River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-06-17
STRANGE SPIRITS.
| wonderful Deeds Performed by a
| Medium.
Portland Oregon Telegram.

Wonderful Deeds Performed by n
Medium.
Portland Oregon Telegram.
Upon the invitation of a lady, who is
a firm believer III the doctrine of the
spiritualists, a Telegram reporter attend
ed seance few evenings since at the
house of a gentleman who lives in the
upper part of the city, and whose wife
possesses considerable powers. A small
crowd of ladies and gentlemen were
found in the parlor, and after an ex-
ceptionally good supper preparations
were made by which the lady would be
enabled to display her ability as med
ium. Just here the Telegram wished to
remark that in the crowd were two
prominent ministers and several of our
most cultured women. The room was
darkened and the lady took a seat in
the middle of the room. The chair on
which she sat was carefully examined
by those present. She was stongly
bound to the sides and wings, and at q
given signal the lights were all turned
out. No sooner was this done than the
most bewitching music was heard. Some
one appeared to be playing on the piano
i'll the opposite end of the room. Before
the lights we've put out the piano was
seen to be closed, and one or two parties
who were skeptic on spiritualistic pow
ers were given seats near by,
and told to keep their eyes on
perhaps three minutes, to the great as
constituent of those present. At a
given signal the lights were turned on,
and the piano stood closed as before,
and the lady was seen to be tied to the
chair, and to all appearances had not
moved. This was indeed wonderful
but the manifestations which followed
were more so. The lady was tied to
the chair as before, the piano was
closed and locked and the key given to
lhe reporter of the Telegram. AT a
given signal the servant turned down
the gas, and no sooner had he done SO
than the piano lid was heard TO fly
open, hands We're detected moving on
the keys, and when the lights were
turned up the lady sat at the piano
bound to the chair as before, with the
single exception of her hands, which
were loosed. This was an unrivaled
performance and one calculated to
stagger the incredulity Of those who by
nature or by education are inclined to
sheer at the evidences of spiritualism.
But more wonderful performances were
still to follow Still bound to the chair
the lady was carried to the opposite
side of the room from the piano. To
the rungs were strongly fastened pieces
of rope, the ends of which were given
to two ministers. Again the lights were
turned down. Every person held their
breath; not n sound was heard; not
movement could be detected. When
the gas was dashed on for moment
the lady was seen reclining ON sofa in
the other end of the room, while the
chair in which she had been tied was
seen on the top of the piano. Another
moment Of darkness and silence and
the gas was again turned on the scene,
and there the lady sat in the chair
bound as before. Everything occu-
pied the exact relative position it
did before the gas was turned off The
ministers still held the ends of the two
ropes, and there was no evidence of
anything having moved. This was not
enough, however. More convincing
evidences of the lady's wonderful pow
ers were to follow. She was with great
difficulty unbound from the chair in
which she had sat during all Of these
manifestations. The chair itself was
bound to the legs of the piano as Sc
curely as the lady had been bound to it.
al present then gathered about the
m edium, but did not touch her in any
manner or form. Giving a signal to
the colored waiter he turned down the
gas, and in just seventy-tive seconds n
voice was heard in the other end of the
room commanding him to turn it up
again. This he did, and 10, the chair
was seen detached from the piano sit
ting in the middle of the room, and the
lady herself bound III it as before. No
ona moved, and the gas being again
turned down and again turned ON, the
chair was seen bound to the piano and
the lady sitting in the middle of the
party rs before This wonderful perform
ance covered all present with confusion,
and it is not too much to say that the
doubling Thomases who attended went
away convinced of the truth of spiritu-
allistic interposition and the power of
mediums. The other performances
consisted in the lady being bound in the
chair so tightly by the unknown powers
that the living could not unloosen her,
and in rcceining communications from
the departed. There was no fraud or
deceit practiced, but all was above board.