Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-29
MRS. HULL EXPOSED
The Story of Manager McNicker-A
Dummy on the sofa Fills the
Place Of the Medium,
While She PersOnates the Spirits OF the
Dear Departed of Many OF the Vic
Tins of Her Artful Powers.
New York sun.


sYou may qno.e me as saying that | saw
the pretended materializinS medium, Mrs.
Hull, exposed as a iraud on Sunday night
last" said the theatrical manager, j. II. Nc
Wicker, when a Sun reporter asked his
version of an occurrence that has created
a good deal of remark among believers IN
Spiritualism.
"The way it occurred was this" cont nued
Mr. McVicker. "A company gathered at a
private house Ky invitation TO see some mar
velous Undertaking. phenomena to be pro-
duced by Mrs. Hull, who has been Tor some
time astonishing many visitors at the house
of Mr.. Hatch, IN Astoria. The only gentle
men visitors present were Mr.. j. b. SammIs,
secretary OF the Rubber Cushion Axle Com
pany, DR.. Collins and myself. There were
eleven ladies. Most Of the party were Spirit
ualists and believers in Undertaking. mani
festations. / was invited by Mr.. Sammis,
and, so far as / know, there was no intention
to attempt any exposure. Mrs. Hull was &C
companied by her husband, very gentle
manly person. l am free to confess that l
had not much faith in Mrs. Hull's ability to
produce materialized spirits"
The seance was held at the house OF lady
who was not suspected OF any collision. The
spectators sat in front parlor, and curtain
was stretched across doorway leading TO a
small back room in which was a lounge. 1t
was pretended that Mrs. Hull would lie on
this lounge while the materialized spirits
appeared outside the curtain. When the
so-called spirit forms appeared in the door.
way they pulled aside the curtains and fixed
them carefully back, so that the spectators
could see form on the lounge. The light
in our room was rather bright, but IN the
back room where the lounge was the light
was rather dim.
This made me suspicious from the first
[ was satisfied not only that the form on the
sofa was not that of Mrs. Hull, but | also
distinctly recognized Mrs. Hull's features IN
the so-called spirit forms. But L did not
wish to make a scene, so | said and did moth
ing. The alleged spirits beckoned the various
members of the party to approach, and asked
whether they recognized any relatives. II
the spectator asked, SIS it mother? or Is II
aunt?' the spirit always said Yes. One
Young girl said she recognized the spirit Of
her mother. She was permitted to give the
spirit form an affectionate embrace. L was
myself called up, but could not recognize the
spirit. All the materialized forms were those
OF females. A lady present said she rtceg'
nizsd one of the materiahzsd forms as that
of Mrs. Hull, with set of false teeth taken
out Some of us noted suspicious reap
pearance of the same pieces OF illusion
worked with cyeJonRe that partly concealed
the face. Others neted that the gloves and
other attachments Of the different spirits
were similar"
Finally one of the spirits beckoneG TO DR.
Collins who was sitting in the most distant
part of the room. What followed the ap
pearance of DR.. Collins Is related by DR.
Sammis as follows:
THE medium made no objection TO our
sitting quite near and approaching the spirit
DIR. Collins advanced closely as others had
done. When he got near enough to see he
became satisfied that the spirit was Mrs
Hull. He reached out his arm to embrace
the spirit, and as soon as he got firm hold o.
her waist, he whirled her out into the middle
of the room amid the aston'shed spectators
Mrs. Hull screamed, and her husband, who
had beep sitting beside the curtain, appar'
emily taking no part in the performance
suddenly sprang forward and grappled with
Dr.. Collins, seeking to release Mrs. Hull
But the doctor is strong young fellow and
held on until the lights were turned up.
"eYou don't understand the laws govern
ing these things shouted Mr.. Hull, as he
peppered the doctor.
awe understand that this is fraud re-
plieS the doctor, holding Mrs. Hall tight in
one arm while he defended himself as well
as he could with the other. The struggle
was brief, and Mrs Hull soon got free anG
ran for her quarters behind the curtains
But intercepted her, and called upon some
of the ladies to 90 and see what was on the
lounge. They did so, and found that, In
stead of Mrs. Hull, there was a neat dummy
made of the blankets supplied to her to pre-.
vent her from catching cold while she was in
her alleged trance. There they also found q
large part of the spirits, including the ilu-
sion veil, the cre'onne, and other familiar at.
tachments. The exposure was perfect, and
from beginning to end Mrs. Hull had moth.
ing TO ray. She was pale, nervous and
frightened. Mr.. Hull was painting and ex'
cited, and vigorously insisted that the COM
pany did not know the laws governing the
thing Mrs. Hull is about forty-eight year,
old, OF medium hight and slight build, and
has dark eyes and pale face. She has be,
come noted for her materializations, and
held many seancss at Astoria. Some OF hel
exhibitions were given before Henry Ward
Beecher. She is apparently in ill health
and after the exposure was the picture o.
desoIation and despair"