 Chapter 9 The Davenport Brothers Their Rise In Progress Spiritual rope tying, music playing, cabinet secrets, they choose darkness rather than light, etc. The spiritual hand, how the thing is done, Dr. W. F. Van Vleck. The Davenport Brothers are natives of Buffalo, New York, and in that city commenced their career as mediums about twelve years ago. They were then mere lads. For some time their operations were confined to their own place, where, having obtained a considerable notoriety through the press, they were visited by people from all parts of the country. But in 1855 they were induced by John F. Coles, a very worthy spiritualist of New York City, to visit that metropolis and there exhibit their powers. Under the management of Mr. Coles they held circles, afternoon and evening, for several days, in a small hall at 195 Bowery. The audience were seated next to the walls, the principal space being required for the use of the spirits. The manifestations mostly consisted in the thrumming and seemingly rapid movement about the hall of several stringed instruments, the room having bed made entirely dark, while the boys were supposed or asserted to be quietly seated at the table in the center. Two guitars and sometimes a banjo were the instruments used, and the noise made by the spirits was about equal to the ignited honking of a large flock of wild geese. The manifestations were stunning as well as astonishing, for not only was the sense of hearing smitten by the dreadful sounds, but sometimes a member of the circle would get a striking demonstration over his head. At the request of the controlling spirit, made through a horn, the hall was lighted at intervals during the entertainment, at which times the mediums could be seen seated at the table, looking very indecent and amure, as if they had never once thought of deceiving anybody. On one of these occasions, however, a policeman suddenly lighted the hall by means of a dark lantern, without having been specially called upon to do so, and the boys were clearly seen with instruments in their hands. They dropped them as soon as they could, and resumed their seats at the table. Satisfied that the thing was a humbug, the audience left in disgust, and the policeman was about to march the boys to the station house on the charge of swindling, when he was prevailed upon to remain and farther test the matter. Left alone with them, and the three seated together at the table on which the instruments had been placed, he laid at their request a hand on each medium's head. They then clasped both his arms with their hands. While they remained thus situated, as he supposed, the room being dark, one of the instruments, with an infernal twanging of its strings, rose from the table and hit the policeman several times on the head. Then a strange voice through the trumpet advised him not to interfere with the work of the spirits by persecuting the mediums. Considerably astonished, if not positively scared, he took his hat and left, fully persuaded that there was something in it. The boys produced the manifestations by grasping the neck of the instrument, swinging it around, and thrusting it into different parts of the open space of the room, at the same time vibrating the strings with the forefinger. The faster the finger passed over the strings, the more rapidly the instrument seemed to move. Two hands could thus use as many instruments. When sitting with a person at the table, as they did with the policeman, one hand could be taken off the investigator's arm without his knowing it, by gently increasing, at the same time, the pressure of the other hand. It was an easy matter, then, to raise and thrum the instrument or talk through the horn. About a dozen gentlemen, several of whom were members of the press, had a private seance with the boys one afternoon, on which occasion the spirits ventured upon an extra manifestation. All took seats on one side of a long high table, the position of the mediums being midway of the row. This time a little, dim, ghostly gaslight was allowed in the room. What seemed to be a hand soon appeared, partly above the edge of the vacant side of the table and opposite the mediums. One excited spiritualist present said he could see the fingernails. John F. Coles, who had for several days suspected the innocence of the boys, sprang from his seat, turned up the gaslight, and pounced on the elder boy, who was found to have a nicely stuffed glove drawn partly onto the toe of his foot. That, then, was the spirit hand. The nails that the imaginative spiritualist thought he saw were not on the fingers. The boy alleged that the spirits made him attempt the deception. The father of these boys, who had accompanied them to New York, took them home immediately after that exposure. In Buffalo they continued to hold circle, hoping to retrieve their lost reputation as good mediums by being not more honest, but more cautious. To prevent anyone getting hold of them while operating, they hit upon the plan of passing a rope through the buttonhole of each gentleman's coat, the ends to be held by a trusty person, assigning, as a reason for that arrangement, that it would then be known no one in the circle could assist in producing the manifestation. The plan did not always work well, however, for a skeptic would sometimes cut the rope and then pounce upon the spirit. That is, if he didn't happen to miss that individual on account of the darkness and while trying to avoid a collision with the instruments. To secure greater immunity from detection, and to enable them to exhibit in large halls which could not easily be darkened, the boys finally fixed upon a cabinet as the best thing in which to work. They had, some time before, made the rope test a feature of their exhibitions, and in their cabinet show they depended for success in deceiving entirely upon the presumption of the audience that their hands were so secured with ropes as to prevent their playing upon the musical instruments, or doing whatever else the spirits were assumed to do. Their cabinet was about six feet high, six feet long, and two-and-a-half feet deep. The front consisting of three doors, opening outward. In each end is a seat, with holes through which the ropes can be passed in securing the mediums. In the upper part of the middle door is a lozenge-shaped aperture, curtained on the inside with black muslin or oil cloth. The bolts are on the inside of the doors. The mediums are generally first tied by a committee of two gentlemen appointed from the audience. The doors of the cabinet are then closed, those at the ends first and then the middle one, the bolt of which is reached by the manager through the aperture. By the time the end doors are closed and bolted, the Davenports, in many instances, have succeeded in loosening the knots next to their wrists, and in slipping their hands out, the latter being then exhibited at the aperture. Lest the hands should be recognized as belonging to the mediums, they are kept in a constant shaking motion while in view. And to make the hands look large or small, they spread or press together the fingers. With that particular rapid motion imparted to them, four hands in the aperture will appear to be half a dozen. A lady's flesh-colored kid-glove, nicely stuffed with cotton, is sometimes exhibited as a female hand, a critical observation of it never being allowed. It does not take the medium long to draw the knots close to their wrists again. They are then ready to be inspected by the committee, who report them tied as they were left. Supposing them to have been securely bound all the while, those who witness the show are very naturally astonished. Sometimes, after being tied by a committee, the mediums cannot readily extricate their hands and get them back as they were, in which case they release themselves entirely from the ropes before the doors are again opened, concluding to wait till after the spirits have bound them before showing hands or making music. It is a common thing for these imposters to give the rope between their hands a twist while those limbs are being bound, and that movement, if dexterously made, while the attention of the committee men is momentarily diverted, is not likely to be detected, reversing that movement will let the hand out. The great point with the Davenports, in tying themselves, is to have a knot next to their wrists that looks solid, fair and square, at the same time that they can slip it and get their hands out in a moment. There are several ways of forming such a knot, one of which I will attempt to describe. In the middle of the rope, a square knot is tied, loosely at first, so that the ends of the rope can be tucked through, in opposite directions, below the knot, and the ladder is then drawn tight. There are then two loops, which should be made small, through which the hands are to pass after the rest of the tying is done. Just sufficient slack is left to admit of the hands passing through the loops, which, lastly, are drawn close to the wrists, the knots coming between the ladder. No one, from the appearance of such a knot, would suspect it could be slipped. The mediums thus tied can immediately, after the committee have inspected the knots and closed the doors, show hands or play upon musical instruments, and in a few seconds, be to all appearances, firmly tied again. If flower has been placed in their hands, it makes no difference as to they're getting those members out of or into the ropes. But, to show hands of the aperture, or to make a noise on the musical instruments, it is necessary that they should get the flower out of one hand into the other. The moisture of the hand and squeezing packs the flower into a lump, which can be laid into the other hand and returned without losing any. The little flower that adheres to the empty hand can be wiped off in the pantaloons' pocket. The mediums seldom, if ever, take flower in their hands while they are in the bonds put upon them by the committee. The principal part of the show is after the tying has been done in their own way. William Fay, who accompanies the Davenport's, is thus fixed when the hypothetical spirits take the coat off his back. As I before remarked, there are several ways in which the mediums tie themselves. They always do it, however, in such a manner that, though the tying looks secure, they can immediately get one or both hands out. Let committees insist upon untying the knots of the spirits, whether the mediums are willing or