The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-01
MI. W. Irving Bishops Exposure Of
Medium Jugglery.

One OF the most remarkable entertain
menfs ever given in this city took place
last evening, at Chickering Hall. The
announcement had been made in the
daily press that Mr.. w. Irving Bishop,
whose private exhibitions have called
forth expressions of admiration from
the favored few who have been per-
mitted to witness them, would publicly
expose the fraudulent practices of the
class OF men and women who describe
themselves as "spiritual mediums ~
and as a consequence the house was
literally packed with spiritualists, anti
spIritualists, persons who are halting
bstween the two opinions, clergymen,
lawyers, men of science, and ordinary
n 'velty-seekers. DR.. William A. Ham
4 ond delivered an address setting forth
I e objects of the meeting, and at its
'se introduced the principal per-
1rmer of the evening. Mr.. Bishop is
young man, slightly but symmetrical
ly built, of 1.-the and easy carriage, and
with face denoting intelligence and
quickness of thought. The Rev. Dr.
Charles f. Deems and DR.. Alexander
B.. Mott were chosen a committee to
supervise the preparation of the appa-
ratus, and pronounce upon its char
acter A folding screen of three leaves
occupied the center of the stage, ar
ranged like " "bOx-scene" in a theater
In the recess a common chair was
set, directly in front of stout wooden
post which was fastened by iron joists
10 the floor. The committee with their
own hands screwed two rings into the
post; the performer was placed in the
chair, facing the audience; his wrists
were pinioned by stout stri ps of I'M
beached muslin, sewed about them by
DR.. Mott as tight as was possible with
out impeding the circulation of the
blood, and tied fast to the lower of the
two rings behind him; another band
was passed around his neck and secured
to the upper ring; his feet were tied
with a rope, the other end of which was
held taut by a member of the audience
III one of the parquette seats; and a
strong calcium light was turned full
upon him from the rear gallery. A
tambourine and severalbel of different
tones were laid in his lap, and a curtain
drawn in front of him. Scarcely had
he disappeared from view before the
tambourine was loudly beaten, the bells
rung, and the instruments, one after
another, tossed over the top of the screen
on to the open stage. The curtain was
withdrawn, ,aId the committee requested
to examine the apparatus. Not a thing,
they reported, had apparently been
stirred.
A lady's ring and strip of cloth were
laid on the performers knee; within a
minute the clsth was found tied in q
double knot around his throat, with the
ring slipped over the knot Then a
marked board, a hammer and a large
nail were placed on a chair beside him !;
when removed, the nail was found
driven through the board. To enumer-
ate all the marvellous manifestations
produced by Mr.. Bishop would require
more space than we can spare for this
article. Suffice it that the "spirits"
drank water from tumbler set on his
knee; cut doll out of a marked piece
of paper with common shears; thrum-
med on a guitar; blew a fageolet; pro-
duced a bouquet of flowers from an in
visible garden; allowed DR.. Deems to
be shut up with them, blindfold, with
his right foot laid across the feet, his
right hand on the leg, and
his left hand on the forehead
of the ''medium," and ,aised a terrible
tumult all about him without disturbing
the medium" enough to be perceptible
to the reverend gentleman's sense of
touch; turned a wooden bucket, which
had been placed upright in the "medi-
um's'' lap, wrong side up on his head
and deported themselves generally in
the fantastic fashion with which profess
sional ''mediums" have heretofore
made us acquainted. In each case the
manifestations began as soon as Mr..
Bishop had been concealed from view,
and when transformation of any sort
took place it required but a few seconds
for its completion. During the progress
of the entertainment the Investigating
Committee was increased by the acces-
sion of the Rev. Dr. Gottheil, of the
Jewish Church, DR.. II. B. Sands and
DIR. Dalton. Other well known citizens
were called for, but did not appear.
When the committee had pronounced
themselves entirely satisfied with the
performance, but unable to account for
the wonderful phenomena presented,
Mr.. Bishops assistant, in short ad-
dress. explained the whole secret, which
consisted simply of the peculiar fOrma-
ton of the "medium's'' hands and
wrists, enabling him to slip his arms
not ont of out through the bandages to
such length as to give them free play
upon objects placed near him. To
prove that the explanation was genu-
Inc, the curtain was removed, and Mr..
Bishop, though very weary with the
evenings labor, kindly consented to re-
produce number of his feats in plain
view of the audience. His anatomical
peculiarities, his strength, his surpris-
ing agility and his cool olnefves were sue
cessively called into play, to the great
delight of the spectators, who showered
him with hearty plaudits.
Before dispensing, the meeting pass
ed vote of thanks to Mr.. Bishop, his
assistant and the individual members of
the Investigating Committee. Mr..
Bishop, who receives no pay for his per-
formaRce, but devotes the proceeds to
the relief of the poor of New York,
makes an open offer of $500 to any
charity which may be designated by
any professional medium" who will
perform a trick three times in his pres
ence that he shall not be able to per-
form himself equally well. DR.. Ham
mond, in his opening address, also an
nounced that he was intrusted
by wealthy friend with a
standing offer of $4,000 to be paid
to any g medium who will lengthen
his body one foot, who will float
through the air unassisted, or who will
read written paper which shall have
been folded, inclOsed in an ordinary en-
velope and sealed to the satisfaction of
committee of prominent citizens who
NAV be agreed upon as investigators.
The whole entertainment was in the
highest degree satisfactory. and it is to
be hoped that Mr.. Bishop may be in
duced to repeat it. His manner of per-
forming the tricks he undertakes is far
superior to that of any professional
''medium" who has performed in New
Knre- xxrif ,-aaallaotinn