Daily national Democrat., 1860-01-01

AFTER CoLnNs WITH A SHARP SrcK.-A
writer in the Alta, signing himself "Tolera-
ton" very intolerantly attacks Collins, the
"ropetying medium" as one of the most au-
dneious charlatans who ever disgraced com
munity with his presence. In reference to
his rope tyeing feat, he speaks as follows;
WHY does he not state that this is trick
which he defes his spectators to discover
and not play upon the weak minds and crazy
imaglnations Of a number OF otherwise wor-
thy citizens No, that, OF course, would not
DO, and therefore, he takes advantage oil
peculiar behef-calls his trickery spiritual
manifestations-draws crowds OF people to
witness his feats, most of whom Will believe
in anything, provided you can but give 1t a
spiritual clothing. What is the result By
the pampering influence of this pernlclous
and Misunderstanding belief their brain be-
comes distracted-insanity usurps reasons
sway, and Lunatic Asylum soon claims
theIs~as.its victims Homes have been made
desolate by this spirit power; families have
been left fatherless; wives have witnessed
the Incarceration of their husbands in the IN.
sane ASYLUM. there to be bound as wild and
raving manaes And all through spiritual
ism-spiritualism And where the good
where the heavenly OF worldly comfort de-
rived from it2 Can we point to solitary
instance2 No, not one. The papers contain
an advertisement of good and worthy eltl-
zen who has been SO led astray by this mind
devouring belief, as to advertise himself as
being under the control Of spiritual power
for a long while (albeit he is q well known
advocate of temperance). He, too, Is TO give
an exhibition ofthe power, as he calls IT, ol
spirits over man, and like Collins, no DOUBT
will perform wondrous feats.
And what are Collins feats Mere Jug
glery Why does he not, like any other pro
fessor of the art call it such, and not try to
palm it off on the public as being the agency
of spirits The same thing has been done
wears ago, and yet never heard OF any one
but Collins claiming any spiritual assistance
in its accomplishment; and that 1t has been
done better and more successfully, the follow.
ing paragraph from Ida Pfetfer's Journey
Round the World" will show. After giving
a description Of a "Recreation," or perform
ance, at which she was present in Batavia,
she describes the "rope tying" which may be
found in Vol. II, page 2l5:
"At the close of the entertainment the per
formance of the Hercules was really curious
in its way He appeared with nothing on
but pair Of drawers; and cord was passed
round his neck, and with this his hands and
arms were so firmly tied behind him, that he
could not make the smallest movement. lie
came to us to have the knots examined, and
then he crept under high covered basket,
beneath which various garments were placed;
and after the lapse Of few minutes the bas,
ket was lifted up and the Hercules made his
appearance completely clothed in them then
he crept again under the basket and came
without them, but holding the cord, with all
its knots, fast in his hand, and SO forth. All
this would, Of course, have been nothing in
theatre, where assistance might have been
given him but this was in u meadow, where
no assistance was possible. One of the gen.
tlemen present offered him twenty-five ru
pees for his mystery, but he declined the
offer"