not. A little critical observation will enable them to learn the trick. To make this subject of tying clearer, I will repeat that the Davenport's always untie themselves by using their hands, as they are able in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, however impossible it may seem, to release their hands by loosening the knots next to their wrists. Sometimes they do this by twisting the rope between their wrists, sometimes it is by keeping their muscles as tense as possible during the tying, so that when relaxed there shall be some slack. Most committees know so little about tying that anybody, by a little pulling, slipping, and wriggling, could slip his hands out of their knots. A violin, bell, and tambourine, with perhaps a guitar and drum, are the instruments used by the Davenport's in the cabinet. The one who plays the violin holds the bell in his hand with the bow. The other chap beats the tambourine on his knees and has a hand for something else. The mediums frequently allow a person to remain with them, providing he will let his hands be tied to their knees, the operators having previously been tied by the spirits. The party who ventures upon that experiment is apt to be considerably must-up, as the spirits are not very gentle in their manipulation. To expose all the tricks of these imposters would require more space than I can afford at present. They have exhibited throughout the northern states and the Canada's, but never succeeded very well pecuniarily until about two years ago when they employed an agent who advertised them in such a way as to attract public attention. In September last they went to England, where they have since created considerable excitement. If the hands of these boys were tied close against the side of their cabinet, the ropes passing through holes and fastened on the outside, I think the spirits would always fail to work. Dr. W. F. Van Vleck of Ohio, to whom I am indebted for some of the facts contained in this chapter, can beat the Davenport brothers at their own game. An order that he might better learn the various methods pursued by the professed mediums in deceiving the public, Dr. Van Vleck entered into the medium business himself, and by establishing confidential relations with those of the profession whose acquaintance he made, he became duly qualified to expose them. He was accepted and endorsed by leading spiritualists in different parts of the country as a good medium who performed the most remarkable spiritual wonders. As the worthy doctor practiced this innocent deception on the professed mediums solely in order that he might thus be able to expose their blasphemous impositions, the public will scarcely dispute that in this case the end justifies the means. I suppose it is not possible for any professed medium to puzzle or deceive the doctor. He is up to all their dodges, because he has learned in their school. Mediums always insist upon certain conditions, and those conditions are just such as will best enable them to deceive the senses and pervert the judgment. Anderson, the Wizard of the North, and other conjurers in England, gave the Davenport's battle, but the oppressed digitators did not reap many laurels. Conjurers are no more likely to understand the tricks of the mediums than any other person needs. Before a trick can be exposed, it must be learned. Dr. Van Vlek, having learned the ropes, is competent to expose them, and he is doing it in many interesting public lectures and illustrations. If the Davenport's were exhibiting simply as jugglers, I might admire their dexterity and have nothing to say against them. But when they presumptuously pretend to deal in things spiritual, I consider it my duty, while treating of humbugs, to do this much at least in exposing them. To volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Leanne Howlett. The Humbugs of the World by P. T. Barnum. The Spirit Wrapping in Medium Humbugs, Chapter 10. The Spirit Wrapping in Medium Humbugs. Their Origin. How the Thing is Done. $500 Reward. The Spirit Wrapping Humbug was started in Hidesville, New York about 17 years ago by several daughters of a Mr. Fox living in that place. These girls discovered that certain exercises of their anatomy would produce mysterious sounds, mysterious to those who heard them, simply because the means of their production were not apparent. Reports of this wonder soon went to broad, and the Fox family were daily visited by people from different sections of the country, all having agreed for the marvelous. Not long after the strange sounds were first heard, someone suggested that they were, perhaps, produced by spirits, and a request was made for a certain number of raps if that suggestion was correct. The specified number were immediately heard. A plan was then proposed by means of which communications might be received from the spirits. An investigator would repeat the alphabet, writing down whatever letters were designated by the raps. Sentences were thus formed, the orthography, however, being decidedly bad. What purported to be the spirit of a murdered peddler gave an account of his taking off. He said that his body was buried beneath that very house in a corner of the cellar that he had been killed by a former occupant of the premises. A peddler really had disappeared, somewhat mysteriously, from that part of the country some time before, and ready credence was given the statements thus spelled out through the raps. Digging to the depth of eight feet in the cellar did not disclose any dead corpus, or even the remains of one. Soon after that the missing peddler reappeared in Hydesville, still clothed with mortality, and having a new assortment of wares to sell. That the raps were produced by disembodied spirits many firmly believed. False communications were attributed to evil spirits. The answers to questions were as often wrong as right, and only right when the answer could be easily guessed, or inferred from the nature of the question itself. The Fox family moved to Rochester, New York, soon after the rapping humbug was started, and it was there that their first public effort was made. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter, most of whom reported adversely to the claims of the mediums, though all of them were puzzled to know how the thing was done. In Buffalo, where the Foxes subsequently let their spirits flow, a committee of doctors reported that these loosely constructed girls produced the raps by snapping their toe and knee joints. That theory, though very much ridiculed by the spiritualists then and since, was correct, as further developments proved. Mrs. Culver, a relative of the Fox girls, made a solemn deposition before magistrate to the effect that one of the girls had instructed her how to produce the raps on condition that she, Mrs. C, should not communicate a knowledge of the matter to anyone. Mrs. Culver was a good Christian woman, and she felt at her duty, as the deception had been carried so far, to expose the matter. She actually produced the raps in presence of the magistrate and explained the manner of making them. Dr. Von Blech, to whom I referred in connection with my exposition of the Davenport impostor, produces very loud raps before his audiences, and so modulates them that they will seem to be at any desired point in his vicinity, yet not a movement of his body betrays the fact that the sounds are caused by him. The Fox family found that the wrapping business would be made to pay, and so they continued it with varying success for a number of years, making New York City their place of residence and principal field of operation. I believe that none of them are now in the spiritual line. Margaret Fox, the youngest of the wrappers, has for some time been a member of the Roman Catholic Church. From the very commencement of spiritualism, there has been a constantly increasing demand for spiritual wonders to meet which numerous mediums have been developed. Many who otherwise would not be in the least distinguished have become mediums in order to obtain notoriety, if nothing more. Communicating by raps was a slow process, so some of the mediums took to writing spasmodically. Others talked in a trance, all under the influence of spirits. Mediumship has come to be a profession steadily pursued by quite a number of persons who get their living by it. There are various classes of mediums, the operations of each class being confined to a particular department of spiritual humbuggery. Some call themselves test mediums, and by insisting upon certain formulas they succeed in astonishing if they don't convince most of them who visit them. It is by this class that the public is most likely to be deceived. There is a person by the name of J. V. Mansfield who has been called by spiritualists the Great Spirit Postmaster, his specialty being the answering of sealed letters addressed to spirits. The letters are returned, some of them at least, to the writers without appearing to have been opened, accompanied by answers purporting to be written through Mansfield by the spirits addressed. Such of these letters, as are sealed with gum aerobic merely, can be steamed open, and the envelopes resealed and reglazed as they were before. If sealing wax has been used, a sharp thin blade will enable the medium to nicely cut off the seal by splitting the paper under it, and then, after a knowledge of the contents of the letter is arrived at, the seal can be replaced in its original position and made fast with gum aerobic. Not more than one out of a hundred would be likely to observe that the seal had ever been tampered with. The investigator opens the envelope when returned to him at the end, preserving the sealed part intact in order to show his friends that the letter was answered without being opened. Another method of the medium is to slit open the envelope at the end with a sharp knife, and afterwards stick it together again with gum, rubbing the edge slightly as soon as the gum is dry. If the job is nicely done, a close observer would hardly perceive it. Mr. Mansfield does not engage to answer all letters, those unanswered being too securely sealed for him to open without detection. To secure the services of the Great Spirit Postmaster, a fee of five dollars must accompany your letter to the spirits, and the money is retained whether an answer is returned or not. Rather high postage that. Several years since, a gentleman living in Buffalo, New York addressed some questions to one of