New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-19
ONLY ADOLLAR GHOST SHOW
AMUSING EXPERIENCES AT A sEAHCE

. vvn,rv PITTS HERSELF "Ix THE HANDS or TIE
HIGHER INTEILIGENcHs.
Mrs A. T. William, is a 'matcriaiizn2 mcdiun,
that in TO SAY she 10 50 peculiarly co1S''"''r
that If the light be not too strong, sp'i''S w."
Gather about her and orally and visipF "nniVs'
themselves to suit the people who VIII pay i'' ''o
,,;v;Ioce NJ seeing ther. They are high-pricod
.,,r,ts and when on private view the sumdenandrd
for seeing them is So y head IT. person wants 10
have the ghosts all TO himself he has TO pay Sto
ar more for the opportunity. Investigations nave
played havoc with tho fame OF many materiaiZn.
r,natums but thus far Mrs Williams has escapcd
sucb disaster, and among spirtualists who balieve
IN materializations There are many who do not.
Mr.. Williams is regarded as a hSst-class medium
who can produce more Substantial ghosts. ana
every way better ghosts. than any competitor 10
tho 6eld
Mrs. Williams has found it a paying business
Much of her success may be due to the TACT that
" confined to those whose faith Is not at AL of
grain % IN lstard-seed SORT But last night MIS-.
Williams came forth from her privacy and gave
pablo seaDce at Adelphi Hall, at Fifty -sccoDdst.
snd seventh-ave.. where as many as chose to pay
dollar couid see her and the ghosts. The chairman
who presided ut the meeting acknowicdred tnas
MIND the suggestion that pecuniary considerat,0ns
have much TO do with her taking the risk will at
once occur
There were about one hundred and fifty people
gathered IN the hall and a. few of them hsd the APP
pearance of being deadheads" it Is a reasonable
inference that the business of materializng spirits
In q highly prof table ono There was "dim re-
ligious light" in the room. The gas Jets were
turned do wn low aud the globes were swathcd IA
dressed and had a well-to-do air. Ghost seeing at
present is luxury which can DC IN
dulged in only by the comparatively wealthy.
aAnr Tod n
in mourning and obviously 10 condition
where these emotions would rarely get the better
af their judgments.
the inevitable cabinet" 1t was fragile struct-
ure, composed of posts and cross pieces, hung with
Ssze so
might see that there WAS nothing inside But
nobody was invited to examine ~ tb nepe was ss
because il there were any confederates engagcu
in the exhibition, the conditions were such that
they wouldn't require the assistance OF that me-
There was nothing ethereal about Mrs. Williams
herself Plump, matronly and ford, she looked sSl
It easy 1t was long after 8. the hour announced,
before the exhibition began. Then wilson NC
Donald man Of grave and rev frent an asp said
that he had been asked to preside, he could not
tell why, unless it were because he had been be-
hever in ghosts for twenty years.
MEDIUMS WHO HAVE CONE To GRIEF.
Mr. Mcdonald evidently had the fear of the
ghost grabber' before his eyes. He recalled
how oftn mediums, who had given public seances,
had come to grief He regarded it as risky
experiment, while he hoped for success. lie
preferred holding seances under test condi-
.ons M but os many p piee wbe GuS mo
conditions were imposed, and their views prevailed
in the present instance. He concluded his adc
dress with dissertation on the mystery Oh
matter. ,..
Then Mrs. Williams road before the cabinet
few minutes She was exceedingly Independent;
She would promise nothing Success oep s s,',
piled by those present. She would merely put ne,
self in the hands of the higher intelligenceS
Nothing was said about returning money One cabnet '
the curtains descended. the gas was turned down
still lower, until there was just enough ngnt 70
nearest him Some struck up Nearer my
God to Thee on the piano and the audience Joined
in the hymn. After the lapse of few minutes,
the sound of bell tinlkling issued from the caDlhet
and the piano and singing stopped
THE TALKING BEGINS.
GOOD evening. folxses. how is you AL ?' said
n voice in a shrl childish treble from the cabi-
net
slow are you. Bright Eyes, responded the
Good evening friends" said deep bass
Good evening Mr.. Holland replied the Spir-
I'm glad to see you ALL said hollow con-
We are glad to hear you, Mr.. Cushman,' was
the response from fifty voices. -, .
Tbere were supposed to be the ghosts that
ruled the show 50 to speak. Three people might
have spoken but one practiscd mimic :, coui9
have initiated the three tones just as well, and
then from the cabinet at intervals emerged figures
dimv visible some clad in Whit, and some IN
brcodclcth. They spoke in whispers wnea
tbejr heads out and some stepped a
few feet from the cabinet but not far enough tbam 10
kDaniel Webster was there and other distin-
gu;sh"d individuals who have gone before.
Some people specially summoned by name me
stepDed ND to the cabinet and convcrsed with the
ghosts and claimed to recognize them: and even
Embraced them. One thing may, at least, ne ne
inferred from the exhibition There Is no need 90
he afraid of the modern ghost. lie is tlmld
creature. different from those of the days OF old,
when ghosts were bold and spectres held their
way