The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-07-15 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY THOUGHT READING PER-
FORMANCE.

Mr. Steuart Cumberland, who was it splendidly
adverti-ed • few weeks ago, owing to hi. wunderfuay
•ucte., ful experieneear in the House at Cominund
smoking-row, and is eonaeqUently known throage-
out the country a. the man who read Mr. Glisistuass'a
to.iuguts, paid Weymouth • visit ou M eveniug,
Mr. Wte.deler, witu praiseworthy enterprise, haviog
secured hien for Ws new Theatre Royal. Sims tee
opening of the theatee lit. Wheeler has laid himself
oh. in every poeeible way 4, plass, his patrons, soul
doing he deserve. Li. thanks of all. But th•
Weymouth people seen] etrauguly indite:est to a
gosi perlorMsec,. It is tr. Under lhu oil re.uicte
they acre sold' tau* or IWIO. 4.0 often, and we ate
tarsi I the old trsolicoos bang stubbornly round the
lilac I.ut eveu this ought out to moms% for the
mi,erably email audteuce that met Mr. Cumberland's
a.t,LIAMSed eyes when he appoare.l on the ot Pere. There
could hoe te•ve been aisty penises in the detain.
Arriving late, the peefortner did not nt•ku his appear-
anse tilt hearty halt en hour slier Gls •p,..inte.l Limo,
and with 4...exacta:laths impatience several ut Cho
audience whiled away the tune by pea,.mi g the
devil's tattoo on the floor, cad they wale sok/aged iu
this highly diverting eduusemeht when Mr, Cuuthet•
Land suddenly made his appearance. '' G1..1 to eel,
you ruining yourselves," •aid he with the utinte.t.
aunchatancc. Addressing the ...silence ass whole ho
then expremed hi. diesppvintiiimit (au migct have
said deepest, for he betrayed it au every lineament of
hi. haw) et seeing such • small compithy. Ile EMI
neves performed before such • small audience in hiP
life. First of all he must have • canuarthe of gentle-
men well known and thoroughly reprosout Wye.
Us did not know a soul there, &MI be
meat leave it eatintly to them. Only use
(Ifs. Caleb liall) responded, and Mr. Cumberland,
. pealing out hi. watch, threatened a he did out get a
emmithee in five minutes he should take the neat
teaks to London. Thereupon the Inc. an. Gabon,
of the College, Mr. W. M. Thuselton, Mr. Baker, and
several officers weaned to the stage, and Combat-
land setaulithad himself on good terms with hia
, committee by shaking bands ail tonsil Turning to
the sullenest, he •esseasuai with keen seriteam " I
think the audience and the committee are
now 'spirally divided, as fey as numbers
are 'whammed, and on will be able to
applaud one another." lhe cumulates then chose •
. chairman, the lascour falling, on the used un of Mr.
Bather, seconded by Mr. Thi.elloo, to ma lady. Mr.
Gilbert. MA chairman', tint duty was to select the
two cutest men on the plattorus, and Mr. Motet sod
Captain liarbuzy were chosen. The purism's then
tasted their roues of hearing, which he imprecated ou
the sentience had nothing to 'to with th teadurg.
They were both blindfolded, sod Mr. Cow herland
then snicked two coins in front of them, requesting
them to point to the direetiou of the soon I. Mr.
Baker was quite at sea, and p doted in every direction
but the right. Captain ilarbury, ou id ter hated,
at oboe pointed to the right +put. "You cm eat,
six l" said the experimenter 'batten. "I Leg your
pardon, I can't," replied the othurtr, lie coettnursi to
guess correctly, and Mi. Cuinbarlatid paid Will the
cempliment of seducing him he MIMI the only man he
had ever known who cone' guest might. The first
genuine thought reading feat wet next given. Mr.
Cumberland asked for • nervous man, aud Mr.
Thithlton, although he assured him he woe not so
afflicted, was selected. The performer said he sae now
vein; tOre• produoe by natural ureahecertai u s piri tuella! ic
mandethations. "Have you Any departed friends!'
asked he. Mr. Thi.elton we' eo'ry to say he hail. lie
then asked him to write down on three) separate
. of paper the names of three dear departed
friends (and the mute departed they were the bettor!)