his spirit friends and enclosed them together with a single hair and a grain of sand and an envelope, which he sealed so closely that no part of the contents could escape while being transmitted by mail. The questions were sent to Mr. Mansfield and answers requested through his mediumship. The envelope containing the questions was soon returned with answers to the letter. The former did not appear to have been opened. Spreading a large sheet of blank paper on a table before him, the gentleman opened the envelope and placed its contents on the table. The hair and grain of sand were not there. Time and again has Mansfield been convicted of imposture, yet he still prosecutes his nefarious business. The Spirit Postmaster fails to get answers to such questions as these. Where did you die? When? Who attended you in your last illness? What were your last words? How many were present at your death? But if the questions are of such a nature as the following, answers are generally obtained. Are you happy? Are you often near me? And can you influence me? Have you changed your religious notions since entering the spirit world? It is to be observed that the questions which the Spirit Postmaster can answer require no knowledge of facts about the applicant, while those which he cannot answer do require it. Address, for instance, your spirit father without mentioning his name, and the name will not be given in connection with the reply purporting to come from him, unless the medium knows your family. I will write a series of questions addressed to one of my spirit friends, enclose them in an envelope, and if Mr. Mansfield or any other professional medium will answer those questions pertinently in my presence and without touching the envelope, I will give to such party five hundred dollars and think I have got the worth of my money. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. An aptitude for deception is all the capital that a person requires in order to become a spirit medium, or at least to gain the reputation of being one. Backing up the pretense to mediumship with a show of something mysterious is all sufficient to enlist attention and ensure the making of converts. One of the most noted of the mediumistic fraternity whose name I do not choose to give that present steadily pursued his business for several years in a room in Broadway, in this city, and succeeded not only in humbugging good many people, but in what was more important to him, acquiring quite an amount of money. His mode of operating was the ballot test, and was as follows. Medium and investigator being seated opposite each other at a table, the latter was handed several slips of blank paper with the request that he write the first or Christian names on each paper of several of his deceased relatives, which being done, he was desired to touch the folded papers one after the other till one should be designated by three tips of the table as containing the name of the spirit who would communicate. The selected paper was laid aside, and the others thrown upon the floor. The investigator being further requested to write on as many different pieces of paper as contained the names and the relation to himself of the spirits bearing them. Supposing the names written were Mary, Joseph, and Samuel, being respectively the investigator's mother, father, and brother. The last named class would be secondly written, and one of them designated by three tips of the table as in the first instance. The respective ages of the deceased parties at the time of their deceased would also be written and one of them selected. The first test consisted in having the selected name, relationship, and age correspond, that is, refer to the same party, to ascertain which the investigator was desired to look at them, and state if it was the case. If the correspondence was affirmed, a communication was soon given, with the selected name, relationship, and age appended. Questions written in the presence of the medium were answered relevantly if not pertinently. Investigators generally did their part of the writing in a guarded manner, interposing their left hand between the paper on which they wrote, and the medium's eyes, and they were very much astonished when they received a communication, couched in affectionate terms with the names of the spirit friends attached. By long practice, the medium was unable to determine what the investigator wrote by the motion of his hand in writing. Nine out of ten wrote the relationship first that corresponded with the first name they had written. Therefore, if the medium selected the first that was written of each class, they in most cases referred to the same spirit. He waited till the investigator had affirmed the coincidence before proceeding, for he did not like to write communication, appending to it, for instance, your uncle John, when it ought to be your father John. The reason he did not desire inquirers to write the surnames of their spirit friends was this. Almost all Christian names are common, and he was familiar with the motions which the hand must make in writing them, but there are comparatively few people who have the same surnames, and to determine them would have been more difficult. No fact was communicated that had not been surreptitiously gleaned from the investigator. An old gentleman, apparently from the country, one day entered the room of this medium and expressed a desire for a spirit communication. He was told to take a seat at the table and to write the names of his deceased relatives. The medium, like many others incorrectly pronounced the term deceased, the same as diseased, sounding the S like Z. The old gentleman carefully adjusted his specs and did what was required of him. A name and relationship having been selected from those written, the investigator was desired to examine and state if they referred to one party. While I declare they do, said he, but I say, Mr., what has them papers to do with a spirit communication? You will see directly, replied the medium, whereupon the latter spasmodically wrote a communication which read somewhat as follows. My dear husband, I am very glad to be able to address you through this channel. Keep on investigating, and you will soon be convinced of the great fact of spirit intercourse. I am happy in my spirit home, patiently awaiting the time when you will join me here, etc., your loving wife Betsy. Good gracious, but my old woman can't be dead, said the investigator, for I left her to home. Not dead, exclaimed the medium. Did I not tell you to write the names of deceased relatives? Deceased, returned the old man, while she ain't anything else, for she's had the rheumatism orfally for six months. Saying which, he took his hat and left, concluding that it was not worthwhile to keep on investigating any longer at that time. This same medium, not long since, visited Great Britain for the purpose of practicing his profession there. In one of the cities of Scotland, some shrewd investigator divine that he was able to nearly guess from the motion of the hand what questions were written. Are you happy, being a question commonly asked the spirits, one of these gentlemen varied it by asking, are you hungry? The reply was an emphatic affirmative. They tricked the trickster in other ways, one of which was to write the names of mortals instead of spirits. It made no difference, however, as to getting a communication. To tip the table without apparent muscular exertion, this imposter placed his hands on it in such a way that the pisiform bone, which may be felt projecting at the lower corner of the palm opposite the thumb, pressed against the edge. By pushing, the table tipped from him, it being prevented from sliding by little spikes in the legs of the side opposite the operator. There are other ballot test mediums, as they are called, who have a somewhat different method of cheating. They too require investigators to write the names, in full, however, of their spirit friends, the slips of paper containing the names, to be folded and placed on a table. The medium then seizes one of the ballots and asks, Is this the spirit present whose name is on this? Dropping that and taking another, on this? So he handles all the papers without getting a response. During this time, however, he has dexterously palmed one of the ballots which, while telling the investigator to be patient, as the spirits would doubtless soon come, he opens with his left hand on his knee under the edge of the table. A mere glance enables him to read the name, refolding the paper and retaining it in his hand, he remarks, I will touch the ballots again, and perhaps one of them will be designated this time. Dropping among the rest the one he had palmed, he soon picks it up again, where at three loud raps are heard. That paper, says he to the investigator, probably contains the name of the spirit who wrapped. Please hold it in your hand. Then seizing a pencil he writes a name, which the investigator finds to be the one contained in the selected paper. If the ballots are few in number, a blank is put with the pile, when the medium palms one, else the latter might be missed. It seems the spirits can never give their names without being reminded of them by the investigator, and then they are so doubtful of their own identity that they have but little to say for themselves. One medium to whom I have already alluded, after a sojourn of several years in California, whither he went from Boston seeking whom he might humbug, has now returned to the east, and is operating in this city. Besides answering sealed letters, he furnishes written communications to parties visiting him at his rooms, a sitting however being granted to but one person at a time, his terms are only five dollars an hour. Seated at a table in a part of the room where is the most light, he hands the investigator a strip of blank white paper, rather thin and light of texture, about a yard long and six inches wide. Requesting him to write across one end of it a single question, addressed to a spirit friend, then to sign his own name, and fold the paper once or twice over what he has written, for instance. Brother Samuel, will you communicate with me through this medium? William Franklin. To learn what has been written, the medium lays the paper down on the table and repeatedly rubs his fingers of his right hand over the folds made by the inquirer. If that does not render the writing visible through the one thickness of paper that covers