The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-12-30
Another Hunlbug.
From the KNOWING chronIcle.


Our exchanges come to rs Of late,
filled with the details of the great
expose of the spiritualistic swindle of
the Holmes at Philadelphia. OF
late Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes have given
''seances'' at their private rooms, at
which departed spirits appeared in
person. They were materialized"
and appeared in flesh and blood for
the inspection of guests. So cleverly
were these exhibitions managed that
some very reputable and prominent
citizens of Philadelphia were de-
eeived. Visitors came from every
part of the country to see these
manifestations, bringing costly pres
ents for the ''materialized" spirits.
One of the prominent spirits who
appeared was the noted Katie King
But one shrewd. sharp citizen. sus-
pecting a trick, for weeks watched
the operations, and finally by per-
sonal interview obtained from a
young widow of the city a confession
that she was the ''Katie King" de-
scribed in the January number of the
atlantic Monthly by Robert Dale
Owen. He publishes in the Phila-
delphia papers what he discovered,
and shows up the humbug as fol-
lows:
The seances took place upon the second
floor of the building, two coOms being
necessary to the development of the ma
terialiZation. In the front room the au-
dience 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 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 on each
side, and frequently the gentlemen above
named were invited to come and take
these battens off and examine the boards.
1t has since been discovered that Holmes
had the means of taking out one of these
boards-the centre one, which was about
fifteen inches wide-and of substituting
in its place a board that was cut across
the center, admitting of the removal OF
-. ln3F aorslry o1r SfAavor a
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 further discoveries
made subsequently,, which were of an
intensely interesting character. If Ka,
tie entered the cabinet in this way,
where was she kept concealed prior to
the seances, and during the intervals
when she disappeared? In the rear room
there was bed, upon which ladies and
gentlemen attending the seances were in
the habit of depositing their saperflous
clothing. This room was, as a matter to
be expected, subject TO close scrutiny,
the closets and the beds being examined,
and more than one pair of eyes cast theil
glances beneath the bed, to see If any
confederate might be hidden there. But
no search resulted in such q discovery.
Yet, as il afterward turned .oHt, the bed,
like MaelzePs wonderful automation, did
hold confederate at the time, and the
confederate was none other than the. lady
whose confession we have given above ].
But where could she burrowg The at
tendants upon the seance hadNthe fTeest
liberty of examinations The bed ~waE
open, some doubters even probing tht
mattress to ascertain if 1t did not for the
time cage the beauty. Who would havt
thought of locking at tlFe holsters Tx
bolster was so unimportant a matter thai
Hitneyer once excited suspicion. ct il
held the living mystery, none other thar
the ruby-lipped and faiISarmed creaturs
who was in a few moments, via the wal
nut partition, TO burst upon the delight
ed vision of the breathless spectators
The bolster, then, was none of your old
fashioned striped ticking bags, pulled NJ
with down, but instead, a wicker cage
ingeniously constructed, and as ingcni
ously overlaid, in which tho charming
confederate to all this spirftualistic tom
foolery housed herself, Vetil she was tC
issue like a golden beauty from cocoon
To KEEP Ice FROM WINDOWS
Take aR ordinary paint-brush or a
sponge and rub over the glass once
or twice day little alcohol. This
will keep the glass as free from ics
as in the middle Of sumner, and give