The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-22
katie King"
Who Katie was and how the Cabinet
was Arranged. .. .......-.

The Philadelphia Press of Saturday morning
contains full description of the Katie King
fraud, from which we make the following ex-
tracts: .4.-s ..-
"That Katie King as presented for the last
year at the Holmes seances in this city, was
being of flesh and blood, has been ascestained
beyond doubt, bat who she was, how she was
secreted in the house, afterwards introduced
into the cabinet, and SO assisted as to leave 1t
without being detected, has at yet been more
more or less mystery. Katie King, or rath-
er the young women who personated her, Is
widow with child and mother depending upon
her for support. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Holmes
became acquainted with her at boarding
house, where they lived for some weeks snbse-
quent to their advent in Philadelphia. About
the time the Holmeses took possession of No so
North Ninth street, Katie King flor reasons
reasons hereinafter to be stated we will not
publish her name) became unable to pay her
board, and was finally reduced to such an ex-
tremity that she was absolutely pennies, and
almost without clothing. Finding that this
was the case, her host sold what few effects she
had aud turned the woman into the street. In
this condition she was promised assistance by
Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes, provided she would en-
act the part of rateraized spirit IN their
cabinet seances. Although the proposition
was revolving, she was forced to accept 1t or see
her child and mother suffer from hunger The
cabinet, which had been placed in one corner
Of the second story front room, with one SIDE
against door which opened into bedchamber
was easily arranged so as to admit OF lnsress
from the bedroom The boards were all fas-
tened with screws, and battens were placed
outside and inside about two feet from the
floor. IG was an easy matter to take out one OF
the boards and put in its place duplicate SO
divided at the battens that the point of juno
ture could not be SEEN The upper part of the
board was firmly secured, but the lower por-
tion was loosely fastened with two screws, while
the other screw heads were dummies. When
SI.o.,o Ia cfr.nf nfnnf inn n
met would be made. the divided board could
be taken out and the original put back in its
place."
.'When the Katie King seances first began
the gentleman who afterwards become SO prom
lnently connected with them, DR.. Child of this
city, was permitted to examine every nook and
corner in the house. As he was for time very
skeptical on the question of naturalization,
the Investigations were very thoroughly con-
Quoted. The visitors would then be eongregat-
ed 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,
aad with small screw driver take OH the low
er portion of the divided board, These prepar-
tons could not be heard on account OF the sing
ing and music-box noise, which was continual
ly kept up. To enter the cabinet was then an
easy task for Katie, and with stool she could
reach the rather high aperture. The disappear
ing and reappearing part of the phenomenon
was accomplished by gradually lowering black
cloth over herself, and at the same time crouch.
ing back into corner. The semi-darkness or
the room, combined with the complete black
ness of the inside the cabinet, made this SEEM
ing impossible feat very simple. The deviation
manifestation, or the suspension of her body in
the air, was done by means OF the stool, cover
ed with black cloth. As it was impossible TO
distinguish any color but white in the cabinet,
the stool was, of course, invisible, and by step
ping upon it very deliberately, and gradually
raising herself, the young lady was enabled to
suspended above the floor. At the close OF the
seance there was always delay of about ten
minutes between the time of the last appear
ance of the alleged spirit and the knocks, which
this time Katie would slip through the hole in
the cabinet, screw on the loosened board and
make her escape. Had the cabinet been taken
apart at such time the trick would have been