The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-14 00:00:00

Tricks of Travellers.

(Ironz the Builder.)
Under the heading of "The Brothers Davenport," a party
of adventurers from America five in number, here to exhibit
certain "manifestations," have been so fortunate as to obtain
such prominent notice by well-known writers in leading

journals as will doub less send numbers of persons to them.

Written with candour, and describing, we have no doubt,
truthfully what occurred, the unquestionable inference to be
drawn from the notices nevertheless is, that the writers
believe they witnessed an exhibition of some unknown in-
telligence and force, " an annihilation of what are called
material laws ;" and the notices are thus calculated to do
much mischief. A week ago the writer was present at a
seance with the party in question, in the private house of a
distinguished gentleman; lords, ladies, naval captains,
poets, artists, and public writers formed the circle; two of
the mediums—not the Davenport Brothers, by the way, to
whom the power was at first attributed, as one of them
being unwell bad his place supplied—were tied to their
chairs in a manner that seemed quite secure, and then very
complete darkness being produced, guitars were strummed,
bells were rung, and individuals touched ; while, on the
candle being lighted, the two mediums were seen still tied
in their chairs.

Other acts followed, such as have been described in the
newspapers ; thus the coat of one of the performers was
whisked off (in the dark), and a loose coat, opportunely in
the room, was whisked on. Again darkness, and the
removal of the cords was heard ostentatiously grating, and
a light showed the performers unbound in their chairs, to
which afterwards they Were again tied up by "an unknown
force 1"

When we say that half the eminent persons in the room
professed themselves thoroughly assured that other than
ordinary agencies had been at work, it will be supposed,
and rightly, that the tricks were cleverly played. The whole
affair, however, is too gross and preposterous to stand a
moment's reflection. On,y admit that one of the two me-
diums so contrives, when being tied that he can free his
hands, and all else is perfectly simple. The whole proceed-

ing is not half so difficult to comprehend as some of the pro-
fessional conjurors' tricks, and it might be thought we were
wasting space in thus stepping beyond our province to de-
nounce the imposition; but when it is found that a Master
of Arts more than hints that these adventurers belong to a
quiet society, " the silent heralds of a social revolution,
which must shake the world I" and we know the extent of
the " colossal self-dec it," which permits itself to be made
stronger by such exhibittions—it becomes the duty of every
man who can obtain a hearing to assist in exposing the inju-
rious imposture.

By what curious shutting up of the reason intelligent
men and women can bring themselves to believe that those
cords were noisily pulled through the loops into wich they
had been twisted, and were afterwards put round the per-
former, and tied clumsily to the table, without hands, it is
difficult to say. Just reflect on one of their assertions,
that unless a circle is formed by the spectators, if people in
the dark can be so called, holding each other's hands, no-
thing can be done; and that if brcken some one's head will
be so too; and recollect that after all it is no circle at all,
only a part of a circle, and it must surely suggest that this
threat is merely to prevent detection. if the writer, when
his own hand WAS pinched by a hardish thick hand with
very tangible nails, recognised with tolerable certainty as
that of one of the mediums, had sprung out and seized hold
of the arm beyond, he would probably have received a blow
on the head with a handbell or guitar, but the trick would
have been made obvious to those who were willing to be
convinced. The entertainment cl.-,sed by the table rapping
out the word " Retire," much as they tay " Farewell" in
coloured fires at the close of a pyrotechnic exhibition; but
the slovenly manner in which this was ,:one by the opera-
tor showed in what contempt he ht Id the ernmon sense of
his audience—running rapidly on with the alphabet when
the letter sought was at the end of it, and pausing when he
came to the letter itself, so that it posi;ively did not need
the raps, which were once or twice in the wrong place, to
make out the word that was desired. These practitioners
were chased out of Canada, according to a most circumstan-
tial statement in Toronto papers ; one of them, it is asserted,
was formerly in the employment of the Wizard of the North;
and the whole affair will doubtless be blown in England
presently ; but in the meanwhile
they are aiding an evil
delusion which is much more widely spread than some be-
lieve, and will walk off sneeringly rejoiceful with pockets
full of Johu Bull's guineas,

THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY- LANE.—
Managers, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, AN APRIL FOOL. Mr. R. Roxby,
M -.G. Belmore, Mr. Fitzjames, Mr. G. Weston, ana Miss
JI udspeth.
After which, at a quarter to night o'c'ock, Shaksnere's
Tragedy of OTHELLO. Mr. Phelps; Messrs. Creswick,
Walter Lacy, G. F. Neville, A Rayner, Raymond
Hermann Vezin, and Miss Atkinson.
Doors open at ha f-past Six—Commence at Seven.

