The Portland daily press., 1882-03-23
EMBRACING A SPIRIT FORM.
Mrs. Hull, the Medium. in the Ghosts
Clothes. and Flannel Dummy in Mrs.
Hull's.

"You may quote me as saying that saw the
pretended materializing medium, Mrs. Hull,
exposed as a fraud on Sunday night last" said
the theatrical manager, j. ii. McVicker, yes
terday, when Sun reporter asked his version
of an occurrence that has created good deal
of remark among believers in spiritualism.
THE way it occurred was this" continued
Mr.. McVicker. "a company gathered at pri-
yate house by invitation to see some marvel
lous Undertaking. phenomena to be produced
by Mrs. Hull, who has been for some time as
tonishing many visitors at the house of Mr..
Hatch in Astoria. The only gentlemen visi-
tors present were Mr. J. B. Sammis, Secretary
of the Rubber Cushion Axle Company; DIR.
Collins and myself. There were eleven ladies.
Most of the party were spritualiss and be-
levers in materializing manifestation. I was
invited by Mr.. Sammis and, so far as I know,
there was no intention to attempt any expos
ure. Mrs Hull was accompanied by her hus-
band q very gentlemanly person. l am free
to say that had not much faith in Mrs. HulPs
ability to produce materialized spirits
1.-THE seance was held at the house OF lady
who was not suspected of any colluslon. Inc
spectators sat in a front parlor, and curtain
was stretched across doorway leading to
small back room in which was 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 doorway she pulled aside
the curtains and fixed them carefully BACK, IS. SO
that IKE 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. L
was satisfied not only that the form on the sofa
xxro5 pnffh hot nfh Mrs. III mil m
ly recognized Mrs Hulls features in the So
called spirit FORMS But did not wish to
make scene, SO said and did nothing. The
alleged spirits beckon ed the varions members
of the party to approach, and asked whether
they recognized any relatives. Ii the specta-
tor asked, Is it mother? or is it 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 atfec-
tionate embrace / was myself called up, but
could not recognize the spirit. All the materi-
allied forms were those of females a lady
present said she recognized one OF the materl-
allied forms as that of Mrs. Hull with set OF
false teeth taken out. Some OF us noted sus-
picious temperance of the same pieces OF IL
fusion worked with cretonne that partly con-
cealed the face. Others noted that the gloves
and other attachments OF the different spirits
were similar"
Finally one of the spirits beckoned to Dr.
Collins who was sitting in the most distant
part of the room. What followed the appear
ance of DIR. Collins is related by Mr.. Sammis
as follows: %
The medium made no objection to our sitting
quite near and approaching the spirit Dr.
Collins advanced closely as others had DONE
When he got near enough to see he became
satified that the 'sspirit'' was Mrs. Hull. He
reached out his arm to embrace the spirit, and
as soon as he got firm hold OF her waist, ne
whirled her out into the middle OF the room
amid the astonished spectators. Mrs. Hull
screamed, and her husband, who had been sit
ting beside the curtains, apparently taking no
part in the performance, suddenly sprang for
ward 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.
"You don't understand the laws governing
these things" shouted MIR. Hull, as ne pepper
ed the Doctor.
"We understand that this is a fraud re-
piled the Doctor, holding Mrs. Hull 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 ana run ior
her quarters behind the curtains. But l inter-
cepted her, and called upon some OF the ladies
to go and see what was on the lounge. They
did SO, and found that, instead OF Mrs. Hull,
there was neat dummy made OF the blankets
supplied to her to prevent her from catching
cold while she was in her alleged trance. There
also they found a large part of the spirits, IN
Guiding the illusion veil, the cretonne, and 9th
er familiar attachments. The exposure was
perfect, and from beginning to end Mrs. Hull
had nothing to say. She was pale, nervous and
frightened. Mr.. Hull was painting and excit-
ed, and vigorously insisted that the company
did not "know the laws governing this thing"
Mrs Hull is about 4S years old, of medium
height and slight build, and has dark eyes and
a pale face She has become noted for her
INSTALLATIONS, and held many seances in AS
toria Some of her exhibitions were given be-
fore Henry Ward Beecher She is apparently
in i'll health, and after the exposure was the
picture of desolation and despair.-N 7. Sun.