Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-06-18
EXPOSING SPIRITUALIsM.
Professor Baldwin In CleveIand-How
He Mystified Clergyman and Ncwspa-
per Men.

| FOR some Time past Frof. Baldwln
has been giving exhibitions in cities
throughout the country, claiming to
give a complete expose of the va
rious so-called spiritual manifesto
tlons." He declares his ability tc
duplicate, by the agencies of science
and sleight-of-hand, any of these
performances, even including the in.
comprehensive effects produced by
the Davenport brothers, and Other
famous mediums" He is now in
this city, and proposes to show,
next week, what he knows about
manifestations"
On Friday afternoon Mr.. Baldwin
gave private "seance" at the Acad-
amy of Music. Among those pres
ent were several prominent clergy
men of the city, representatives OF
the press, and others. Our columns
are crowded to such a degree that
we can at this time only give the
briefest possible outline of the ex-
ceedlngly interesting character of
the exhibition. The Professor un.
dertakes to reproduce the wonderful
"cabinet" performances of the Dav-
exports, and succeeds most perfect
ly, giving precisely the same result
that have, .,severywherei excited the
amazement of the public.
The vigilance committee" on this
occasion consisted of Rev. r. Dubs,
Edwin Cowles, N. S. Cobleigh, and
w. E. Chapman, and beyond all
question they performed their work
well, sparing no pains or muscle to
do the tying" in the most thorough
manner, and to exercise the closest
scrutiny to discover the secret of
the performances, but with very in
different success, so far as the lat
ter mentioned part of their work was
concerned. The Professors staff
consisted of his wife and one male
assistant. The two men were fast
and securely bound, by the com
mittee, hand and foot, with ropes
and the cabinet being closed, horns
were blown, and bells were rung
and thrown out of the aperture up
on the stage. The committee were
at liberty to throw open the doors of
the cabinet at any instant during
these performances, without warn
ing, which they did repeatedly, and
there the men sat, rigid as statues,
as firmly as ever.
The doors being closed they COM
pletely liberated themselves in one
minute and half, and stepped out
upon the stage with the ropes in their
hands. Again entering, taking the
ropes with them, after the lapse of a
minute or two they were found tied
hand and foot, even more tightly
than the committee had done it.
While so bound the door was again
closed, and in ten seconds Mr.. Bald
wins coat was pitched out Of the
aperture upon the stage. The coat
had been taken off, and the doors
being instantly thrown up the men
were tied from head to foot, the ropes
and knots being carefully examined
by the committee. Then Mr.. Bald
win asked for Mr.. Cowles's coat,
and it was promptly "shed" and
laid across his knee. The cabinet
was closed, and in twelve or fifteen
seconds reopened, when Mr.. Baldwin
had the garment on perfectly, and
the knots as firm as ever. Then the
sleeves of the coat were sewed to-
gether with needle and thread, and
also the lappels. The doors being
closed, in twelve seconds the coat
was pitched out upon the floor. still |
sewed together, not stitch being
broken, and the men still firmly |
bound.
Enough has been told to give a
idea of the exhibition, AS
before said, Mr.. Baldwin claims to
produce these manifestations solely
by scientific and mechanical appli-
ances, and tricks of Straightforward.
Next week he proposes to give the
public a chance to see what he can
do, and to explain how it is done.
The exhibition is certainly novel
and interesting to an unusual de-
gree.