Wails Mr. Thiseit to war ire eug .g-. 1. the experiineuter
"tatted in a free and easy style with his committee,
and, remarking on the smelt audience, Mr. Gilbert
said it was possibly due to a tauperance meeting
then being bold. "Ah I tthiperence and •pl.lt•
don't g 0 very well together." (Laughter.) " But
water and spirits do.' zetattel a naval odic 'r, amai
renewed laughter. Mr. Thithltou haring written
the names on small bite of paper, the experimeuts
j deed his handa with those id' Captain Ilarbury. Mr.
them placed one of the pieces it paper to hi.
forehead, the experimenter laying his baud lightly on
his. Having considered for some time, Mr. Camber-
land clufeased he could not get the alightest Jen iirstsion,
and requested Mr. Thiaeltun to place another haute on
his forehead. Amid breathless oi enc. Mr. Cusubst-
lan!, iu a hesitating voice, soil "Caroline,' which
Mr. Thiseltuu atitioUnCed ti be correct. (L
applause.) Captain Hszbury next put one of the
piess of paper to his foreheal, clasping the hand of
Mr. Thiselton, and Mr. Cumberland merely I.tyiusr his
hated tin the two. "I) e you fool thythicg •-keel the
thought reader. "N,.' " you re I a opiritual
alloeverisitneet r'' "I only feel this gentleman's puler.'
replied tho captain. "Du you feel the I Ater It
" No.“ "It le lt wk.' said Mr. Cuinnerlan-1. "B ght
you are." was the astouuded 'tic. Thioelt it. remark.
The next attempt was epially •Occul+:Ul. After
hesitating ov re. Ad. sad A 1... gni.. Cu otterlend,
aeni,l euthiteisatio applause, gave the e.regot uatne—
" Aeloy." After expoeing a well-kn ten trick of the
soiritu diet, viz., passing the rim id a tatztheurihe over
the arm of the medium, Mr. Comb:Amid proceeded
with lii• great feat id boding • pers to thought of in
the thee' re. Mr. Thisaton, being evidently a" good
suhject," era, errata selects I, and be was ,asked to
thiuk ol a person in any part of the theatte. coati-ling
the name only to Me. Gilbert. Mr. (I.imborland was
then blind( •nil, having make,' Mr. Thiseiton to
think intently uf the person, he teeth him by the hand
and, having laid the b ack of the hand to htc forehead for
a moment, walkel off the stage. lie Mdole his
way aim at directly to one rcw of goats, and, dragging
Mr. Thiseltoo after him, he cennuedced in rather •
ludicrous traumas feeling the h 'ale id each poreou us
he walked backwards and I rwsrdo. Alter touch
hoeitation, first mopping .st oeo person, then at another.
Mr. I) I:aborts:Rl, whit op:waxed ti I,e labourtug under
great mental stain, ant was very exhauoted, eclectu I
• lel. saying if this was not co.-rect he must g,se it
up. " You are right," was lie. Thlselton'e reply, and
he was en linated by Me. tlabett. This artoanhing
feat was greatly applauded. It is worthy of note Mr.
Cuthbert:wit liesitatel bete/esti two by. and Mr.
Thisolton informed him he did in the first place select
one of these, bat &flog curls changed his mind and
chose the other. The hoot performaidee was to nest
• pin Lid lea by the chairdieu. Ti,,. calamities, and
Mr. Cumberlau t first left the st ice, Mr. Gilbert alone
remaining. A pin had Well prowl . why borrowed of
• gentleinan In the au lhcout, awl Mr. Githgrt was
ins:meted to hide it whore he clues'. but not to take
any euggestious from anybody. nu place selected
was under thu flap of a esbieet. The usual
arise were gene through, Mr. Cumberland being
and id on to the stag., where he took
Mr. Gilbert by ths hand, and after holding it for a
few momenta to his forehead, ho CJlXlMenced • tour
of the stage. We must observe Mr. Gilbert had the
option of hiding it anywhere in the bouoe—ou or oil
the alive. After feeling abut several ,-rticies of
furniture, still talunwt pulling toe chairs tie euat t if
in hi. search, he drew neer the or' it ",,, pia
was. It 8., minded one very mu lh id the : f ..h.oa•d
genie of hide-and.seek, it only wanting the familiar
cries of " worm" "hot," and " coil" Mo. I 'timber-
land wee very hot now, and be once ev,•ii lifted the
flap under which the pin was lying. lie ceased his
search, remarking h. had list his impression, and
tnuot give Mr. Gilbert up. M.. h 'waver,
c ',Aided the hi ling plac, tu a Ifi er ,e, nom.
mattes, and the exit •titueet.ir than t.i.sk lain by the
band and wont direct to the cal,i,.et, 411, in a few
tniontea, he drew .lit the , in. • • •Ii• nstonishinutt of
'he no r . t .411,•11.1, foists were
',Amine I.