The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-03

AAs white 8o1l was UPlineA-
The other night when twenty or
thirty persons were assembled at q
residence on Lafayette avenue, it was
proposed to test the theory of mind
reading. There was . pale, solemn
looking yoang man present, having
accompanied his widowed mother from
the Fifth Ward, and he was selected
| IS the one most likely to make the
experiment a success. He submitted
to be blindfolded, and it was deter
mined to see If he could tell what any
one was thinking about A corpulent
widower clasped hands with the young
man. laid his other hand on the mind
reader's forehead, and after moment
Of other preparation there was dead
silence. The widoWer closed his eyes,
and the young man lowered his head
and moved it from side to side.
What's he thinking OF ?" whispered
several persons.
"Of how he kicked his wife out of
bed and caused her death T. WAS the
answer
The widower tried to laugh with
the rest. but he made poor work Of it,
| and explained that he was thinking of
the city-hall. He slid back and sat
down, and . single lady, about thirty
] years of age, toak his place. After =
F. moment the mind reader was told to
F., speak her thoughts, and he an
| nounced:
"She'd give all her old shoes to
catch husband"
| The lady tried t, laugh. and sat
! married man, who was firm believer
1 mind roaAsn~ fnaE hnr rlaro q
victim. He fixed his thoughts on q
chrome hanging on the wall, and held
, them so firmly there that the perspi-
/ ration started out on his neck. After
!, two long minutes of silence the mind
reader whispered:
| You are thinking of little blue
eyed widow woman in the Sixth Ward
Wondering if she got your letter the
other day"
mo, sir-no, sir p exclaimed the
man, / was thinking of that chro-
mo! -
Cant help it, replied the mind
reader, II saw her and her house so
plainly before me that I'll bet SO l
can take you right to the door,"
The bald-headed man pretended to
be tickled almost to death, but sat
down looking very red in the face and
very anxiously toward his wife.
| The young man declared his readi-
ness to read the thoughts of others,
but no one else came forward. Final
ly, to spin out the exhibition, man
stepped up, something hidden in a
particular pocket, and asked the
mind reader to tell what it was.
Hands were clasped, there was a
pause, and then the mind-reader said:
! It's bill from jewelers. for a
$50 ladies chaini The bill says that
the account is two years old, and will
be sued after this weeki'
See how he is mistaken !"' replied
the young man, pulling nickle from
his pocket. but he couldn't laugh to
save his life, although he tried very
hard.
| The young man had become greatly
interested by this time, but the crowd
held back strangely. seeming to be
afraid of him, while nearly every one
declared that they thought mind
reading great humbug. The young
man moved his arms about, command
ing silence, and after a moment cried
out:
II can see rs plainly as any of you
whose eyes are not baudaged."
/ What do you see?' inquired one
| of the men.
| There are three ladies present who
have holes in the heels of their stock
ings," replied the mind reader.
| There was small laugh, aud sew
| eral hints were thrown out that the
audience would take up some other
| amusement.
There are two men here who owe
for their boots r confined the mind
reader.
II guess we will remove the band
| age now" said one of the men, rising
/ up.
And there's q lady here who'd
give a hundred dollars to have the
frecklcs removed from her nose" ex-
claimed the young man.
The theory of mind reading" said
the man as he worked at the knot in
the handkerchief, lis as"
/ And there are six women here who
have cold feet, interrupted the mind
reader.
They lifted the bandage, run the
mind reader off to a clair in the bay
window. and although the hour was
still early a great share of the COM
pany announced that they must be
going, as the children had hard
colds.
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