The Portland daily press., 1886-10-22
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
ANNA EVA FAY


medium, with her assistants, Profs Hearne
and Williams, amused a crowded house at
City Hall last evening. The audience found
erected upon the stage an enclosure of wood
and cloth, with sliding curtain in front,
ana near 1t the guitar, tambourine, bells,
strips OF CLOTH cords etc., used in such ex-
hibitlons. Prof. Hearne, who did the talk
ing during the performance, said that Miss
Fay took the middle ground, as it is called,
in accounting for the manifestations; that is,
that they were due to scientific causes, but
that if theperformers believed that they were
caused by some power outside of Miss Fay,
that they had right to their belief and the
audience had the right to come to any con-
illusions they pleased. The majority of the
audience probably decided that the per-
Torrance consisted of tricks and sleight-of-
hand which many Of them had seen before.
Miss Fay is a tall blonde and rather good
looking.
A committee being called for by the Pro-
fessor from the audience to examine the
apparatus and see if they could detect the
modus operandi, Capt. Henry Spear and
Rev. Henry Blanchard were nominated
upon the committee. The committee first
tied the lady's arms behind her with cloth,
sewed through the knots, pasted green
court plaster over the cloth and tied the
medium to stanchion in the centre of the
enclosure, Then they tied cloth around
her neck, and that was nailed to the stan
chion, the performer sitting with her back
to it. A lot of the usual manifestations fol-
INr nd mia he. az
closure. The guitar and tambourine played,
bells rung, piece of cloth around the medi-
um's neck was tied, and papers were thrown
out with names written on'them. Rev. Mr..
Blanchard sat in the enclosure and said
afterwards that the medium apparently
didn't move, although the guitar did play
and he thought he felt the touch of fingers
upon his arm. Mr.. Blanchard stated also
that he acted upon the committee with
reluctance, having in common with great
many others, desire to learn how these
things were done and serving only as the
representative of the audience
When Miss Fay was finally cut loose, the
other Professor appeared and the two did
some tricks with cards and the naming of
articles belonging to members of the audi
ence; At the conclusion, Mr. Harvey ID.
Hadlock arose and asked If he might put
some questions. He then asked what is the
best hand In draw poker? and the Professor
promptly answered that he didn't know, to
the great amusement of the audience. Prof.
Hearne then shut himself up in the enclos-
ure and went through the Lyman test, pro-
ducing manifestations after being bound
with rope. Miss Fay, Capt. Spear and a
lady from the audience, who went into such
trance as to arouse suspicious that she
might be connected with the troupe, sat in
q row before the enclosure, with the curtain
thrown over them, leaving their heads only
visible, and manifestations ensued i'm proper
form, concluding with the throwing of lot
OF flowers from the enclosure. After this.
a plaster OF paris on pane of glass was
made to rap, and the performance closed.
NIGHT OFF.
This morning the sale of seats will COM
mence at Portland Theatre for the perform
ances of the comedy of "a Night Off," to be
given on Monday and Tuesday next, by
Sheppard's carefully selected star comedy
company. The play had great run at
Days, New York, and was the comedy
event of the season. 1t is not only amusing
it Appeals to the most exacting taste while it
delights everybody. The play will be adj
mirably staged, the management supplying
the most of the scenery, while the stage
dressing Is said to be magnificent. 1t is to be
hoped that lovers of the drama will not allow
this good thing to come and 90 without
anordlng 1t a liberal patronage.
TREBELLLBETTINI.
1t is well known that Mr.. Stockbridge has
been compelled to forego the pleasure of pre-
senting to Portland public Fraul. Lii Leh-
mann, of the Grand Opera Company, the
present season. He has, however, made an
engagement that will more than offset the
loss. He has secured for soloist at the Bos-
ton symphony Orchestra concert the world
famous contralto, Nine. Treoelli-Bettini
Nine Trebelli, as she is generally called,
has been for some years the favorite con-
tralto OF the English musical world, the pet
OF both fashionables and musicians. She
was heard in opera in New York in Abbey
great company with which he opened the
Metropolitan Opera House few years ago.
AS an artist she ranks with Crewelli,
Titiens, Adelina Patti, Pauline Lucca.
and Desiree Artot Trebelli maintains her
art in its best and highest sense. In these
days when voices no longer have the COM
pass nor tinabre they formerly possessed /;
when genuine vocalism seems on the decline,
1t Is great treat as well as a great awak-
ener to what is possible in music, to listen to
SO grand an artist as Trebelli-Bettini.
NOTES.
The Haydns will give elijah" in three
weeks, to be followed later by 1.-THE Mes
Robson 81 Crane will appear at Portland
Theatre two nights, November I'd and Sd. On
Tuesday evening, November I'd, they will
play Merry Wives of Windsor" and on
Wednesday evening the bill will be 'She
StOOpS to COnuuerD