Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-07

| From the New York World.
Since Mrs. Margaret Fox-Kane's statement
exposing spiritualism was published in the
World it has been widely commented upon in
| all parts of the country and she has received
several hundred letters on the subject. Some
are from persons who have specialized on the
advice OF mediums; some are from women and
| men whose homes have been wrecked who
write to ask whether she really meant that
there was nothing whatever except deception
in what they had come to look upon as a reli-
gion, and many others are from people who
have been grossly misled and barefacedly
robbed by bogus spiritualistic mediums.
Mrs. Kane emphatically Endorsed her state
ment as already printed when seen by a World
reporter yesterday, and said that since its pub
LEGATION she had been overwhelmed by abuse
and threats against her life from scores of
mediums who see that their nefarious profess
ion has received a death blow. One whose
temper probably got the upper hand of his good
Judgment challenged her to prove that there
was, or even could be, fraud connected with
communications written by the spirits upon
piece Of paper placed on the floor under the
mediums feet after it had been marked and
| folded.
Why, Of all things upon which to make an
issue this is the most ridiculous" Mrs. Kane
exclaimed. .Here's how that trick is done.
Mark this piece of paper and fold it up. Now
you see lay it on the floor under the table and
place my feet on it. Now, as you are not in
| darkened room you must not look under the
| lusion."
The reporter Immediately heard sharp
| scratching, like the sound of a pencil being
| rapidly run over the paper, and when it stop
ped he picked up the paper, on which was
written in perfectly legible hand, "Tbis is a
To al he
same which had been laid on the floor
ut is done in this way" she explained "The
| paper is laid on the floor, and as the room is
dark rub the sole of my slipper sharply and
In short strokes over the paper. Inext remove
my slippers, in one of which has been placed a
piece of paper folded similarly to the one on
the floor. That did while you were marking
and folding the paper you expected to get the
communication upon"
The reporter confessed that he had not noticed
her either writing on or folding the paper. Con-
timing, she said: ''That paper placed in nv
slipper at the heel and then replaced it on nv
foot. As said before, after having initiated
the sound Of writing remove both slippers
and with quick movement of my feet catch
up your piece of paper and drop it in the other
slipper. Another movement throws the pre-
pared paper in its place. Here is your marked
paper"
Removing her slipper Mrs. Kane exhibited
the paper pressed into a compact roll in the
toe. All this happened in half the time it
takes to tell it and while the reporter held her
hands,
will you explain how many mediums pre-
pare and conceal the communications which
are foisted upon their dupes?" asked the re-
porter.
"Well, in the first place, no experienced me-
dunn Will give a written communication unless
the visitor is known to be a believer in spirit
uallsm. They live by their wits. and most of
them are quick-witted, and their long practice
of deception has developed kind Of second
nature, which warns them just when to stop
and how far they may safely go. Their ability
to extract from one enough information to
warrant an assistant who, may have overheard
part OF the conversation in preparing mes
sage or their being able to take advantage of
some suspicious moment in which to write a
few words will, to a great extent determine
the length of the communication. If they have
no basis on which to fabricate a missive they
will calmly inform the believer that there is
some obstacle which prevents my control from
giving you anything, or that some conflicting
influence prevents the departed one from man
festing himself"