The Grange advance., 1874-11-11
BROWN, The Mlao- READER.
His -'ests and Tfiumphs at the
Opera House Last Night.
(From the Springfield, (Mass.,) Republican,
November g.

1t made very little difference in what
frame Of mind people went to the opera
house, last night, for all, we believe,
from the simply unconvinced to stub
born disbelievers, came away in the
conviction that MIR. Brown sustains his
claims to read the thoughts Of others.
His are no cabinet tricks no cunning
legerdemain cheats the eye and judg-
ment of the spectator; and the man.
ner of selecting his subjects or mediums
precludes the possibility of collusion.
No exhibition could be more satisfac-
tory to audience or performer than his,
last night, when every test succeeded,
if We except one of an exceedingly DEL
icate and difficult character, which Mr..
Brown prcfaced with the explanation
that he did not expect to succeed with
it before an audience, as it was only fit-
ted or intended for private showing. 1t
would be vain to comment upon the ma
ture Of his peculiar power after so
much has been said and no light thrown
upon the subject; the ''unvarnished
tale'' of what he did will be more inter-
esting and satisfactory.
Mr.. Brown. as the audience were told,
is % years old was born in St. Louis,
and his present home is in Council
Bluffs, Iowa. He is 1 slender, good
looking young fellow, with dark, slight
ly curling hair, and face that reveals
= tender, susceptible and deeply sympa-
thetic nature. In accordance with his
request, q committee, consisting of DR..
Searle, Mr.. Chan Laisun, and Mr.. Hen
ry NJ. Seymour of the Union, was ap-
pointed to assist in and arrange the
tests in behalf of the audience, that it
might be seen that no fraud WAS used.
These gentlemen, with others from the
audience, had seats on the stage. The
first test was extraordinary and con-
elusive enough, but after what followed
it seemed very simple indeed. Some
gentleman in the audience was request
ed to secrete some small object in some
place about the house, and Mr.. Brown
was to take the gentleman's hand and
lead him to the place Of concealment.
Mr.. Brown having blindfolded himself
by binding = thickly folded handker-
chief about his eyes, and sitting with
his back to the audience, MIR. George
T. Fay made the entire circuit Of the
auditorium, outside the parquet chairs,
making the motions of placing some-
thing in half dozen places, and then
went upon the stage, no one in the
house save himself knowing what
Re had secreted or where he had
concealed it. Mr.. Brown took Mr..
Fay's left hand in his own, requested
him to fix his mind upon the article
concealed and it's locality, placed his
left hand upon Mr.. Fay's forehead for
moment, pressed the hand he held in
his to mis- own forehead, and almost in
,stantly started for the stairs heading
from the stage to the parquet, and,
blindfolded as he was, descended them
Without the slightest hesitation or
stumbling, and led Mr.. Fay rapidly and
directly to the window at the rear of
the parquet on the north side, and.
with his subjects hand to his forehead,
stopped and swept his hand along the
window-sill and discovered . small
knife thereon, which was the object Sc;
creted. The triumphant success Of the
test, as of those that followed, was rec
ognized and rewarded by the audience
in generous applause. Mr.. Edward H.
Phelps then came upon the stage by
request of the committee, and was
asked by Mr.. Brown to fix his mind in.
tently upon some person in the audi
ence. Mr.. Brown, blindfolded as be-
fore, placed Mr.. Phelps, hand clasped
in his left, to his forehead, his right hand
to Mr.. Phelp 8 forehead, and after / mo.
ment started down the stairs, at the
right hand aisle, and after some ''hunt-
ing in his peculiar way, STOPPING
and applying the forehead and
the hand of his subject to the
person OF thing sought, fixed upon, =
gentleman who he said was the one Mr..
Phelps had in mind. He was wrong,
this time, and on being 80 informed, re.
newed his search, behaving very much
like dog following = faint trail, and
soon led the way to . gentleman seated
upon the opposite side Of the house,
and he was the man. Another similar
I;test resulted similarly, Mr.. Amaziah
Mayo being the subject Of J: T. WebAer,
the person thought Of and found. Mr..
Brown then desired any person in the
audience, having 4 pain in any portion
Of his anatomy to . come q forward, g M 8:
dertaking, BY bis power, to- determine
the loca tim aof thSp pain. "A gentlslnan
went upon zths ast3a Sandt, Nj Brown
being blindf oldsd,, t0d Ebys4 %.