The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-12-31
NUMBER 35.
W Katie King.v

Inc Inllauelpnla inquirer tells how
the materialized spirit Of Katie King,
alias Annie Morgan, a girl who il said to
have lived in London two hundred years
ago, and who brought her mediumistic
displayers, Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes, much
gain, was proved to be living resident
of the Quaker City. Robert Dale Owen
and other prominent people were de-
ceiyed in the case, saying nothing of
more obscure believers in spiritualism.
The lady who represented Katie King in
the dark cabinet has made a confession
of her imposture, and says she was driven
10 it by poverty. She deeply regrets
her part of the swindle, and is willing to
make every amende possible. The Inquirer
says that If all the facts in the case could
be made public, she would be freely for
given by those who have been duped by
her aid. 1t is said, however, that the
" Holmes seances" Gas they are called,
from the name of the family that super
intends them) were still kept running,
various excuses being made for the abb
sence of Katie King.
A gentleman who formerly indorsed
and aided in popularizing the Katie King
seances tells how it was done.
Tho seances took place upon the sec
ond floor of the building, two rooms be-
ing necessary to the development of the
materialization." In the front room
the audience assembled, witnessing here
the seance, and thoroughly unconscious
of the part which the other room took in
this bogus drama of the spirits.
The cabinet was placed in the front
room, with its back against door which
opened into the adjoining apartment.
The door was taken off, and there was
substituted by Mr.. Holmes a walnut
board partition, and this partition he de-
clared frequently might be examined by
anybody prior to the occurrence of the
seance, and many, including DR.. Child
and Robert Dale Owen, did so examine
it, finding nothing at the time.tO engen-
der suspicion. These walnut boards were
secured by four battens OF each side, and
the gentlemen above named
were invited to come and take these bat
tens off and examine the boards. 1t has
since been discovered that Holmes had |
the means of taking out one of these |
center one, which was about |
fifteen inches wide-and of substituting
in its place board that was cut across
the center, admitting of the removal of |
the lower half, and easily admitting q |
person from the back room into the cab
met through the aperture. This was the |
way in which Katie King entered the
cabinet.
But there were other discoveries made |
which were of an intensely
character. If Katie entered
N aI,tv in, In xvha oh
prior to the seances, and during
the intervals when she disappeared? In
the rear room there was a bed, upon
which ladies and gentlemen attending
the seances were in the habit of deposit
ing their superfuous clothing. This
room vas, rs matter to be expected,
subject to close scrutiny, the closets and
the bed being examined, and more than
one pair of eyes cast their glances beneath
the bed, to see If any confederate might
be hidden there. But no search resnlted
in such discovery. Yet, as it after
ward turned out, the bed, like Maelzels
wonderful automaton, did hold confed-
crate at the time, and the confederate
was none other than the lady whose con-
fession we have given above.
But where could she burrOw? The
attendants upon the seances had the
freest liberty of examination. The bed
was open, some doubters even probing
the mattress to ascertain IL it did not fer
the time cage the beauty. Who would
have thought of looking at the bolster?
The bolster was so unimportant matter
that it never once excited suspicion. Yet
It held the living mystery, none other
than the ruby-lipped and fair-armed
creature who was in a few moments,
pia the walnut partition, to burst upon
the delighted vision of the breathless
spectators. The bolster, then, was none
of your old fashioned striped ticking
bags, puted up with down, but instead
wicker cage, ingeniously constructed,
and as ingeniously overlaid, in which the
confederate to all this spiritual
stic TOM -foolery housed herself, until she
was to issue like golden beauty from a
cocoon.