Evening star., 1865-10-02
EVENING STAR.
The Davenport Brothers in Paris.

IFrom Paris letter of Sept Isl
The Davenport Brothers appeared for the
first and probably the last time in Paris yes
terday evening. They had taken up the pre-
caution 10 print upon the tickets (price twen-
ty-nye francs each) notice that the spectators
must impheltly obey the instructions OF me m,
terprtter. Notwithstanding the price charged
the room was filled; but already before the COM
mencement OF the performance there were
symptoms that things would not pass so quietly
as IN the private abode of the adopts. NJ. Robin
had, the evening before, given an exhibition
very closely resembling the spiritual manifes-
tations Of which the par JrdtrEm are the me-
cal, but well mp in the subject Some delay
occurred IN commencing the performance. A
meagre band Of musicians endeavored in vain
To I'll. it up with attempts At a waltz, which
the irnpatienee of the public would not permit
them 70 finish. At last a white -cravatted, blue
coated, gllt-buttoned individual, with gloves
nreproaGhably clean, appeared upon the
stage He explained in somewhat dreamy
Language that the brothers made no pretensions
10 supernatural powers, that they were mere
passive agents OF spiritual manliestaaons, Th a ms,
ask for faith; they address themselves TO
science, TO which they present certain pheno-
mena, facts which scie nee and the press may
discuss. The speech was a long one, the au-
dienee got tired and called out for 1.-THE expert
ments," s'the two brothers,, and some wicked
wag added, Les DeEE Sears. They came for
ward at last, looking worn and rather
frightened. The interpreter then invited two
of the audience TO come upon the stage to watch
the operation. Inc TWO VINO stepped forward
were greeted with howls of "Confreres 20
but these changed to applause when they
named themselves. M. b. de Pene, well
known for a celebrated duel, and editor of the
Gazettes des Elrangers, and the Vicomte Clary.
They inspected cords and cupboard saw moth
ing suspicious, and the brothers were as Sc
curely as usual tied to their bench. The doors
are closed, the unearthly hubbub of unmusicaI
instruments commences; the spectators ask for
hight; the spirits by their interpreter object; the
public is for a moment silent and the brothers
walk out of their box unbound. One of the
gentlemen who tied them thinks the ropes pro-
duced are not the same as he had used, but the
objection does not prevent the second manifes-
tatlon. This time the brothers, who had en-
tered the box unbound, are found solidly at
taChed to the bench; but n spectator, whose at
tention had been uninterruptedly fixed on the
bench, jumps on the stage, puts his hand on
the bench round which the cords are wound,
touches spring, the bench bends In the mid
die; and the cords fall at the feet of the cap
nyes, who themselves plunged down-not on
heir heads. The rush, the row, were terrific
but the appearance of the Commissary of Po-
lice, who announced that the money would be
returned, succeeded in restoring quiet. The
company, after examining the mysteries of the
IN their pockets, delighted at having detected
the imposture and glad to breathe some fresh
AR, for the heat had been sitting. Let us hope
that this is the last we shall hear of this gross
lmposture. The believers in spiritualism Will
probably persist in their superstition, and even
the case of the brothers may be less desperate
than IL would seem to unbiased observers.
Who knows thar their discontinue was not a
trick OF the spiritsl