Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-12-23

would have expressed himself more felicitously If
he had characterized Mr.. Perry as 'thc Chairman
of Mr.. Drummon1's Committee" {. WIG.
KATIE RING-NORE DISCLOSURES.
The Philadelphia Press Of Saturday gives addi-
tional particulars regarding Katie King and the
tricks she played, the most interesting and impor
tant of which we copy:
'Katie King" or rather the young woman who
personated her, is a widow with q child, and
mother depending upon her for support. MIR. and
Mrs. Nelson Holmes became acquainted with her
at boarding house, where they lived for some
weeks subsequent TO their advent in Philadelphia
About the time the Holmeses took possession Of
No. so North Ninth street, "Katie King" flor rea-
sons hereafter to be stated we will not publish her
namc) became unable to pay her board, and was
absolutely penness and almost without clothing.
Finding that this was the case, her host sold what
few effects she had left and turned the woman in
to the street. In this condition she was promised
assistance by Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes, provided she
would enact the part of a materialized spirit in
their cabinet seances.
The cabinet which had been placed in one cor
ner of the second-story front room, with one side
against door which opened into a bed-chamber,
easily arranged so as to admit OF ingress from
the bedroom. The boards were all fastened with
screws and battins were placed outside and inside
matter to take out one of the boards and put in
its place duplicate divided at the battins that
the point CT juncture could not be seen. The up
per part of this board WAS firmly secured, but the
lower portion was loosely fastened with two
screws while the other screw heads were "dum-
mics" When it was thought strict examination
of the cabinet would be made the divided board
could be taken out, and the original put back in
its place. When the Katie King seances began
Dr. Child was permitted to examine every nook
and corner in the house.
At the seances the visitors would meet in the
front room with the cabinet, and the door would
be locked. "Katie King" would soon after enter
the house from the street, make her way to the
bedroom, assume her white dress, and with q
small screwdriver take off the lower portion Of
the divided board. These preparations could not
be heard on account of the singing and music-box
noise, which was continually kept up. To enter
the cabinet was then an easy task for Katie, and
with a stool she could reach the rather high aper-
ture. The disappearing and reappearing part OF
the phenomenon was accomplished by gradually
lowering a black cloth over herself and at the
same time crouchlng back into the corner The
semi-darkness of the room, combined with the
complete blackness of the inside of the cabinet,
made this seeming impossible feat very simple.
The deviation manifestation, or the suspension
of her body III the air, was done by means of the
stool, covered with q black cloth AS II was I'M
possible to distinguish any color but white within
the cabinet, the stool was of course invisible, and
by stepping upon it very deliberately, and grad.
ually raising herself, the young lady was enabled
to present the appearance of being lifted from and
suspended above the floor. At the close of the
seance there was always delay of about ten min
utes between the time of the last appearance of
the alleged spirit and the knocks, which signifed
that no more were coming. During this time
"Katie" would slip through the hole in the cabi-
net, screw on the l0Osened board and make her
escape.
On one occasion the Holiness suspected that
the cabinet would be taken to pieces after se-
ance, when, of course, their secret might have
been discovered, so on meeting Mrs Holmes COM
planned that she was feeling so unwell that her
mediumistic power was very weak, consequently
it would be necessary to hold dark seance first.
The lights were extinguished uot only in the
room, but in the hall, and the dark seance began.
As the divided board had been taken from the cab
met it was impossible for Katie to enter in the
usual manner, and she consequently came in
through the door. Under cover of the darkness,
and as hands were clasped she safely crossed the
room during the ringing of bells and the twang-
ing of guitars and other accomplishments of dark
seances. Once with the cabinet, she had only to
arrange her white dress and she was ready to be-
GIN. A lamp was then dimly lighted and the
usual manifest atoms were gone through with.
Had the seance closed in the ordinary Manner
Katie would have been found in the cabinet, but
John King" through Mr.. Holmes, stated that if
they would turn out the lights again for few mo-
y
ira Undertaking.. The lights were accordingly
thus enabling "Katie King" to come
out of the cabinet and leave the room by the hall
door. After "Katie" had made her escape "John
King" explained that conditions were not right
and SO the light was turned on and the scance
closed.
The ten persons who had witnessed the mani
then took the cabinet to pieces, and as
the original board had before been returned to its
place they of course found mo trap nor trick of
= Ill .Lx
ing insisted on having but one dark seance they
would never have signed the certificate which
was there drawn up, for as the cabinet was on
that evening virtually without trap, Katie King
having entered it through the door, under cover
Of darkness, she could not have mdae her escape
except during the evenings performance. This
was almost the only occasion on which Holmes
began and ended with dark
seance, and the reason why this change was made
should at that time have been more closely in
quired into.
For q time the door leading from the front
room into the hall was always locked. As this
created much suspicion, the mediums finally con-
scented to have 1t remain open until the manifesto
tions first appeared. Under such circums tances it
became necessary to make a change in the man
ner of keeping katie" out of sight. The bolster
on the bed was therefore SO arranged that "Katie"
could creep into 1t, aad in this she bid herself be-
fore the sesnce and after it was concluded. The
bedroom was many times examined after the
change, and the bed was also inspected, but no
one ever thought of looking into the bolster to
find out what II was stuffed with.
Last summer Katie King boarded with Mrs.
Holmes, and was a. first suspected by DIR. Child,
but on several occasions he was requested by Mrs
Holmes to answer the violent ringing of the door
bell Immediately following the close Of the seanse.
He always found the suspected lady waiting very
patiently to be let in, and she often complained
that, as she boarded with Mrs. Holmes, tina. lady
had no right 70 lock her out. The doctors su;-
picions were soon quieted by this ruse. During
The hes.ed term Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes Travelled
through the west, where they were once exposed,
return OF the mediums !, Philadelphia in The fail
DR.. Child was sent for by Mrs. Holmes. and asked
to assist them in finding house. The doctor
gladly complied with the request, as he was anx-
ious 10 have the cabinet placed in room where it