Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-01-08
AsHTABULA, OHIO FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1875

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 sceptical
on the question of naturalization,
the Investigations we're thoroughly
conducted. The visitors would then
be congregated in the front room
with the cabinet, and the door would
be locked. Katie King wonld soon
after enter the house from the street,
make her way to the bedroom, as
sumo her white dress, and with a
small screw-driver 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 cabinet was
then an easy task for Katie, and
with a stool she could reach the
rather high aperture. The disap-
Dearing and reappearing 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-darkness of the room, combin-
ed with the complete blackness of
the inside of the cabinet, made this
seeming impossible feat very simple.
The levitation manifestation, or the
suspension of her body in the air,
was done by means of the stool, COW
cred 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 deliberate
ly, and gradually raising herself,
the young lady was enabled to pre-
sent the appearance of being lifted
from and suspended above the floor.
At the close of the seance therew was
always delay of about ten minutes
between the time of the last appear
ance of the alleged spirit and the
knocks, which signiied 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
discovered.
The writer then explains how Ka-
tie on one occasion was enabled to
escape from the room by ending the
performance with "dark seance,"
when the usual trap was not arrang-
ed, and continues:
1t has been stated that for a time
the door leading from the front
room into the hall was always lock
ed. AS this created much suspicion,
the mediums finally consented to
have it remain open until the maui
festations first appeared. Under
such circumstances it became neces-
sary to make change in the manner
of keeping Katie out of sight. The
bolster on the bed was, therefore, so
arranged that Katie could creep in
to it, and in this she hid herself be-
fore the seance and after it was con-
cluded. The bedroom was many
times examined after the change,
and the bed was also inspected, but
no one ever thought of looking into
the bolster to find out what it was
stuffed with.
In the second story, front room of
the house at 825 North Tenth street,
the cabinet was in such a position
that it stood about eighteen inches
from a boarded up window. As al
ready described, this window was ar
ranged in such way that with the
sash taken out there was room for
person to stand between the boards
on the inside and the shutters on the
outside. One of the boards were
apparently fastened by screws, but
they were only dummies" In real
ity 1t swung on pivots, and was held
in its place by stout button on the
inside. A board in the back of the
cabinet was similarly arranged. Be
fore the seances began, Katie King
took her position in the window and
fastened herself in. The space be-
tween the cabinet and the wall was
then concealed by a door, which at
first glance appeared as part of the
cabinet, a table covered with music
al instruments was showed up against
it, and the guests, who were always
received in a downstairs room, were
invited to ascend. A dark seance al
ways opened the entertainment, du-
ring which Katie would descend
from her perch and making her way
into the cabinet, take a position in
the corner, where she could not be
seen when the cabinet door was open
ed. Mr.. Holmes would then enter
the cabinet, and between the two
the usual manifestation were pro-
duced. The enormous faces shown
were nothing but rubber masks, so
made that they could be blown up
into different sizes and at the same
time produce different appearances.
Mr.. Holmes could conceal half
dozen such faces in his inside pock-
ct.
Both Robert Dale Owen and DR..
Child feel deeply humiliated at hav-
ing been so deceived, and, more than
that, lending their influence to the
support of what is now proved to
have been a trick, and are doing all
in their power to undo at least part
of the harm. The doctor has bought
from the publishers of his book on
"John and Katie King" every vol
ume on hand, some 5000 worth, and
has ordered its publication to be dis
continued. MIR. Holmes, who has
been one of the chief actors in the
cabinet seances, was at one time the
editor of Baptist religious journal
in Georgia. From his doings here
and information which has recently
been received concerning certain ir-
regularities IN London, it's very ev-
ident that he has falleR< from grace.
"Katie King" who was forced into
the business by poverty, is much to
be pitied, for she long felt the wick
edness of deception on such a subject,
and is now suffering all the pangs of
remorSe. Even those whom by her
course she has most deceived feel