it, he slightly raises the edge of the folds with his left hand while he continues to rub with his right, and that admits of the light shining through so that the writing can be read. The other party is so situated that the writing is not visible to him through the paper, and he is not likely to presume that it is visible to the medium, the latter having assigned as a reason for his manipulations that spirits were able to read the questions only by means of the odyllic, magnetic, or some other emanation from the ends of his fingers. Having learned the question, of course the medium can reply to it, giving the name of the spirit addressed, but before doing so, he doubles the two folds made by the inquirer, and for a show of consistency, again rubs his fingers over the paper. Then more folds and more rubbing, all the folding additional to the inquirers being done to keep the latter from observing when he comes to read the answer, that it was possible for the medium to read the question through the two folds of paper. The answer is written upon the same strip of paper that accompanies the question. The medium requires the investigator to write his questions each on a different strip of paper, and before answering, he every time manipulates the paper in the way I've described. When rubbing his fingers over the question, he often shuts the eye which is toward the inquirer, which prevents suspicion, but the other eye is open wide enough to enable him to read the question through the paper. Should a person write a test question, the medium could not answer it correctly, even if he did see it. In his communications, he uses many terms of endearment, and if possible flatters the recipient out of his common sense, and into the belief that, after all, there may be something in it. Should the inquirer smell a rat and take measures to prevent the medium from learning in the way I have stated what question is written, he, the medium, gets nervous and discontinues the sitting, alleging that conditions are unfavorable for spirit communication. Recording by Magdalena Cook The Humbugs of the World by P. T. Barnum The mediums produce blood-red letters on the arm in a very simple way. It is done with a pencil or some blunt pointed instrument. It being necessary to bear on hard while the movement and writing is being executed. The pressure, though not sufficient to abrade the skin, forces the blood from the capillary vessels over which the pencil passes and where, when the reaction takes place, an unusual quantity of blood gathers and becomes plainly visible through the cuticle. Gradually, as an equilibrium of the circulation is restored, the letters pass away. This manipulation is genuinely produced by the medium in connection with the ballot test, having learned the name of an investigator's spirit friend in the manner stated in a previous article. The investigator is set to writing some other names. While he is thus occupied, the medium quickly slips up his sleeve under the table and writes on his arm the name he has learned. Try the experiment yourself, reader. Hold out your left arm, clench the fist so hard as to harden the muscle a little and write your name on the skin with a blunt pencil or any similar point. In letters say three-quarters of an inch long, pressing firmly enough to feel a little pain. Rub the place briskly a dozen times. This brings out the letters quickly, intolerably distinct red lines. On thick, tough skins, it is difficult to produce letters in this way. They might also be outlined more deeply by sharply pricking in dots along the lines of the desired letters. Among others who seek to gain money and notoriety by the exercise of their talents for spiritual humbugry is a certain woman whom I will no further designate but whose name is at the service of any proper person and who exhibited not long since in Brooklyn and New York. This woman is accompanied by her husband who is a confederate in the playing of her little game. She seats herself at a table which has been placed against the wall of the room, the audience is so seated as to form a semi-circle, at one end of which, and near enough to the medium to be able to shake hands with her, or nearly so, sits her husband, with perhaps an accommodating spiritualist next to him. Then the medium, in an assumed voice, engages in a miscellaneous talk, ending with a request that someone sit by her and hold her hand. A sceptic is permitted to do that. When thus placed, sceptic is directly between the medium and her husband, and with his back to the latter. The husband plays spirit, and with his right hand, which is free, the other only being held by the accommodating spiritualist, pats the investigator on the head, thumps him with a guitar and other instruments, and maybe pulls his hair. The medium assumes all this to be done by a spirit, because her hands are held and she could not do it. Profound reasoning. If anyone suggests that the husband had better sit somewhere else, the medium will not hear to it. He is part of the battery, and the necessary conditions must not be interfered with. Sure enough, accommodating spiritualist also says he holds husband fast. A tambourine frame without the head and an iron ring, large enough to pass over one's arm, are exhibited to the audience. Medium says the spirit have such power over matter, as to be able to put one or both those things onto her arm while someone holds her hands. The party who is privileged to hold her hands on such occasion has to grap his way to her in the dark. Having reached her, she ceases his hands and passes one of them down her neck and along her arm saying, Now you know there is no ring already there. Soon after, he feels the tambourine frame or ring slide over his hand and onto his arm. A light is produced in order that he may see it is there. When he took her hands he felt the frame or ring, or at any rate a frame or ring, under his elbow on the table, from which place it was pulled by some power just before it went onto his arm. Such is his report to the audience. But in fact the medium has two frames or else a tambourine and a tambourine frame. She allows the investigator to feel one of these. She has however previous to his taking her hands put one arm and head through the frame she uses so that of course he does not feel it when she passes his hand down one side of her neck and over one of her arms. As it is under that arm. Her husband pulls the tambourine from under the investigator's elbow then the medium gets her head back through the frame leaving it on her arm or sliding it onto his and the work is done. She has also two iron rings one of them she puts over her arm and the point of her shoulder where it snugly remains covered with a cape which she persists in wearing on these occasions till the investigator takes her hands in the dark and feels the other ring under his elbows. Then the husband disposes of the ring on the table and the medium works the other one down onto her arm. The audience saw but one ring and the person sitting with the medium thought he had that under his elbow till it was pulled away and put on the arm. Some years ago a man by the name of Dexter who kept an oyster and liquor saloon on Bleaker Street devised a somewhat novel exhibition for the purpose of attracting custom. A number of hats placed on the floor of his saloon danced or bobbed up and down in time to music. His place was visited by a number of the leading spiritualists of New York several of whom were heard to express a belief that the hats were moved by spirits. Dexter however did not claim to be a medium though he talked vaguely of the power of electricity when questioned with regard to his exhibition. Besides making the hat stands he would apparently cause a violin placed in a box on the floor to sound by waving his hands over it. The hats were moved by a somewhat complicated arrangement of wires left by a confederate out of sight. These wires were attached to levers and finally came up through the floor through small holes hidden from observation by the sawdust stream there as is common in such places. The violin in the box did not sound at all. It was another violin under the floor that was heard. It is not easy for a person to exactly locate a sound when the course is not apparent. In short, Mr. Dexter's operations may be described as only consisting of a little well managed dexterity. A young man out west claiming to be influenced by spirits, astonished people by reading names telling time by watches etc. in a dark room. He sat at a centre table which was covered with a cloth in the middle of the room. Investigators sat next to the walls. The name of a spirit for instance would be written and laid on a table when in a short time he pronounced it. To tell the time by a watch he required it to be placed on the table or in his hand. With a tablecloth over his head, a bottle of phosphorated oil enabled him to see when not the least glimmer of light was visible to others in the room. If any of the spiritualist's philosophers were to be asked what is the philosophy of these proceedings, he would probably reply with a mess of boulder dash pretty much like the following. There is an infinitesimal influence of sympathy between mind and matter which permeates all beings and provides all the delicate niches and interstices of human intelligence. This sympathetic influence working upon the refined intelligence of an affinity coagulates itself into a corporality, approximating closely to the adumbration of mortality in its highest admenceration, at last accumulating in an accumulation. On these great philosophic principles it will not be difficult to comprehend the following actual quotation from the spiritual telegraph. In the 12th hour the Holy Procedure shall crown the tree and creator with the most perfect disclosive illumination, then shall the creation in the effulgence above the divine seraphimal arise into the dome of the discloser in one comprehensive revolving galaxy of supreme created beatitudes. That those not so charged with the divine aflaters may be able to get at the meaning of the above paragraph. It is translated thus then shall all the blockheads in the nincompoop dome of disclosive procedure above the all fired leather fungus of Peter Nephninigo, the gooseberry grinder, rise into the dome of the discloser until co-equalled and coexistensive and conglomerate lumixes in one comprehensive mux shall assimilate into nothing and revolve like a bobtail pussycat