The Osceola times., 1877-06-16

cess, and if heard might excite suspicion.
The audience are, therefore, requested to
sing. The worse this voices Of those pres
ent, the more readily and loudly they
comply. Yes, we will gather at the
river, makes the night hideous, and
efIectually precludes the possibility Of
detection. While the rest Of the apart
msni is thus filed with a gush OF most
excrutiating harmony, the cabinet be-
comes for the noncc a dressing-room.
Possibly the medium il a woman. The
doleiul sounds without may strike on
her ears, but the fair being heeds them
not. Like Jezebel, she Is firing her head.
A pocket-bandkerchief, or simple stripe
of muslin, bound around the face, alters
il no a. to render recognition almost i'm
possible In the dim light which is religi-
ously preserved. I q
II the spirit form displayed be
masculine, some hair on the face is, OF
course, desirable. And whiskers and
mustaches may be cunningly concealed.
One person confessed to me that he had
carried them fastened in the hollow
under his arm. So with other parapher-
MALTA Of naturalization The exceed
ingly fine India-rubber masks employed
when it is desired to exhibit a variety OF
faces, females may hide In the gathers OF
their dresses, or even in their hair. In
deed, should the audience be sufficiently
enthusiastic, and countenances only on the
programme, those countenances may be
furnished by 40 simple means as a few
engravings. Though the Likeness held
up to the cabinet aperture be that OF
Wellington, ono excited beholder will
recognize in il his mach-lcved grand.
mother, snd another dispute the claim
by pronouncing 1t the face of her equally
yenerated aunt. have witnessed these
sad exhibitions, and know, therefore, of
what / speak" TF ID.
Concerning the bringing Of fruits and
flowers, he narrates these experiences:
al recall an instance in which about
half pint Of gooseberries were thrown
on the table in the dark. There cried
the medium, Is not that beautiful
manifestation 2 A burst of indignation
ensued when the other two persons pres
cnt could find nothing astonishing in
it, WHAT said the wonder, you
think ! had the berries In my pocket, do
YOU And. TO prove the honesty of all
this wrath, the said pocket was turned
iDside out. Alas for the result! The
medium had forgotten those little
withered ends (the botanical name es-
capes mel which adhere to the gooseberry.
| At least dozen OF these were entombed
from tho depths of that pocket"
"a gentleman known to me arrived
one evening too late for admittance TO the
mystic chamber, where wall or windows
were being dematerialized TO allow OF
the passage of flowers and leaves. The
circle terminated floral trophies
were triumphantly exhibited-and the
dear medium was complimented in
most honeyed terms. An aunt of the
gentleman / have mentioned gave him
one Of the little 'spirit-brought
branches to examine. Just at that mo.
ment the dear medium turned to some
one. Al she did 80 the attention of the
gentleman was drawn tOa leaf hanging
from the lower part OF the red opera
cloak she wore. 1t corresponded exactly
with the leaves on the twig he held in
bis hand. He caught at it, held up the
CLOAK, and showed 10 all present that the
spirit productions had been concealed
IN the lining. IL was then remembered
that the medium (no longer dear y
had, after being well searched, com
plained of feeling chilly, and had re-
quested permission TO put on the red op-
era.cloak which she had left (quite pro.
miscuously of course, in the hall"
The paraifine moldA of hands was fab.
ricated by a similar device. Mr.. Home
quotes from the report Of an investi-
gatiug committee OF spiritualists these
facts;
"a packet of parafline designed fol
use at the evenings seance was received
by Mr.. NJ. Taking IL to an apothe-
cary near by, he had it accurately
weighed, and the weight, which wa'
eleven pounds four ounces, avoidupois
marked on the wrapper. Mr.. NJ
and Mrs. s. kept this packe,
sacredly until the evening, wher
it was shaved up in their pres
ence, and before them Mr.. M
and Others was placed in pail and hot
water poured upon it, The
lights we're rendered 20 low as to be of nj
avail in the back parlor, at the extrem,
rear of which sat the medium facing hel
audience. No one was allowed within
a semi-circle of five or six feet from the
table. The mold was soon declared fin
isned, and on being quickly examined
(by a novice, as II happened), another
bit Of dry cotton wool was found within
the orifice of the wrist, which Mr.. A.
has, with the first, in his possession
Thirty-fve people were present.
The parafliue in the pail was care
fully collected Mr.. NJ took the
package, aud had it weighed on the
same scales, when it balanced exactly a,
eleven pounds and four ounces. lie
also received the paraffine mold or glove
I from Mrr H. and Mrs. s., and
sound its weight to be two and one-hal
ounces, avoirdupois. The druggist per
formed the weighing in both instances
Mrs. A. was unaccountably an
uoyed by bits OF cotton wool about hei
carpets, while the medium and her hus
band were with her.
Upon Sunday, the 10th, Mrs. A
saw the mediums stockings, worn the
previous evening at Mrs. IS seance
at about two inches below the toe they
were cut across the sole aud left open. ?
The means of producing spirit photo
graphs is described at length, and also
the way in which bells are rung, musical
instruments played on, and the other
manifestations obtained with which the
public is familiar. On the top Of all
this Mr.. Home wishes us to believe that
the marvels he accomplishes are not the
result of trickery, but the genuine work
of departed spirits. n ~