The New York herald., 1874-12-22
Interesting Seances, Showing
Hunbug and Trickery.
THE MACHINERY EXPLAINED.
Dupes Made to Teach the "PrOieSsors"
What to Say.
fHl THIN PAPER TRICK BROUGHT CLEARLY IN yIRH.


ton should be had In connection with the vexed
question OF so-called Splrltuaiism, made arrange
mepts TO visit the most prominent mediums OF the
city. l have mad no din1culty whatever IN OBTAIN
ing interviews, both with the medium and the
spirits themst Ives, on the prompt payment OF the
stipulated amount. Without my purse ] fear
should have Jared poorly, since the spirits are
evidently determined TO take the best OF care OF
those through whom they act, and have very few
crumbs OF comfort for any man who has no cash
In his pocket. PROBABLY no form Of religion has
assumed such proportions IN so short time as
spirtualIsm. Since the Fox girls began to pro-
luce the Knocks and table tippings the subject
has grown TO such extent and influence that no
man Is excused for being entirely ignorant OF II.
1t seems not only to have attracted the
attention OF but to have strangely fascinated
whole classes in society, who do not openly
confess but who secretly believe II.
Faith In its mysteries becomes q kind OF
anaticism which gives color and tone 10 the
whole life. So Tar as l can ascertain there are
three well outlined and completely separated
classes Of believers.
Ffrst-A sman proportion--exactly what pro-
portion 1t might be difficult to say-of the
men and women OF taste and culture in the
community. For such there Is kind OF sub.
lmated Spirtualism, which looks upon merely
physical manifestations very much as the scholar
looks at the child's primer They do not care Tor
Or take any interest In tippings knocks or noises
Of anv kind. Though they have lately become
somewhat excited over this new phase, called ma
terialization, they are gradually getting back to
their original exclusveness and are putting less
and less faith in everything which appeals TO the
senses. In this class 1t Is claimed that some OF
our rpest scholars, some or our most noted states
men and very many OF our sincerely devout people
are 10 be found.
Second-A very much larger group OF believers,
probably the bulk OF the body OF Splrltuasts, who
delight In pen and ink communications from the
other land. who like TO be startled by an unex-
pected rap or the walt zng or Q piece OF furniture
without any apparent cause. These people hold
stances during the week and I'LL their darkened
rooms with the wonders OF tamb0urine or an
accordeon, played without human hands, or with
out any visible human hands and listen with min.
gled surprise and awe as ghostly voice Is heard
altering piatitudes about the sunny shores Of the
luture. These people are credulous easily i'm
posed upon to startling degree. Having once
made up their minds that the thing is true they
swallow the most egregious and papable Dlunders
and accept for solemn truth what single insrants
Thought would show 10 be false.
Thfrd-A set OF people-no longer class, but
merely 6 set, q crowd, q horde-wno use Spiritual
Ism as o cover Tor their own infamy. They put on
the garments OF This new religion as Q disguise.
and, under the name Of philosophy, Indulge in
free love, not as theory, but as practice. lf Is
no more than Just TO say that the two former
classes which have mentioned ieel toward this
latter class very much like ship that Il covered
with large oarnacles. stl, there is no redress
they say. since there Is organization Spirit
uaiists are at present only tree lances, each one
ing ton Is own sweet will.
TIE LITERATURE OF sPIRITUAL1sN
Is very interesting. One would be surprised to
hear OF the scores and even hundreds OF volumes
which have been printed in connection with this
mystery. My impression is that you can purchase
Df Andrew ]. Davis as many as two or three hun
dred different volumes on this subject. That the
9arious NANTES tations OF the last few years are
aot altogether an imposture every one stands
ready TO admit. That force or forces have been
developed, which at a later GATE may possibly be
lhat the present status OF spirituaism as an eie-
ment or modern society Is unfortunate lew right
minded men VIII deny There Is so much OF trick
even the earnest seeker after truth be.
comes utterly dlsgusted before he has gone
up as utterly unworthy OF credence Mr. Home
aourisnec for time, but mas gone out In dark
ness Inc nobility OF Europe gave hlm diamond
could never get anything satisfactory from hum.
In our day and In our neighoorbood VIVA. are
called materlalizations have taKen place, but we
may safely inier from the cautious retrograde
movement which Robert Dale owen mas made
Is ae sly ese
stualism was exceedingly proG.acle for a while; /;
put, since Hartz can perform not only what the
navenperts do, out great deai more, aud with
The aid OF little machinery only. when is not
visible TO the naked eye, this phase OF the SUPER
spirit photograph pppas basness @ aisd sr very funny
death. At one time we had all our
aunts and mothers-in.law in the dim shadow OF
the pic ured background and we looked on the
production as little less than miracle. Soon,
however, we found TO our horror, that every pho
The AID OF a lew chemicals, could procuce whole
groups OF angels, when the thing naturally became
20 commoa tnat we lost our interest 10 that phase
of Spiriruahsm.
GENERAL MIsTRusT.
am very far rom saying that there Is In Spirit
0albm no iorce, at present lncomprehe nslDle out
80 be investigated ana known by the science Of
me iature. II Is almost ipconceivabie, IN.
strong advocates should either deceive themselves
Or be party 10 the deception OF Others. In private
circles where no price oi admission Is demanded.
are rs yet 10 be catalogued as phenomena.
whether their original cause Is some unknown
ia tne next century 1t shall be proven to be
rom an honest science, which allows Itself
70 sIrPrsea s At Io@ns am unwng to
experiences which puzzle the most astute, but
lust now have TO zeal with set OF men whom
beheve TO be knaves OF the d 81 water, and whose
tricks and humpugs ought TO be exposed to he
nnmngied contempt oil the community. These
men ought TO be arrested for obtaining
money under laise prerences and punished ior
doing permanent injury to certain men and
women who act on aovce which has an air OF
,anctliy ABOUT II because 1t purports TO come
rom another word, out which has no higher ori-
Ein than the feeble brain oi The operator. knew
poor afnicted woman VINO went to one OF these
mediums, whose name will shortly give, to con-
suit Aoout enid tnat was supposed to be dying.
sue hskeo ner teariul question Twill he live
Can J. 90 anything for MN y, and the answer
came back, 1--WE are watching over you and the
poy; ne VIII certainly recover.n The very next
day ne vas dead. II there IS any law BY which 70
lorced.
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DECEPTION
on the part OF mediums are numerous. woman
nnder the pressure OF recent arflcton, visits one
oi them, 10 introduced into the private parlor
where the ssdnce is to take place pays ner Is and
ls not in o condition 10 detect trick She gets a
long discourse about the spirit land STAR with