The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-01-07

Account OF the Katie King" Expos
ure I'm Philadelphia.
That " Katie King" a. presented for
the last year at the Holmes seances in
this city, was being of flesh and blood,
has been ascertained beyond doubt,
but who she was, how she was secreted
in the houses, afterward introduced into
the cabinet, and SO assisted as to leave
it without being detected, has as yet been
more or less a mystery. katie King"
or, rather, the young woman who per-
sonated her, is a widow with child, and
a mother depending upon her for sup
port. Mr.. and Mrs. Nelson Holmes be-
came acquainted with her at boarding
house, where they lived for some weeks
subsequent to their advent in Philadel
phia. About the time the HOlmeses
took possession of No. 50 North Ninth
street "Katie King" Qor reasons herein
after 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 penni-
less, and almost without clothing. Find
ing that this was the case, her host sold
what few effects she had left, and turned
the woman into the street. In this con-
ditiOn she was promised assistance by
MIR. and Mrs. Holmes provided she would
enact the part of a matcrialized spirit
in their cabinet seanccs. Although the
proposition was revolving she was forced
to accept it, or see her child and mother
suffer from hunger. The cabinet, which
had been placed in one corner of a
second-story front room, with one side
against door which opened into bed
chamber, was easily arranged SO as to
admit of ingress from the bedroom. The
boards were all fastened with screws,
and battins were placed outside and in
side about two feet from the floor. 1t
was an easy matter to take out one of
the boards and put in its place dupli-
cate so divided at the battins that the
point of juncture could not be seen.
The upper part of this board was firmly
secured, but the lower portion was loose
ly fastened with two screws, while the
other screw-heads were "dummies."
When it was thought strict examination
of the cabinet would be made the divided
board could be taken out and the origi-
nal put back in its place. When the
Katie King seances first began the gentle
man who afterward became so promi-
nently connected with them, DIR. Child,
of this city, was permitted to examine
every nook and corner of the house. As
he was for a time very skcptical on the
question Of naturalization, the investi-
cations were very thoroughly conducted
The visitors would then be congregated
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, and with small
scrcwdriver take off the lower portion of
the divided board. These preparations
could not be heard on account of the
singing and music-box noise, which was
continually kept up. To enter the cabi-
net was then an easy task for Katie, and
with a stool she could reach the rather
high aperture. The disappearing and
rcappearing part of the phenomenon was
accomplished by gradually lowering a
black cloth over herself, and at the Same
time crouching back into the corner. The
semi-darkncss of the room, combined
with the complete blackness of the in
side of the cabinet, made this seeming
impossible feat very simple. The lcvita-
ton manifestation, or the suspension of
her body in the air, was done by means
of the stool, covered with black cloth.
AS it was impossible to distinguish any
color but white within the cabinet, the
stool was, of course, invisible, and by
stepping upon it very deliberately and
gradually raising herself the young lady
was enabled to present the appearance
OF beng lifted from and suspended above
the floor. At the close OF the seance
there was always a delay of about
ten minutes between the time of the
last appearance of the alleged spirit
and the knocks, which signified
that no more were coming. During
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 dis
covered. 1t was taken to pieces after a
similar seance but by some means the
lolmeses suspected that this would be
done and were prepared for it. A party
of ten gathered in the room on this oc-
casion and Mrs. Holmes complained that
she was feeling SO unwell that her me-
diumistic power was very weak, conse-
dark seance first. This was consented
to; the lights were extinguished, not
only in the room, but in the hall, and
board had been taken from the cabinet
it was impossible for Katie to enter in
the usual manner and she consequently
could do under cover of the darkness,
a h0 10 nl chuc fol
crossed the room during The ringing Of
bells and the twanging of guitars and
other accomplishments of dark seanCes.
Once within the cabinet she had only to
arrange her white dress, put on little
extra powder and she wes ready to be-
gin. "A lamp was then dimly lighted
and the usual manifestations were gone
through with. Had the seance closed in
the ordinary manner Katie would have
been found in the cabinet, but "John
King" through MIR. Holmes, stated that if
they would turn out the lights again for
few moments it might give him
strength to do some extra materializing.
The lights were accordingly extin-
guished, thus enabling katie King to
come out of the cabinet and leave the
room by the hall door. After "Katic"
had made her escape "Jolln King" again
asked for light, and for several moments
all waited patiently for the manifesto
tions promised. None came, however,
as Mr.. King" explained that conditions
were not right, and SO the light was
turned on and the seance closed
The ten persons who had witnessed
the manifestations then took the cabinet
to pieces, and, as the original board had
before been returned to its place, they of
course found mo trap nor trick of any
kind" Had the Investigators on that
evening insisted on having but one dark
seance they would never have signed the
certificate which was there drawn up,
for as the cabinet was on that evening
virtually without a trap, Katie King hav-
ing entered it through the door, under
cover of darkness, she could not have
made her escape except during the Sec
Ond dark seance, at the close of the even
ing's performance. This was almost the