* * * * *
February 13th, 1885.
On February 13th, 1885, Mr. Furness, Professor Thompson and Mr.
Fullerton, on the part of the Commission, met Mr. Harry Kellar, a
professional conjurer, at Egyptian Hall.
The men seated themselves at a common pine table, 5 ft. x 3 ft., with
leaves.
Mr. Kellar sat at one side of the table, Mr. Furness at one end to his
left, Professor Thompson at one corner to Mr. Furness's left, and Mr.
Fullerton opposite Mr. Kellar. The end of the table to Mr. Kellar's
right was unoccupied.
Nine slates were found lying on a small stand about six feet from the
table.
These slates were washed one by one on the stand, and laid in a pile on
the table at Mr. Kellar's right.
A slate was taken from the pile, both sides washed, another slate
placed upon it, and both held together under the edge of the table. A
long communication appeared upon one of them (or what seemed to be one
of them), purporting to come from the Spirits.
Two more slates were taken and apparently both sides washed. One was
placed on the other and both laid upon the table in front of Professor
Thompson, one end of the slates being held by him and the other by Mr.
Kellar. When the upper slate was removed the under side of it was
covered with writing.
Professor Thompson then changed his position to that which he held when
with Dr. Slade--to the end of the table opposite Mr. Furness, and to Mr.
Kellar's right.
Writing was produced in similar manner on two other slates without the
Committee detecting the manner in which it was produced.
One of these slates was covered on both sides with the following
messages: On voyage tout éveillé dans le royaume des rêves et des
illusions; l'esprit se refuse à admettre les merveilles executées dans
une salle éclairé devant un public incrédule qui cherche à s'expliquer
les trucs employés à deviner les--
Kellar huye del espiritismo porque ya pasó la época de ella, y solo dá
el ejercicio carácter de prestidigitacion.
Het blyfft onbegrypelyk hoe de heer Kellar die door twee personen uit
het publiek stevigwordt vast gebonden, zich in een oogwenk wist los te
maken
[Here follow, in eight lines, sentences for which we have no types, in
Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Gujerati. This remarkable feat closes
with the following in German script:] Ich bin ein Geist und ich liebe
mein Lagerbier--Hans Schneider.
Von Moltke.
One slate was broken in a similar way to that broken by Dr. Slade.
Professor Thompson was asked to write a question, which he did while the
side of the slate on which he wrote was turned away from Mr. Kellar. The
slate was not turned over, the written question remaining on the under
side, and it was held at the usual place under the table, Mr. Kellar's
thumb remaining above the table in full view, while the fingers held the
slate up under the table.
A moment after the placing of the slate under the table, it was
withdrawn to admit of a small pencil being placed upon it, Mr. Furness
having remarked the absence of the pencil.
The slate was not otherwise withdrawn from under the table above two
inches until its final withdrawal, and the question was always,
seemingly, on the under side.
When the slate was brought out a communication was found upon it in
answer to Professor Thompson's question.
The answer was on the upper side of the slate. [April, 1887: Mr. Kellar
afterwards revealed his methods to our colleague, Mr. Furness.]