New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-12-21
SPIRIT NATURALIZATION.

ADMfRERS-AN ORDINARY Exhibition On BAT
URDAY NIGnT-A wAx-LIKE FACE HAILED AS
JOHN KING-MRs. HOLMES DECLARES MRS.
WHITES STORY TO DE FALSE, AND SAYS MIR.
OWEN AND DR. CHILD HAD EVERY OPPORTU-
NIFTY FOR INVESTIGATION.
| lYRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNEl
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. Notwithstanding
the statements OF Robert Dale Owen and Dr. Child that
they are fully convinced that tho Holmes mediums arc
,mpostors and the wonderful GENERALIZATION" per-
formances with which they have for months amazed
crcduous people nothing but cunning tricks or jug
glery many sprtualists refuse to believe that they
have been duped. Circles still held nightly at the
Holmeses' house, on Tenth-st. Charming "Kateking
no longer ont Of the cabinet TO wave her white
arms In @ ghostly way, and distribute flowers and
smiles among her admirers; but sundry other spirits
exhibit their mas-lIke vsa.es at the apernTcs. or
thrust their chaky hands from beneath the black cur
tains. The show has degenerated to the ordinary can
met" and OZARK seance" trlckery with which every
body who has cared to Investigate the "phenomena"
| ia familiar. Last night an audience OF about twenty
persons present. Perhaps half were old Spiritual
lists who felt 1t their duty rally TO the support OF the
prosecuted mediums tho rest being skepucai poopio
who came from curiosity ANA half dozen journalists
bent upon investigation. The cabinet had been moved
out the wall against which IL had formerly Stood
quito-nettng had been tackled around tho oaoH
aud over adjoining window which looked out INTO
an area This precaution useless, because nothing
made itself heard from tho cabinet except while
Mr.. Holmes Ia It. and the mediums careful
not to undertake anything under test.
JOHN KING APPEARS AND KATIE SHOWS HER HAND.
The entertainment began with dark circle. with the
customary strumming Of guitar be-Iinging, and
MISUNDERSTANDING. Three persons in succession held
Mrs. Holiness hands. and while In this position had
rings slipped upon their and experienced tie de-
lghtfu sensation Of having their hair "touscd' by
spirit hands. Then DIM light provided. and Dir.
Holmes went into the cabinet. Several persons were
called in after another, to help bin magnotizo IL
Finally was left alone, and then, after the audience
had sung all the songs they knew and music-box had
been wound up and played out two or three times,
white, wax-llke face with black board and nus.ache'
appeared and was hailed by tho spritualists John
King and asked about Katie. John peeed out three OF
four times but never stayed at the opening long enough
for people take good look at him. female head In
white turban also shown. AT hrst th's appari
ton was greeted Katie, but Mira. Holmes aud two or
three others declared 1t vas stranger "Oh, II Katie
would only step out OF that door again. saiu
Mrs. Holmes. In q beseeching tone; "won't you
come agalnr Katie, who was supposed to be
I'm the cabinet, keeping company with tho materianzea
John and the un1uestouably material Holmes rapped
to signify that she would show herselr pelore long,
hand appeared three times but that was all. As
soon performance closed Mr. Holmes came out Vi
the cabinet, and, saying no wanted drink OF wator'
went out OF the room before two gentlemen who had
determined TO search him could put their intention
INFO practice The Spirualsts present were delighted
with tho performance. The skcptlcs believed thas
Holmes had masks concealed about his person. or india
rubber balls painted TO represent faces, which could De
carried in his vest pocket and blown up In minute
The phenomena differed entirely from those pro-
duced last Summer and Fall the house on Ninth-st
when Katie King appeared. Then there was no dark
circle Mr. and Mrs. Holmes sat In the audience. and
the pretended spirit stepped out from what had mo-
ment before been empty cabinet, ard talked WITH
the spectators Since the exposure the mediums nave
fallen back tho old claptrap business which the
| Dayouport Brothers first introduced. Mr. Owen now
believes that tho young woman who says she person
ated Katie was the only spirit there was In the cab
net Mt any time that the Nnthst house sho slipped
in through the door leading to bedroom against which
tho cabinet stood By removing OF tho boards in tho
sde OF tho cabinet, and that in the Tenth-st house,
share tho Holmescs now live, sho managed TO get III
| during the dark circle When asked to explain toe
appearance Of two faces at once. ono shat or child,
and the other Kate's Mr. o zen said it oil mys
terry and tho most skltu piece Of ugsery ever prao
| tced.
| MRS. HOLMES DENOUNCEs MRS. WHITES STORY AS
ENTIRELY FALSE.
In conversation with THB TRIBUNE correspondent
after the circle broke up last night Ms Holmes said
that the story Of the pretends to have beea
her confederate Ia entirely false, and is part OF
spiracy to break up their performances and ruin Mr.
owen. Why 10 and DIR. Child believe IL she Is at loss
to understand "If they thought We were practicng
fraud upon them" she said "why didn't they nvesti
gate ust They had every chance In tho world. Why
didn't they the spirit and hold her ben she talked
to them and shook handsi That would have shown
whether 1t living person. We never objected to
any tests. 1t DR.. Child who always objected II
we had objected would have made difference Thoy
could have held her and turned up tho light No. they
MT do at ne
US in hs papers," Mrs. Holmes said that she going
stay in Philadelphia all Winter. and that
husbands health restored aud they bOtn recov
cred the shock occasOned by the Gesertion OF
Messrs. owen and Child, thoy would have good mo-
teriazaton phenomena She asserted that DR..
Child had pecuniary interest In their circles until he
turned against them. At first lie gave them $40 night
and afterward $l6 keeping oil tho receipts ut the door
He used to collect the money the people went In but
she never took anything until the closed and
would not take from any person wa. not
| isted
Mr.. Owens statement will be found elsewhere In to-
days TRIBUNE In connection card Ia The Ban
Of Light and his later letter paper contains
all no cares to say publicly upon the subject at this
| time. DR.. Child who Is q welknOwn and highly es.
teemed citizen OF Philadelphia, concurs with him in the
conclusion that the Katie King appaon was from first
| TO last fraud. He has the woman-Mrs White
who says she herself the ghost and who In his pre-
produced the white robes and other ghostly
Gery which Katie wore. Tho therefore stands OF
present about follows: The two chisf indorsers OF
the Holmeses naturalization performances say that
they were fraudulent. woman declares that she was
hired to personae the supposed spirit, produces tho
clothing she wore and explains how she got into the
cabinet and operated sinOe this woman made her
| confession no Katie King has appeared at the
| Holmeses' seances. Mrs. Holmes says thas the very
| night when DR.. Child seeing Mrs. White rehearso
role Of Katie. the genuine Katie appeared better
than but there testimony to corrobora,e this
| assertion. All the phenomena exhibited by the
Holmeses might easily DO produced by any modcr-
ately skilled In egerGemain The evidence, circusan-