The Portland daily press., 1865-10-02
sprRIrUArIsM VS.. JUaaL1RY.

SOME NEW EXPERIMENTS IN LONDON.
The London correspondent OF the Dublin
Daily Express says: ''Dr. Lynn, the son of an
English clergyman, following the bent of a
rowing disposition with which English, in
common with lrishmen and Scotchmen, are
chargeable), at an early age left his country
literally for his country's good, and has return
ed after eight years absence, skilled In every
depa -tment of the occult art Whatever the
Hindoo jugglers or the Japanese wonder-wor
ers could fnpart he has acquired and his lis
som fingers can accomplish. More importa MT
still, whatever the most highly gifted of the
spirituaIists and their familiars can perform
shrouded in darkness he can repeat, without
confederate or mechanical contrivance, in the
open day.
"Dr Lyon, during q brief visit to London,
with view to make preparations tor a VIM
ter's campaign The is, l understand, to visit
Dublin before settling down herel, gave two
private sednceS, at two of which was pre-
sent Avoiding the toy-tricks of professors
of magic who come from various points of the
compass and astonish children. of every growth
his programme is stored with Eastern nov
elites, and his performance is the perfection of
seight of hand. The closest ob.erver is baffied
by his astounding dexterity, and the ease and
grace with which the most difficult feat is ac-
complished are as admirable as the dexterity
is marvellous.
81 win mention but one or two items. A
graphic writer upon Japan some time since
made the world acquainted with the most grace
ful and beautiful,a at the same time wonder
full, of all the feats performed by the iuoglers
of that country. They were the top and but
terhy trick. A top is set spinning in the air;
on its descent it is caught en- the point of
sword, where it whirls mer1ily; then it is
brought along the keen edge to the handle:
then it renews its fight to be again caught
and ultimately it is sent, like miniature Dlon-
din, across silken thread which is invisible to
the audience; sometimes it descends the slack
sometimes acsends the hill, but it is ALWAYS
sure of foot and waltzes its way over the mar
row path, from the boxes of theatre to the
back of the stage, as readily as across a draw
ing room. The butterflies are cut out of ma
ny-colored paper, and fly about as If endoW-
ed with life In obedience to the wave OF a
fan they fy high or fly low; now they futter
over lady's boquet, now they light upon the
spray of wreath, now they gyrate, moth-like,
round gas-jet. This feat alone is sufficient
to take the town by storm.
"But what win be SAID of the greatest of the
'spiritualist' tricks, viz: the writing ON the
arm? Letme briefly state my own experience
of it. was requested by DR.. Lynn to write
the name of any person, of any country, who
has died since the world began. l did SO in a
remote part of the room, before leaving which
/ tightly folded the paper on which the name
was written until it resembled doctors pill,
and placed it on a table, where it remained in
presence of, and close to all present except DR..
Lynn. That he did not touch it, and that he
had no means of ascertaining what the name
was beyond the meagre hint to be derived
from a reply to his question Of how many
words and letters it consisted, can positively
vouch. Within two minutes the name was
traced upon his arm, and in letters each if /
may say so, was an enlarged ,fac-sinsile of my
own. Five other names were written by DIFF
ferent persons, and one was selected at ran
dom out of the five, and with precisely sim
liar result. On the previous evening thirteen
ladies were present, as well as a number of
professional men, lights of law, literature and
medical science; a name was written by each
lady, and thirteen times, to the unspeakable
arnazement Of all present, the writing on the arm
corresponded with the writing on the crump-
led paper in the ladys hand. This was Fos-
ters great spiritual trick; and it is to the cred
it of DIR. Lynn that he utterly disclaims and
laughs at the idea of spiritual agency in its
performance"