Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-08-14

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File. aiiaianSe sat 81: tie fs3ar abjtst
IN :.s.::., - 49,: ~: .,.Ar had no way Of
concealing themselves or hide anything.
At their request examined them and
satisfied myself that they had nothing
about them. Then one Of the women
stepped into the inclosure, the rest re-
naming behind the spectators, who
formed q close ring about them. The
light was now turned down little, and
in q moment the womans face began to
be illnmincd by ghostly light that ex-
tended quickly over her entire body.
She then began to move round and
round, uttering q low, ml,rmuring sound
the while. gradually qnickening
the pace until she was whirling
about like a top. A moment of this
and the light thai had chung
about her seemed to be whirled off by
centrifugal force and assumed a pillar
like form before her, As soon rs this
was accomplished she stopped, turned,
and began to mold the light with her
hand, and though I could distinctly see
her hands move through the light as if
were cloud, it began to assume human
FORM We saw the arms, hands, and
legs all nodded, and finally facc and
head gear. She next called for light,
and, the candles being reiighted, there
stood an utter stranger, a native SEEM
inely evolved out of cloudland. He
stepped forward and grasped me by the
hand; his hands were moist, as if with
preparation, and he was e very healthy
spirit. After he had talked and drank
q glass OF rack he took his place beside
the woman again and began to whirl
about.
1.-The lights were dimmed, but not SO
that we could not see, and in few mo-
ments the figure began to fade, soon
assuming the appearance Of pillar or
form of light and then attaching itself
to the woman and seemingly being ab-
sorbed by her All this was done in a
very short space of time, before the
eyes of at least fifty people, and not ten
feet. from myself. The girl appeared
greatly exhausted afterward. Now,
this would be explained by the spirit
ualist as a naturalization and by the
psychological society as some new sense
or power. ETC., but, between you and I,
who know that all things can be ex-
planned by cold facts, it was merely
a clever trick, so skillfully done that I
did not discover it in any way or shape.
':The man next took his place in the
ring, and handing me large, highly
ornamerted saber, he said: In five
minutes by the clock wish You to be-
head me- I objected, Of course. but
he insisted, and said it had been done
dozen times, SO I finally agreed. He
was searched, and i'll the dim light be-
gan to comfort himself, in strange posi-
lions until lie seemed to grow percepti-
bly, smaller, aud finally stood before us
SO gauzy that I thought I could see
right through him. It was now five
minutes, so I took the saber and struck
a light blow, only sufficient to knock q
man over, when to my horror the blood
spurted into my face and the head
dropped with thud upon the floor.
AS soon as it fell the body. stopped and
picked it up, held it in the air, then
placed it upon the shoulders. The full
light being turned On, there stood the
$1AnuC> 1AA1ufs huSI wal
"The following day another perform
ance was given At midday that was
even more wonderful. The giant, as I
called him, caused the audience to sit
on grass plat, leaving circle OF about
twenty-five feet across, and in this the
jugglers took their places, the giant
opening the entertainment by taking
roll of ribbon and by dextrous toss
sending tup fifty feet or SO, where
we distinctly saw small hawk dart at
it and carry it up higher until we near
ly lost sight OF it. It then seemed to
enter "a cloud Snar, I assumed, was
caused by something burning on the
ribbon, but from the cloud came
sliding down, first, dog, then
snake--a good, big one too
that wriggled off the moment 1t
touched tine ground, and was captured
by one of the men, Then a larger OBJ
ject was seen gliding along, and one
of the women leaping forward received
and held it out to the crowd, a laughing
native baby. The giant had all this
time held the end of the ribbon, and
releasing 1t it seemed to disappear in
the air, at any rate we saw it no, more.
A few moments latter they all joined
hands and began to move about rapidly.
When they moved to the right I dis
tinctly counted twelve persons in the
circle, when they changed the move
ment we saw only eight and some APP
peared to be standing in the CENTER"