Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-05-29
Mr.. Medium Mott.
On. o. Times }

practical spiritualism up TO this
time has been j. III. Mott, of Mem
phis, Missouri. notwithstanding
the exposure of Shade and the col.
lapse of Katie King and the gcncr
nj decline i'll spirit stock, Mott con.
tinucd to flourish with comforting
luxuriancc. Memphis became a
sort of Mecca to which dcyout spir.
itualists would make expensive pill.
wonld dcxtronsly extract what
wealth they had saved from the
scalpcrs by the way. The medium
was doing land.oflice business, as
the ungodly would say among them
selves, and the faithful were point
ing to Memphis as place where
Truth had intrcnchcd itself upon
the plcvna plan with the adNant.
age OF having no rcNictuallng To do.
Here Mott held forth in the calm
splendor of success, and hlthcr
converged in steady streams the
Shckcls of the gulliblc from all
quarters of the earth.
But one day four Illinois persons
came that way. Three were from
Monmouth and the other was from
Chicago. The Chicago person was
named Potter. They wero pious
looking yonths and they seemed to
be greatly impressed with Motifs
power as a medium. They used to
70 to SEQ Mott every night, and
their demonstrations of joy and
JUNCTION over each repetition of the
cabinet trick were considered by
many to be among the most i'm
proving incidents of the perform.
ance. Experience, however, tells
us that Joy is cvanescent, and that
righteousness as a steady thing is
unsatisfactory. The Illinois quar-
tcttc gradually recovered from their
enthusiasm and began to view
Mott with critics eye, as it were.
Among themselves they discussed
Mott and the general monotony OF
his show and the suspicious family
likeness noticeable in his assert
ment Of matcrializcd spirits. Slow
" it dawncd upon Potter that each
one of these spirits had a frcckie
near the base of its nose and that
Mott likewise had freckle in that
neighborhood, and at last Potter
thought out little job which he
concluded to set up on Mott with,
out delay. He procured one OF
those hollow rings with a hole
where the seal comes, and connect.
ed by a tube with n rubber ball
which is concealed in the hand.
This ball was filled with solution
of aniline, and by simply closing
his hand tightly Potter could shoot
his dye.stuff to n great distance
through the aperture in the seal OF
his ring. Thus armed, the wicked
Chicago Potter went to Motifs
scance where, on account OF his OK
emplary behavior in the past Inc
was chosen as an attendant ut tho
, cabinet. Potter took graceful at
titudc with his left hand resting
against the moulding of the cabi
r net and presently, when the lights
we're lowered and the spirit face APP
peared in the opening of the cur
tains, he squeezed the rubber bal
very hard. The spirit face disap
pcarcd as though some one haC
seized its legs from behind ant
there was frightful uproar within
the cabinet. The lights were turn
b. ed on full and then Mott CANT
p bouncing out upon the stage in
highly rampant condition. NJ
I longer the tranquil and triumphan
; Mott, bland of bearing and smootl
| of speech, but crunplcd and
: torn down looking Mott, hystcrica
]: as to his manner and notified az t,
A his features. lie swore at the child
\ like Potter in n fashion that raise'
: the hair of the quiet Missouri folk
II and called for q shooting.iron o
e some other deadly weapon in &C
/ cents wild. His face was covered
t with the anilnc aud the farce wa
played out. Potter explained tina
: he squeezed the ball in a thought
{ less Ira,ncnt and had no intcntio
5 of dyoing spirit, but it was of n
c avail. The audience retired in bt
Il wildered silence, uncertain whethC
S to lynch Mott or to drown then
II selves, and the four Illinois person
l. fled by night.
r And now the Banner of Ligl
IT and the Rcligio- Philosophical Jou
&c nal and the rest Of them will u
u hard at work for a month to Sho'
'r that he is really the pious and giif