Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-01-15
Ontwisted medium,

Ihe Baltimore American says. About
the time that the notorious Katie King
ceased to play the role Of material
lied spirit smart young fellow oat.
witted Mrs Hardy, the celebrated Bos.
ton medium, aud brought her Concord
Square seances into discredit. This
observing youth noticed that when Nine
Hardy received her guests in the parlor
her fingers we're covered With rings, but
when the lights we're turned on at the
conclusion OF q seance her hands had
lost their adornments Why did this
woman take of these rings2 Ia it oEe
Of the conditions necessary to the call
ing up Of spirits that the fingers must
be uuincumbered with jewelry2 The
skeptical BOstonian, having reasoned
the matter out with himself, concluded
that the rings were taken off because
they might interfere with certain maui.
pnlaiious which Mrs. Hardy attributed
TO the spirits, but which be felt certain
we're performed by herself He further
noticed that shawls were hung over the
windows ofthe room in which the seance
was given. In forming the circle the
hands OF the sitters were so arranged
as to preclude the slightest investigation
Of anything that might be going on ia
the dark, aud this the investigator re.
garded as condition highly favorable
to the successful performance of the
trick, no matter what effect it might
have upon the manifestations Of the
spirits. Nine. Hardy kept up AN inces,
SAINT clappiDg Of her hands, while the
invisible spirits were dancing around
the circle, tapping one another Of the
sitters as directed. She did this to as.
sure the circle that her own hands were
occupied, and had no agency in produc
ing the phenomena. The quick ear
Of the investigator noticed that this
clapping was not stationary, and that it
moved about in a circle, within a radius
Of at least two or three feet.
The young man attended another
seance and took lady with him. He
noticed that one OF the shawls that GOV.
cred a window had been accidentally
drawn a little to the side, leaving mar.
row space uncovered. When the circle
was formed he selected his place imme-
diaiely opposite this small strip of un.
covered glass. His lady friend was
seated at his left side, and he whispered
to her that whenever the manifestation
was going to occur at her side Of the cir
Gle, be would pinch her wrist When the
lights were put out, and the spirits began
TO 90 through their customary gambols,
he noticed that a solid body came be-
tween him and the uncovered glass, and
that il swayed back aud forth as the
manifestations appeared on the right or
the left Of the circle. By watching the
motions be was able TO appTise bis com
panion that she was aboutt to be touched,
and the pinch on the wrist always pre-.
ceded The tap from the spirit The
lights were turned on Tor b.isf inter.
val, and The next seance began. The
medium took a position at the opposite
side of the table, directly facing the
spaes left uncovered by the treacherous
curtain. Scarcely had the manifesto
tions begun when she said TO her hus
band, Z" Johu, | think there must be array
OF light here the power ls very weak.
The curtain was adjusted, but the secret
was already out.
The shrewd skeplies atteuded still
another seanee, and took two friends
with them. They wore black panta-
looms, and before they entered Mrs.
Hardy house, they put coat Of lamp
black on the knees, this being the part
OF the person which the spirits were
greatly addicted to tapping. In due
time they took their places in the circle,
the lights we're put out, aud the eusto-
mary rapping Of knees, rubbing Of faces,
shaking Of hands, etc, were gone
through with, the spirits showing them
selves to be unusually sociable. When
the lights were turned on il was discov.
cred that Mrs. Hardy's hands were quite
black, aud that che had unconsciously
distributed the lampblack that stuck 10
her hands when she tapped the knees Of
the cruel skeptics over the faces Of the
other sitters. The proof was conclusive,
aud thereis nobody in Boston now who
does not think Mrs. Hardy first class
fraud.