The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-16
TRICKS OF MEDIUMS.
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 kellar, the we'll known magician aud conlurer, fes days ago cor tided his views of spiritualistic mediums to Philadelphia reporter. He 6rst got into the business by travelling with the D aven- port brothers. "Their father," said he, "was an old man then and he used to tell me over and over that his sons were true mediums oi spiritual power, and that they were called to that mission by divine will. Well. he being an old man and l boy, of course believed him, especially when saw their inexp .icahle tricks. 1 looked on the brothers with awe, and travelled with them tor eight years as an assistant. Finally, filled with q pious desire to serve the spirits little myself, l got hold of a rope alone. 1 tied my hands the best could initiate the brothers. to sort of coax the spirits, but they acted as if they didn't care for my services, and whether wanted my yself tied or united had to do 1t myself. studied knots awhile and practiced them, and finally got one of the other assist. auts to tic me. The result gra,i6ed me, fer found could just manage to get out l kept or trying and found could get ort of the rope, let him tic 1t as he would. Skepticism had already set in, and soon found myself working at the other tricks of the brothers and could do many Of them, About this time Fay, who was the old manager of the brothers, tound out that had discovered their secrets, and we at once started up a com pany of two and struck of on our own account. We have travelled all over the world and have seen all the tricks going You hear great stories about the tricks of Eastern jugglers, and great many of them are pure yarns. saw newspaper article just the other day that was full ol them, such as a man throwing a ribbon up in the air, climbing up out of sight, falling down in pieces, and putting him. self together and all that IL isn't so The European magicians are far superior to the orienials.
 "But 1t is the mediumis ic tricks that l am bent on exposing, without hurting the business of any reputable juggler. To begin with. think tha, spiritualism puts more people in the insane asylum than anything else except liquor. Bu. we can excuse the majority ot ,he spiritual ists when great men allow themselves to be so easily fooled For ins tance, 1 was the assistant at private seAnce which the Davenport brothers gave in London to a number of gentlemen, among whom VI ere Dion Boucicault, Charles Reade, AL gernon Borthwick, Lord Burrey, Captain lngleheid and others. The brothers were both tied in their cabinet. Lord Burrey stepped up and leaned over one of them to examine the knot, when the other quickly slapped him on the back. There was murmur in the room. These great men were struck with awe. Now, let me tell you, this rope trick depends upon mere physical dexterity, and the slap was made like a flash and pretty hard {; but here is the description Dion Bouci- cault wrote of it.: A small. white, deli. cate female hand suddenly appeared above one of the doors of the cabinet. lt quivered for several seconds and then, slowly descending. tapped Lord Burey gently on the shoulder and then melted in air
 "lt is just in this way that otherwise sensible people allow their senses to be deceived and their i'm msginations preyed upon.
 "The celebrated theosophist Engling- ton completely dumbfounded me in Cal. cutta- Three Of us were seated by plain round table. Two states were brought in. l took the two acd washed and ~iped them clean. He then gave me little piece of slate pencil, which put between the two clean states. He took hold of one corner with one hand and 1 took hold with the other. We then clasped our flee hands and held the slstes under the table. Presently there was a noise as of the pencil writing, and when we opened the slate beheld the follow ing: My name is Ceav. Don't you remember me2 We used to joke of this matter at the s. George. know better now
 "I remarked, q know no one by the name of Geary.' The slate was put under the table again, and the word 'Ceary, CeaIy,' wAs written several times. Other states were put under, and one vas brought out with this on 1t, T am Allied CeaIy. You knew me and St. L.ger.'
 Then remembered having met both men at Cape Toxn in South Africa, four years before. Ccary had died three years before. Ceary and had joked about spiritualism at the S.. George hotel in tha; to~n thousands of miles away. Well, had to confess didn't know how the thing was done, and paid my forfeit. But the mystery is now clear. learned 1t several years afterwards. Al the hall in Cape Town. Africa, where performed, there was a janitor named Hutchinson, . great spirituaiist Engiington had been there just after l leh, and, of course, Hutchinson told him all about me. Thafs how he got his information, for the spiritual letter asd mediums are always preparing themseivss h this way. l AS to how he wrote the communicafion on the sIate, found thst ont, too, and | have done 1t before the Siebest commis- sios, which is investigating spisitualism, l and viii soon report They hsvs had Stade asd Lord and great many alleged | mediums before them.
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