The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-04-03
SPIRIT "MATERIALIzING. )
The Question, lift is not Spirits, what
is IT, Fully Answered.
Instrument Table-Tapping,
Rope-Tying, Spirit Writing; but
no Spirits.

By special invitation. representatives
of the daily press OF the city met DR.. W.
L. Van Week in the City Editors room
in The Times building last evening, to
witness his performance Of the various
feats done by mediums and claimed to be
the work of spirits.
The doctor firmly believes that all the
manifestations claimed as spiritual can
be accomplished by mere slight of hand,
or explained on the hypothesis of natural
agencies. He feels that he is called on
to work as a kind of missionary in this
field, and wherever he hears that the
''spirits are at work, be packs his car
pet bag and takes the first train for the
place. Harry Bastian's seances in Chi
/ ago have lately created some stir, and
hence DIR. VanVleck is here, as above
| stated
! There we're present last evening, at his
performances, about 20 persons, mostly
newspaper men. The docto or began by
stating that his spirits had the advantage
over those of mediums in general, because
they required no holding of hands, no
bad singing, aud never failed to ina
teriallze. His programme was first to
do the feats in the dark cabinet, as med
iums do, and then do them openly, show
ing that they are simple feats of legerde-
main.
A ca binet was improvised by means
of an ante room, where he could have no
confederate. and with a simple curtain
before the door
The first test was having his hands Sc.
curely tied behind him by committee,
and, sitting down with his back against
an upright, in which there were tvo
staples and iron rings, his hands were
| fastened to the lower one, and his neck
| fastened to the ether with a moose. A
| cord was then thrown around his neck
and crossed upon his breast, the curtain
[ dropped, and in six seconds the cord was
| found tied abo-t his neck in hard knot,
| the knots tied by the committee being
intact. Next he went into the cabinet
| and in very short time, the curtain be-
ing raised, he was found tied by the
the wrists, about the knees, and to the
chair, in the most secure manner, the
cords actually Embedding themselves in
his wrists, so tight were they The
curtain was dropped upon him, still tied,
and two bells, a tambourine, and guitar
began playing at once, swinging in the
air and protrudiug from behind the cur
tam. They ceased, and he was found
tied, "a before.
i hen the committee, one Of whom is an
expert al tying, a firm believer in mani
testations, and who ''lad himself out"
therefore, for the maintenance of his faith,
tied him to chair with soif. cotton cords,
drawing them painfully tight, and fasten-
ing every limb in the most complex
manner, The tying occupied IA minutes
aud In SIX minutes after dropping of the
curtain, the performer walked out free
man, without single knot in the ropes,
which were found intact
The Doctor then stated that, as be
might give an expose in the city, he
didn't wish to show his method to all
present, but would do so in presence of
chosen committee of the press. These
retired into the cabinet with him.
when he showed the methods of spirit
tying, instruments playing, and extricated
himself from another series of knots.
He then performed the famous ballot
tricK, Of writing a communication from
the spirit world One of the com mittee
wrote the names Of three persons and
their relationships on separate Sins, and
these being folded in four thicknesses
were indiscriminately mixed with FIVE
blankets, the operators back being turn
ed, meantime. He then turned about,
selected one, handed it to the writer, and
wrote communication giving the re-
lationship and signing the name on the
slip. There were big eyes during the
performance, but WHEN She trick was ex-
planned there were big ''ohs " Table
tapping, materialized hands, etc, were
explained in an equally satisfactory man.
ner.
He freely challenges any medium to
contest, promising to do everything
which any medium will do, or give an
explanation on natural hypothesis If
splrltuaiism is what it is claimed to be,
1T should not fear this test. Will any
medium in the city submit to it? They |
viii lie guaranteed courteous treat
ment.- Chicago Ereanag NaH
SPICY.