, 1874-08-23
How That 1Forthy Won Money and
Reputation.

/ @~"' NNSos Ao'(4 A&AIAC@f, kuIEst lux EpI<u4l
knowledge. Among this majority may DO fairly
reckoned . ce1tnin element OF tho American pao-
plo- Iaese believe in what il termed
spirit .lAS1FE3rA1IoSs.'
The belief his been fostered by the wonderful
dextcri:y Of slight-of-hapd performers, aided by
superBtitious crcdslity. Messages from dead
relatives, sisnal-knocks from tle shades oi long
departed friends, have great charm for tho
! ETorage human being. 10 solve ths mystery that
sl,rouds the fa:e OF some long-abseut object Of
| Affection - father, brother, or lover - ia
| joy Incompatible to the sensitive human
| heart, aua the assumed knowledge that the
| sp;rlts OF tho dead can know aad SOS tho doincs
OF mottals takes away half the charncl terror
| fhat surrounds the sombre problem OF death.
| ImpostuFe has fed and fattered upon this
| Weakness. Spiritisn has become craed With
Thousands, who cling to it az to rock amid
stormy SEA, where all else sayo-s OF annIulation,
but With the creed Of Spirituallsm this article
has nothing to do, only to indicate one Of the
many ways in which the gul!ib!e are led into
fai:h in strange gols.
Among the Scllnses who profcssed tho gift Of
reading the past and the future, not to si.cak OF
the present, Of all come-s vas d
DOCTOR WEsT
who, not long ago. practccd on the West Sida
III the guse Of q Esprit Medium" Hundreds
came to the seer determined nos to believe, who
came away ashamed OF their doubts. Taef heI
Seen with their Own eyes, ard heard with their
own ears, that which MAS stranger. r;ore sru1t-
Ing, than ANYTHING Conceived W tho brain Ct
the poet or tae romanciat. D7. West.
BY the aid Of ''spi.ts He'd" actually laid
before the eye5 Of visitors 1natterB thAs wouId
have convinced even tho skeptical St. Inomaa.
do VIZ, very frank man, this Dr. Vest His
manner was agreeable, sud emlnently soothing.
II1 4 pnr1atraf au1iia nf
Nhcne:ef his features Hcro not distorted By in
tense communion with highly intellectual
ghosts. No wonder that the Doctor Was al oh
jeci Of admiration and even OF terror.
His recepsion-parlors were always throngei
~ Ladies and gent lemcn, eager to stand, has
Don Kooo1ick, before tue magic mirror Of fate
and see there revealed that which would remain
forever sealed, withop: supernatural aifi.
Tbs Doctors favo1lte d" miracle" MIS- to Layt
his visitor write slip Of papcr any question
he might dcalro to have answered. Nll.e tha
writing wss being. dona4 TIE Doctor generally
waited into M adjoining room, a. If perfcctb
Indifferent. TneA the VISITOR Was llifacted to
FOLD Ep TUE PIECE OF pAPE-a-
making an eSe1 Cross fold, trst one vay, aEl
thea the other. This done. the Doctor took
seat near ths ,4uestloner, turning his left nidt
leg oTer the right Tee paper, folded,
WAS tAcn handed to the D5c.or wig
Immediately rubbed tho rli*si7e med;r.ti,{ t
against his forehead. still talking; to The qucrl.:.
IAAtSl u MAAaAtH Vi kHU O1 aliCHGQ Au8 iIkC h2flu
to drop upon his kaea. Then he wavel tie right
myaserlopsiy, and, getting into kind OF it,
c:liea upon :: the spirits" to
THROW LIGHT UPON TIE PAPER.
Generally tic Question Vas correctly answered
bur sometimes, although the question WIS in.
vara2hlY defined. 10 relevant answer was ra
rurucd the Doctor averriu;, that, On that partic.
utar subject the spirits were i.uurant. Thus hs
::>lu tie fzoui:crs Of Limbo. In eitLe,
ca:,s, the Visitor tAIl lis fce
and ,ispartad astonished, Convinced
l!lat tho Doctor was 3 most extraordinary man.
