Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-31

/
ur walls announced that the won
Ierful Spiritual Test Medium, II.
Melville Fay, assisted by Mrs. Fay, would .
perform certain miraculous and unequalled
eats at the Academy of Music, on Saturday
evening. The most wonderful perform
ances were promised. The Davenport
boys" and their imitators, the Davenport
girls" and the whole tribe of peripatetie
performers of "spiritual " miracles were
to be out done by the great Physical Test
H. Melville Fay.
The evening came, and so did the audi
enee. Fay appeared. He brought his
q cabinet upon the stage-a box about six
feet long, two feet broad and three
or four feet high, with seats on
three sides and door on the fourth, which
can be thrown open, exposing the whole
interior of the "Cabinet." In this box, |
Fay did the most wonderful and astonish-
ing things He permitted himself to be
securely tied, and then, in the box, went
through with the most miraculous Of per
Eorrnauees. The audience were intensely
mystifed and intensely delighted. And
Fay closed his evenings performance with
flying eolors.
But alasl a hidden rock awaited the
too confident medium. As the exhibit
tion closed and the audience were
rising to leave, gentleman stepped upon
the stage, denounced the whole affair as
humb lg, and said that he would go through
the whole performance at Brainard's Hall
the next evening, and would explain how
the wonders were accomplished. The au-
dieuce were at FIRST incrcdulous, but, on his
announcing his meme, and asserting that
he had exposed Fay before, and that ne
held in his hand gold watch bearing the
following inscription: I" Frat has. Pre-
sented 10 the Rev. A. S. Dobbs, by many
/ citizens of TitusTille, as a token of their
appreciation of his ingenuity and per-
severance in exposing the humbug-
gerry of II. NJ. Fay's pretended spiritual
manifestations. January Path, 1861" !"
and that he was ready to put that, and the
receipts of admission, into the hands of a
Committee, to bedisposed ofas they thought
proper, they perceived that he was really
in earnest.
| We copy from the Herald a report of his
very successful expose of the Fay humbug
| A fair audience, composed about equally,
We should judge, of believers in Spiritual
ism and those who did not, assembled al
Brainard's Hall. About eight o'clock Mr..
Dobbs made his appearance. He remarked
that plays and tricks were all very well in
their place, and were often great source
of amusement, which was necessary to oul
happiness, but no person had q right to use
tricks and mummeries and deceptiOns in
the sacred name of religion. After few
more remarks he proceeded TO his expo
sition.
Fay and his wife came into the hall, ap-
parently in high feather, to all appearances
confident of the utter failure of the attempt
to expose their manifestations.
The same Committee that acted for Mr.. Fay
John S. Ryder and W. R. Mould-werC
chosen TO act for Mr.. DObbs. They exam
ined the box and pronounced it similar tC
the one used bv Fay. Mr.. Dobbs then en-.
tered the cabinet" the lights were turned
down, and the "Spirits" proceeded to tie
him fast, which they did in an incredibly
, short space of time. The lights were turn
ed on, the doors of the "eage" thrown open
and there sat the reverend gentleman
tied tight, in hands, arms, legs and body
The Committee reported that he was fully
: as tightly tied as Mr.. Fay was, although
} the knot was slightly different. A manifest
though not extravagant round of applause
greeted the report. The doors were theI
, closed and he went rapidly forward, doing
enc after another all the marvels ever at
tempted by Fay. Loud noises wer'
heard in the box, the sound o.
n md
other demonstrations. When the "spiri
hand - was exhibited through the aperture
the house came down with perfect storm
of applause.
Several times during the evening Fay haC
attempted to interrupt the proceedings, bu
ne was ALWAYS answered good humoredly
and tcld that when the performance cam,
to a close, if he was not satisfied, he coulC
ask as many questions as he chose.
He then announced that he would do thu
west trick, (which Fay would seldom do be
fore public audience, but reserved for thu
| editication of believers, in private circles
as the "spirits" had told him that it WI
too mysterious and sublime for unbelievinl
eyes to behold.
About this time, the Fays began TO show
strong symptoms of wishing theywere some
where else but still H. Melville put Al
good face on matters as possible. 1t wa
evidant the esympathies ofthe audience wer,
fast running towards the Rev. Mr.. Dobbs
He was succeeding admirably.
A vest was borrowed from gentleman il
the audience and placed in the box, not il
reach Of the operator, for it must be remem
bered that during all these demonstration
he was not only tied tightly down to hi,
seat by strong cords, but his hands and fee
were SO securely fastened that it seemed
almost impossible for him to move. The
doors were closed, the room darkened, and
in less than a minute, he eallep for Eight,
and there was q vest, with one arm OF tho
operator passed through the arm hole and
his hands still tied as tightly as before
| The applause now was deafening, and the
heads of the Fays and some of their most
ardent admirers and irmest believers came
down another peg.
The great ''Flour Test" seemed to be
Fay's chest holt" as he had alluded to il
once or twice during the evening. Mr.
Dobbs now gave notice that he would at
tempt it. The committee placed in each Of
his tied hands q small portion of flour, and
in less than two minutes the spirit hand
and other demonstrations are made, but
when the doors,were opened he walked up
on the stage with the full amount of -four
still in his hands. The audience now rose
in one wild shout. The wonderful and
miraculous "four test was triumphantIy
accomplished. Down went the crest of the
Fays and their friends another notch.
Mr.. Dobbs then proceeded to explain to
the audience the whole minute Of these
barefaeed hunbugs. He was tied in q
char by the committee, on the stage, in
the fall glsra OF the gas light, where all
had good view, and united himself with
the greatest ease, and in a very short space
of time. He demonstrated fully how the
knots were tied, and lucidly explained
how the ''trieks in the box" were accom-
plished.
He did many more remarkable things,
during the evening, than we have men