Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-05
MEMPHIS TENN WEDNESDAY EVENING JANUARY s 1916

ing is the fact that in nearly all cases,
certainly all public cases and many pri-
yate, the conditions of mediumship only
occnr in insincere and unscrupulous
natures. The student Of human nature
knows that class. Conditions seldom
make good medium Of an open, frsnk,
honest and earnest nature, though they
are the ones most easily duped if the
balance wheel of good judgment and
common sense is little rickety.
Two men in the city Of London are
doisg great work toward disabusing
the public credulity to what Professor
Tyndall terms intellectual Dhoredonl, a
most appropriate name for modern
spiritusiism. | allude to Messrs. Mas
kelyne and Cook, who have been for
years giving their drawing.room seauces
in Egyptian Hall, London. Their object
is to expose the so-cslled phenomena of
modern spiritualism, an object which
they accomplish most successfully, for
there is not trick OF the spooks" they
do not fully explain and perform them.
selves. have seen the DayenpOrts and
all the wonderful performers, but Mas
kelyne and Cook are far their superiors
in dexterity and skill At the time |
was frequently visiting their entertain
tsinment there was woman occupying
q small room on Hanover square, called
the Queens Concert Hall, who laid claim
to mediumship, or rather she left that in-
ference. She didn't dare lay claim to such
power directly, for Maskelyne and Cook
sent word to her if she did they would
expose her whole programme. Never
theless she drew many an honest spirit
ualist to her dark seRnces, aud COM
pletely satisfied their weak credulity,
though her tricks we're transparent com
pared with those of Maskelyne and Cook,
and indeed after witnessing this medi.
um's efforts our party discovered the
secret Of her spook power; and here let
me say that one never fails to notice, il
one is an observer, that Immediately on
the cessation of the work of the spirits"
when the light is turned on, the medium
is found in physically exhausted state,
the signs of which are vastly different
to the signs Of spiritual exhaustion,
They tell us the spirits take SO much
of the vitality Of the poor medium which
serves for a coed reason to the self-de.
ceived. But when vitality has been ab-
sorbed by one spirit from another in the
flesh, the signs Of that decreased vitality
are not profuse perspiration, heightened
color and nervous excitement; on the
contrary, dumb lsnguor aud cold, pale
passivity would be the inevitable result.
and never knew a medium to light up
after dark seance with that sort Of ex.
pression-the former signs rather indi.
eating great physical exertion. OH We
honest and credulous, ye have but to use
your brains in the realms OF simple
cause and effect to unravel all the mys-
teries of time, while you let speculation
travel no further nor faster than you
have power over the cheekrein Of reason
and common sense.
There was once an unscrupulous
French woman who set the city OF Chi.
cago all sgog by her manifestations"
Her rooms we're crowded, and many
long Grape veil and somber hat-band
we're visible in her audiences, indicating
the bereft hearts that we're bleeding over
new made graves and longing with an
intensity known only to the mourner of
the dead for light to illume the terrible
darkness beyond where the loved had
gone.
This woman terrible" would dsy
after day select some such mourning
soul in her audience and accurately de
scribe the appearance of sweet little
angel, or an angel of older growth, as
the case might be-always an angel, of |
course-which was lowering over the be, |
reaved soul with expressions Of comfort
aud consolation. Then the "omnicient, |
but fearfully gross looking and hard fea. |
tured French adventures, would really |
speak the name OF the little or the big |
angel, tell when aud where aud of what
disease it passed to the "spirit sphere"
and heartfelt sob from the relative in
the audience would be the corroboratiou
that the imposition had hit the mark.
Hundreds Of honest people were so
deceived by this creature, who richly de.
served convicts cell for the rest Of her
life. What was the secret of her kuowl.
edge and power} Simply skillfuk ac
compJice, the city cemetery and The fles
Of the Chicago daily papers,
How did che bit upon the right people
to pick out of her hearers2 Her accom-.
plice, another name fer her husband. at.
tended to that, and when there we're none
at hand to select, she would still see her
spirits, which being of prominent peo,
pie never failed to find some one in the
house to vouch for them.
This same woman at q private sitting
with the writer assumed q masculine
voice, stroked an imaginary beard half
yard long snd greeted me with a MASONIC
GRIP and expression, pretending to be
an ancient patriarch Of ye ancient order
How did she come by her knowledee2
Her accomplice was no doubt recresnt
scoundrel, for the Eastern Star is no
warranty for all the signs and wonders
possessed by this inspired" and Hashy
French woman.
Nevertheless have seen whatI could
but pronounce genuine manifestations in
a small circle Of friends gathered TO.
gether in the name of truth, when the
lights were not turned down and se al.
surd "Injun" intruded.
But there was not a single sign to in
dieate that the reault was the inspiration
Of departed spirits-vonly one more evil
dence Of the power of the human mind
over mind and over matter, the intricate
laws of which are subject to all research
in the clear light of science and reason,
needing no cabinet or dark chambers Ter
manipulation.
Let all who earnestly seek truth and |
immutable laws beware how they are led
by the nose by set of thieving and nm
crupulous pretenders to supernatural
power, over which presides the demon Of