THEATRE ROYAL, H AYMARKET
Lessee. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, MADEMOISELLE 'DE BELLE ISLE.
lesses. Rowe, Farren, Gordon, Baird, Ste , Mesdames
Beatrice, Ange , &c.
Alter which, PRESENTED AT COURT. 3tCBSr3. Buck-
&c. ; Mes-
stone, Howk., W. Farren, Rogers, Clark, Brald,
dales Snowdon, Griffith, Ili Wright, Lovell, &C.
And BACCHUS AND ARIADNE.
To commence at 7.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Under the sole management of Mr. Fcchter.
This Ttoatre -will OVEN on SATURDNY. October 22,
with a New Drama, entitled the KING'S BUTTERFLY,
in which Mr. 1• echter will perform the principal character,
The ‘.cenery, pit'ntel by Mr. William Callcott.
The Box-office wilt open on Monday, October 17, from
El• v, n till Four.

ROY AL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining.
THIS EVENING, BORN TO GOOD LUCK. 1 addy
O'Rafferty, Mr. Dominick Murray.
Atter which, THE STREETS OF LONDON. Messrs.
Vining, J.her, D. Murray, J. Nelson, H.
Forrester. H. Mellon ; Mrs. Henry Marston, Miss Emma
Barnett, and Miss Fanny Gwynne.

NEW THEATRE-ROYAL, A_DELPHI.—
Sole Pronriotor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
THIS EVENING, GOOD FOIL NOTHING. Messrs. J.
Clarke, Billington, hburne, and Mrs. Alfred Mellon.
Alter which, RORY O'MORE. Rory k with Irish Ballads),
Mr. John Collins. Other characters by Messrs. Billing-ton,
R. Phillips, Paul Bedford, Stuart, t-tephenson, C. J. Smith ;
/Sir-. Alfred Mellon and Miss Kate Kelly.
To conclude with TEDDY TILE TILER. Teddy (with
songs), Mr. John Colli Commence at 7.

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. Benjamin Webster.
EIIIN EN I' TALENT AND COMEDY.
This popular 'I heatre is Open for the Winter Season. Those
celebrated artistes Mr. and Mrs. C. Mathews are re-engaged.
THIS EVENING, Mr. Arthur Sketchley's highly successful
and original Comedy of HOW WILL iIIEY GET OUT
(IF IT ? Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mathews, Mr and Mrs. F.
Matthews. Mr. F. Robinson, Mr. H, J. Xontague;
Miss
%S entworth, and Mrs. Stirling,
After which, a New Comedy Farce. 5y Maddison Morton,
Esq., entitled WOOD OCK'S LITTLE GAME. Mr. C.
Mathews, Mrs. F. Matthews.
To ccnclude with UNDEB. THE ROSE.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manageress. Mrs. Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, JNLIMITEJ CONFIDENCE.
Followed by, at Eight, MIL KY WHITE. Messrs. Craven,
Stoyle, James ; Mesdames Swanbor ugh and Mande; s.
After which, the great Burlesque, T MILLER AND
BIS MEN. Messrs. Penton, James, and Thorne; Mesdames
wanborough, Simpson. Johnstone, Hughes, and Carson.

COALS.—The LILLE SHAL L COMPANY'S
COALS.
Direct from their own Collieries.
Marquis'. 2ss. per ton. 1 Doable .21s. per ton.
Top 21s. „ 1 Deep ....225. „
Well screened and delivered within five miles of their De-
pots, Westbourne Park-road, W., and 17, South Wharf,
Paddington, W., and Maiden-lane, N.
Best Coke
Terms cash.
JOHN SCOTT, Sole Lgent.

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