His Tame spread tar and vide, aud his "fecs~
became almost rs important as those OF Jus.
Lice of the teaca.
THE DISCOVERY.
Things coutinitd in this state for quite
ilne. when. ur.baprily for tho ''Doclor,"
;Aeplsca!, educated hou OF Germany xas Induced
% vis:t the supernatural workshop. Tie Teutor
vent there determined not to be convinced Ha
wrote ten questions IN the usual way. aad each
lne received an Intelligent answer Iu1s puz-
led Inn, but he resolved to keep au eve on tho
movements OF the doctor" protesting ali the
ime the most Profound belief III the m:liumi1-
ic4l hu1nbug.
He called ut Vests place one day when the
ectomancer was suffering ftom ! boil OIL the
iSht knee, which rendered the crossing OF legs
cry painful. Tao visitor wrote his question, M
sstal, and folded hispape1 in such manner zhat
could not possibly be changed without detec-
on, The :. Doctor" engaged the inter1ogato,
= ~t1'~Aoeet~A3S
zen tho: Yeu:on observed that tie paper in
ivsts left hand ~.s s1nsIlar and dirtcr than tile
'as be nnd written upon Enllghsoned hy tbil
I*covnry, he looked Ut Vests knees, and san
10 end Of another paper, dexterously hcld
lere. Only tor tho accident OF tile boil he
;uld not hare made the discovery. Then i. xas
yealed to him that, while lie necsomancer was
With him, lie managed to transfer the
f,tton paper to the pace betwaan the kuees,
10 blanks being tasen il tho lett hanI. Wu.c,
)parently, suffering f1oM commissions, the
Doctor next managed to open tia paper,
II read 1t. Continuing hl5 groaus and MUM
Esul:ly managed to re-e1chaage tho papers, aud
Is then able to answer tho question, and state
hat It Was- An ordinary visitor would ncye.
80 suspected tho trick. for West BY long
acsice, lad become perfect in his art
SETTING UP as MEDIEM.
The German did not allow Weet to think that
was dscovaro1, but politely paid tlls fee,
d withdrew, Tue next week. the rcuton. for
slime. pracsleeo as : - medium aad held par
s=auces among his friends. cteating au in
~ Of astouishmeEt and rendering himself an
jec. OF singular interest.
4 TRIBUNE reporter visited this entcrprizinR
ing man Last ihursday. and, al in duty bound.
etyeWed him.
The, reporter sxia, "Nr. r. you arc re-
red to be 4 medium
Nr. l--oh, nodre;,sc. Did you ever yet meet
ierman who had fa;ti, in s3irits p? haTs
ver- spirisualism is grand Lumbug, root
branch. II ID q ailoUmaa's tr1ck-slelgbs OF
I'D.
i.-You used to visit Dr.. Vests establish.
nt7
dr. Y.-Tno biggest fraud I ever met, al
nigh quite dexte-ou5. II lie il still iu town
oughs 70 be exposed they should all 10 e1-
'cd, Tor they do great amount Ut harm t.
credulous
s.-How did you find out DR.. West?
1r. f.-Mell, studied ieseEdenain in Ger
ny, and knoW al tho tricks By rote. III slon
that one.
1r. 7. then proceeded to show the
DIGESTION TRICK,
explained in tho introduction. ue did it Will
,at1abie correctness, aud with simplicity
completely threw the observer OF his gua1ti.
II. f.-Thata the simplest OF the lot. There
plenty OF others tarder.to exolaiu, and all OF
u shon1d be done in the =:=a:.S; but will
y you nine tricks in cards that viii take rou-
ath away. can leave "Canada Bill" elliu
dark.
he obIigins Teuton then took out
4 PACE or CARDS.
performed most astonishing feats with those