The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-06
sOIENrIgIO TEs rs.
How Miss Fay, the SpiritaaIist, HOaxed
Professor CroOkes.


lowing is port of an interview between
a reporter OF the Pail Mall Gazette and Mr..
Msskelyne, 1.-THE ST. George of the SPIRITUAL
istic Dragon:
Professor Crookes is always held up as an
apostle OF tpirituslism," l said, and his
name universally quoted by the believers al
the scientific authority on the subject, sone
even goiDg so far IS to say that his investiga-
tons have assisted him in some of his scien-
tine discoveries. Do you know anything
sbout he matte
"A good DEAL" answered Mr.. Maskelyne,
with quiet smile, bat then my experiences
OF Mr.. CTookes is solely through Miss Fay
and her seances. Perhaps / had better de-
scribe her method OF working, SD that you
may judge for yourself. On the 18th of May,
1875. / received letter from Miss Cor Mrs, 1
never could fnd out which, Fay's manager,
and most illiterate thing it was in winch
he offered 10 expose all the scientific tests
applied to her by Professor Crookes and
Others il ! would guarantee a sum OF money.
| declined 10 do So as | considered that
there was nothing requiring explanation
more than l could do myself, bat | valued
the letter Is proving my theory that the lit.
tie woman had fooled the Professor. Some
time after that the manager informed me
that certain eminent spiritualists had paid
Miss Fay visit, and that she had left very
hurriedly for America, leaving him behind.
VI CCuIEO, bc1UI6 All6 IcCtiDL Oh tul5 l6LkcT. L
was perfectly we'll acquainted with the whole
of Miss Fsy's modus operandi, which has
never yet been properly explained TO the
public, the description given by Irving
Bishop and bis pupil, Stuart Cumberland
being ridiculously incorect-ss they we'll
know. l will show you the exact method.
ut may be remembered that Miss Fays
performances was managed in this way.
There was three sided screen erected upon
q raised stand, with curtain 10 draw down
in The 'front.'. Her husband after giving q
lecture (2) introduced fascinating little
blonde; some strips of calico about yard in
length were provided, and the committee
appointed by the audience were requested 10
assist Mr.. Fay in tying. the medium. The left
wrist wss taken and the strip securely fast.
ened round it, and the knots were sewn up
with thread by the committee. The right
wrist vas then tied behind her back with
the ends OF the stane strip, about Eve inches
from the left, but in the manner we'll known
to coDiurers, the sllp-knot, so that the
hand could be easily freed. Look heren
And Mr.. Maskelyne whipped a piece
Of black tape from his pocket. and within
minute had tied first my right and then nay
left wrist with double knots, and, as 1
thought, in the secUrest manner. Try and
get out or that" he said: there's eIip
knot there" l tried without avail. aud
could lot even find the slip, so clsveTlY was
1t concealed. LOOK, " be went on this Ia
all that's required" And without using
any Of the force that had. he drew back a
seemingly firm and fair knot with his finger
and thumb, and the bonds fell from my
hand. Round this strip" he proceeded, "a
loop ef the same material was passed aud
fixed to staple behind the medium. No
sooner had the curtain dropped than the
manifestations began, an as soon as they
stopped the medium was found securely
bound. Now suppose the committee had in-
sisted on sewing up the rght.hsnd knots as
well, as at rare intervals they did,
the contrefemps was met thus. Tbs
med UNI bad knife concealed in her dress.
and with il she would cut Off her bonds close
up IN the left wrist, Teattach square loop
which with foresight she al ways kept in her
packet, do what she had TO do. and get her
hand back into her own slip knot, 20 that
when the committee came to examine the
bonds they could not discover the cheat, es
pecially SIS Miss Fay would always twist her
arms 80 as TO present the left wrist for the
bruDt of the examination. The seance would
conclude with pair of scissors being placed
IN the cabinet, when the spirits would be re-
quested to cut the bonds. By this cunning
artlhce t1e calico was chopped up beyoad rec.
ogDitiop, and it became, of course impossible
tc detect that a portion had been cut away
and piece substituted. Had the committee
themselves released her from the bonds with
out permitting the friendly interference OF
the spirits, they would have discovered the
cheet Irving Bishop actually explained
Miss Fay's method OF producing the mani
ftststions by saying that she never got her
hands free at all, but that by dislocating her
left shoulder she was able TO bring her hand
around in front. OF course that is sheer q IN.
sense. There is a general rule which, ii toll
lowed, will always stop the working of the
spirits. IL spectator wishes to secure per-
former let him insist upon using his own
material, not that provided by the medium
or bis friends II may, and should be, the
same material as that belonging TO the me-
dunn, so that no objection can reasonably
be made 10 employing them but it should
be Of 40 unusual color and secretly marked.
By using this precaution the bonds, If cut,
can not be substituted.
Mr.. Crookes frequently mentions test
by means of which Miss FAY satisfactorily
proved to the professional mind that. though
q medium. she was non-executant, aud this
was by clappipg. He thought that if tae
medium kept on clapping her hands TO.
gether while the manifestations went on IL
would be impossible for her to use them for
other purposes. Observe bis uusophistca.
tedness. which is innocent even unto green
nessi IL never occurred to him that IS soon
es the Medium was concealed from view, ia.
stead of beating her hands together she
could slap one against her forehead las
have often done before now, her bare arm
or other ex posed portion of the b Jdy y, and
that Der other hand would be free. This
WIS actually found ont to ID the
csse, not oniv with Miss Fay bat
later on with Miss Anderson, al imitstor
OF hers. who. when giving DARK ssaucs' in
the Isle of Wight, was discovered IN be 50
occupied by man turning DARK Lantern