The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-29
Grabbing a Ghost.
Another "Materialized" Spook Suddenly
Resuming Flesh and Blood.

George w. Tones of No. 81 Broadway, had
under his charge yesterday friend from Pitts
burg named +. A. Tremaine and desired to
show him a spiritualistic seance. He found
one advertised to occur in the evening up town.
The two friends went to this number, which
they describe as brown-stone house we'll fur
nished. They were met by an old man at the
door, who, after consulting memorandum
book to see If the seats were all taken, admit
tel them on payment of 81 eacl-walking-
match prices. The front parlor was dimly
lighted, and in the back parlor which was dark,
there was a small cabinet fixed against the
wall. There were three rows of chairs in the
room, and there were about fifty persent of
whom four or five were women At the be-
ginning of the seance the old man who had
acted as treasurer announced that the medium
and her company would not be responsible for
the manifestations of the spirits, and he then
requested the audience to sing some familiar
air. such as the "Sweet By-and-By." The
greater part of the front of the cabinet was
concealed oy q curtain but there was room at
one side for small window. When the seance
began, the medium, a stout woman, entered
the cabinet and Immediately afterwards hand
was shown at the window, and foot at the
bottom OF the curtain. Then youth about
the size of the medium, who was designated as
Jimmy the Newsboy," steI ped from the cabi-
net into the room and began to dance. At
this moment the two friends agreed with each
other to seize the next spirit that should APP
pear, In few minutes there was loud
knocking and the spirits were asked if they
wanted to see any one. They answered yes,
and one of the two young men was called, but
not chosen. Then the old man said the
spirits were confused and the person who was
wanted was found and had conversation with
the spirit, who was familiary called Mary.
The subsequent proceedings are best described
in Mr.. Tomes's own language. He says: Il
moved towards the old man who admitted me,
and who was standing at the far end OF the
room. He told me l had better take my seat;
but said I'd stay where / was. He repeated
his admonition and l went to the other side of
the room and stood in front of woman. The
spirit Mary then came out into the room about
eight feet from the cabinet. The passage was
clear in front of me, and / went for her like
streak of lightning and threw my arms about
her. She screamed and struggled and several
oil the men ran to her assistance. My friend
ran to help me, but he fell over the seats and
the spirit got away from me. That ghost
weighed $50 pounds if she weighed an ounce,
and fully identified her as the medium. The
woman who had been sitting behind where l
stood cried OUT You nearly killed my daugh-
ter and you ought to be shot with pistol, and
I've good mind to shoot you for treating
spirit in that way The spirit had very little
clothing on and her face was whitened to give
her a ghostiy look. After the confusion caused
by my catching her the seance was declared at
an end, and the believers and unbelievers
were dismissed."-N. Y. World.