When the seance opened Jennie Nichols conducted those who were in the
hall through the main room and the one at the rear, before which the
curtain was placed. Everything was all right, so far as Detectives
Barry and Carroll could see. The cabinet from which the spirits were
to come stood across one corner, and opposite it was a door leading
into one of the two rooms in the rear of the hall.
They examined the cabinet and the rooms carefully, but found
everything all right. After they had been through everything the doors
were locked and they returned to their seats, Miss Nichols making some
other changes in the arrangements of the seats, and then the place was
darkened.
When the place had been made almost entirely dark, Jennie Nichols,
the medium, began pacing back and forth in front of the curtain. She
rubbed her hands over her head and eyes a number of times, and began
to chant: "Come, O queen, O queen."
When she began to call on the "queen" the spectators began to get
excited. Most of them appeared to be thoroughly familiar with the
proceedings, and several of them said: "Oh, I hope it's the king."
Then the medium pulled a cord which was attached to a light enclosed
in a sheet-iron case, the one small opening of which was covered with
several thicknesses of green tissue paper. When she pulled the string
the room became darker than ever.