Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-12-21
MIR. CUMBERLHND,S MIND READ.
ING.
Henry Ward Beecher and Steela Mack.
aye Used as Subjects by an English
Expert.
New York World Nov. 1871

New York World Nov. 10.
Mr.. Stuart Cumberland arrived in this city
yesterday from England, and will make a
tour through the country, lecturing on
'Thought-Reading," and giving experiments
on both that and Spiritualism. Last night
at the Everett House, Mr.. Cumberland de-
livered q lecture to small audience of
clergymen and physicians and showed how
rapping could be produced by the medium
! independent of spirits Among those pre-
sent We're the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
the Rev. George H. Hepworth, Dr. George
M. Beard, DR.. A. B. Ball, Mr.. Steele Mack
aye, Meredith Clymer and Messrs Pond and
Edwards, Mr.. Cumberland's managers Mr.
Cumberland said before beginning his lee
ture and experiments that he did not be-
| lieve in Spiritualsm and that the secret of
thought-reading lay in the fact that if any
one concentrates his whole mind on any one
thing, any other person with whom the
thinker comes in physical contact will re-
ceive an impression OF what the subject is
thinking of. Mr.. Beecher was selected by
the lecturer as his subject and, after having
been blindfolded, was asked to fix his mind
on any particular thing in the parlor. Mr..
Cumberland then took Mr.. Beechers left
hand, and placing it to his forehead marched
Mr. Beecher around the room for few min
utes, and then suddenly letting 60 his hand
walked to one Of the gentleman present and
selected the gentleman's spectacles as the
object of Mr.. Beecher's attention. His guess
was correct.
Mr. Cumberland then handed Mr. Beecher
$40 gold piece and asked him to mark
with it any two places in the room, directing
him to fix his thoughts on one mark at
time. Mr.. Cumberland then left the room
and when he returned took Mr.. Beecher,s
hand and found the two places Mr. Beecher
had marked on the wall, and in the order
which he had marked them. Mr.. Cumber-
land then offered to tell any one who would
give him their hand any part of his body in
which he felt pain. DR.. Beard gave Mr..
Cumberland his hand, and much to the sur
prise of. the doctor his equity toe was dis
covered. Ten playing-cards were then placed
on the table in two rows, each card being
short distance from the next one. by which
Mr.. Cumberland proceeded to tell the num-
ber of q bank note in .certains persons
possession. Several futile attempts were
made, when Mr.. Beecher declared that it
was probably owing to the fact that Mr..
Cumberland had little knowledge of cards.
A nine of spades was finally selected as the
first number of the note, and then three of
hearts, nine Of clubs and an ace of hearts,
making the number of the note No. 1891.
The same method was followed in this ex-
pertinent as in the others; that is the sub
ject gave the lecturer his hand, according to
agreement, and thought in succession of each
figure in the number of the note. Mr.. Beech
er was then asked to look at the date of a
cent coin Mr.. Cumberland had not seen, and
after giving Mr.. Cumberland his hand to
imagine he saw the date three times its size
on piece of paper pinned against the wall.
Mr.. Cumberland then traced the date of the
cent-1861-on the paper.
The subject of Spiritualism was then
taken up by the lecturer. Mr. Cumberland
explained that Spiritualists. perform their
tricks on the well-known defects of sight,
hearing and feeling Mr.. Steele Mackay had
his eyes blindfolded and could seldom tell
where the sound produced by clicking two
silver dollars close to his person came from.