The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-06-07
a sEANcE WITH AN AFrERPIEcE


thirty five cents per eapIta-did not pre-
vent one of the largest audiences we
have ever seen at Whitley's opera house
from assembling at that place Sunday
evening to attend the seance advertised
by j. Randall Brown, mind reader and
alleged spiritualIstic medium. 1t would
have been fairer for Mr.. Brown to have
stated the price of tickets in his adver-
tisem.nt, but we apprehend that this
would have not diminished to the extent
of fifty souls the size of his house or
materially depleted its proceeds. The
American people as rule have fond
ness for going TO see what they know
has never been witnessed, and they are
usually willing to pay well for the priv
ilege.
The undertaking, or the mental part
of Mr.. Browns entertainment was quite
interesting and established principle
of psychology which is quite gener-
ally recognized among students of that
department of mental science. His tests
were fair and convincing, and we be-
lieve that no suspicion of collision can
attach TO that part Of the performance,
which was conducted in the following
manner:
A committee, consisting of DIR. j. w.
Filkins, w. T. Soden, Dnra Hail and T.
G. Davidson was selected, who took
their seats upon the stage. at the re-
quest Of Mr.. Brown the committee Sc
lected a gentleman from the audience
| Mr.. l. E. Perley-who, during the alb
sence of Mr.. B. from the stage, secreted
cent between the folds of a pile OF
hose in the ante room adjoining the
ticket office. Mr.. Periey then stepped
upon the stage and was grasped BY the
left hand by Mr. Brown who raised Mr.
Prs hand to his forehead. Mr.. Brown
then demanded, as a condition of the
success Of the test that Mr.. Per!ey con-
centrate his mind with all possible force
upon the place where the coin was Sc
GREETED. He then started in quest of the
penny, leading Mr.. PerleY, and after
short time found 1t where 1t had been
placed by Mr. Z. Mr.. Brown explained
1
perfectly passive and was controlled by
that of Mr.. Perley, through whose eyes
he said he saw as through his own.
The next test was even more interest
ing. Col. ]. NJ. Steele was called upon
the stage and requested by Mr.. Brown
to concentrate his thoughts upon some
one person in the audience. Then
proceeding as in the same manner with
Mr.. Perley he passed through the aisles
several times leading the Colonel, blind
folded as before, and with the bandage
on his eyes picked 'out N. Whittlesey,
the person upon whom Col. Steele had
| fixed his mind.
The Professor then stated that he
would next perform a more delicate test
than either of the preceding ones
namely that any person whom the com
nittee might select could fix his
thoughts upon person in the audience
and that he would accurately describe
his features and afterward single him
out of the audience. This test was first
tried with 1. E. Lambert, but did not
succeed. The Professor stated that this
failure was as convincing as q success
would have been, as he was perfectly
under the control of Lambert's mind,
who had decided that the test could not
be accomplished, and therefore it was
impossible with such a subject. G. W..
Squires was then selected tor the same
test, and after passing through the audi
ence a number of times with Mr.. 3. the
professor accurately described j. s.
Richardson, and afterWard, without the
bandage, picked him out as the person
whom he had seen through Mr.. Squires
eyes. These tests were all accomplished
in the most satisfactory manner, clearly
proving the possibility of the action Of
mind upon mind, and establishing a
principle which is recognized by all
psychologists. and which can be ex-
planned upon purely rational and scien
tific grounds.
The so called spiritualistic manifesto
tions which followed, most of which
were performed inside of cabinet, were
simply such slight Of-hand performan
ces AS had been witnessed by large por
tion of the audience many times before
AMI We do not fancy that any one in thu
house was deluded into the belief thai
the clever tricks performed by Mr.
Brown were the result, as intimated by
him, of supernatural agency. These
manifestations consisted of passing {
metal ring from the right hand of ih'
person who held it to his left arm, tn
hand of which was grasped by the Pro
, fessor; the playing of musical instru
> ments inside of the cabinet while tn
hand of the oper ator was resting on tin
shoulder of the person occupying tn
cabinet with him; the alleged material
ization of spirits, &c.
A feature OF the performance which
: resulted in something of a sensation wa
a sitting with r. Walkup, who ex
pressed the desire t. receive commun
3 ication from a deceased friend, who's
Z he folded up and gave to the professor
J. The latter then held this name to hi
forehead, and directly went off into
suggestions trance, and in a series G
contortlons which followed it was state
y by spectators In one of the upper bOxe
p that the professor opened the paper an
y read the name of Andrew j. WalkuI
. which he signed to communication
addressed TO ]. r. Walkup. The fac
1 came TO the knowledge of the latter ger
j 1 hD Of "a N
: of the performance and denounced NJ
5 Brown as q fraud and humbug. Coz
siderable excitement ensued, and sewers
persons attempted to speak but by TIL
time the audience began to rus
&c out, and so the seance ended. Brow
D, defended himself upon the ground thu
re the mInd-reading alone was worth a
z that the people had paid to get into II
5, opera house, and we think it is only du
III that gentleman to say that that part I
his performance very generally realize
l. expectation.
le So far as the remainder of the progral
D. was concerned we perfectly concur
e the opinion of MIR. Walkup as tn the
IT fraudulent character as "spiritualistie
y manifestations, but We had supposed tn
70 every one who went to the opera houI
was prepared to be humbugged as
~ that part of the show.
lie == ----=
a Grand Work.
nj The report of the proceedings of u
annual meeting of the LADIES' Benev
- lent society will be found elsewhere
this paper, and affords an idea of Il
- noble work which is being accomplis
ed by this organization. 1t will be SCI
- that during the past year aid has be,
rendered IN fifty families and that vii