The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-03-20


the Band.-Wheeling is not good town
for Spiritaalistic exhibitions. Not q
professor, or "mejum," or operator in
this branch of science has come to this
city but has come to grief. The fate OF
the Ellis family, of two years since, was
the fate Of the Davenport Brothers last
night:
The performances given by the Bro
theirs was, in many respects, a won
derful one, and had it been given as a
series OF tricks, or receptions, would
have been heartily commended as they
were heartily applauded. But when it
was claimed that the tricks were per-
formed by the agency Of spirits it was
"too thin" and the audience repudiat-
ed the whole business.
At the beginning of the entertaln~
ment the father OF the Brothers" old
man Davenport, came before the audi
ence and stated that it was usual at
those entertainments for the audience
to select two persons as committee to
examine the whole performance and
decide on its fairness. He read the
names of several prominent citizens
from which the audience were to select
two to act as such committee, but the
audience made its own selection, and
DR., R. W. Hazlett and Jacob Grubb
who had won fame in the Ellis EXPOSE
ton were chosen. The Doctor tried to
get old man Davinport to define his po-
sition at the start and to say whether
he intended to claim that the expert
ments to be presented were done by the
aid of the spirits, but old man Daven-
port very cleverly lodged the question
for a while, and finally said he would
explain when the performance had
ended.
As we have already said, the per-
formance considered as feats OF ledger
domain, were wonderful, though all the
difficult part Of the programme was
performed in closed cabinet, similar to
that used by the Ellis family. At Its
conclusion DR.. Hazlett said that, con-
sidered as q sleight of hand perform
apce, it was excellent, and he with
he audience in common could not hut
admire the skill displayed by the
Brothers" As be lett the stage old
man Davenport came forward and said
that the phenomena witnessed by the
audience were produced by the aid OF
spirits; that he could not answer the
Doctor question at the beginning of the
entertainment, because he did not know,
and the "Brothers" did not know
whether they would be able to give any
performance at all. and certainly could
not tell the nature of it.
This speech brought DR.. Hazlett and
Mr.. Grub to the stage again, aud the
Doctor proposed if they would grant
him the use of their machinery he
would perform the same tricks, though
perhaps not so expertly, as the Broth
ers" had. At this old man Davenport
lost his temper and began to take the
cabinet to pieces. This desire to avoid
the challenge excited the audience and
motion to declare the whole thing a
humbugwas carried without dissent
ing voice. Things were hot for few
moments, and the elder of the "broth-
ers" came forward demanding to know,
who was called humbug." You,
was the answer, and he subsidized.
1t looked as il there was going to be
row for few moments, but everything
passed off in words, and the audience
dispersed we'll satisfied that the spirits
had something else to do than to ring
bells, play on the violins and guitars
and send tamtorines whirling through
the air.
We can give but the conclusion first
arrived at: As exhibition OF prestidig-
itation the Davenport Brothers give an
entertainment of the first class, but as
a spiritualistic exhibition it is too
thin"
1850 brt fura