Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-06-15
Fay,s IS Phenomena.',

AeL
A man who has gained some note in
spiritual circulars by his professed "sce-
snces'' and spirit-medium manifesto
tons, has been performing" to small
and select audiences, for two or three
weeks past, at Pennington and in War
rem. We have received a long letter
from Mr.. E. F. Curtis, OF Pennington,
narrsting the fests Of Mr. Fay, in that
place.
From the article of Mr.. Curtis we ex-
tract his account of n or two Of Fay's
phenomena as samples of the general
character of his performances. The let
ter says:
The company was seated in two rows
across the room. At q distance of some
eight feet from the front row Mr.. Fay
took q position beside a small table fur
nished by Mr.. Taft, on which was a Yio-
lin, a tin horn, some half dozen small
bells, and some half a dozen ropes about
t~wo-thirds the size ola common bed cord,
and about ten feet long.
Mr.. Fay seated himself in a chair be-
side this table, when all lights were put
out. Immediately there was a sound as
of the ropes hitting against objects, and
drawing through as if in the act of tying.
In from three TO five minutes he called
for light, which revealed him sitting in
his chair, and apparently tied in the most
secure manner. Arms and legs were
tied together, and tied to the chair.
All persons were then asked to come
forward and examine the tying. This
done, the lights put out and immedi-
ately there is a great "rumpus'' at the
table,-bells thrown upon the floor,
striking of the horn upon the table, and
most OF all, the violin floats off in the
space between Fay and the guests now
up and sometimes hitting the plastering
oYer head. All this time, be it remem-
bered, the violin is thrummed by some
agency, now loud and boisterous, and
now, rs breathless silence reigns, it de-
sends to soft and gentle music; and
hereit coated along in front of the guests,
gently touching many of them.
A few minutes of this, and Fay called
for light, which revealed him sitting in
his chair and tied as usual. / should say
that paper was placed under his boots,
and pencil marks made around them !;
and in no case was the relative position
of boot and mark disturbed.
A glass of water was placed upon the
table-light out;-the glass is heard to
slide upon the table, then the sound of
swallowing light, and the glass is on
Fay's head top down says he drank the
water. He is still tied as before.
Nj. Fay made his debut before a War
rem circle, last week. There were pres
ent a number Of gentlemen, some pro-
fessed S~piritualists, others only curious
to see. The first and second nights he
succeeded admirably in performing,
similarly as described by the Farming
correspondent, and gentlemen of
Spiritual convictions were convinced of
the "phenomena" The third night it
was suggested by some o3e who had seen
such things, that a slip-kpot could be
that would deceive the inexperi-
sncsd, and that the test would be more
satisfactory IL the medium would allow
/ thread to be tied around the cords on
MS wrists, and that the spirits could
the thread as easily as the large
lords. But Fay said the spirits would
not consent, and refused the test. 1t was
hen proposed to bore a board with holes,
md 20 lash his o~utstretched arms to it
He consented, but when the board was
ready, Fay said he had consulted the
and they would not allow the
est. This shook the faith of the faith
'ul' few in Fay's spiritual mediumship,
md they told him that If the spirits
couldn't get him out of the board con-
they didn't propose to be bored
my further by him.
Fay is a tolerable clever triekster.
a large wrist and a small hand,
ne can slip the cords off and on with
,ase and celebrity. Although he operates I
n the dark, and claims to do wonderful
hings, his feats are not as marvellous as
many accomplished by sleight-of-hand
performers, who do their juggling under
broad light. Fay has /" played out" in
Warren, and must seek greener pastures.