The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-23
\ FREE FIGHT AT A SEANCE.
EXPOSURE OF THE TRICKS OF A SPIRIT
UALIST IMPOSTOR.
Young Lady Saved from becoming = Lu-
natic-Mr. Walsh Grabs the Pretended
Spirit OF John Brackiey-I.iveiy Fisticuss.


Spirit Of John Brsckiey-I.iveIy Fisticuas
From ne rhfhd,,,hin rimo
DR.. Henry G. Gordon bogus mat orializer
was grabbed. last night. while playing spirit
Medium Gordon. next TO the Blisscs, is the
ymartest most successful. and most audacious
sf all spiritual humbugs. His wife Is a fugi-
live from justice, with three bills Of indictment
hanging ovor her In the Quarter Sessions Cor
don formerly lived in Chicago. but his wife. to
rid herself OF him, had him placed in the Cook
county Asylum for the Insane and then ran
away with another man. At one time sho re-
bided with the mother Of Josephine Mansfield.
Col. Fisks well-known companion. She is n
relative OF Royal Sammis. charged with being
Tho principal actor In the terrible Kelse out
rage on Long Island. When Gordon formerly
resided in New York he played medium. but
was caught one fine night and partially ex-
posed. the grabbing being som ewhat prema-
luro In Philadelphia he took board in n large
Bpirltualist house at 1,ol7 fairmount avenue
and there he gathered around him select
circle
Recently q young lady residing in the lower
portion OF the city attended one Of his seanccs
and saw a form which WINS represented. and
mother. The young lady tainted. Since then
she has been almost crazed. Her friends deter
Gordon a test On Monday night OF last week n
form appeared at the aperture IN tho cebinet
nm Indian chief. who controls tho medium and
who announces the spirits, but who himself ls
meyer visible called out: Brightly brightly
! might recognize him" said one Of the young
lady's friends. The form disappeared After
the circumstance-the medium. of course. was
In a trance and knew nothing u what transpired
Brackley died N Pittsburgh three years ago
Come again said the Doctor. and perhaps
No such person as Brackley. by the way. ever
held. sure enough John Brackley appeared.
Great Hcavensi' said the wicked young man.
what a rewpa ni, resemblance! That is in
Bracklcy BracklcyN called out Ponce. Ne
brought him that time.
John Brackley's capture was then determined
npon and, that the young lady might be saved
from ending her days in mndhouse. she was
Dr. GordOns room is the second story front
In the Fairmount avenue dwelling. 1t is arrane
cd with knicknacks and ribbons. Just as awomnn
would bcautfy her apartment. On the walls
hang oil paintings. executed by the Doctor-who
suTes are erlmn n loe on The artists n The
tawny hair longer and tawnicr moustache
and he swings himself and bends his head from
side to side Ike damsel in her teens. His
chief assistant is young Mr.. Sudan. with black
hair and black moustpchc. but with the same
feminine airs. Tho price II admission to Cor
don's seances had heretofore been twenty-five
cents but III ling the room crowded last might
with thlriy-two persons. b" Ut once raised the
A COMMITTED 81 three. consisting Of Mr. Lip
pincou a Market street auctiou"cr. and his two
sons. was appointed 10y Gordon To examine
himself and the cabinet IN" cabinet cons i-t.d
of curtain stretched across % corner of the
room, AMI behind ths was another curtain
merely thrown across q wire. The committee
examined the cabinet and found nothing Cor
don then stepped behind til. foremost curtain,
and after he had hidden iew articles behind
the rear curtain he invited thc runmiiie" to in
spect him They stripped him II nearly every
article Of clothing and found nothing. Then
all the lights in the 70 IN were cNtinsu she'd .N-
cept one Argnnd burner. which had IT, le,ercut
out 80 that the light COULD not br raised above
n feeble glimmer SAdam was plnrrd on one
man. named stctscn. Who was apnSini.d man
agor OF tn" seanrc. sat al IA. other nd.
A hymn WAS start d, AMI iarcs appeared al
the aEeriure. nr. ~ loun-, Of IN street,
been killed ny a fan. Mr. I.uiinc,u thought
he recpsniz'd the face - q niddl.-ngcl lady.
walkei 70 the atrriurc WI, % tn name Henry
was called. When he returned t" hi, seat he
law. He attempted to recover valuable knife
TINT had fallen into the water He WINS mis-
taken in III" depth and was drowned. know
hand 1t is indeed q rcmarkabl" rir,umStanre.'
was Helen Ms sito"n said She We won fi noi
come out unl'ss all joined hands. Her head
appeared black there was white handker 'lli f
Gordon had evidently taken the rear curtain
iron, on H. wire gnf eirll,l it around ms
tho youngest LipIlncOu. Helen ucmateriA-
led. sinking into the neor, aul chorus of
wonderful. remarkable." wen, up.
AT last there appeared at tie aperture the
black haired and back bearded Individual who
represented John Brs.klcy. the friend Of tie
young lady's friend. Some Spiriiualist- per
sisted IN recognizing him as John ShcdWick.
road III spirit. howeyer , r--, Sir1 IN rn
John Brarkicy and $, J5ht Wni-h. a Son,iiiiI
street plumber. who had crcpt into the. cohn-
talk with John Mr.. Walsh walked To- the an, r,
ture and then stopped Il little - peer in. The
number gentlemen Of substantial form who
were srrinkled through the audience looked
suddenly Mr. Walsh sprqng forward ana
g erH n nv arar John bra"sley curtain
Inonlum Inc substantial lppk ing gent men
each Jumped te their feet, and each collar a a
pugllis ,aiiy disposed Snirtaalist 4 young
man IN the rear struck u match and lighted q
plumber lamp. with Yhi'h Mr. Walsh had
provided him aud with ihi- he lighted every
burner IN the room The women mounted the
chairs nnd screamed. Tho young lndy who
had seen ne bogus spr itol hrr nioih.r lnnghed
curtain, kirscd and struggled in most brutal
mhhnvri hui never word sud Ae. \ biz
enough 70 hold nor man a. nnrlion u the al.
struck Sir Wnlsh in the eve. ' Mr wul. Y', .i
his grip. hut as the spirit shppeI through H.
arms nasnr re- aneSy puI h' hanf throush the
little skull ZAP Of back Xix. Th@ -nirit diI me-,
dematerialzr, but ran 10 the other end of the
curtain and here i came in view Us DR.,
It Was seen to stun black beard be-.
meath is vest. M"auWhii' in front ~
the cabinet Il free ligh, WIS progressing
between the Sprituasrs and the exposar-
Daniel snyder. burly photographer. bong al
tackled 10y Mnnager Strts,gn. picked H." lattog
wall Mr.. jonathan Roberts II Burlington, y
j., caught MI Snyder by the arm. and wa.
himself graspcd by the throat and thru IN into
acorncr; Gordon having 'scap"l from Walsh,
ran quickly from the cabinet into tho miidlc OF
the room where he Wdh caught by n young
man, who threw him on his knees. Manager
ht"tsoh me was Immediately before he was
thrown AGAINST mo wnl-lo"h''d upon IN"
young man. Gordon WIS aga u up. and run
coached the door u an Adjoining apartment.
Here he was again laid ho,j Of by another
young gentleman who threw him over Il small
stove. Sudan struck the gentleman in the
ey", and Gordon, who had fallen upon his back.
turned the stove over upon his assallani, and
quickly rising, escaped from the room aud
down stairs. After vain attempt to recover
their admission fees, the rNposers left the
house in triumphal procession. with John
Braekeys silk black wig IN their possession.
LiGHTING vILLfGE STREETS.