Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-12-15
MORE SPIRITUALIsTIC TRICKS.
Grave Charges Against Professor
CrOOkes of DeIudInE the Seientinc
World The Great GalvanOme-
ter-Test Trick or Eva Fay De-
teeted by Electricians.

London correspondent New York World:
: Her majesty the queen was recently asserted
10y one OF the society papers to be a spirit
ualist, ana 10 have attended sedHces given
by her intimate friend, Madame Van de
Weyer, at New Lodge. Mr.. Gladstone,
after giving his opinion on the merits
of eggh,p and his Hin Beyond Sea,
Ia answer to a correspondent, takes a com
Portable seat on the fence, and says: L do
not share or approve of the simple contempt
with which so many view the phenomena (of
spiritualism) Il is a question in the first
place OF evidence; 1t then follows to explain,
as far as we can, such facts as may have been
established. Ny own immediate duties pre-
vent my active intervention, and | remain
in what may be called contented reserve.
Many noblemen have already lent weight by
their acceptance of the belief, and Sergeant
Cox, Mr.. A. r. Wallace and William Crookes,
+. r. S, are among the eminent British
scientists whose names give weight to TINS
movement | recently had an interview
with Mr.. w. Irving shop at his hotel,
which was productive of certain startling
facts. Mr.. Bishop will be remembered as
the young man who, under the auspices OF
Oliver Wendell Holmes and others, produced
such startling results in Boston that the Bos-
tonians were fam to believe that, perhaps,
that Cotton Mather as not so far out of the
way, and that there were witches IN Salem. 1t
will be remembered that Mr.. A. r. Wallace
and DR.. W. b. Carpenter, the well-known
microscopic and formulator of the theory OF
unconscious cerebratIon. had a tilt In the
pages of a periodical nearly year ago on the
subject of 'Spiritism.' As a result OF this
Mr.. Bishop was induced to come to England
early tlis summer, and he has been engaged
since in experimenting with DIR. Carpenter.
To refresh the memory of the reader, 1t may
be here said that the great test which had
previously eluded solution of its mystery
was the performance of Eva Fay of certain
feats while forming part OF the circuit of a deli
cate gavanometer which it would have been
impossible, apparently, to do without the
sensitive dial detecting the feat. This was
accepted by Messrs. Wallace. Cox and
Crookes as final tost, proving the absolute
absence of human agency. Mr.. Bishop, by
learning the performance Of most OF Miss
Fay jugglery, gained her confidence. MIR.
Bishops story is that Mr.. Crookes, who had
discovered the falsity, not only of her claims,
but Of those of other mediums, found
himself too far involved to withdraw,
and accordingly himself invented the
means of avoiding the galvanometers
test and acted in absolute collision with her;
and not only he, but other eminent men
were in collision as well. Would that they
had had the sterling manhood and courage
GUS steadfastness to truth which enabled
Robert Dale Owen to acknowledge that he
had been dupea. Fay did not understand
the exact means and principles of perform
ing her feat, bat Mr.. Bishop, by means of
his clews ard the help of the three leading
electricians of the Western Union telegraph
company, was enabled to solve the mystery.
Mr.. Bishops charge that Mr. Crookes and
other well known persons are In COLLISION
with fraud Is made at least plausible by a
mass Of documentary evidence in Mr.. Blsh-
ops possession, which will before long be
made public here by a committee OF the
Royal society, and this evidence | have seen.
1t will be remembered that the woman Fay,
VINO was proved juggler in the New York
courts, advertised hat she was approved by
Mr.. Cro0kes, and Mr.. Wallace stated, | be-
lieVe, that she was woman of integrity.
Your correspondent has seen contract made
By Fay In 1871 with Cincinnati physician,
III which she agrees to perform as spiritual
manifestations certain tricks known as the
Ellis girl and others, invented by said ply
siclaU, for half profits, thus proving that In
1871 she was not woman or integrity. Fur
tier, the letter addressed by Crookes to a
Mr.. Cooper in Boston, which that gentleman
swore had never left his safe, and which was
reproduced in the Graphic, has Away heen
a mystery, which is now solved by the claim
that it was taken from a letter press copy
sent to Fay by Crookes. Fay, you remem-
Der, came to England, and Crookes became
interested in her and Endorsed her, but
wishing to submit her to crucial test,
proposed the galvanometer, which he and
Messrs. Wallace and Marley agreed no human
power could avoid; but when Fay told him
her inability to perform, he said, Never
mind, l will help you,'. and he invented the
means of avoidance which have recently
been discovered by the Western Union cleo
tricians. On Fays return to America she
desired Crookes's Endorsement direct, which
he refused to give, but afterWard he wrote
the Cooper letter and sent the her the letter.
press copy, which, with other documents
and the offer of Fay and her husband to
come to Europe. if there was anything to
be made out of it, and expose Crookes and
other big SCIENTISTS is III MIR. Bishops
hands. The name of Crookes | am at liberty
to mention, but there are others involved
which l am not, but may say that | may in
the future send you some startling revelations
as to names and facts which will astonish the
scientific world ~