The Portland daily press., 1874-12-19
THE PR ES S.
SATURDAY MORNING., DEC. 10, 1874
The Katie King Sensation.

The Katie King Sensation.
Since the first spirit manifestations at
Rochester years since, there has been moth
ing in that line which has caused so general
comment or been so wonderful and puzzling
as the recent Katie King manifestations
in Philadelphia. Katie, it may be here re-
marked, gives out that she is or was the
daughter ofone John King, who, in his time,
turned an honest penny, as professional
pirate. She has been dead more than hun
dred years, and previous to her appearance
as a spirit in Philadelphia had been and is
still attracting great attention in England
with one Professor Crookes. We had laid
aside for publication an article setting forth
the exhibitions of the spirit of Katie through
Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes, as mediums, which
was published in the Galaxy for December.
Hereafter it will not be worth while to
publish in detail an account of the apparent
miracles performed in the name of Katie
King, as i: is announced by Robert Dale
Owen, one of the most widely known and
firmest believers in spiritualism, who has
been investigating those singular mani
festations for several months, that the whole
thing is a humbug, Katie real human being
who has not yet shuffled off the mortal coil,
and the mediums simply jugglers. The par
ticulars of this ghostly swindle, which for
months has puzzled the most acute of believ-
ers and unbeleVers, has not reached us.
Katie, however, has been discovered by de-
tective, traced to house where she boards,
and confessed that she has been acting the
spirit. 5.....
Some OF the particulars Of this case as set
forth in the Galary paper are so wonderful
that even in the light of detection, they are
full of interest. The room in which these
have been witnessed, as
mystery for more than six months, is directly
over a stationer's store and has but two doors
opening out oft, one 10 bedroom and the
otEer to the stairway. The passage to the
bedroom is entirely closed by board petit
ton nailed across the door opening and ap'
parently firmly secured. The closest exami-
nations failed to disclose any secret place Of
ingress or egress. The cabinet where the
spirits professed to clothe themselves in NOR
tai forms, consisted of the following simple
..t
The bedroom door was left open at an angle Of go
deg on the opposite door post second door was at-
tached which came out to meet it at the same angie
and when the two doors thus met the recess formed
rs1ofo
enough to comfortably contain he medium, MI
Holiness seated in a chair. Whenever this niue
sanctum to be used, the light was excluded from
above by triangular piece OF wood lald across tne
tops of the two doors. -,
This cover was lined on the inside with TACK Goth.
as were also the insides Of the two doors The alr
being thus shut out from the little closet, the neces-
sty Of the air holes through the wood partition was
apparent. Through the one OF these two doors WIN
faced the spectators at the height OF some hye eet
from the floor, was circular aperture or WINDOW,
about ten inches in diameter at which tine races were
to be seen black curtain hung on the inside Oh
which was drawn aside just before lace presented
itself. 1905
The peculiar kind of manifestations given
at this place are characterized as material
izations," which means that the spirits ap-
pear in their bodily FORMS The writer says
that at the first sittings which he attended
Katie did not appear at first, but the embod-
led spirits of other persons who appeared on
subsequent similar occasions. One was rec
ognized by gentleman present as his
brother and photograph OF the BROTHER
taken when alive showed an exact resem-
blance between the two, even to the express
sion. Another face appearing at the aper-
ture claimed by mods to be a former friend OF
the writer. His eyes and part of his hair
could only be seen, the rest of the face and
head being concealed by bandage. The
narrator failed to recognize the face as any
acquaintance of his. Several other tandaged
faces appeared, and on inquiry the writer
was told that the process of ''mat erializa-
ton" was chemical one, requiring on the
part of the spirit, long practice.and great skill
and that the first attempts were generally i'm
perfect, and further that the first practice was
confined to those features of friend first to
be recognized The first faces were so white
that they might have been taken for plaster
busts, while others were of aesh-color and
resembled wax. Next came Katie King.
Her face resembled that of living person,
her eyes winked and she spoke in whisper.
At this time Katie contented herself with
calling sor,e of those present stupid and re-
marking that her presence could be accounted
for from the fact that her London medium
was sick. She also asked DR.. Child to feel of
curl of her hair. After doing so he reported
that it was precisely like human hair.
At the next sitting number of other
faces appeared but they did not speak and
were rigid as though made of plaster or wax,
and only answered questions by mods. They
were, however, recognized by their relatives
Katie King followed, repeatedly calling hel
auditors stupid, and acting very much like a
modern coquette. The following is the mar,
rators account:
"Will you have some oranges?" asked the Doc
tor. ''Of course will, she answered. The Doctor
then produced six oranges, and began putting them
all at appeared several other pretty aud delicate
hands under hers, some.of which evidently belonged
to very little children. These eagerly grasped the
oranges, securing three four of them; when oran-
ges and hands at once disappeared Afterward Katie
reappeared and handed out to Mrs. Holmes one Of
the oranges, and also bouquet Of palpably earthly
Tive of were looking at her through opera glass
es "Ten those stupid men," she impatienty said to
Dr. Child "to put away those things they are looking
through The Doctor explained to her that, being
GIFTED, we could not see her plainly without
them, and asked if she would not consent to let US
use them. Yes" she replie},, with good-humored
toss of her head.
At the request of DIR. Child and of Mrs. Holmes,
she repeatedly showed us her entire arm, bare
to the shoulder, putting it entirely out Of the
window. An involuntary murmur of admiration al
ways greeted this exhibition; for the arm was per-
feet model for sculptor; cast in one Of natures
but yet of the whiteness of flesh, not OF marble AT
the Doctors request she afterward allowed several
of us to 60 up to the window to feel her hand. l
placed my own, the palm up, oil the lower edge OF
closed my hand on hers. slowly and firmly pressing
it. 1t was perfectly natural feminine hand OF solid
flesh and blood, and of pleasant warmth. should
here observe that Mr. Holmes, the medium. Is tail
and slender man, with long and masculine. hand
and fingers. .. 1900
In answer to question, Katie told us she had been
showing herself in London that very evening" Being
asked by DIR. Child how long she was in coming
hither. she answered, "Just as quick as thought"
She added, "They are killing my medium in Lon
don Iwant you to write to Mr.. Blackburn and tell
him to send my medium here. They'll kill her If
she stays there They are not so skeptical here as
they are there" .........t
At the sitting of May 16, two or three faces
appeared which were recognized at once by
friends relatives present Then came Katie
King, appearing, talking and behaving as usu-
al. Again she showed her arm on request
again took oranges from of us, the little hands
then appearing under hers, catching one Of them,
and again she allowed her hand to be taken and held
by several persons present. Taking some OF her
ringets in her hand, she showed it to Mrs Holmes,
saying. "That's good CURL" She allowed Dr.
Child to handle it, who again pronounced it perfectly
natural human hair. Among other things. she said