The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-16
A Wicked Spirit.

wELL-KSOWN MATER1ALiST COSFESSES TO
BE A FRAUD-How HE DUPED THE PEOPLE
OF ROCHESTER,, n. Y.
ROCHESTER, n. Y, September 12.-There
is great excitement here, occasioned by the
publication in the Democrat and Chronicle
OF the confession OF C.. L. Jennings, noted
materialist medium. Jennings came to Ro-
chester from Elmira eight months ago, and
gradually developed into q tirst-cIass me-
dunn. He held seances, which were nu-
merously attended, and produced faces and
hands, and gave communications orally and
written from the spirit world. His mani
festations were very satisfactory to be-
levers, and baffled skeptics. At first he
worked alone, but afterwards employed a
confederate. He gives the following account
OF his first seance:
The first seance held after it became
known to the Rochester people that was
medium was in the Whitcomb House, and
at this seance was present 4 gentleman from
Chicago, who recognized Lizzie, his daugh-
ter, In me after I had covered my small
moustache with piece Of flesh-colored cloth,
and reduced the size Of my face with a
shawl that / had hung up purposely in the
back OF the closet, but for the purpose, it
was said, Of making dark background.
From this sitting my fame commenced to
spread, and Mt almost every private house
where I sat after that had the luck OF
being placed in a clothes-press, or some
place that contained ineXhaustible para
phernalia for getting up different kinds
OF spirits. Consequently l would Of
fer to be examined on these occa-
sions, but don't think any one ever did it.
Afterwards he hired house and engaged
his confederate. His cabinet occupied the
rear Of a small room, in which was closet,
where the accomplish was concealed, the
door Of which was apparently secured, but
which was skilfully arranged so that 1T
could be opened from the inside and admit
the confederate into the cabinet. Jen-
nings was thus enabled to submit to all the
tests required. lie usually entered the cabi-
net and was placed in stocks, his hands and
feet being visible outside. The curtain hung
in front OF the cabinet. Music in the audi
ence deadened all sounds within the cabi-
net, and his confederate was we'll sup
piled with masks, wigs, and costumes, and
appeared ut the aperture i'll the cabinet and
conyersed with the audience. Jennings
tells how he obtained information concern
ing the dead friends of those in the circle.
Among other things he visited the city GEN.
etery, and learned the time Of death and
some particulars OF the lives of those whom
he introduced as spirits. Many were ident-
fled by friends and relatives, and full crC-
dence was given to the revelations. Jen-
nings seems to be very ingenious carpen-
ter, and is gifted with great deal OF cum
ming. He says that il he had had money at
his command, and could have prepared con-
trivances as he desired, he would have de-
fed detection. The circumstances leading
to exposure are as follows: Some two weeks
ago q civil engineer OF this city insist
ed upon being allowed to seal the
closet in his own way, and brought to the
seance tools for that purpose. Jennings re-
fused to allow this, whereupon he was
talked to in such manner that he took the
alarm, his confederate fed, and the seance
closed. Finally he made clean breast Of
the matter to q clergyman, protesting the
deepest penitence, and stated that he should
leave the town to avoid meeting his dupes.
He had prepared statement which he in
tended to deliver as lecture, but which he
finally concluded to give the reporters. The
excitement in spiritualistic circles is in
tense, us Jennings was fast becoming 10
nous, and his genuineness has been vouched
for by leading spiritualists and number of
mediums. Naturalization is believed to
have received heavy blow.-Boston Her.
MID E