New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-14
GJVE US YOUR HAND!

GIVE US YOUR HAND!
Nothing in the phenomena of Spiritualism
has 80 stunned the susceptible into fullness
of faith as the miraculous evOcation by the
mediums of ghostly hands. So the gas was
extinguished, or nearly so; the victims sat
gaping and expectant in the dim, religious
light and then at call came large hands and
small hands, male hands and taper-fngered
female hands, and chubby baby hands, caus-
ing those who had paid from four shillings to
twenty for the sight to thrill with wonder, to
cry for joy, and to tremble with apprehen-
sion. Now we do not say that all these
manifestations are frauds. We leave that
point open, because it is not necessary, even
if it were possible, to settle it; but we do
say. what evidence and experience have am
ply proved, that these so-caled manifesto
tions omen a wide field for fraud, and that
nobody can be absolutely certain that any OF
them are genuine.
There are probably various methods en-
ployed to cheat the credulous, but how TINS
bit of juggery is performed in some cases, Is
shown by writer in q Boston newspaper.
He states that as an officer of private detec-
tive association in NewEngland city, he
was, some months ago, detailed to search the
apartments of woman who had been dong
business as a medium, and summoning hands
at fifty cents apiece, with the greatest success.
He found q pair of ordinary gaiter boots hitting
the medium, with small rings inserted In the
toes between the outer and the inner soles. AT
the top of the boot outside the ankle were
sewn four ordinary eyes, such as are used on
dresses. lie not only found these things, but
what was more completely satisfactory, he
found four india rubber hands, gracefully and
naturally fashioned and filled with gas, after
the manner of the toy balloons. One was large
and black like that of negro One was
powerful and brown like that of farmer OF
mariner. Two we're small and delicate, of
nearly white flesh tint-tnose belonged to the
lost wives and sisters, and were those on when
the unbidden tear most frequently started. 10
each was attached about twenty inches OF
strong thread terminating in a small hook.
There was common extension table which
was used during the manifestations.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, walk up! The
performance is about to begin. Before enter
ing the room, Mrs. Medium hooks the strings
and attached hands to the eyes in the tops of
her CATERS. The hands, filled with gas, float
least impeding locomotiOn. And thus, If not
armed at least full-handed, the sybil comes
into the darkened room. An opening has
been left in the extension table; there the box
is placed and the medium always seats herself
opposite this. The room being dark, 1t is no
trouble for her to unlock the strings from her
CATER tops. pass the thread through the ring
in the toe of the left boot, and hook it to the
ring in the toe of the right boot. The medium
sits with her feet directly under the box III
which the hand is to appear. 1t then, OF
course, floats up into the box, and proves be-
yond peradventure that there are more
things in heaven and earth than are dreamed
of in our philosophy, HoratiO III the feet are
kent together and moved a little from side to
side, the hand exhibits a corresponding mo-
ton. If the LETT foot is kept still under the
opening, and the right one moved away from
it, the hand can be drawn down to the floor.
If the distance is increased or diminished be-
tween the feet, the hand is made to appear or
disappear in the darkness beneath the table
with considerable rapidity. When a change
of hands is required the lights are extin-
guished--of course by the spirits-and new
hand is hooked on. Some time ago there was
a man born without arms, who made an ex-
hibition and his living by doing wonderful
things with his feet. The medium uses hers
cleverly in the same way. That is all
We desire to be distinctly understood. We
do not deny that the hands Of spirits may APP
pear and be identified by the surviving friends
of those to whom they belong We deny
nothing and we assert nothing except that
the land swarms with impostors both in pan
falcons and petticoats, who will show you the
ghost of your great grandmother for fifty
cents, and the whole army of your ancestors,
if you choose, at wholesale prices. These
artists are clever in their way, but they are
blunderers and botchers in comparison with
the East Indian jugglers, who have been doing
the same kind of business for thousand
years. Every one who pays his money has a
right to the genuine article, whether it be the
hand of his departed Uncle John or the pho
tograph of his long-buried Aunt Polly. For
ways that are dark and for tricks that are
nothing more, it becomes every one who dis
burses genuine money to be upon the alert.
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An odd invention has recently been made for the