Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-10-19
TnE sPlRlruALlsTs.



It Is proper That the recital OF incidents
that ~franspirsd last evening e Assembly
hall should be given under the heading
"Amuaemenss.S The whole affair was
amusing, even farcicai. Il was siresoms,
withsE. Mr.. Robertson, OF Brinkley ghost
Immortality, appeared, and the contract
between him and Mr.. Won Week was
read. It was agreed that 3 committee
should be appointed, each Of the contest
ants selecting two and the audience the
d1h. Mr.. Robertson Hnamed.p 10 use the
Jsrgon OF the T~acs-conrss now popular
izsd at the fair, Msssrss MeKisick
and nedinnistic, table-tipping Miller,
and Won Week designated Messrs.
Foster snd Littleton. The audience
selected Minor MeriWsthsx as the
umpire. In accordance with terms pro-
posed By Mr.. Robertson, Clara's father,
b was brought upon the zossrum, the
gas-lightB we're turned OF, the curtain fell,
and in utter darkness the COMMITTEES en-
circled her, holding each others' hands.
And also he spirit OF darkness came
among them. The negro usher, black as
the neither extremity Of midnight, eonsti-
taEed 3 link in the circle Of those holding
each others hands, who stood around the
demuEe-lookirg, blue-eyed, hght-hsirsd
little Clara Robertson The sympalhies Of
the audience were with the child. but not
-A2 A4AAEA - lis A4NAN4Aa2a irA
the curtssn rose, Clara WAS tied to the
chair, uot very securely, and again. when
united In the same manner and the "spir-
its' were given access by means CT com
plete darkness, she was found tied
with an iron ring shove the
knot on her srm. Won Weeks
hands were ptnionsd toKether BY tbs com
mittee. He vas drawn into q corner; &
little curtain was drawn over him. znd
v~aA~ur-. rufru~ - av.1 I-rwwn aa4Ia 18Th
mis- hands were found to have been forced
through the iron ring, through which
they were passed with difficulty. Re
must have untIed and thsn tied himself
In any event, the COMMITTEES, or msjorisy
asserted that he had done all Ehst was re-
quired BY his agreement wish Mr.. Robert
SOC. The spectstoxs cOneuTred with the
COMMITTEES. It is needless to say that
this part Of the performance was childish
in more ways than ons. Il seemed very
silly fortwo or three hundred SANE people
to waste an evening in the contemplation
Of little tricks 50 stupid and unintellectu-
al that pieanninies on a Louisiana sugar
plantation would have dossd over it.
Why spirits should have such an antipa-
thy to gaslight Is wholly unaecountable.
II the city would hsve any old graveyard
evacuated that streets may be decsrtly
made through IL, Ii is only necessary 70
run a gas main Ia q mile OF It, and the
bones in every coffin will rattle into
their proper sockets, and the whole army
Of spirits viii take everlasting fight.
That'ssll we learned, after patient, tedi-
attention 70 the ghostly show Lass
night. A policeman learned bat IL ever
he arrested VOnVleck OF DR.. Foster, there
was no use in Handwriting them, and tbs
impressed with the conviction thai
pfsc5ical, knot making spirituslism Is ire
s~hallowest sham Of this age ofshsms. For
this we thanks TO Won Week. When
ignorance can1ot unYeil a mystery super
stition invokes IA unknown god, and
bows down and worships it. When Clara
Roertbson is tied and united by Hassea
hands, wondering stupidity sess ghosts
coming from Brinksey college, and to tbs
dead are zse1bed the inexplicsbIe facts
If finite reason and p6oetratioa fail. We
must look to the infnite for 8 solution.
and thu victims Of spiritualism are num-
berless.
Won Week enjoyed his triumph, and so
with the spfrituzlists. He caused q slate
10 be placed in q table drawer, both close
~ inspected by the committee. There
was nothing on the slate when It was d.
posted in it's ecu hiding pise5. Two Of
the committee sst st the table, Won Week
having on6 hand On, and the other under
thet table, the drawer opening On the side
furthest nom Won Vlsck. Tbs trio sat
still q moment, the drawer was opened
and the slate taken cut, On It was in
scribed the name rAinor MeriRethsr.'
The eyes Of q spirft1alist who sat near
Us grew larger han saucers. DR., Foster
was blindfolded. and sat with his back to
the audience. Won Week, going through
the crowd, gathered q variety OF articles
which Foster seemed to see. He stated
what each wss and even the dstss on
coins hsld by Won Week. This nuished
the s~piritualiEt to whom we referred.
He hesved an awful sigh. The Jig was IN
and he was done for. lie Whispered, Il
have it; Won Vlsck is the ehiagest Of
spirituslists, and IL using his divine DOW
eTs 10 make money! In other words.
Won Week out-Herods Hsrod, and sur
passes shoWmen in their own show-hs
bets and wins on their oEn game. Won
Week should kill the moral disease while
engaged IN his lsEdable business, and strip
the New York Foster Of the sheen which
invests his fz1s among the idOlaters al
the defaeed shrine of spiritualism.