after the space where the tail was. What power there is in spiritualism. I shall be glad to receive for publication authentic information from all parts of the world in regard to the doings of pretenders spiritualists, especially those who perform for money. It is high time that the credulous portion of our community should be saved from exceptions, delusions and swindles of these blasphemous mountain banks and impostors. Chapter 13 Demonstrations by Samson under a table a medium who is handy with her feet expose of another operator in dark circles Considerable excitement has been created in various parts of the west by a young woman whose name need not here be given, who pretends to be a quote medium for physical manifestations unquote she is rather tall and quite muscular her general manner and expression indicating innocence and simplicity. The manifestations exhibited by her purport to be produced by Samson the Hebrew champion and anti-philistine in preparing for her exhibition she has a table with sideways against the wall of the room and covered with a thick blanket that reaches to the floor a large 10 dishpan with handles or ears a German accordion and a T-bell are placed under this table at the end of which she seats herself in such a way that her body is against the top and her lower limbs underneath her skirts being so adjusted as to fill the space between the end legs of the table and at the same time allow free play for her pedal extremities the blanket at the end where she sits comes to her waist and hangs down to the floor on each side of her chair the space under the table is thus made dark a necessary condition it is claimed and all therein concealed from view the quote medium then folds her arms looks careless and manifestations commits the accordion is sounded no music being executed upon it and the bell rung at the same time then the dishpan receives such treatment that it makes a terrible noise someone is requested to go to the end of the table opposite the quote medium put his hand under the blanket take hold of the dishpan and pull he does so and finds that some power is opposing him holding the dishpan to one place not being rude he forebears to jerk with all his force but retires to his seat the table rises several inches and comes down to slap then it tips forward a number of times then one in jumps up and down in time to music if there is anyone present to play loud raps are heard upon it and the hypothetical Samson has quite a lively time generally some of the mortals present wanted a time put their fingers by request against the blankets through which those members are squeezed by what might be a hand if there was one under the table a person being told to take hold of the top of the table at the ends he does so and finds it so heavy that he can barely lift it setting it down he is told to raise it again several inches and at the second lifting it is no heavier than one would naturally judge such a piece of furniture to be another person is asked to lift the end furthest from the medium having done so it suddenly becomes quite weighty and relaxing his hold it comes down with much force upon the floor thus by the power exercise beneath the table of an assumed spirit that piece of cabinet where becomes heavy or light and is moved in various ways the medium not appearing to do it in addition to her other fixings this medium has a spirit dial so called on which letters of the alphabet the numerals and such words as yes no and don't know the whole thing is so arranged that the pulling of a string makes an index hand go the circuit of the dial face and it can be made to stop any of the characters or words there on this spirit dial is placed on the table near the end furthest from the medium the string passing through a hole and hanging beneath in the end of the string there is a knot while the medium remains in the same position in which she sat when the other quote manifestations unquote were produced communications are spelled out through the dial that index being moved by some power under the table that pulls the string a coil spring makes the index fly back to the starting point when the power is relaxed at each indication of a character or word the orthography of these spirits is bad if not worse now for an explanation of the various quote manifestations unquote that I have enumerated the medium is simply handy with her feet to sound the accordion and ring the bell at the same time she has to take off one of her shoes or slippers the latter being generally worn by her on these occasions that done she gets to the handle of the T bell between the toes of her right foot through a hole in her stocking then putting the heel of the same foot on the keys of the accordion and the other foot into the strap on the bellows part of that instrument she easily sounds it the motion necessary to do this also causing the bell to ring she can readily pass her heels over the keys to produce different notes she is thus able to make sounds on the accordion that approximate to the very simple tune of founding bellows and that is the extent of her musical ability when only using her quote pedals unquote well to get a congress gator off the foot without using the hands is quite easy but how to get one on again those members not being employed to do it would puzzle most people it is not difficult to do however if a chord has been attached to the strap of the gator and tied to the leg above the calf the chord should be slack will admit of the gator coming off to get it on the toe has to be worked into the top of it then pulling on the chord with the toe of the other foot will accomplish the rest the racket with the dishpan is made by putting the toe of the foot into one of the handles or ears and beating the pan about by keeping the toe in this handle and putting the other foot into the pan this operator can stand a pull from an investigator who reaches under the blanket and takes hold of the other handle to raise the table the medium puts her knees under and against the frame of it then lifts her heels pressing the toes against the floor at the same time bearing with her arms on the end to make the table tip forward one knee only is pressed against the frame at the backside the wraps are made with the toe of the medium shoe against the leg frame or top of the table what feels like a hand pressing the investigator's fingers when he puts them against the blanket is nothing more than the medium's feet the big toe of one foot doing the duty for a thumb and all the toes of the other foot being used to imitate fingers the pressure of these who a thick blanket cannot well be distinguished from that of a hand when this experiment is to be made the medium wears slippers that she can readily get off her feet to make the table heavy the operator presses her knees outwardly against the legs of the table then presses down in opposition to the party who is lifting or she presses her knees against that surface of the legs of the table that is toward her while her feet are hooked around the lower part of the legs that gives her a leverage by means of which she can make the whole table or the end furthest from her seem quite heavy and if the person lifting it suddenly relaxes his hold it will come down with a forcible bang to the floor to work the quote spirit dial and quote the medium has only to press the string with the toe of her foot against the top of the table and slide it the string along till the index points at the letter or word she wishes to indicate the frame of the dial is beveled with a face declining toward the medium so she has no difficulty in observing where the index points after concluding her performance under the table this medium sometimes moves her chair about two feet back and sits with her side toward the end of the table with one leg of which however the skirt of her dress comes in contact under cover of the skirt she then hooks her foot around the leg of the table and draws it toward her this is done without apparent muscular exertion while she is engaged in conversation and the parties present are humbugged into the belief that the table was moved without quote mortal contact unquote so they report to outsiders this medium has a quote manager unquote and he does his best in managing the matter to prevent sampson being caught in the act of cheating the medium too is vigilant not withstanding her appearance of carelessness and innocent simplicity a sudden rising of the blanket once exposed to view her pedal extremities and active operation another of the dark circle mediums gets a good deal of sympathy on account of her quote delicate health her health is not so delicate however as to prevent her from laboring hard to humbug people with quote physical demonstrations unquote she operates only in private in presence of a limited number of people a circle being formed the hands of all the members are joined except at one place where a table intervenes those sitting next to this table place a hand upon it the other hand of each of these parties being joined with the circle the medium takes a position close by the table and during the manifestations is supposed to momentarily touch with her two hands the hands of those parties sitting next to the table of course she could accomplish little or nothing if she allowed her hands to be constantly held by investigators so she hit upon the plan mentioned above to make the people present believe that the musical instruments are not sounded by her these instruments are within her reach and instead of touching the hands of those next to the table with both her hands as suppose she touches alternately their hands with but one of hers the other she expertly uses in sounding the instruments several years ago at one of the circles of this medium in St. John's Michigan a light was suddenly introduced and she was seen in the act of doing what she had asserted to be done by the spirits she has also been exposed as an imposter in other places as I have said before the mediums always insist on having such quote conditions unquote as will best enable them to deceive the senses and mislead the judgment if there were a few more detectives like Dr. Von Fleck maybe a mystic fraternity would soon quote come to grief unquote end of chapter 13 chapter 14 of the handbags of the world this is the LibriWox recording our LibriWox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriWox.org recording by Jesse the handbags of the world by P.T. Barnum