The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-08-26

ShnOiing 'at a Ghost.

A medium at St. Louis, according to
the Democrat of that city, lately sub
mitted to the test of being shot at by an
expert riheman. The medium was
bound hand and foot in the box cabinet.
The story is as follows
At a distance of fifteen feet from the
cabinet, and directly in front of the
black curtains, has been placed stand,
where, by means of wise, small
breech-loading rife is fastened, after O
load is placed in it, and leveled so that
the ball will inevitably pierce the cur
tain's center, Mr.. A. b. Cunningham,
who has been requested by Mr.. Tim
kens to fire the rifle, takes seat direct
ly behind the stand. Mr.. Cunningham
is crack shot, with steady nerve. The
rifle carries only small ball, but is
loaded so as to send it easily through an
inch plank. In order to prevenS the
ball lodging in the wall, heavy plank is
placed on the other side Of the cabinet
and directly in the way of the shot. The
ball would not perhaps kill, but it would
mar the beauty of any countenance that
received it.
It is five minutes after nine O'Clock
when these preliminaries are finished,
and the seance really begins. The lights
of the main chandelier are turned down,
although Mr.. Timkens keeps a coal oil
lamp burning near him, which sheds a
dim glare on the cabinet and the black
curtain, on which all eyes are fixed In
the gloom voices are hushed to whis-
per, and the noises on the street be-
come painfully audible. AS the whis-
pers die away the silence becomes op-
| pressive.
"Sing something, it will help me-
says voice from the cabinet.
Some one in the crowd strikes up the
Shall we gather at the river?
Then comes knocking from the cabi-
net, the knocks Gathering apparently
against all the sides. The first is loud
and authoritative, but the others be-
come gradually moro mild and gentle,
recalling to the mind "The Raven -.
Only this, and nothing more
Finding that the knocking ceased en-
tirely, and that the silence is disagree
able to the spirits, as well as to the COM
pany present, Mr.. Jacket strikes up
"The Star Spangled Banner" There's
no response, and an apprehension is felt
that the patriotic air has lost it's power
upon the disembodied. "Auld Lang
Syne," as recalling scenes of the past, is
next tried, but with similar want of effect
on the forgetful spirits. The silence
continues even when some one in the
hall sings something about
I am chief IN the forest 80 wild,
followed by the cold Camp Ground"
nj IF
tion of the audience being exhausted, q
German gentleman sings an operatic
solo, his fine sonorous bass voice filling
the room, and delighting all present. AS
it comes to close, quick, wild, pain
full cry is heard from the cabinet, and all
is still again.
The spirits appear obstinate and mo
rose. Thrce-quarters of an hour pass
away without anything more than Il
spasmodic knock. When about all hope
is given up, the curtain is suddenly
drawn aside, and face appears at the
window-the face of a girl with blue
eyes and brown hair, just budding into
womanhood. The face is distinctly seen
by all present.
''Fire !" said the voice in the cabinet.
The rifle is fired on the instant.
The face remains at the window per-
haps a minute longer, when it is con-
cealed by the curtain, which is mysteri-
ously drawn to again.
The rest may be told in a very few
words. In fifteen minutes the medium
is released, excited and exhausted with
his labors. An examination of the cab
met shows that the ball passed through
the seat opposite to the window, and it
Is found in the plank hung down beyond.
The ropes are found as tense as when
they were first tied, and on the door
being opened, the medium is found Sc
curely bound. He ascribes the long
lapse of time before the appearance of
the spirit to the fact that an Indian
spirit obtruded itself on him with a war
whoop instead of his mother, for whom
he mad asked when first placed in the
cabinet. The spirit that appeared, he
says, was his cousin.