The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-05-22
The CeleDraeeA DaveoPOss Boy
w S% eBroughs to Grief. > a@s14

7. ment yesulting from the detection, exposure
and arrest. in this city. of a gang Of swind
Hers that have been suffered to perambulste
the country, unmolested by the law. prac.
ticins miserable system Of mountebank
Ledgerdemain, disgusting in itself and ri
diculous. if not blasphemous. in its impu-
dent presension to &. system of communica-
ton between The living and tie dead
Several years ago. when spiritual rsppings'
were first heard ofin this country, a couple
Of boys. sons of a dishonest. lazy. trifiing
old man named DAvEsPoRr. who resided
somewhere in the northern part Of Ohio, set
up the pretense that they were physical
test mediums" through whom the existence
and presence of departed spirits made them
selves manifest. After practicing various
Juggling tricks with his boys for some time,
this old man concluded to start a show, and
accordingly set out with them visiting every
place in The country where people had been
known to have taken any interest in the new
tangled ism that grew out of the Rockies
ter phenomena. In this occupation they ap.
pear 10 have been engaged ever since. Last
week they gave one public and two private
exhibitions of their jugglery here. The
city was placarded over with posters, some
thing less in size thar. a barn door, and
thousands of handbills were circulated an
nouncing that an opportunity would be af.
forded every one to witness the most won
derfu and startling demonstrations Of spiri.
presence that had been manifested sine,
God Almighty had appeared to Moses on
Mount Sinai; while full copious and per-
fectly satisfactory explanations were to be
made how Paul and Silas were released
from prison how the hand writing was
made to appear on the wall at the feast of
Belchazzer, and. in short. the miracles
wrought by Jesus Christ and his apostles
were to be made to look transparent as the
noon day sun before these mighty prophets
Of the new revelation.
The principal test proposed by these i'm
pudent pretenders were, that they would al
low themselves to be tied in certain large
box they carried around with them, and
after being shut up short time. musical in
strumen,s. placed in the box, were to be
performed upon by spirits. and spirit hands !
were TO thrust themselves through a hole in ,
he box, allowing those outside to shake !.
hands with it. and after all this was done !
he box WAS to be opened aud the "medi- |
inns " should be found fast tied just as they |
we're when they were put in. 1t was also
advertised that the audience should select
PERSONS who were to apply the tests spoken
#, and everything should be done to the
atisfaction Of all.
Their first performance here came off on
Wednesday evening. the 9th inst, but from !
ome cause was rather slimly attended. AT
he conclusion Of their operations on that
evening. Gro. w. WooD, U. S. Assessor,
THos. } BARGIs. City Councilman. and
EDWIN NJ. Cook, called upon the managers
IF the show and proposed that they would
apply test if permission to do so would
be granted them. The " mediums " replied
hat they would submit to any test that
might be proposed, provided only that tarred
rope should not be used, nor their persons
,r clothing injured. To these conditions
the three gentlemen we have named at once |
acceded, and it was further agreed that a
meeting should be had at the Huntington I;
House on the next morning, where TIE !
. mediums - would designate the exact
line and place where the test would be 4
publicly made. At the time this contract !
was entered into. number of the believers /
n spiritualism were present, and after the |,
parties who proposed TO do the tying had /
separated from the mediums" the spirit !
lalsts informed the DAvENPoRrs that If they |,
uttered themselves to be tied by those men .
hat they would be apt to fad some Difficult
y in getting loose tina. WooD and Cook
lad, two years ago, tied medium named
IAN WEEK in such way tina! he failed to
xtricate himself and that il they went into
test with them now tie same result would .
'e likely to ensue. II consequence of these :
tatements the DAvENPoRrs, when called /
lpon at their hotel the next morning. posi- |
lively denied having made any agreement !
f the kind. aud tina. they would submit to
% test proposed by these men. That. Of .
course, ended the matter for the time being. :
On Monday evening. however. the 18th
nss.. they again advertised pablo exhibi. J
ion at Starr Hall, inviting, as before. the
most skepical persons TO apply the severest
ests, and guaranteeing that all should GO |
way satisfied of the commences of the
The Hall was crowded by
respectable and intelligent audience, and
Dr.. +. HESRr DAVIS and r A. HowARp,
# the Telegram. were selected unanimoas-
y 70 tie the fellows in the box. Mr.. How
ARD and the DR.. differed as to the first test |
that should be tried, but it was at once
agreed that the DR.. should first tie them in |