spiritual photographing chapter 14 spiritual photographing Colorado Tuit and the spirit photographs of General Jackson, Henry Clay Daniel Webster Stephen A. Douglas Napoleon Bonaparte etc. a lady of distinction who finds a spiritual photograph of her deceased infant and her dead brother who was yet alive how it was done in answer to numerous inquiries and several threats of prosecution for libel and consequence of what I have written in regards to imposters who for money perform tricks of and attribute them to the spirits of deceased persons I have only to say I have no malice or antipathies to gratify in these expositions in undertaking to show up the ancient and modern humbugs of the world I am determined so far as in me lies to publish nothing but the truth this I shall do with good motives and for justifiable ends and I shall do it fearlessly and conscientiously no threats will intimidate no fornings will flatter me from publishing everything that is true which I think will contribute to the information or to the amusement of my readers some correspondence ask me if I believe that all pretensions to intercourse with departed spirits are impositions I reply that if people declare that they privately communicate with or are influenced to write or speak invisible spirits I cannot prove that they are deceived or are attempting to deceive me although I believe that one or the other of these propositions is true but when they pretend to give me communications from departed spirits to tie or untie ropes to read sealed letters or to answer test questions for spiritual agencies I pronounce all such pretensions ridiculous impositions and I stand ready at any time to prove them so or to forfeit five hundred dollars whenever these pretended mediums will succeed in producing their wonderful manifestations in a room of my selecting and with apparatus of my providing they not being permitted to handle the sealed letters or folded ballots which they are to answer nor to make conditions in regard to the manner of rope tying etc if they can answer my test questions relevantly and truly without touching the envelopes in which they are sealed or even when given to them by my word of mouth I will hand over the five hundred dollars if they can cause invisible agencies to perform in open daylight many of the things which they pretend to accomplish in the dark I will promptly pay five hundred dollars for the site in the meantime I think I can reasonably account for and explain all pretended spiritual gymnastic performances throwings of hairbrushes dancing pianos spirit rapping table tipping playing of musical instruments and flying through the air in the dark and a thousand other wonderful manifestations which like most of the performances of modern magicians are passing strange until explained and then they are as flat as dishwater Dr. Von Flagg publicly produces all of these pretended manifestations in open daylight without claiming spiritual aid among the number of humbugs that owe their existence to various situations of circumstances and the extreme gullibility of the human race the following was related to me by a gentleman whose position and character warned me in announcing that it may be implicitly relied upon as correct in every particular sometime before the presidential election a photographer residing in one of our cities an ingenious man and a scientific chemist engaged in making experiments with his camera hoping to discover some new combination whereby to increase the facility of picturing the human form divine etc one morning his apparatus being an excellent order he determined to photograph himself no sooner thought of than he said about making his arrangements all being ready he placed himself in a position remained a second or two and then instantly closing his camera awaited the result of his operation on bringing the picture out upon the plate he was surprised to find a shadowy representation of a human being so remarkably ghost like and supernatural that he became amused at the discovery he had made the operation was repeated until he could produce similar pictures by a suitable arrangement of his lenses and reflectors known to no other than himself about this time he became acquainted with one of the most famous spiritualist writers and in conversation with him showed him confidentially one of those photographs with also the shadow of another person with the remark mysteriously whispered I assure you sir upon my word as a gentleman and by all my hopes of a hereafter that this picture was produced upon the plate as you see it at a time when I had locked myself in my gallery and no other person was in the room it appeared instantly as you see it there and I have long wished to obtain your opinion of some man like yourself who has investigated these mysteries the spiritualist listened attentively looked upon the picture heard other explanations examined other pictures and safely gave it as his opinion that the inhabitants of the unknown sphere had taken this mode of reappearing to the view of mortal eyes that his operator must be a medium of a special power the new york herald of progress a spiritualist paper printed the first article upon this man's spiritual photograph the acquaintance thus began was continued and the photographer found it very profitable to oblige his spiritual friend by the reproduction of ghost-like pictures at infinitum at a rate of five dollars each mothers came to the room of the artist and gratefully retired with ghost the representations of departed little ones widows came to purchase the shades of their departed husbands husbands visited the photographer and procured the spectral pictures of their dead wives parents wanted the phantom portraits of their deceased children friends wished to look upon what they believed to be the linear men of those who had long since gone to the spirit land all who sought to look on those pictures were satisfied with what had been shown them and by conversation on the subject increased the number of visitors in short every person who heard about this mystery determined to verify the wonderful tales related by looking upon the ghostly linear men of some person who they believed inhabited another sphere and here I may as well mention that one of the faithful obtained a spirit picture of a deceased brother who had been dead more than five years and said that he recognized also the very pattern of his crevice as the same that he wore in life can human credulity go further than to suppose that the departed still appear in the old clothe of the earthly wardrobe and the fact that the appearance of the shade of a young lady in one of the fashionable cut suave jackets of the hour did not disturb the faith of the believers fills us indeed with wonder the fame of the photographer spread throughout the spiritual circles and pilgrims to this spiritual mecca came from remote parts of the land and before many months caused no little excitement among some persons to believe that the demonstrations were entirely produced by human agency the demand for spirit pictures consequently increased until the operator was forced to raise his price to 10 dollars whenever successful in obtaining a true spirit picture or to be overwhelmed with business that now interfered with his regular labors about this time this peace conference had been concluded by the issue of Mr. Lincoln's celebrated letter to whom it may concern and William Cornel Chewett with his head full of projects for restoring peace to a suffering country heard about the mysterious photographer and visited the operator Sir, said he I must consult with the spirits of distinguished statesmen we need their counsel this cruel war must stop brethren slaying brethren it is horrible sir can you show me John Adams can you show me Daniel Webster let me look upon the features of Andrew Jackson I must see that noble glorious wise old statesman Henry Clay whom I knew could you reproduce Stephen A. Douglas with whom to counsel this crisis in our national affairs I should like to meet the great Napoleon such, here obtained would increase my influence in the political work that I have in hand in his own nervous, impetuous excited way Colorado Chewett continued to urge upon the photographer the great importance of receiving such communications or some evidence that the spirits of our deceased statesmen were watching over and counseling those who desired to reunite the two opposing forces fighting against each other on the soil of a common country with much caution the photographer answered the questions presented arranging the camera he produced some indistinct figures and then concluded that the conditions were not sufficiently favourable to attempt anything more before the next day on the following morning Chewett appeared nervous, garrulous and excited at the prospect of being in the presence of those great men whose spirits he desired to invoke the apparatus was repaired utter silence in post and for some time the heart of the peace seeker could almost be heard thumping within the breast of him who sought supernatural aid in his efforts to end our cruel civil war then overcome by his own thoughts Chewett disturbed the conditions by changing his position and muttering short invocations addressed to the shades of those he wished to behold the operator finally declared he could not proceed and postponed his performance for that day so, excuses were made until the mental condition of Mr. Chewett had reached that state which permitted the photographer to expect the most complete success everything being prepared Chewett breathlessly awaited the expected presence quietly the operator produced a spectacular representation of the Elder Adams Chewett scrutinized the plate and expressed a silent wonder accompanied no doubt with some mental appeals addressed to the ancient statesman then writing the name of Webster upon a slip of paper he passed it over to the photographer who gravely placed a scrap of writing upon the camera and presently drew therefrom the ghost-like but very remembered features of the Sage of Marshfield Colorado Chewett was not thoroughly impressed with the spiritual power producing these images and in ecstasy breathed a prayer that Andrew Jackson might appear to lend his countenance to the conference he wished to hold with the mighty dead Jackson's well-known features on the ground upon call after due manipulation of the proper instrument glorious trio of departed statesman