The Portland daily press., 1877-01-13
Prof. Baidwin,s Entertainment.

Prof. S. S. Baldwin and his wife appeared
at Music Hall last evening in one of the most
pleasing entertainments ever given in this city.
They advertise to expose spiritualsm or the
frauds which are perpetrated under that guise
and no one present could doubt but what the
promises made were fulfilled. He performed
all the tricks done by the principal mediums.
many of them in sight of the audience, ex-
planning them as we'll. 1t was the best public
exposure ever seen in this city, but still Spir-
itual medium" who happens along can do the
same things and the believers will call it the
work of spirits People like to be humbugged
as we'll as ever.
Prof. Baldwin opened his entertainment by
selecting committee to examine the appara-
tus he uses. The committee consisted of John
E. Dow, R. B. King, George Thomas and S.
ID. McAlpine, all of whom are we'll known.
The first trick was to burn a piece of paper on
the stage, explaining that when he picked the
paper up, he dropped upon it, out of very
small vial which he held in his hand, some
acid, which produced spontaneous combustion.
He next performed the feat of turning water
into wine, and wine into water, explaining that
the cause was in the presence in the glasses
which he used, of certain chemicals, which be
dropped into the glasses without being noticed
He then gave series of performances in
small cabinet on the platform. Handouts were
put upon his wrists tightly and the key held by
the committee. He went into the cabinet and
soon returned with the handouts attached to
one hoop of a tamborine and the handle of a
pitcher. This was one of his best.
The Professor wac tied spcu ralv N hs hal
with strong ropes by the committee, and his
hands, feet and elbows were also securely
fastened ia the same way, each man struggling
to make the knots thoroughly secure. The
knots were also sealed with wax, so no move
ment could be made. One of the committee
was then placed in chair in the cabinet with
the Professor, bus holding him securely by the
knees. The door was closed and the uproar
begun. Tambourines, fsh-horns d inner bells,
rattle boxes and all the appliances of Pande-
monium seemed joined in colossal effort to
destroy the committee man, but upon opening
the doors there sat the Professor, tied in the
same position, with the committeeman in his
chair, tambourine balanced on his head,
looking for all the world like the Mikado of
Japan or some other public functionary. In
OOhdCOtiOu Will ILLS tElCh lu6 ITOlGSSOT put OIL
coat belonging to gentleman present, while
tied in the cabinet, and then, allowing his wife
to securely sew it in front, and also to sew the
sleeves together, the doors closed, off the gar
ment flew, without breaking a stitch, to the
establishment Of all present.
Mrs. Baldwin allowed herself to be put in
the pllory, which was locked, and the paddock
sealed, and yet. without breaking the seal,
Game out in few minutes She also per-
formed the "Katie King mystery of being
tied to the inside of the cabinet, and yet pro-
ducing wonderful manifestations of faces
and hands at all parts of the cabinet.
One of the best parts of the entertainment
was the mind-reading. Slips of paper were
passed among the audience, who were asked to
write questions and retain the papers, Mrs
Baldwin then went into a trance and pro-
ceeded to answer them. The first one was
about the safety of vessel, and when the
writer was called for, Mr.. Jones handed in
his question, which was about the safety of
vessel. Thus she continued every answer,
finding question had been asked correspond
ing to the answer given. She told oGe gentle
man there would be no election of President,
but that the President of the Senate would act
as President for one year, when there would be
another election. She also said that May had
been shot, and that Bennett would go to
Europe in his private yacht, and later would be
married to Miss May.
The whole tendency Of the entertainment
was to show that all the tricks performed by
Spiritual mediums are done by clever lrickery
The entertainment will be repeated this even
ing, and large audience will be in attendance.