The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-10
TRICKY SPIRITS.

A sDiritualisric Scance Ia Bleeclker Street
Last Evening.
A spiritual stance was held at No. 81 Blocker
street last evening, the sensation Of the unearthly
occasion being O boy named Hough. about. sixteen
years OF age, who claims the city OF Hartford, Conn.,
as his birthplace. The manifestations as the
experimental sleight- ofhand and magical tricks
that were done during the evening were vul-
carly called, took place In small room. which
WINS Kept in the most unpleasant state Of dark
ness, while the spirits did their best to pull
the wool over the eyes of the skeptical who were
present. by the way. in not very great numbers. In
fact, exclusive Of HERALD reporter. there was an
audience of eight persons, seven of whom PROGRESSED
to be fully versed In al that spiritual. The boy
HOugh, bright looking lad, with not the slightest
sign Of having any particular liking for spirits about
him. was seated IN an ordinary wooden chair, beside
small table on which there was q tin trumpet,
three iron rlDgs of different sizes and several long
pieces OF rope: The seaucc began in the usual
way that Is to say, that the light
was put out, after young gentleman of very III
credulous turn OF mind had tied the boys hands so
that nc (the 1ncredulOus young NAM felt confident
that the spirits would have lard time OF it get
ting the victim OUT OF his kDotty situation. silence
but it was broken every now and then by the heavy
breathlng3 OF the boy, VINO was evidently getting
ns p Se s IN 10 way or ,h another Or
by which he was bound, which was the
more probable fact. When some light had been
thrown Oh the subject the victim was revealed
completely freed from his tolls ana the ropes lay
scattered about the door. lie was again ted dark
ness AGAIN hid the SPIRITS movements from mortal
eyes and again, on the lighG being ill., was he dis
covered united. One OF the iron rings ny some
means or another probably by aid Of the same mys.
FERROUS power which everyday magicians call to
their assistance In their "manifestatiOns'D got
one OF his arms. between the shoulder ana the hand
that was tied to his leg and ring that was placed
In his mouth was found on one Of his fingers when
the darkness was dspelled by the light. How or by
what agency the boy managed to do these tricks, or
rather how the spirits did them Is rather tick
lish question, which Herman or some other wizard
might very easily make plain to the unsOphistcated
for consideration. Indeed, the lncrednlous young
Robert Heller do the same tricks without the aid OF
'fOreign powers" but an enthusiastic lover OF
spirits present. indignantly denied that Heller could
do anything OF the KIM, and offered to bet 500 to
$50 that he was right In his opinion The In
Credulous young man suggested that he wasn't o
betting man, and that good spirits couldn't possibly
spllltualiSt became mum and as silent on what he
did know Of the other world as Number himself.
1t was suggested, during the seanee, that the rings
should be placed at the opposite end OF the room to
that where the boy, Hough, was seated but his
mother, Mrs. StOddard, wouldn't hear of such q
thing for by taking the rings away from the table
which the coOt sat, she claimed they would be
put ''Out Of the circle OF the spirits inhuencev
which was considered very learned remark by the
~, as If to say, gospel truth, every word Of tn
But the incredulous young man actually gr1nned
and was heard to chuckle Immediately when tho
gas went down. There fs one thing about the whole
seance which should be said, ana that is that the
tying up and the untying with the ropes were very
perspre very freely under their operations which
some people might think q strong indication that he
himself had to work very hard to get out OF his tied
also used by the spirits but the voice suspicl-
ously like that Of Hough. The HERALD reporter mad
the satisfaction; ;h Of getting mt over the
scared that he lett rs soon the ssance was over