a luminous bluish light.

This condition of things was brought about by powdering his arm

with pulverized luminous paint. If you are not told the method of

transforming the sticky paint to powder, you will not be able to do

it, and will conclude the writer was romancing in this case. The

most essential thing to you will be to know where you can procure

this paint. The writer has been unable to procure it anywhere,

except of Devoe & Co., of New York City. It is put up in a package

resembling six-ounce jelly glasses, and you will get six of them

for five dollars. In order to reduce it to powder, thin the

contents of one of the glasses with one pint of turpentine. When

it is thoroughly cut and incorporated into the turpentine, soak

strips of muslin in it and hang them out to dry. When thoroughly

dry you can shake the powder from the cloth. In order to powder

one of your arms, gather one of the cloths in your hands, and use

it as a powder puff on your arm. You will not be able to get all

the paint out, but the pieces will make luminous crowns, slippers,

stars, and luminous decorations for your robes. You will be under

the necessity of perfuming your robes each time they are used, for

the odor of the turpentine will always remain to a greater or less

degree. To illuminate a robe or costume (the mediums always say

"robe") you proceed the same as in the powdering process, except

that to the pint of paint you will add a wineglass full of Demar

varnish, which will prevent its falling or being shaken off as

powder. You are not to make the robe of muslin, but of white

netting. Every lady will know what netting is. It is the

lightest, thinnest material the writer ever saw sold in a dry goods

store. Ten yards of it can be put into the vest pocket. Do not

scrimp the material, but get as much of it into your robe as

possible.

When he of the luminous arm steps from the cabinet into the dark

room no part of him is visible save the arm. He picks the strings

of the instrument with the illuminated hand and fingers the

keyboard with the other. He makes a sound of writing on the tablet

and tears off a leaf which he conceals, and, drawing a long black

stocking over the luminous arm, places in the pocket of the sitter

a communication that has been written upstairs in a good light.

This accounts for the even, beautiful writing, supposed to have

been done in the dark. He covers the luminous arm so that anyone

so inclined could not locate it in order to "grab" when he is near

enough. By mounting the table, that luminous hand and arm can be

made to show as though it was floating about near the ceiling.

When four hands were visible there were two spooks at work with

both arms illuminated. . . . You can readily understand the forces

that floated the music box and table above the heads of the

sitters, and an explanation is useless.

When the first female spirit appeared it was, in reality, a young

woman, dressed in a gorgeous white costume without paint, hence the

light was turned up instead of down, in order that she be visible.

Rhinestones and Sumatra gems being cheap, she was plentifully

supplied with "diamonds," although many of those who are the queens

or spirit guides or "controls" of wealthy spiritualistic fanatics

wear real diamonds, the gift of their wealthy charge, or "king" as

they usually call him.

When she started for the cabinet she used her hands to keep her

robe from under her feet, and as she went stooped lower and lower,

until, as she disappeared in the cabinet, she went on her hands and

knees. This is what caused the appearance of "dematerialization."

When Mr. Smith's son, Eddie, came from the cabinet, he was

represented by a boy of about eight years of age, the son of one of

the female "spooks" upstairs. He receives two dollars a night for

his services, the same as the larger spooks. He was powdered until

he was very white, a blond wig put over his own hair, and dressed

as most boys are at the age Mr. Smith's son died. Mr. Smith

recognized him by his size, his light complexion, and flaxen hair,

and the fact that he called him "papa" and gave his correct name.

His father was "made up" from the description given by the medium,

and acknowledged by Mr. Smith as correct. Of course he knew his

own name, for it was given him by the slate-writer. . . .

We now come to a part of the phenomena that all spiritualists who

have witnessed it will swear by. What is referred to is the

materializing and dematerializing of the spirit from the floor and

before your eyes. In this you see first a small light, which grows

larger and larger, until there stands before you a fully formed

female or male spirit, as was described in Mr. Smith's experience.

In order to accomplish what he witnessed, the same spook who had

before been recognized by a gentleman as "his queen," prepared

herself in the following way: Divesting herself of all clothing she

donned simply a long chemise that reached her shoe tops. She drew

on a pair of white stockings, and over them a pair of white

slippers. Into her hair and ears she put rhinestone diamonds, and

around her neck a necklace of the same beautiful but valueless

stones. On each ear lobe and around her neck were put small spots

of the luminous powder to represent the diamonds while it was dark.

Her face was powdered and her eyebrows and eyelashes darkened,

while a dark line was drawn under each eye. She now took a black

mask that covered her head, and her "robe" in her hands, and went

down to the cabinet. Arriving there, she put the black mask over

her head, to prevent the luminous diamonds being seen until the

proper time. She carried her robe in a black bag. Crawling from

between the curtains and under the table, she exposed on the floor

a small part of her robe. This she shook and moved about, allowing

it to escape from the bag until it was all out. She was now from

under the table and on her knees, and it was time the head show on

the form, so, getting close to the robe, she threw off and under

the table the black mask. The shape was now the size of an adult;

she adjusted the robe to her person, and rapped for light. As a

matter of course, when any light was made the luminousness of the

robe was drowned, and she appeared in simply a white costume. The

necklace and eardrops could now be seen, but when the light was

such as to reveal them, the luminous spots had disappeared, leaving

the spectator to think the ones he now saw were the ones he had

seen in the dark. The process of dematerialization will now be

apparent, and a description will only tire the reader. One small

spook was all that was required, as he could be made to represent

boy or girl as was desired, by clothing him in the garments of

either sex.

