The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-05
nov SHE FOOLED THEN.
Miss snyder Describes Her Tricks rs a Fer
.nnninr 81 MntcrInIizcd Snirlls.

PHILADELPHIA. oct. .. The prosecution
m thctr'ul OIL. Mr.. and Mrs. Bliss, for conducting
pretended naturalization seances was closed
to-day. llclcn +. SNYDER. the young woman
whose clcvcru,ss in the roles Of apparitions
was the feature W the swndle. went on the stand
a. a witness a.,ainst her former companions in
the fraud. Sntt stined. in seemingly straight
forward way. that she was hired by the Blisses
nearly II year ago. and that they instructed her
what to do. She described her changes of voice
aud costume for the different characterAtions.
\ room in the basement OF the house was used
for dressing in and she got into and out OF the
cabinet through clovcrly concealed trap door.
" My costume as saltwater she said. was
yellow muslin and u wadded undcrshrt that
Bliss had used TO represent Red Cloud. His cap
was made OF pasicboard, covered with red mus
lin. gilt paper around it, two rows Of cord and
three stars one in the centre ana one on either
side; it had feathers in it. My dress us Dr.
sleeper was dark clothing. collar and nocktc
and black olO,n slippers. he would come out
bow. shake hands with Mr.. Bliss and pass in
again. A. Sister Agatha. | wore white cloth
over the forehead. She would knee and bless
herself in Latin. | got the words out of a Latin
book. | don't understand IT, Katie Rubec's
dress was white. white wiz. long blue veil. She
only came to The door. and Mr.. Bliss would
bring his hnby up for her 10 Kiss. As Mrs. No
Jartny | wore black muslin sk rt and general
y the hlag * coat wore for the Silent Doctor.
She would speak to the audience. and they
would srnuk t. her. used the lroguc. used
to hollrr al SWiilWutrr. but | don't know
whether IL WIS thc Indian dialect or not To
masr myself short would bend down. ana TO
be tall would walk on my toes.
Among the believers IN the mcdiumship Of
thu bu,-cs was wealthy man named siebert.
Mrs. Bliss asked ne, Miss snyder said to
p,r~onatr the Virgin Mary for Mr.. Sichcrt.
They told me that that was the only spirit 10 he
urousht to him; that If the Virgin Mary would
! appear To- MN Bliss h9d him ~ rghi; mat NJ
| h3I lois uf money. and that Bliss wanted To grt
] some of 1t To- start into III" saloon business.
/ Continuing the narrative of the deception. She
! said. Mrs. Bliss wanted me- to speak the Ger
man dialect, hut couldn't succeed. and spoke
/ the Irish. MIS-. Bliss laughed and said she
/ adopted it for Mrs. Mccarthy. vino would say,
| Good avening to ycz all. and they would or AL
! happy To see her. At frs, WIS fully material
| led. but toward, the last would say had no
/ hands. and then would 10 back and material
/ ~ them. ! have carried IRE IN my hand, Bliss
/ church r. H. used to light them. and would
carry them. would shut my hands and Keep
on, srot long. | burnt my hands ono time.
| Bliss had told the audience that Mrs. Mccarthy
| could carry frr and To show that there was
| nothing on my hands washed them outside cf
| tho cabinet with soap and water. | picked the
fire NJ and was burnt hccsmse my hands were
a- Mr. p S T sister. iii tRe talking for
| she couldn't talk good English. ana was afraid
! of being detected. | told him. AS MS sister
/ Tihe that he must not drink. and h. promised
| that he would not Al the next scance he said,
| lille. | have no drink on me THIS evening.
! won't you kiss ne = Mrs. Bliss raised her veil
| and he kissed her.
Miss shy der was given Il chance. In the midst
| of her testimony. 10 show her beautiful hair.
| She had sworn that while pcrsonatlng the dead
| sister Of "a young man named Won. she per
! mitted him 10 cut "a tress from her head. The
| Judge told her To- exhibit what was left If the
! trcss. All the men in Court gazci intcres,edly
a@ she took of her hat, and unbraidcd q mass
! of hair that fell down below her wuist-all real
| She asked Tor Il comb. and Il score Of lawyer rs
| hands tumhled hastily in pockets but Mr.. jon
/ Atlln VI. Roberts. n venerable member of the
New Jersey bar. was first TO prefer the desired
art 'ie. Ho was rewarded with Il sweet smile
| uni d" Thank YOU
pmLADELpHiA. OF. Title defence. begun
! yesterday and continued to-day. il in vifcr
tat the prosecution H. the result Of a consp ir
aNy. Bliss ~NOrr that there WIS no itaud abOu
the seanccs. and that VI iss Snyder. instignted b,
his enemies. had lied IN that she had related Il,
ted tile trap door in the cabinet. and the dress
ing room underneath. but declared that thel
| had been built without his knowledge for til,
purpose vi running him.
| IN episode to-day was the Introduction N
court OF tho real Mrs Bliss whom Bliss had de-
married to the Mrs. Bliss who had aided him IL
the seanc.s. lie was immediately arrested on
charge Of higamy. and the second Mrs. Bliss
WIS also taken into custody. the accusation II
her ci~e being that she had knowingly marie,
a man who Ta~ already u husband-a crime II
this state heretofore they have been a. lnrg
! on bail: but on the new charges tho amount 20
/ could mot ottnin suraty Consequently the
sleep Tonight ia MJyumDuslns Prison.