The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-06-19


hind the Blackboard.
Mr.. EDITOR Your report OF w. l.
Bishops proceedings on Tuesday evening
is very good indeed. You state correctly
what l said, SO far as it goes. Some Of
the attendant facts appear to me to pos
sess Importance, and 1 beg leave to state
them. think they constitute more of a
test OF the nature of the I" mind-reading"
than any other facts which was in a
position to observe on Tuesday evening.
Upon the theory OF jugglery, and no
real mind-reading, the only hypothesis
in explanation that have heard of, is
the hypothesis OF muscle-reading, "
viz. that the operator is guided by the
unconscious variations Of pressure which
the person assisting in any operation in
voluntarily exerts upon the hand Of the
operator with which his hand is in con-
tact. In all but the last act, | am unable
to feel absolutely assured that the mar
vellous performances Of Mr.. WI. Bishop
were not possibly guided by highly
educated sense of touch and trained
power of interpreting the variations of
touch unconsciously eXerted by the gen
tlemen whose aid he employed. Possibly
those persons may know attendant facts,
not possible to be observed by others,
which form decisive proof to them, that
the operator directly perceived the
thoughts upon which their minds were
intent.
wish therefore to state my own ex-
perience in the last performance. MIR.
George G. Williams held in his hand a
sealed envelope containing a twenty
dollar bill, the number of which no one
but myself knew Mr.. w. w. Hall and
myself we're called to assist. We retired
with Mr. Williams, who wrote the figures
in our sight, no words being exchanged.
Returning to the stage with this acquired
knowledge, Mr.. Hall and myself went with
the operator and Drs. Miner and Day,
behind blackboard in rear corner OF
the stage. Mr. w. l. Bishop proceeded
to draw two horizontal lines across the
blackbo eight inches apart. How
many figures are there?" Three"
He drew two vertical lines, dividing off
three spaces. He was then blindfolded
by the two doctors, with care and skill.
Mr.. Hall then placed his left hand gently
resting on the back of the operators
left hand, and fixed his eyes upon the
left hand space of the board, being re-
quested by the operator to imagine the
first figure of the required number in his
own mind as if appearing on the board.
iof folk H.
ed TO draw slowly and hesitatingly the
figure in the left hand space. In like
manner he drew Z and 4 in the other
spaces The figures were large and leg
ible, but rudely formed. Being skilled
in making figures on maps, |, looking
on, at once conceived distinctly what
corrections were needed in their shape
The number 374 was the correct one.
/ then took Mr.. Halls place and posi-
ton, and rested my eyes upon the figures
No sooner had done this than the oper-
ator's hand darted at the figure three,
and followed its lines with rapidity and
precision, but without marking with the
chalk. At the lower curve, however, he
left the chalk line made with Mr.. Halls
aid, and followed an invisible line
which | was forcibly conceiving as the
correct form.
Before was ready, he had darted at
the seven, striking it with absolute pre-
cision. got in a slight correction of
form, but he was too quick for me, and
followed the original figure with deep
ened chalk mark, exactly on the old line,
except where / succeeded in mentally !
guiding his hand.
Instantly he darted at figure 4. l |
was alert, and mentally insisted on pro-
longing the first stroke downward. |
There was moments hesitation, as if !
he wanted to follow the horizontal line.
Then he slowly and firmly prolonged the
line one inch downward. This seeming
sufficient, l, as it were, let him go, when
his chalk flashed a new horizontal
stroke to the right, and deepened the re-
manning vertical stroke in another flash.
The board was then faced to the audi
ence, and S74 verified by Mr.. Thurston
as the number of the note.
The obvious inference to my mind
was, that Mr.. w. l. Bishop did actually
see those large, plain figures on that
board through my eyes-or, in other
words, that his mind was in some way
Ah SANAA NSANtbSb WIN LuAilC VIAL IAlC vel
distinct visual impressions existing in
my mind were distinctly reproduced in
his mind.
The flashing rapidity and precision
with which he struck and followed the
existing strokes of the chalk appear to
be only consistent with something +
equivalent to actual vision That he
could see through his blind is hardly i
possible. Of course | do not undertake
to say what an expert can or cannot do;
but he was carefully and thoroughly
Dlindfolded. If he in some way evaded
This precaution, and saw the lines with
MS own eyes, why did he deviate from
hem only when, and precisely as, |
orrned vivid mental image for him SO
% follow in departure from the actual
igure?
Il