At the close of the seance, the full force of "spooks" came into

the room. After disappearing, they shinned up the ladder, drew it

after them, closed the panel and the trap in the floor above it,

replaced the carpet and pushed over the place a heavy bedstead from

which they took the castors. They now carried the ladder

downstairs and concealed it in the coal house as they went through

it on their way home. They will get their pay next day.

Should ever so close an examination of the cabinet be made, you

would not find anything wrong. This particular medium has taken

investigators into the cellar beneath the cabinet, and the room

above it, scores of times, yet nothing was discovered.

You are not always to search for the trap in the ceiling, nor yet

in the floor. A trap is not possible in the ceiling except a

closet is used as "cabinet," and the ceiling is of wood. Where

this condition of things does not exist, you must search elsewhere.

The floor is a very likely place when it cannot be made in the

ceiling. If you do not find it there, examine the base or

mopboard. If it is in the mopboard you will find, upon

examination, that there is a joint in it near the corner of the

cabinet, but you will find it solidly nailed with about four nails

each side of the joint. This appearance of extraordinary solidity

will be absolute proof that it is NOT solid.

The nails are not what they appear, but are only pieces about one

half inch in length, and do not even go through the board. The

piece is fastened on the other side with a couple of bolts that

hold it very firmly in place. There is a corresponding opening in

the mopboard in the next room, although no attempt is made to so

carefully conceal it, as no one is ever admitted to it. Through

this trap the "spooks" enter the cabinet by crawling and wiggling.

It is not a very desirable trap, for the mopboard is scarcely ever

wide enough to permit of a trap that the spook could get through in

a hurry; besides, they must assume their costumes after they get

into the cabinet or tear them to pieces. You can see how this

would make it very inconvenient.

If the room is wainscoted the spook will have all the sea room

necessary in his trap, for it will extend from just below the

molding on the top of the wainscoting to the floor behind the strip

of quarter-round. . . .

It is next to an impossibility to detect these traps by examining

in the cabinet. They were constructed to avoid discovery, and no

pains spared to make them so absolutely perfect that not one chance

in a million is taken. The proper place to seek for traps is in

the adjoining room, upstairs, or in the cellar. One is foolish to

undertake to find a trap by thumping the walls or floor; for, if

you happen to thump one, the medium who is smart enough to make use

of a trap is also sharp enough to make provision for its being

thumped, and your sounding method goes for naught.[1] Bear in mind

that when you are examining the cabinet, you are seeking at the

very place that is prepared most effectually to withstand your

investigations. . . . Do not forget the MANAGER in your search.

He or she is never searched, or never has been up to date, which

has been the cause of many a failure to find the "properties" of

the medium when the seance was given in a room and cabinet

furnished by a stranger and skeptic. Do not be deceived into a

belief that all of the sitters are strangers to the medium. There

may be from one to five persons present who pay their money the

same as yourself, and who may appear to be the most skeptical of

anyone in the room. They will generally be the recipients of some

very elegant "tests," and weep copiously great grief-laden tears

when they recognize the beloved features of some relative.

[1] It must be remembered that it is occasionally possible for the

medium to do away with traps altogether, either by having a con-

federate in the audience who produces all the phenomena--the medium

sitting bound meanwhile--or by some such simple device as the

following: Suppose the seance room is closed at one end by a pair

of folding-doors; these doors are locked, the key kept by a member

of the audience, while the keyhole is sealed, and strips of gummed

paper are also stretched across the crack between the doors,

sealing them firmly together. Confederates enter the room, in this

case, by merely pushing BOTH doors to one side, they being so

constructed that this is possible. A small space is now left

around the end of ONE door, through which the medium's confederate

creeps!

They are the most careful of investigators, and, when the medium's

trap is located in the door-jamb, will pound the walls, and insist

on the carpet being taken up, when they will get upon their hands

and knees and make a most searching examination of the floor. They

are the closest and most critical of investigators, but they are

very careful to examine everywhere EXCEPT WHERE THE DEFECT IS

LOCATED. Because one or two men seem to be making such a critical

investigation, do not allow that fact to prevent you making one on

your own responsibility. Wait until they have finished and then

examine not only where they did, but more particularly where they

did NOT. Their examination is only for the purpose of misleading

others. Their "tests" are received in a way to cause those about

them to think they admit them very unwillingly, or because they

were so undeniable that they could do nothing else.

A great many will probably deny that confederates are ever

employed. They are not, by mediums who are not smooth enough to

produce that which appears so wonderful as to make a good business

for them. The writer would advise those mediums who give such rank

seances to employ a few floor workers (they are easily obtained),

and see what a difference it would make in the amount of business

they will do. Get good ones, those who know human nature, and know

when they have said all that is necessary. Most of them are

inclined to say too much, thus causing the ordinary man to suspect

that they are confederates.