The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-19
49, Iron the Wheeling Inieriesncer. nth
Cabinet Mysteries Exposed--The Ellis
Humbug Expl0ded-BiE Crowd and
High Time Ore or the Davenport

There Was large crowd IN attendance.
The cabinet used OH tho occasion was SINH
lar to that of Ellis, his alleged daughter,
and her attendant spirit, and on this ocea-
sion the spirit WAS equally, even more COM
PLEASANT than the one OF that great rendez-
vous of spirits and spiritually minded peo-
pie, Hornbrook's Hall.
The following gentlemen were appointed
a committee to see that everything was fair
and no humbug permitted Chose inclined
to believe In the spiritual hypothesis In
italics):
DR.. Bates, DR.. Baguley, DR.. Hazlett, Mr..
Botsford, Ed Booking, and Mayor McClel-
Ian.
The committee having taken their posi-
tions upon the stage the performances pro-
ceeded as follows:
Captain Brice: Ladies and gentlemen,
we hope the audience will be quiet as pos
slble during the performance. I first ask
your committee whom you have selected to
examine the cabinet and see that it Is oil
secure. Laughter
The committee, prominent among them
Dr. Baguley and Mr.. Botsford, did as de-
sired, and reported the cabinet secure.
DR.: Hazlett stated that it was not from
any desire Of notoriety that the gentleman
concerned in the exhibition had come be-
fore the public, but for the purpose of
showing the truth in regard to the so-called
mysteries.
MIR. Brice This. ladies and gentlemen,
Is my son Jacob Qeading a young man
forward). Laughter and applause.l Now,
ladies' and gentlemen, bind nv sons
wrists with strip Of brown muslin
about two or two and half inches wide,
because muslin will be more easy for bis
wrists than cords or ropes but strips of
muslin can be drawn tighter than cords or
ropes. Now let your committee come for
ward and examine, and they can mark the
strips of brown muslin as l place them
upon my sons wrists.
The committee examined as desired.
DR.. Bates: We will not tie the knots so
tight as to interfere with the circulation of
the blood.
Capt. Brice: Now your committee will
report If my sons hands are securely and
firmly bound.
The audience will observe that my son
Is tied with three knots about each wrist,
and the strips again tied together. [The
young man having seated himself in the
cabinet.] With another strip of muslin
shall bind my son securely and firmly to
an iron ring; another strip of muslin place
securely about my sons throat, which
will allow your committee to tie into an
the cabinet. With another strip of brown
muslin I shall bind my sons ankles; at
tached to this we shall have another strip
of muslin, the end Of which will remain
outside of the door of the cabinet. Now,
l will put an apron of brown muslin on nv
sons lap. Now, ladies and gentlemen, Mr..
Botsford and DR.. Baguely will investigate
if my son is securely tied, and if, in their
opinion, it will not be impossible for him
to eXtricate himself
DR.. Baguley: The young man appears
to be tied as near as possible as the young
lady was.
Captain Brice With another strip of
brown muslin I shall tie q square bow
round my sons neck, and upon closing the
door Of the cabinet l shall request this in
tellgcnt power from an invisible source to
unite the knot; you will then hear Won
derful and remarkable voice manifestation,
and upon the door being opened you will
find the knot united.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, you see that
my sons throat is securely and firmly
bound to the staple in the back of the cabl-
net, and if there is any possibility of his
getting loose your committee will please
state it.
The committee, through DR.. Baguley,
stated that everything was apparently Sc
cure.
Capt. Brice shutting the doorl: Now
you notice, on closing the door you hear 4
voice calling for Mr.. Ellis. [Laughter.]
Voice Good evening, Mi. Ellis.
Capt. Brice Good evening, Mr.. Blake.
Voice What do you want me to doI
Capt. Brice We want you to unite that
knot around my sons neck. Can your
Voice Yes, sir, can. open the door.
The door was opened Immediately, and
the knot found united. Immense and long
continued applause, and roar upon roar Of
laughter.]
Captain Brice, the committee, and Grub,
then proceeded through the whole roper
toire Of Mr.. and Miss Ellis and their spirit
in the same admirably burlesque style, each
fresh exhibition eliciting the most UNI
bounded enthusiasm from the audience !;
that is, from those not inclined toward the
spirituali>tic style of Interpreting the phe.
nomena.
DR.. Bates stated that Grub was tied pre-
cisely the same as Miss Ellis was tied last
Saturday night at Hornbrook's Hall, and
he had accomplished everything and good
ae also said that 1t would not have been
possible for him to eXtricate himself unless
he possessed a knowledge of her secret.
DR.. Bagulcy being called for, verified
DR.. Bates's statement. :.
Mr.. B0tStord, in response to repeated
calls, said that he was hoarse, and asked DR..
Bates to state for him, which the Doctor
did, that he endorsed the opinion express
ed by DR.. Baguley, that Grubb was tied
sufficiently to show that he could not extri-
cate himself unless he possessed know
ledge of the girls secret.
After the spirit had cut Mr.. Grub loose
L =. g, 1,>f 10 n1
STYLE, Capt. BIice introduced Mr.. Mac, o
having at one time travelled with Daven-
port Brothers, and consequently up to all
their tricks with ropes.
MIR. Mac was then seated on chair, and
DR.. Bates proceeded to tie him with as
many knots as there are comets in the sky.
His right hand was bound to his thigh, and
the rope passed under his foot and around
his ankle; the left hand was fastened over
his left shoulder. and the rope twisted and
Topped and fastened so that it seemed an ut
ter imposSibility for him to get loose by his
own eXertions. But, having been placed
behind the screen, get loose he did in eX-
actly one minute and twenty seconds.
Next DR.. Baguley exhausted his ingenu-
itv and put himself out of breath in tieing
him to chair. From this he also freed him
self in a very short space of time. Then,
while behind the screen, Mac tied himself
in most complicated manner. The screen
was removed, gag put in his mouth and
firmly secured, tin horn laid at bis feet,
the screen replaced, and in few seconds
the horn was footed. The screen was i'm
mediately removed, the horn found lying at
his feet, the gag still in his mouth, and he
sitting in the chair as at first.
A gentleman in the audience proposed
that the exhibition should now cease, and
that another one should he given on some
future evening in order that the Children's
Home might derive benefit. But the audi