The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-11-10
CLAIRvoYANCE AN IMPOSITION

CLAfRVOYANCE AN IMPOSITION
To The Editors of the Whig:
Circumstances have ,ranspred, which call for
statement uf the means by which DE Bonnie.
vllle's Clairvoyant Exhibition was exposed On
Thursday, Oct. 10Th, Messrs. Lyons, Caskie, s.
H. Myers and Snead, were appointed by the au-
dlence, at the instance OF De Bonneville, Com.
mittee TO bndfold the pretended Clairuouante.
glrl about 10 OF IL years old. wss invited by
them. as also by The audience, to come upon the
platform as an observer. The experiments of the
night were not satisfactory to Messrs Lyons,
Caskie, nor myself, but entirely 50 to Messrs.
Myers and Suead.
On Friday evening. Messrs Lyons, Caskie,
Dfs' Dean aud Dove, and myself. were selected
by the audience To blindfold the Ctairuoyante,
and Conduct the experiments.
DIR. Dave was called away. and did not witness
the proceedings of the evening
DE Bonneville claimed the use of his own han
dnge, which vas objected To by Dr.. Deane At
length, my proposition To meet De b. half way,
VIZ l" use his bandage and two thin cambria
handkerchirtS obtained from ladies' in the room.
was acceded To. MIR. Lyons aud myself applied
The bandage, the girl being in the clalrvuyanle
Stale as announced to the audience by DE Bonnie
VILE. Before the application of the bandaoe. the
girl stated To De b. that she was entirely we'll and
expressed to inc the same belnre she was plared
IN the pretended Mesneric condition. After the
handage had been applied, upon inquiry from De
Is. she said she was not well {; "had a pain ab,u,
her heart; )" 81 have been walking good deal
during the days" 'let me 90 for TO no hit. and
VIII be ready io.mOrrow-mr will indeed stav
IN my room" To this De b. replied, "Oh, YOU
are well )" when Mr.. Lyons and myself urged
DE Bonneville not 10 proceed if the little GIRL
was unwell He then inquired of the Ciairpov.
ante, " Don't you see me Yon certainly can see
me-" She responded, Il see you a little" He
lhen remarked to Mr.. Lyons, "She can see. and
you may proceed with your experiments An
! engraving ot skull was placed before her and
as 1t was IN book she had no means of knuwip,r
whether II was an ordinary page of quario vol.
une' OF plate after feeling H. pressing il to the
head, the face, &C., she said II cant see any,
tiung, and handed the buck to Mr.. LYONS
While Mr.. Lyons was presenting it To the audi.
encd, and some alteration between De r. and
MN was going IN. DIR. Deane, myself, and seve-
raj al The audience, saw her attempt To lift the
bandage, falling in this. To Mr.. Lyons' reoues, to
make another trial: " can't see anvthinr. and
| VIII take "tf the handage"- she d.Iiber
! a.eIy dio' ana lrit The chair. During this eve
ming. although Mr.. Lyons was the onlv member
ot the committee put IN communication with The
gitl, she convprspd with me- and obeyed nv di
| recions when ordered her not To tnnch the han
Gage nus ended the only exhibition in which
tnis Cidn coynnte was handaged beyond the pos
slo'li'y OF seeing with her natural vision. The
Committee unanimously announced the experi-
men's 10 be an entire and unmiiigaled failure
-, SATURDAY, Oct. IS.
Messrs Daniel. Peake and S. II. Myers were
appointed the cummlttee to examine the bandaye
| and lest whether or nut a person cuuId coo ,,ha
| fhis Ode B"nneville's) bandage was snuoIv an
| Piied 1 he audience thea. by a vote called upon
| me l" test the nandage when applied 10 the cum
mlttre' and also To apply il To The Cnirpounnte
MIR. Peake was selected, and although the band
age was applied To HIM under the direction of DE
Bonneville, said. - can see light but not eoougb
'"r vision hui give me something" sheet of
| paper was held before him. ami he exclaimed 90.
sheet of paper and there is the word The writ
ten upon IT," The bandage was auain ad;us,ed
either by DE b. or under his direction An en-
craving was held before him, and he Described il
as ohrubhery with two birds upun it," II was
an accurate description of the plate. II was
'ga'" ADJUSTED under the same direction, and he
| remarked y" cannot now SO distinctly. but
can see the tame OF The candle at my side The
nan"a"e' De II remembered, up To this time, had
oPen applied or adjusted by De Bonneville
never had touched it, | then announced that 1
would apply this Ode B.'s) bandage as had done
the night before In The CLairuayante-when The
| exposure OF the pretended Cairvoyance was c,n-
| elusive Mr.. Peake then stated that for The first
iIhe ms eyes were perfectly handagpd and LIGHT
excluded Besides the bandage | had used
canbrlc handkerchief. Here the Committee ex
pressed their belief that the bandage by itself
could moi prevent ordinlry vision. De b. said
me bandage was not MADE for an adult and pro.
posed tn call up child. | told Mr.. Daniel 10
call mp Dorsey Cullen, a son of DR.. John Cullen
This he did, and thu boy refused, but upon INV
calling him and telling him / would lake The
blame, (t'r his father had forbade him takinu any
part IN the exhibition which had been ooino ON
| nghlIy.) he came to the stand Does any one
ask why named Dorsey Cullen LIST. Because
he is about the aye and size of the little GIRL for
whom the bandage--the offspring of five hours
labor-wss fabricated 3D. His eyes are retreat
ing. Sd. He is quick, Intelligent and fearless
4th' and lastly. because Mrs DE Bonneville in
The presence Of her husband, in her own private
| apartment. had placed il on him in the morninv
"i that day; and when the little boy said he could
see so as To read, had charged him with falSehood
and denounced hlm skPplical little boaster. ex-
claiming. . You can't see" He, however. had
loo much respect for himself and truth To ADM,
! The assertion or deny the truth This he c,u,.
municaed to me in the presence of Colonel s &
! Myers, at O'clock Saturday, ON (;overon,
street. The b1ndage was applied IN Dorsey CnI.
len by MeSsrs. Myers and De Bonneville. The
latter expressed his approval Of the application =
| Nj 81 ntoI,