New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-22
SPIRIT MEDIUMS OUTDONE.
LIVELY RAPPINGS IN THE ACADEMY OF
MUSIC.
DIR. RICHMOND AND ONE OF THE FOX SISTERS
GIVE EXHIBITIONS OF THEIR SKILL
BEFORE A REMARKABLY RESPoN
SIvE CRowD-sPIRITUAL1SM
FORMALLY RENoUNCED,


SIVE CROwD-SPIRITUAL1SM
FORMALLY RENOUNCED.
Dr. Cassius NJ. Richmond has been for some time
advertising the death OF SprItuallsm, coupled win INC
announcement posters, appropriately boraeied III
deep black that he is the new Jack the-Glahthlicr
who Will Stay It. lie gave It a hard knock III inc
Academy of Music last night. where an immense
audience assembled, most of the people in IL 10 en-
courage him, Others TO hinder him, Others TO make
nuisances of themselves 1t was in many respects
a rare and remarkable gathering. One could easily
pick out in the crowded seats professional men OF all
sorts-minsters, physicians and lawyers schoF
arly men and women. men Of repute IN
legitimate scientific research, others notorious In the
walks of humbug women we'll known by the frequent
ers of naturalization scances, tho distinguished
crankss who adorn every such occasion, and sun
day night idlers who from the same motive
from which Ariemus Wards Uncle simon ne clum
up a tree namely, to see what they could sec.
Well they got their moneys worth in fun as well
as in instruction. for Dr. Richmonds genial, off hand
manner entirely unpracsed. as he never faced such
all audience before, soon resolved the meeting into
a big free and easy party, where anybody who felt
that way could help out the lecturer The enter
tainment a success. That was to be expected,
because DR.. Richmond is not only an exceptionally
expert conjurer' but he had In reserve two OF the
women whose were for years sacred
to the spIritualists, Margaret and Katy
Eek, now Mrs Kane and Mrs. Jenkins
who added the superstition of spirit rapplng'
to the terrors Of mysticism many years ago.
SPIRITS WROTE HIS INTRODUCTION.
DR.. Richmond did not deliver any " set lecture
He said he had forgotten his Manuscript, failing OF his
memory that applauded But he got the spirits
TO write an introduction for him apparently clean
slate When 1t appeared it read: Ladies' and gentle
men, am not going TO add TO the brilliant arguments
pro and that have been crowded In on the subject
of spiritualsm. / am here simply to use my best
A.. dol liAn md
the most gigantic fraud Of the nineteenth century
am trlal-you judge and jury. If do not Illus
tratc what advocate. condemn me. If do, TO your
satisfaction, give me your appreciation and support"
A man in the corner of the orchestra, with pallid
face adorned by deep black musache and imperial goi
up and asked with a scornfu German accent; vat has
dot got to do nit Spritualism -
" Put him out - cried a unanimous gallery.
NO. sir" yelled the excited spirituast. IN talk
against you and the Fox sisters, too!7 Cheers and
icersj
"Now, by your talk you have washed the slate
again. said DR. Richmond quietly and sure enough
the writing had vanished mysterously as II came
Then the Doctor got together committee of fifteen
and proceeded to perform a number Of exceedingly
pretty tricks. The audience felt little bit ont of
II" because DR.. Richmond has not yet learned Herr
manns knack of allowing the house to see everything
that IS going on we'll as the committee sees IT, But
nearly everybody patient and good naturcd. and
nItetH gentlemen on III
painfully suggestive Of mob Of citizens at rehearsal
got lots Of announcement. such as Move up,
supers y Break away, there !" Play ball.'
A MESSAGE FROM A DEAD EMPEROR
DR.. Richmond allowed the committee 10 chose the
name of a dead person. This was written on slip
OF paper while the Doctor was off the stage fIe re-
turned with table and brass rod and with the
aid of these implements and little brass box as
certaned from the spirits that the name of the En-
peror Frederick William had been chosen, and got
a beautiful slate message from his dead majesty.
Next DR.. Richmond read the number of a bank note
determine who should do the experiment, using
hatful of papers, all marked but one
the drinks links chg asked Ws wal in ' the gallery
The nervous looking young man who drew the blank AIR
companions retired and left him blooming alone. He
chose note Dr. Richmona scanned his face and
That's not the number Of the note' said the young
"oh, The first 8 should be B.'
applause greeted this feat and # was redSgbs LED
The p Dssar With cs sous and p
Dr. Richmond said that friend of his I'm Philadelphia
would give 5000 to any medium VINO mo YOU'D anSe
genuine beyond doubt TO manifest their presence by
even scratch an inch long on a slate 49,
Then he introduced Margaret Fox Kane, little,
compact woman, dark eyed, and dark haired and
SIssk cord and ieayy black sS m Her sister
Katy sal In stag box ana was silent mt, attentive n
Mrs. Kane highly excited and spoke in
her as jimmy owen O'COnOr. which somewhat de
traced from the effect Of her solemn public lenunca
ton Of Spituasn, declaration of IT'S faschoOd, and
resolution to tell " the truth. the whole truth. ana
not hing but The truth. help Cod This decaia-
ton was carefully written out, and MIS- Kane de-
liVerpd IN a raementaIy and milthprONOking style,
scanning sentence by the aid of her eyeglasses then
turning 10 The cadence and slowly repeating IT,
SHE DID TIE RAPPING WITH HER BIG TOE.
After that she SAT a chair, with her feet On a
Jfpos hon
distinctly heard and Dr. Richmond explained
that the lady did the knocking with her big toe
committee of ply scians. among whom was Dr. DlnS-
moe. examined her feet amid filters and bushes
in the orchestra and neverent remarks from The
gallery She had slipped off shoe to facilitate this
scientific invest CATION, and putting the siockingeu
foot on tie board the audience heard series oi
fait 10 loud and apparently travelling up the wall
and along the roof Of the Academy Then she got
down 10 The orchestra floor aud repeated me cN-
pertinent successfully there Going back on the Stage,
She stood upright the board. adjurcd the kind,
dear SPIRITS and there rain or rather a hail
storm of responsive knocks.
OF course there punstcr around 10 suggest
that spirituasm isn't worth rap any longer The
exposire was certainly thorough and successful. and
DR. Richmond received the cOngrat ulations of all
his friends on the successful initiation of his anti
hunbug crusade lie promised 10 give a material
Izatjon scance in the Academy Of Music by and by,
and said IL would be effective and realistic that
no medium could excel It,