The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-01
Spiritualism alias Jugglery.

Spiritualism alias Jugglery.
Our neigbbor. of the Watchman and depository
have given their readers some accounts of exhibit
tons, given in this village at private residences, at
which persons claiming to be possessed with spir-
its, and by the aid of other spirits claimed to be
present, did several somewhat difficult feats, such
as ringing bells, playing on strnged instruments,
rapping people on the head, tying and untying
the performer &c., &c. 1t was our fortune, also,
to witness these pretended spiritual perform
ances, and we were SO thoroughly convinced that
the performers in each instance were arrant
cheats, and their performances, so far as any
imposture and trick, that we have hardly under
stood how our contemporaries could speak of
them in any way except as patent humbugs If
there were nothing more serious involved in these
exhibitions than the mystery, if these spiritual
lists " did not assume to have control over, or be
controlled by, disembodied spirits, and if no per.
sons were making these exhibitions the argument
upon which they build heresies subversive not on
ly of the Christian religion, but Of Christian NOR
ais, we should be content to let them pass with
out any more serious notice than we would give
to the tricks Of other jugglers. AS it is we can
but express our opinion of the almost transparent
mposture, and say to such as are disposed to
credit the lingo Of spiritualism, that it is all
wicked imposture, cheat, and trick.
Take, for instance, the trick OF one Mr.. Fay,
who in a room made intensely dark by the exclu-
.ion of every possibility Of light, ties himself, or,
as he says, is tied by" spirits" with his hands
apparently securely fastened behind him. While
in this condition. with the room still dark, bells
are rung, stringed instruments thrummed, &c.
But this Mr. Fay refuses to do these things in
the light and be also refuses to let any one take
hold of his hands while they are done; and he
can do them all himself on the supposition that
he can quickly slip his hands through rope tied
tightly round his wrist. But he utterly refuses
to let any enc touch his hands-thus, Of course
securing himself from detection in this part o
the trick. This performer will also unite himself
however beCuIeiy he moy No uou W any Poieol
in the room; and the "spiritualists quote hin
and his tricks as quite convincing evidence of thu
presence Of spirits at these " seances'"
But just upon the heel OF this spiritual
jugglery,a juggler, who makes no pretence of be
ing in league with any disembodied spirits, hal
given some exhibitions at Village Hall, in which
among other jugglery, he set himself free from
any amount of rope, however securely tied, il
two or three minutes, doing the whole Of it befor
the audience and in the light. The trick consist
simply in his ability to draw bis hands throug
anything tied about his wrists and arms and this
all there is Of the spritualst trick. 1t is fol
tunate, perhaps, that it easy to demonstrate ths
this "spirisualism is an imposturs, and "
ought to thank the honest jugglers for doing i
1t has, however, seemed to us perfectly amazin
that persons Of intelligence should be ready, an
10 apparently willing, to be cheated by the bal
tricks Of travelling spiritualsts, and should allo
the ridiculous mummery Of some pretsnde
spiritual Patrick" or the ssnssless lingo Of an il