The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-08-13
MIND READING.

The subject of undertaking is
attracting considerable attention In
London. Mr. Labonchese. the editor
of the London Truth has teen pub
licly exporting the tricks OF readers
and bitterly denouncing The imposi-
ton in bis Journal. SO savsgeiy has
he attacked Irving Bishop, a noted
preformer. that he was sued last
week tor libel and the damages are
laid at a large amount The following
Is the account Of the interview Mr..
Dabouchere had with Stuart Gunner
land. b rival perfomar, which led to
the suit
Mr. Stuart. Cumberland called upon
me one day last week to explain to
me how he succeeds in finding pins
and ether such ''manite> taticns y
If person will concentrate his
thoughts upon an object. and if any
one-wh, Sc ~perceptive faculties are
properIv trained-take bis hand, the
operator will be, Mr.. Cumberland,
explained, inevitably drawn to the
spot where theis' "Though-reading
tnen,r l said, lis muscle reading"
ITO a certain tx tent" he replied
''buG not absolutely. You have TO
watch for other indication; for, in>ta-
nee. if l find myself clio to the
article thought OF, the hand of some
subjects gets hot, in other the pulse
uuickens. You must watch these
indications as well as the muscles
"But, surely, you must have had q
confederate when you tied yourself
to a man by q string, and found an
object conc led by him. NO" he
said; Il could feel the string dragging
one way. and l oilowed the indica-
ton w Ell l came a the object
the string trembled. This is the
simpled explanation of the mystery
And do you mean to say that
lou can take hold OF a PERSONS hand
with one of your hands, and with
the other write a series of numbers
that be is thinking of??' Certainly
not" he replied;;"the PERSONS hand
must grasp the hand with which l
write: my hand remains almost
passive. and he. without knowing il,
himself writes thu hunters
"Well,n I said, Il Will think of
in this room. and we will
see il you can discover it." l
thought Of a little card case that was
lying on tie table. Mr.. Cumber-
land blindfolied himself. why do
you do tha,?!' l said. THAT my
own thoughts should not be Diverted
from what l am DOING He took
my hand; in a minute Or two he
approchedthe table, lowered overthe
various articles upon ii, aud finally
placed my hand on the card case, /
had thought all tie while of this
article, and I could feel MY hand
iuvoluntarily drawing towards it
it would take a person along time to
acquire Mr.. Cun:berland's powers of
perception but any Il can realize
how the trick-if l may call it SOS
done, by thinking of some object or
a table, and getting a friend TO grasp
his hand and try TO discover it. He
has only TO concentrate his thoughts
upon the OF ject and the exact p!sce
where it is, in order to find that his
hand resists when ever it is sought to
divert 1t from same direction towards
the object which it. apra: emily of
itself, strives to arproch. In fact the
thought acts upon the muscles much
in.tLe same way as the desire to
grasp something causes the hand to
grasp it. In 10th cases the muscles
invlountarlly obey the brain. And
how did Irving Bishop read the
number Of a bank Hote that was
enclosed in an envelope without
contact with the only person who
knew liz" I asked. Ito do so by
what he terms thought-reading,'
Mr.. Cumberland answered, lis
absolutely impossible. Without
contact you al obtain 10 indication
OF what is pass ng in the brain of
another person, as you perceive
yourself if you have uDderstos d my
exp!anation.' "Then the thing was
a swindle." | said. MI. Cumberland
smiled, And the mental picture
which he processes to see??" MI.
Cumberland smiled again.