The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-05-11
HOW THE SPIRITS SHOW THEIR
HANDS.
How q Lady shook them.
A Humbug and Humbugger Ex'
posed.

Many of the Times readers have seen the
advertisements in our columns of one DR.. +.
| c. Dunn, clairvoyant physician. He has fit
| ted in and out of Dubuque for the past two
years, and has been well patronized by be-
| lievers in his peculiar method of examining
and doctoring diseases. He is an ardent
| spiritualist, and has been looked up to by the
| spiritualists in Dubuque as one Of the shin
| ing lights of the sect. The doctor protested
to be medium and at circles held at the res
licences OF his friends, which were attended
by many who rejected the doctrine the spir-
its performed wonderful things through him.
Among other things shown, was the famous
spiritual feat ofthe Davenport boys. a cur
tain of thick material would be suspended in
one corner of the room, Gentlemen would
be invited to step behind it, and tie the doc
tor in any manner they saw fit. Then the
lights would be decreased until the room was
nigh darkned. Then, over the top Of the
curtain hands, claimed to be those of spir-
its, would suddenly appear, and quickly dis
appear. Sometimes musical instruments
would seemingly float about the room, dis
coursing music the while, and occasionally
tap those present on the head. Then the
doctor would ask all of the astonished and
bewildered spectators to take a peep behind
the curtain and see that he was all the while
bound so with ropes that his hands and feet
| were powerless to produce, even by slelght
of hand, any such wonderful demonstrations.
Spirits did it ALL How could he have had
| anything to do with it? 1t was indeed per
| picking to unb elievers, but, Confirmation
strong to those of the faith.
But the time for exposure came at last
And the doctor has departed from Dubuque
an exploded humbug.
| Last Saturday, a circle was held at the res
| idence of well known citizen. One of our
most prominent citizens and his wife were
| invited, and they went with the determine
ton to "sift the thing" if possible. In due
| time the doctor was tied as usual, and soon
the hands appeared. The lady referred to
asked if the spirit would shake hands with
her. The doctor replied, Perhaps one will
by and bye" And by and by a spirit con
scented, and hand clasped one of the lady's
| wrists, and was instantly removed. Quicker
than thought the lady grasped the spirit hand
1t pulled and twisted, and tried to release
itself. She held it firmly, aud would not lei
it go. In the sort of struggle the curtain fell
down. Lo! there was the doctor, with his
hand held tightly by the lady. His coat was
off. and his arm bare to the elbow. He was
unbound, and how he came so was as much
OF mystery as ever, especially as after the
curtain was put up again, he appeared bound
just as he was in the first place. Ofcourse
there was confusion and shame consequent
upon the exposure. But there was no apol
ogy nor explanation. The visitors went home
The doctor proposed to leave town nex
day. But he had warm, friends, whose faithir
him was not extinguished yet. He told them
that sometimes he did touch people from
behind the curtain with his own hands, for
amusement, but not often, Very well, then
they insisted that he should remain, and al
another circle sustain his own good name
and revive the confidence they had reposed
in him.
Monday evening came, and the same per
sons who witnessed the exposure of the doc
tors spirit-hand business, assembled at the
house of another of his friends, to test him
again, though in a different manner He went
behind the curtain. 1t was no 90! The
spirits refused to release his hands and feet
this timel And after twenty minutes had
been spent in endeavors to get his aerial
friends to unbind him with their ghostly
hands, he gave it up, to the modification OF
his friends.
/ The above are the facts as they have been
told to US. They need no comment. Had
the doctor never meddled with manifesto
tons, his integrity would never have been
questioned, for his clairvoyancy was some
thing wonderful, and his practice of it had
worked astonishing results.-Dubuque Times.