The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-08-26

B fireplace, E table on which was the light, f
the mediums cricket, o the slit in the curtain,
G the seat of DR.. Greene, D the seat of DIR.
Gerrish. The others were between and D,
excepting one who sat a little behind. All the
unbelievers were provided with blazing fusees,
and held them ready to strike if the gas should
60 out. Each had his part assigned, and fail
ure was absolutely impossible, provided any
trick was attempted by the medium. The con-
versation was more than ordinarily jolly. Fun
ny stories kept the company in roar half the
time, but nobody lost sight of the curtain or
failed to note that the usual rustling at the apex
of the triangular space was going on. Molly
M. raped out that spirit which had come to
Dr. Greene twice before would again appear
In less than twenty minutes the curtain opened
little at o; in few moments it opened more
widely and displayed female draped in white
and thickly yelled. 1t was to all appearances
the promised sprite. Then it presently pulled
aside the curtain from the corner nearest the
mantel piece directly in front of DR.. Greene
He was enraptured. Yes the spirit had really
come again for him! But minute elapsed be-
fore she again showed herself. evil you
touch my hand, dear?" said the Doctor in per-
suasive accents She put out her delicate fin
gers toward him, and his hand closed on hers
in grasp which was much frmer than the Or
binary clasp of affection. And then he made
what is called traction. "Come dear, comet
Come right alongw But she did not want to
come and braced against the chimney in
very human and earthly way, quite unbecom-
ing in an apparition. There is no case on rec
ord in this series in which spirit has been gift
ed with speech; but all present distinctly heard
very alarmed voice exclaiming, Don't! don'tl
let me go!' and then, 'tFor Gods sake, let me
go!" Why" said DR.. Greene, with well-affec ct
ed surprise, "This is not spirit! This is MRS.
HULL!' Meanwhile, DR.. Gerrish had stepped
quickly to the curtain, drawn it aside and dis
covered the stool upoccupied, an empty skirt
and little pile of female wearing apparel. 1t
was just what was expected. The game had
been a bold one, but its very audacity was its
greatest protection. There was such show of
| retiring modesty about the medium that most
| people have apparently thought it an unpardon-
| able injustice to suspect fraud in it, Science,
however, counts character for nothing; and when
| men who are accustomed in their daily work
to divest their minds Of prejudice in order to
| correctly weigh the circumstances and condi-
| tons of obscure diseases, had an opportunity to
investigate these feats, tbs elements of the case
| which had been instanced as absolutely
| conclusive of their supernatural character
were quickly shown to be the result of
bold but not especially clever trickery.
But to proceed The male Hull, who had been
taken so completely by surprise that he forgot
to turn out the light, delivered himself of the
following manly speech ''Well, gentlemen, /
wish you to understand that have had nc
hand in this affair. 1 knew nothing about it %
And his wife was left to dress herself without
assistance behind the curtain
The Investigators then proceeded to the Of
fee of one of them, which has of late been a
rendezvous for materialization-scep tics, to con.
slider what further to do in the matter. In a
few minutes came a messenger from the ne.
dunn saying that she had never been guilty Of
| fraud before; that she was driven to this BIZ
pecuniary need; that all the previous exhlbi
lions had been what they were represented by
her to be; that she asked as favor that Drs
| Greene and Gerrish would investigate further
kunder any test conditions they chose; and tina
meantime all who saw that evenings per
Torrance would refrain from making it public
Although they had not the slightest faith il
the woman's word, or the smallest idea tina
! she wanted anything but deferment of tn
day of wrath, the company all gave their word
| to keep silent until she had had fair chance
Wednesday the two doctors whom she ha