thought Chewett help us by your counsels in this the day of our nation's great distress next Henry Clay's outline was faintly shown from the tomb and here the sitter remarked that he expected him after him came Stephen A. Douglas and the whole affair was so entirely satisfactory to Chewett that after paying $50 for what he had witnessed he the next day implored the presence of George Washington offering $50 more for a spiritual side of the father of our country this request smote upon the ear of the photographer like an invitation to commit sacrilege his reference for the memory of Washington was not to be disturbed by the tempting offer of so many green bags he could not allow the features of that great man to be used in connection with an imposture perpetrated upon so deluded a fanatic as Colorado Chewett in short the conditions were unfavorable for the apparition of general Washington and his visitor must remain satisfied with the counsel of great man that had been called from the spirit world to instill wisdom into the noddle of a foolish man on this terrestrial planet having failed to obtain by the agency of the operator a glimpse of Washington Chewett clasped his hands together and sinking upon his knees said looking toward heaven oh spirit of the immortal Washington look down upon the warring elements that convulse our country and kindly let the former peer to lend its influence toward reuniting a nation convulsed with civil war it is needless to say that this prayer was not answered the spirit would not come forth and although quieted by the explanations and health promises of the photographer the peace messenger departed convinced that he had been in the presence of five great statesmen and saddened by the reflection that the shade of the immortal Washington had turned away its face from those who had refused to follow the counsels he gave while living soon after this Chewett ordered duplicates of these photographs to the value of 20 dollars more I now have on exhibition in my museum several of the veritable portraits taken at this time in which the well known form and face of Mr. Chewett are plainly depicted and on one of which appears the shade of Henry Clay on another that of Napoleon I and on others ladies supposed to represent deceased feminins of great celebrity it is said that Chewett sent one of the Napoleonic pictures to the Emperor Louis Napoleon not long after Colorado Chewett had beheld these wonderful pictures and worked himself up into the belief that he was surrounded by the great and good statesmen of a former generation a lady without making herself known called upon the photographer I am informed that she is the wife of a distinguished official she had heard of the success of others and came to verify their experience under her own bereavement completely satisfied by the apparition exhibited she asked for and obtained a spectral photograph resembling her son who some months previously had gone to the spirit land it is said that the same lady asked for and obtained a spiritual photograph of her brother whom she had recently heard was slain in battle and when she returned home she found him alive and as well as could be expected under the circumstances but this did not shake her faith in the least she simply remarked that some evil spirit had assumed her brother's form in order to deceive her this is a very common method of spiritualists digging out when the impositions of the money operators are detected this same lady has recently given her personal influence in favor of the medium Colchester in Washington one of these impressions bearing the likeness of this distinguished lady was accidentally recognized by a visitor this kept the climax of the imposter and satisfied the photographer that he was committing a grave injury upon society by continuing to produce spiritual pictures and subsequently he refused to lend himself to any more manifestations of this kind he had exhausted the fun I need only explain the modus operandi of effecting this illusion to make a parent to the most ignorant that no supernatural agency was required to produce photographs bearing a resemblance to the person whose apparition was desired the photographer always took the precaution of inquiring about the deceased his appearance and ordinary mode of wearing the hair then selecting from countless old negatives the nearest resemblance it was produced for the visitor in dim, ghost-like outline differing so much from anything of the kind ever produced that his customers seldom fail to recognize some linear meant that that person possessed when living especially if such relative deceased long since the spectral illusions of Adams, Webster Jackson, Clay and Douglas were readily obtained from excellent portraits of the deceased statesman from which the scientific operator had prepared his illusions for Colorado to it in placing before my readers this incident of spiritual photography I can assure them they are substantially as related and I am now in correspondence with gentlemen of wealth and position who have signified their willingness to support this statement by Evie Davids and other documents prepared for the purpose of opening the eyes of the people to the delusions daily practiced upon the ignorant and superstitious End of chapter 14 The Humbugs of the World by P. T. Barnum This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Eddie Winter The Humbugs of the World by P. T. Barnum Banner of Light Messages from the Dead Spiritual Civilities Spirit Hollowing Hens von Fleet The Female Dutchman Mrs. Conan Circles Pain's Table Tip in Humbug Exposed Chapter 15 The Banner of Light A weekly journal of Romance, Literature and General Intelligence published in Boston is the principal organ of spiritualism in this country Its general intelligence is rather questionable though there is no doubt about it being a journal of Romance strongly tinctured with Humbug and Imposture It has a message department the proprietors of the paper claiming that each message in this department of the banner was spoken by the spirit whose name it bears through the instrumentality of Mrs. J. H. Conant while in an abnormal condition in Romance I give a few specimens of these messages thus for instance discourses the ghost of Lolly I do don't know me do you know George Lolly yes how do you do I'm first rate I'm dead and you're afraid of me you know I was familiar with those sort of things so I wasn't frightened to go well won't you say to the folks that I'm alright and happy that I didn't suffer a great deal had a pretty severe wound got over that alright went out from Petersburg I was in the battle before Petersburg got my discharge from there remembered me kindly to Mr. Lord well tell him as soon as I get the wheels a little greased up and in money and order I'll come back with a good things as I said I would George W. Lolly immediately after a message from the spirit of John Morgan the gorilla came one from Charles Talbot who began as follows with a curious apostrophe to his predecessor I am old grizzly it's lucky for you I didn't get in ahead of you I am Charlie Talbot of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania was wounded in action captured by the rebels and died on their hands as I said of the horse it seems a little rude for one spirit to term another old grizzly but such may be the style of compliments prevailing in the spirit world here is what Brother Clink said John Clink of the 25th South Carolina I want to open communication with Thomas LaFar Charleston, South Carolina I am juicidly ignorant about this coming back dead world world business it's new business to me as I suppose it will be to some of you when you travel this way so I will do the best I can to communicate with my friends if they would give me an opportunity I desire Mr LaFar to send my letter to my family when he receives it he knows where they are and then report to this office good night, afternoon or morning I don't know which I walked out at Petersburg here is a message from George W. Gage with some of the questions which he answered how do you like your new home? first rate, I like say ho I like to come here for the clears all the truck away before you get round and fix up so you can talk right off wasn't you a medium? no sir I wasn't afraid though nor my mother ain't either oh I knew about it I knew before I come to die about it my mother told me about it I knew I'd be a woman when I come here too did you? yes sir my mother told me and said I mustn't be afraid oh I don't like that but I like to come I forgot sir my mother's deaf I like to holler that gentleman says folks ain't deaf here the observable points are first that he seems to have excused his hollowing by the habits consequent upon his mother's deafness the hollowing consisted of unusually heavy thumping I suppose but the second point is of far greater interest George intimates that he has changed his sect as a woman for this important alteration his good mother had prepared his mind this style of thing will not seem so strange if we consider that some men become old women before they die here is another case of feminification and restitution combined Hens von Fleet has become of Raoul what you may call a female dutchman it has always been claimed better than men and accordingly we see that as soon as Hens became a woman he insisted on his widows return into a Jew $2,000 at naughty Hens at Christian the poor he grew out of but let Hens tell his own story I was Hens von Fleet when I was here I was von Fleet here I is one frail now I is one frail when I comes back I was no frail when I was here alluding to the fact that he was temporarily occupying the form of our medium I wish you to know that I first live in Harlem state of New York when I was here I take something I had no right to take something that no belongs to me I take something I take $2,000 that was no my own that's what I come back to say about I first have some dealings with one Jew that's what she call him he likes to Jew me and I like to Christian him I belongs to the Dutch Reformed Church do you think you were a good member ferl, I was I believes in the creed I takes a sacrament I lives up to it outside I know lives up to it inside I suppose how do you find yourself now hence ferl, I finds myself ferl, I don't know I not feel very happy when I comes to this spirit land I first meet that Jew's brother and he tells me hands you must go back and make some right with my brother so he comes