Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-26
THE MYSTERY OF ELECTRICAL GIRLS


Hursttis the reigning Eastern sensation.
She floors the strongest men by simply
placing her hands upon a stick they grasp;
she waltzes sage and specialized scientists
about the stage, by grasping an umbrella
to which they are invited to cling She
sweeps the floor with muscular carmen.
and the adopts Of the prize-ring, by lightly
holding in the middle billiard cue, both
ends of which they grasp. She holds an
umbrella by the staff while another SEXES
it midway between her hands, and it is
suddenly turned inside out, and rudely
snatched away without perceptible effort on
her part. She places her palms on either
side chair in which heavy person sits,
and the chair and sitter are gently lifted
from the floor, and the victim then sud
denly cast out
Electrical most girls are; they exercise a
power over men that is gracefully con-
coded But it is not such as is
manifest in the case Of Miss Hurst
But she controls women as We'd
as men. and hence even gallantry
viii not down curiosity, as to the source Of
her phenomenal powers, for they rise supe-
nor to sexual influences. 1t has been
charged that she is really female Samp-
son, and that ali her feats are purely mus
cular But in the face of the testimony of
many witnesses who have been the sport Of
her strange power, this idea must be dis
carded. Learned physicians and psycholo-
gists have advanced the doctrine that the
principle of Suggestion explains the
mystery. That is to say, her power over
the mind Of the yictimis such that she inn
presses him with the idea that he is resist
ing her, when III fact he IS doing precisely
what She wishes. As for instance, that
when one Of the eXperimenters grasps the
stick She holds, and attempts to pull it
away from her white hands he really
eXerts ali his muscular energy in an OPP
positc direction, and IS thus apparently
dragged about by Miss Hurst though she
but rests her palms upon the rod. This
theory of ' suggestion is not new 1t is
q recognized force, or rather the result Of
remarkable powers which are not clearly
defined. except as to results. But opposed
to this theory we have the positive tesd-
mony Of witnesses who aver that great
physical force is expended in opposition to
Miss Hurst, and that still she succeeds in
defeating all opponents The test as to
whether this resistance has been real, has
been proved by mechanical means As to
her being phenomenon Of strength, and
that She actually controls by muscular
energy it is responded that her pulse re
mains at normal stage her respiration is
not quickmcd, and the usual evidences Of
muscular e2ertion are wholly wanting,
while in the victim they are violently and
exhaustiyciy manifest.
Mr. Dowd, the New York athlete, at
tcmpts to explain Miss Hwst's powers on
die theory Of muscular trickery force APP
piled strage;icaliy. Thus when Lulu puts
her hand on the stick held by the victim
her arm is full extended in which posi-
ton it is most powerful By unseen and
adroit action of the triceps muscles she
repels the subject; he resists, instantly
she reverScs her force, and the victim still
resisting, comes piUnging toward her by
his own effort. But this explanation is no;
satisfactory
All these things come to us upon state
ments published in the Eastern press. and |
to proceed al all we must assume their
accuracy, and this there is no good reason
to doubt That granted, the inquirer is |
landed in a profound mystery. Lulu |
Hurst is not the first electrical girl Of whom
the world has knowledge. The girl Of La
Perriere, Angeique Coffin, was quite as
remarkable as Miss Hurst. BY placing her |
open hand for instance, upon a wooden
bench on which three persons. aggregating
600 Pc ands weight, were seated, tae load