The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-06-09
sPIRITUALIsTIC HoCUs.poCUs.
An Ingenious Exp Osure OF ,ne Mediums
and Their Triek..
NY Evening Post, Nav 20.

One OF the most remarkable entertain
ments ever given in this civ 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 permitted to
witness them, would publicly expose the
fraudulent practices of the class of men
and women who describe themselves as
" spiritual mediums" and as n conse-
quence the house was literally packed
with spiritualists, anti-spiritualists, per
sons who are halting between the two
opinions, clergynen, LAWYERS. men of
science, and ordinary noveltv-seekers.
DIR. William A. Hammond delivered an
address setting forth the objects of the
meeting, and at its close introduced the
principal performer of the evening. Mr..
Bishop is young man, slightly but
Numerically built, of 1.-THE and easy
carriage, and with a face denoting intel
ligence and quickness of thought. The
Rev. DIR. Charles F. Deems and Dr.
Alexander i. Mott were chosen a COM
mittee to supervise the preparation of
the apparatus, and pronounce upon its
character. A folding screen of three
leaves occupied the center of the stage,
arranged 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 to the floor. The
committee with their own hands screwed
two iron rings into the post; the perform
er was placed in the chair, facing the
audience his wrists were pinioned by
stout strips of unbleached muslin, sewed
about them by DIR. Mott as tight as was
possible without impediugthe circulation
of the blood, and tied fast. to the lower
of the two rings behind nun: another
band was passed around his neck and Sc
cured to the upper ring; his feet were
tied with Il rope, the other end of which
was held taut by a member of the audi
ense in one of the parquette seats; and
a strong calcium light was turned full
upon him from the real gallery. A tam
BOURNE and several bells Of different
tones were laid in his lap and curtain
draw in front of him. Scarce had he
disappeared from view before the tam
BOURNE was, loudly b aten the bells rung,
and the instruments, one after another.
tossed over the top of the screen on To
the open stage. The curtain was with
drawn, and the committee requested to
examine the apparatus. Not a thing,
they reported, had apparently been
stirred.
A lady's ring and a strip of cloth were
laid on the performers knee within a
minute the cloth was found tied in a
double knot around his threat, with the
ring slipped over the knot. Then a
marked board, hammer and a large nail
were placed on a chair beside him when
removed, the nail was found driven
through the board. To enumerate all
the marvellous manifestations produced
by Mr.. Bishop would require more space
than we can spare for this article. Suffice
it that the "spitits" drank water from a
tumbler set on his knee; cut doll out of
a marked piece of paper with common
shears; thrummed on a guitar blew a
1ageolet; produced bouquet of flowers
from an invisible garden; allowed Dr.
Deems to be shut up with them, blind
fold, with his right foot laid across the
feet, his right hand on the leg, and his
left hand on tho forehead of the "medi-
UNI" and raised a terrible tumult all
about him without disturbing the "me-
dunn" enough to be pereeptible to the
reverend gentlemen's sense of touch ::
turned a wooden bucket which had been
placed upright in the "mediun's" lap,
wrong side up on his head and deported
themselves generally in the fantastic
fashion with which professional "medi-
ums" have heretofore made us ac-
quainted. In each case the manifesto
tiOns began as soon as Mr. Bishop had
been concealed from view. and when
transformation of any sort took place it
e.o.o,,1-
pletiOn. During the progress of the en-
tertainment the investigating committee
was increased bv the accession of the
Rev. Dr. Gottheil, of the Jewish church,
DR.. II. b. Sands and DIR. Dalton. Other
we'll 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 address,
explained the whole secret, which CON
sisted simply of the peculiar formation
of the ''medium's" hands and wrists.
enabling him to slip his arms not out of,
but through the bandsges to such a
length as to give them free play upon
objects placed near him. To prove that
ltlt tA W dS StIuihC5 t4it III TAIN
was removed and Mr. Bishop, though very
weary with the evenings labor, kindly
consented to reproduce number of his
feats in plain view of the audience. His
anatomical pcculiarities, his strength, his
surprising agility and his cool nerves
were successfully called into play, to the !
great delight of the spectators, who show F.!
cred him with hearty plaudits.
J,r,o-g,r,r 4 a ,.oac,ol !
4 vote of thanks to Mr.. Bishop, his as
sistant and the individual members of |
the investigating committee. Mr.. Bishop, |
who receives no pay for his performance, |
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 "me-
dunn" who will perform himself equally |
we'll. DR.. Hammond, in his opening adj
dress. also announced that he was en-
trusted by a wealthy friend with stand
ing offer of 50, 600 to be paid to any
70 medium" who will lengthen his body
one foot, who will float through the air
or who will read written
paper which shall have been folded, en-
closed in an ordinary envelope and sealed
TO the satisfaction of committee of
eminent cltlZenS VINO may nc dSIetu
upon as Investigators.
The whole entertainment was in the
highest degree satisfactory and it is to be
hoped that Mr.. Bishop may be induced
20 repeat it. His manner of performing
he tricks he undertakes is far superior
% that of any professional medium
who has performed in New York within
,ur recollection.
Appearances are Deceptive.