here I once my ferl what I left in Harlem to take that $2,000 and gives it back to that Jew's ferl that's what I came for today sir has your ferl got it well my ferl has got it in a tin box when I first go I take some money I gives it to my ferl and she takes care of it now I once my ferl to give that $2,000 to that Jew's ferl how do you spell your name the ferl knows how to spell hence form fleet there's something you're crossing it the ferl spells the rest ah, that's wrong your makes a blunder it's re, not f that's like all ferls do all ferls make blunders well I don't know I'll do sometimes I suppose I'll do sometimes I suppose I'll do sometimes I suppose didn't you like ferls here oh well I like some sometimes I like my known ferl I know likes to be a ferl myself don't the clothes fit oh well I suppose they fits but I not likes to wear what not becomes me it is scarcely necessary to make comments on such horrible nonsense as this I may recur to the subject in future should it appear should it appear expedient at present I must drop the subject to female men at the head of the message department is a standing advertisement which reads as follows our three circles are held at number 158 Washington street room number four, upstairs on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the circle room will be open for visitors at two o'clock services commence at precisely three o'clock after each time no one will be admitted donations solicited on the days and at the hour mentioned in the above advertisement quite an audience assembles to hear the messages Mrs C may have to deliver if a stranger present should request a message from one of his spirit friends who'd be told which number of spirits were seeking to communicate to that instrument and each must await his turn having read obituary notices in the files of old newspapers and the published list of those recently killed in battle the medium has data for any number of messages she talks in the style that she imagines the person whom she attempts to personate would use been one of the doctrines of spiritualism that a person's character or feelings are not changed by death to make the humbug more complete she narrates imaginary incidents asserting them to have occurred in the earth experience of the spirit who purports to have possession of her at the same time she is speaking mediums in various parts of the country furnish her with the names of and facts relative to different deceased people of their acquaintance and those names and facts are used by her in supplying the message department of the banner of light if the assumed mediumship of this woman was not an imposter some of the many people who visited for the purpose of getting communication from their spirit friends would have been gratified in most of the messages published in the banner the spirits purporting to give them express a great desire to have their mortal friends receive them but those mortals who seek to obtain to Mrs Conant satisfactory messages from their spirit friends are not gratified the medium not being posted the mediums are as much opposed to new tests as a non-committal politician diamond again have leading spiritualists in various parts of the country indulged as spiritual manifestations what was subsequently proved to be an imposter several years ago a man by the name of Pain created a great sensation in Worcester, Massachusetts by causing a table to move without contact he claiming that it was done by spirits to his mediumship he subsequently came to New York and exhibited the manifestation at the house of a spiritualist where he boarded in the other part of the city a great many spiritualists and not a few skeptics went to see his performance Pain was a very soft-spoken, good sort of a fellow and appeared to be quite sincere in his claims to mediumship he received no fee from those who witnessed his exhibition and that fact in connection with others tended to disarm people of suspicion his sayances were held in the evening and each visitor was received by him at the door and immediately conducted to a seat next to the wall of the room the visitors all in and seated Mr Pain took a seat with the rest in the circle in the middle of the room a small table had previously been placed and the gas had been turned partly off leaving just enough light to make objects look ghostly in order to get harmonized singing was indulged in for a short time by members of the circle soon a number of raps would be heard in the direction of the table and one side of that piece of furniture would be seen to rise about an inch from the floor some very naturally wanted to rush to the table and investigate the matter more closely but Pain forbade that the necessary conditions must be observed, he said or there would be no further manifestations of spirit power as there was no one nearer to the table than six or eight feet the fact of its moving very naturally astonished the skeptics present several seeing mediums who attended Mr Pain's sayances were able to see the spirits so they declared who moved the table one was described as a big engine and looked up various capers and appeared to be much delighted with the turn of affairs believers were wonderfully well pleased to know that at last a medium was developed through whom the inhabitants of another world could manifest their presence to mortals in such a way that no one could gain say the fact the invisibles freely responded by raps on the table to various questions asked by those in the circle they thumped time to lively tunes and seemed to have a decidedly good time of it in their particular way when the sentence was concluded Mr Pain freely permitted an examination of his table in his Sunday spiritual conferences then held in Clinton Hall leading spiritualists gave an account of the manifestations of the spirits through Mr Pain and as believers congratulated themselves upon the existence of such indubitable facts the spiritualist in whose house this exhibition of table moving without contact took place was well known as a man of strict honesty and it was reasonably presumed that no mechanical contrivance could be used without his cognisance and thus moving a piece of his furniture for the table belonged to him and that he would countenance a deception was out of the question there were in the city three gentlemen who had for some time been known as spiritualists but they were at the period of Pain's debut as a medium in New York very skeptical with regard to physical manifestations they had a short time before detected the Davenport and other professed mediums in the practice of imposture and he determined not to accept as true Pain's pretense to mediumship till after a thorough investigation of his manifestations they should failed to find a material cause for them after attending several of his sounds these gentlemen concluded that Pain moved the table by means of a mechanical contrivance fixed under the floor one of this trio of investigators was a mechanic and he had conceived away and it seemed to him the only way in which some manifestation could be produced under the circumstances that apparently attended it Pain was a mechanic and these parties were aware of that fact they made an appointment with him for a private sounds the evening fixed upon having arrived they met with him at his room the table was raised and raps were made upon it as had been done on previous occasions one of the three investigators stepped to the door of the room locked it put the key in his pocket took off his coat and told Mr. Pain that he was determined to search his Pain's person and that if he did not find about him a small short iron rod by means of which through a hole in the floor a lever underneath was worked in moving the table he, the speaker would beg his Mr. Pain's pardon and be forever after a firm believer in the power of disembodied spirits to move ponderable bodies this impressive little speech had a decided and instant effect upon the medium gentlemen said the letter I might as well own up pleased to be quietly seated and I will tell you all about it and he did tell them all about it subsequently repeating his confession before quite a number of disgusted and cheaply sold spiritualists at the New York Spirit Lyceum the theory formed by one of the three investigators referred to as to Pain's method of moving the table was singularly correct whilst the family with whom Pain bordered was away one day in attendance at a funeral he took up several of the floorboards of the back parlor they are fixed to lever with a cross piece at one end of it and in the ends of the cross piece bits of wire were inserted the wire being just as far apart as the legs of the table to be moved small holes were made in the floorboards for the wire to come through to reach the table legs the other end of the lever came within an inch or two of the wall when all the arrangements were completed and the table was properly placed in order to move it Mr. Pain had only to insert one end of a short iron rod in a hole in the heel of his boot but the other end of the rod threw a hole in the floor just under the edge of the carpet near the wall and then pressed the rod down upon the end of the lever the movements necessary in fixing the iron rod to its place were executed while he was picking up his handkerchief that he had purposely dropped the middle of the lever was attached to the floor and the end with the cross piece being the heavier put the other end up close against the floor the wires in the cross piece having their points just within the bottom of the holes in the floor the room was carpeted and there were little marks on the carpet known only to Pain that enabled him to know just where to place the table pressing down the end of the lever near the wall an inch placing the cross piece on the other end of the lever against the legs of the table and slightly raised the letter one of the wires would strike the table leg very little before the other did and that enabled the medium to very nicely wrap time to the tunes that were sung or played of course no holes that anyone could observe would be made in the carpet by the passage of the wires through it for appearance's sake Pain before his detection visited by invitation the houses of several different spiritualists for the purpose of holding silences but he never got a table to move without contact in any other than the place where he had properly prepared the conditions End of Chapter 15