Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-12
NIGHT WITH TIE SPIRITS.
An AdVsAluFoss Reporters Experience
with a S~eaHcs---He Hides in a The
alter Loft aad Gets an Inside
View Of the Cabinet.
eorrespondensc Cineinnali Buquirsr.i

ToLEDo, O., March 8. lS79.-Th,
classes Of tho city which are general,
most affected b. the travelling hum,
bugs in the spirit" line have beer
torn up during the past two weeks By
the manifestations" of one Professor
Everett, who advertised the most
startling performances. He filed a
week at the Adelphi Theater, and last
Sunday night had q crowded house in
Wheclers Opera House. His show
was quite acceptable, and far above
the average of like ghost perform
ances. No one, not even an astute
committee Of business men, was able
to detect him in one trick the whole
evening. However, during the even
ing a cOmmotion was created by the
discovery of a man in the theater loft
looking down into the cabinet in
which the spirits appeared. He
was, as was supposed summarily
bounced out, but it seems really re-
NAMED. 1t proved 10 be q Sunday
journal reporter, and that paper to-
morrow publishes a highly entertain
ing exposure Of the whole evening
humbugs. The most important, how
ever, a sO-called box manifestation
which differed little from the box
trick Of the Davenport Brothers.
As given in this case, says the Jour
nails report, the committee first tied
strong cords about the mediums
wrists and passed them through holes
IN the back of the box in which he
sat on a shelf, where they were secure
y tied, and the knot sealed with wax.
They hen lashed him round and
round with ropes, tying his limbs
together, and then oonvcred the whole
bOx-except the bottom-with a stout
cord netting, which was laced and tied
up at the back Of the box, out Of bis
reach.
The journals report says:
BY the time our reporter had got
into place, q lady explained that she
would place the tambourine and bell
in the cabinet and wait for manifesto
tons. She closed the cabinet doors.
and almost instantly our reporter saw
Everett out Of the box. He stripped
of his coat like a fash, and threw it
on the box. He turned down his
cuffs, and, 10 and behold they were
changed into ladies' sleeves, large and
loose, and with embroidery about the
hands. Had the committee, when
they tied bis hands, stripped up the
coat sleeves further they would proba-
bly, have found the nice lining Of his
plain linen, turn-back cuffs. He put
on a pirate face Of sOme very thin
material, ike white rubber. All his
movements were with lightning rapid
ity, and glancing up, as he adjusted
the face, he espied our reporter"
This was the interruption referred
70, and when it was over, and the dis
turber, as they supposed had left, the
usual manifestations Of tambourine
and b%ell-ringing followed. which the
reporter saw Everett himself do.
Then the attendant called upon Katy
King to appear. Everett %thereupon
thrust out his hands, with the female
sleeves and cuffs out Of the cabinet
apcrturcs. Being asked for a commu-
nication, she (?) reached out a hand,
took a pencil, and wrote on a slate.
For the appearance Of many hands.
Mr.. Everett produced It all with his
two, fitting them rapidly from place
to place with a luttering motion.
Whom the attendant requested the
spirits to release Mr.. Everett from
the box, that person turned UP his
long cuffs, slipped on his coat, stroked
down his hair and arranged his mus
tache said Lights - and stepped
forward as if bounding out af a box,
Just as the lady opened the cabinet
doors.
The reporters account Of the dark
sennce which followed is highly inter.
esting. In his place in the loft he had
arranged a shutter so as to get a streak
OF light past him down upon the stage.
1t says
. Out went the lights-every single
glim, stage lights and both circles. not
a single ray left except the reporters
stolen streak in the loft. The pro.
fessor slipped of 10 one wing and
turned his coat collar up over his white
shirt front aud collar. aud came in
with a dark lantern Of great power.
Once he opened this and threw a food
Of weird light around. This was to
satisfy himself all was right-even TO
the reporter. Then be shut it of
with a bang aud slipped again into the
wings. At the same moment that he
stopped down and picked Nd a pair Of
tambourines, Earring them slightly. q
hguTe in white, suspiciously Of the
build and shape ola lady who had been
his assistant. glided forwarded. As
she passed him he shook tho tambou
rines slightly, holding them behind his
back. lie did this for the reason that
they were coated with phosphorus and
we're not to be shown Except TO the
reporter) until Che spiritual light
was wanted. Tho white figure glided
forward. 1t reached the front az The
stage and Mr.. Everett gave the tam.
bourines a shake. Now the spirit fell
with its foot-which was certainly not
less than No. E-for the narrow plat.
form laid out to the oegter ofthe au.
dienee, and there was another shake
Of the tombourines. IL stepped
slowly ont on the same, and con.
tinuous shakes Of the music began.
1t moved forward, raised its hands and
arms. The presence strew spiritual
ilowers upon you, said a voice, the
Professors slightly altered. The au.
dience Sas still as the grave. Bang
went one OF thc tambourines, and IN
It Few in the air, aud describing an
Qblong returned To the erofogsor.
maskiBg is track with a triin Of phos
] nhnFlu Ilaa -