The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-06-17
Foster, the Medium.

some years ago, when Foster was
giving sittings on Girard street at 50 a
sit, he was visited by q friend of mine,
man of intellect and common sense,
and yet when he came away he was in
a completely dazed condition of mind,
not knowing what TO think about what
he had witnessed. Let me relate one
thing that amazed him. He was ush-
cred into a small reception room and
told to write his name on a piece of
paper and with his own hands seal it in
an envelope. He sat down before the
only table in the room and wrote his
name-we will assume il to be John
Smith-as directed, taking care to so
conceal the writing that it could not be
seen from above or from any other di-
rectiOn. He placed it in an envelope,
sealed it and held it in one hand. The
attendant then withdrew. In a few
moments Foster entered and eyed his
visitor with piercing glance, as though
reading his innermost thoughts. Sud
denly extending his right hand, he
CALCULATED, How are you, Mr.. John
Smith,"
The visitor started back in surprise,
as he was certain Foster had never
seen him before. "How do you know
my name?" he wonderingly inquired.
In deep tones Foster replied: ut is
written IN my blood" With that he
barred his left arm to the elbow, and
Selling the still sealed envelope from
Mr.. Smiths hand, crump!ed it vigor-
ously over the under and tender part of
his arm. Over that member spread
glow through which bright crimson
lines appeared, and in few moments,
emblazoned on the arm in fiery letters
of blood, was the name of John
Smith" The amazed visitor, at Fos-
ter's invitation, tried to wash the letters
out with water, but the more he rubb ID
the brighter they became, until he was
convinced-which was the fact-that
the letters were beneath the skin and
were caused by the mans own blood.
Wonderful you say, and that is what 1
said when L first heard of it. But l
didn't believe it was supernatural. for
the very simple reason that if disem-
bodied spirits are roaming around us
they have certainly something better to
do than to be writing names on mems
arms in order to enable lazy scoundrel
to put five-dollar note in his swelling
purse. Now that know how the trick
was done 1 am surprised only at its
simplicity.
In the first place, Foster has to ascer-
tain his visitors name This he did by
simple device. When Mr.. Smith sat
at the only table in the room he was
unaware that beneath the writing pad
was what is called copying paper" an
oiled and blackened sheet. which, when
placed beneath the paper one is writ
ing upon, conveys the impression to
another piece of paper beneath it. The
same kind of paper is used in making
duplicate copies in tpye writing. A
hard pencil was placed where Mr..
Smith would pick it up, and in order
to write his name he unconsciously bore
down upon the copying paper. The at
tendant expertly Withdrew the copy
and carried it to his employer. Now to
prepare for the blood act.
Bare your arm to the elbow. In the
right hand hold thin piece of steel,
but with slightly rounded edge that
will not cut. AS you probably do not
possess such an instrument, take por-
ton of very stiff visiting or business
card, and bearing its edges rather hard
upon the under portion of your arm,
follow the outlines of any letters you
choose. The result will be barely-dis-
cernible white lines that soon pass
away. Five minutes later, with your
hand on crumpled piece of paper,
rub that portion of your arm as vigor-
ously as you can, and you will be sur
prised when you see the letters you
have outlined appearing beneath the
skin in the full vividness of your own
blood. Now you see what Foster did.
He marked the name John Smith" on
his arm, drew down his shirt sleeve,
put on his coat, and walked into the re-
ception room. His rubbing the en-
velope over the arm was simply intend
ed to delude John Smith with the be-
lief that his name was conveyed from
the inclosed paper to Fosters blood.
Simple, isn't it? Yet it is far more COM
pick than most of the mediumistic
tricks. There are endless varieties of
the deception.