The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-08-08

u uOoT Nv one sue, IcdulhE 10 Il back room
is boarded over IN manner apparently st
J. cure. The audience sit in semicirclcs tacIn.
I the cabinet the inner circle being COMPOSE,
r Of the most faithful spiriiuaists. On on
e end OF this row sits the principal medium
c Mrs. Holmes her husband sometimes takin.
a chair ut the other end, sometimes cntcr,n,
the cabinet and going into Il "mesmeri,
). sleep" When your correspondent was pres
en both mediums remained in full view O
the audience during the entire performance
The did not go into trance, but sat famine
themselves, and laughed and joked like ordi
nary mOrtais. One window was closed anC
darkcncd and the other remained open The
door was locked and the room dimly llum
mated by a coal.oll lamp, with red shade
: which threw upon the scene that roseate
tingc so much affected in the spectacular
drama The company being seated, wlthou,
Joining hands, the spirits were invoked
through the agency of small musicbox
and when this did not seem to fetch 'em, -
the audience sang some familiar melody. II
did not appear to matter much what the
melody was-sacred or secular, it was all one
to them, and they passed from one to the 9TH
er with the greatest readiness. The only re-
quisitc seems to be that the melody should be
in minol key, and tolerably loud. THE
better SAID some skeptic, "to conceal the
creaklng of invisible machinery"
After n short overture conducted in this
way, Katie appears at the little window above
mentioned. She usually begins by thrusting
out white and shapely arm, speedily fol,
lowed by pretty face, framed in mass of
black ringlets, and set off 10y jaunty Span.
iSh veil, which lies lightly on her head.
There is profound silence until she saws in
u ghostly whisper, Good evening" The sa-
| luton is courteously returned, and then en-.
sues brisk dialogue of the smallest kind of
small talk, interrupted by frequent disappear
anceS and temperatures on the part of the
young lady. The tenor of this important
communication from the land OF the hereafter
! is about as follows
Good evening, Katie
Good evening"
Are you alone this evening"
mo. Father is here, and Gen Rawlings :;
but they can't matcralize tonight"
Katie, Mr.. Owen (Robert Dale Owen -
here, don't you want to speak to him"
why, OF course stoopid-Good evening,
Father Owen"
Mr.. Owen bows, and says: viii you have
this bouquet Katie"
"Of course will" says Katie, and reaches
her hand for it, 1t is given her and she dis
appears with It, but presently returns and
gives it to somebody to hold for her
katie, think You can come out for us to-
nights"
"Ill try, but it's very warm and very hard
to materiaizc"
Katie accordingly disappears, and the sing
ing is resumed. Presently the door of the
cabinet opens slowly. l sat directly opposite
the opening, but could see nothing until the
door was well ajar; then awhile figure seemed
to grow out of the darkness within, and Ka-
tie stepped forward gracefully, took two or
three steps into the room, and retired, closing
the door afer her by lifting her hand to the
latch, She was dressed in a somewhat theat
rlcal costume of pure white, which flowed to
her feet and seemed 20 be of fine kind of
muslin. The sleeves were loose and flowing,
and as she waved her hands in the stcreOtyp-
ed style of the stage sylph, the sleeves fell
away to the shoulder, displaying pair off
perfect arms which well might arouse the
envy Of any earthly belle. Her figure was
full and round, and her face was beautiful in
outline and expression, with complexion
so clear and Transparent that it either seemed
to- or actually did, shine with mild radienCe. |
In her hand she held fresh bouquet, and q
daggcr-fan, given her az some former seauce,
was stuck IN her girdle, while on her neck |
Sparkled ii silver cross, suspended from what
was said to be Il necklace of diamonds. She
came and went several times, touching with |
her hands II number Of the audience--among
them your correspondent 1t was the soft, |
gentle magnetic touch of woman; but the |
hand that gave it was cool and dry notwih-
standing the furnace.lkc heat of that closed
cabinet She reclaimed her bouquet, kissed
a young lady who was one Of her dearest fol-
lowers, and on one occasion seated herself,
with much apparent difficulty, and renamed .
for some moments in full view of the whole /
audience.
But the most wonderful part was still to
come. Katie" said Mrs. Holmes, "can you
disappear with the door open to-night:' IN Il
try" said Katie; and presently she came
again, and while the door stood wide open
she gradually faded away, seeming to retire
slowly into the depths OF Il space only just
large enough to hold her at the first. The
bouquets, and all other material substances
about her, disappeared at the same time, and
wnen nothing was left but the hem of her
white dress shimmciing on the floor, she
came again, seeming to gather herself from
thin air and to grow, like forming cloud,
more and more distinct, until she again stood
in mortal gulsc before a highly delighted au-
liCncC
Naturally, you Will ask for solution of
the mystery. | have none 10 give There
are, or seem 10 be. solid floor beneath a
solid ceiling above, a solid wall on one side,
A solidlyclOscd door on the other. Skeptcs
have taken the cabinet topieces; committees,
some of the faculty OF tho Cnlver-
'ity Of Pennsylvania, have Investigated it
thoroughly in every way; one would think
hat no mortal could disappear even through
m acknowledged opening, as readily as ka-
lie King does, without being seen by some Of
he audience, gazing, as they do point blank
through the open door; both mediums are
gnorant people, Of low ideas, and seemingly
If quite too little intelligence to play trick
is delicate AS this, and yet this counterfeit
resentment is wonderfully accurate imira
ion of flesh and blood and I'll vow the bOu-
luct of flowers and the brown paper wrapped
,ound their stems came from no heavenly
greenhouse and grocery, and in spite of the
music and Mrs. Holmes sudden cough, We ,
nd hear what sounded very like the creaking
If secret machinery on two occasions, and We