The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-08-01
Exposure of Mind Reading.

The Subject of Mind-reading is at
tracing considerable attention in Lon
don, and Mr.. L%abouchere, the editor Of
London Truth, has been publicly ex-
posing the tricks Of the readers and
bitterly denouncing the imposition in
his journal. So savagely has he attacked
Irving Bishop, a noted performer, that
he was sued last week for libel and the
damages are laid at a large amount.
The following is the interview Mr.. La
bouchere had with Stuart Cumberland,
Q rival performer, which led to the suit
MIR. Stuart Cumberland called upon
me one day last week to explain to me
how he succeeds in finding pins in 9th
er such manifestations" If a person
will concentrate his thoughts upon an
object, and if any one-whose percep-
tive faculties are properly trained
takes his hand, the operator will be,
Mr.. Cumberland explained, inevitably
drawn to the spot where the object is.
"Thought-reading, then, I said, ais
muscle reading" "To a certain ex-
tent, he replied, "but not absolutely.
You have to watch for other indications
for instance, if I find myself close to the
article thought Of, the hand of some sub
jects gets hot, in others the pulse quick
ems. You must watch these indications
as we'll rs the muscles" s'But, surely
you must have had a confederate when
you tied yourself to a man by a
string, and found an object
concealed by him." NO. he said:
II could feel the string dragging one
way, and 1 followed the indication.
When 1 came near the object the string
trembled. This is the simple explana-
ton of the mystery" "And do you
mean to say that you can take hold of a
persons hand with II of your hands,
and with the other write a series OF
numbers that he is to think of?'
Certainly not" he replied; "the per.
sons hand must grasp the hand with
which I write; my hand remains al
most passive, and he without knowing
it, himself writes the numbers WELL"
1 said, II will think of something in
this room. and we will see if you can
discover it." I thought of a little card
case that vas lying on the table. Mr..
Cumberland blind-folded himself.
"Why do you do that?" 1 said.
"That my own thoughts should not be
diverted from what I am doing" He
took my hand; in a minute or two he
approached, the table, lowered over the
various articles upon it, and finally
placed my hand upon the. card case. T
had thought all the while of this article
and l could feel my hand involuntarily
drawing him towards it. It would take
a person a long time to acquire Mr..
Cumberland's powers of PERCEPTION; but
any one a realize how the trick-if l
may call it SOS done, by thinking Of
some object On o table, and getting a
friend to grasp his hand and try to dis
cover it. He has only to concentrate
his thoughts upon the object and
the exact place where it is, in order
to find that his hand resists when
ever it is sought to divert it
from the direction towards the OBJ
ject which it, apparently of itself, strives
to approach. In fact, the thought acts
upon the muscles much in the same way
as the desire to grasp something causes
the hand to graspit it. In both cases the
muscles Involuntary obey the brain.
"And how did Irving Bishop read the
number of a bank note that was en-
closed in an envelope without contact
with the only person who knew it" 1
asked. "To do 30 by what he terms
thought reading" Mr.. Cumberland
answered, els absolutely impossible.
Without contact you a obtain no in
dication Of what is passing in the brain
OF another person, as you may perceive
yourself if you have understood my e1-
PLANTATION"
aThen the thing was a swindle." I
said. Nh. Cumberland smiled. aAnd
the mental picture which he processes
to see?" Mr.. Cumberland smiled again.