The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-08
FRANKS OF SPIRlTS.


Harsarss Esx.s Kzpsss u ~ Has,
| beg : Her Spirit
Rsppfsgs-
View York sun
An audience OF 100 persons in the
Academy of Music last night saw DR..
IC. n. Richmond. the dentist. pull the
fangs Of spiritual;ssn with his little
tricks. and with the exhibition OF Mar
garget Fox, the once famous rro-
Queer Of spirit rappings. The audi
ence was an enthusiastic one when
the doctor did his tricks, and dis
gusted one when he showed how
simply he had done them. All the
pleasure of being fooled vanished
when the method of the footing was
exposed. The doctor, looking pariic-
ulariy iovial In dress suit. came
upon the stage. which contained no
furniture but small table, with an
ordinary looking two-foId slate In his
hand. He laid the slate on the table
and advancing TO the footlights re-
marked in a casual sort of way that
he saw so many familiar faces
| in the audience that regular
introduction seemed unnecessary, and
perhaps it was just as well that he had
forgotten at his Office little speech
with which he had proposed TO open
the entertainment. The audience
thought that was pretty bright, and
applauded. He smiled and remarked
that maybe the spirits would say some
thing appropriate for him. He picked
up the slate, which he had previously
held open so that all could see that IL
was blank and opening it there was
seen on il writing which he read. IL
was brief expression OF desire that
| fraud and falsehood be exposed.
A committee of Is men from the
audience was then called to the stage.
The doctor tore piece of paper into
| slips, which he laid upon the table,
and asked the committee while he re-
tired to select the name OF some re-
Gently deceased person of note, and to
delegate one of their number TO write
the name upon one slip of paper. The
committee had long discussion
among themselves, while the audience
called out encouraging remarks, such
as ssPlay BALI" Write Harrison;
he's as dead as any one.r "Time!"
and Take your basel"
| When the doctor returned with an
lordinary- looking high hat in his hand,
he asked some one to throw into it
all the slips of paper, and he picked
tout one without looking at it and en-
closed it in an envelope, which he laid
out in plain view on the table. Then
an ordinary slate was examined by
| the committee, and passed around
among the audience.
The envelope containing the slip of
paper was opened by one OF the COM
mittee and the paper placed in a little
round brass box which the doctor
held out in his hand. Then be an
nounced that upon the slate he would
produce communication signed by
/ the person whose name had been
written upon the slip of paper, and
| Furthermore, would produce from the
box the identical slip of paper, with
! the name written upon it by direction
of the committee. While a small table
was being brought in Dr. Richmond
said:
II am not attacking the theory of
spiritualism, which is very pretty
one indeed. as anyone who has ever
read Swedenborg knows, but the thing
/ attack is the fraud and humbug
that is called spiritualism.
Somebody misunderstood this and
he said afterward: Il am told that
some in the audience think am spir-
| itnalist There is no such thing as ac-
tual spiritualism. Applause. Any
thing done contrary to natural law Is
| a miracle. but there hasn't been such
a thing as miracle for at least $500
years"
The table being set down in the CEN
| ter the doctor called for piece OF chalk,
which, being passed around among
the committee, he placed under the
slate. Then he stepped back and said ;
The name on the paper was Frederick
| William. Is that right?'
| 1t was, and the committee looked
astounded. Lifting the slate he show
| ed il covered with writing, which he
read:
would not come back to live in world
where one smile must balance a thousand
| tears. for In this world of bliss there Is
| naught but eternal happiness.
FREDERICK WILLIAM
The doctor opened the brass box,
and handed to the committee the slip
of paper upon which the name was
written.
Now. il anybody asks how | know
that the spirits didn't, after all, y he
said, write that communication. III
saw that know they didn't because /
wrote it myself at my office this after
noon. This is a trick which, up to this
time. no medium in this country has
been able to do. Any spiritualist who
has paid dollar to get in here will
! find ont how to make thousand when
the thing is done" =,
1t was simple enough. The hat had
a false piece, which he slipped in over
the original slip of paper, dropping in
lot OF blank slips from his hand at
| the same time Ii was one OF these
blank alps that he took from the
hat and that was put IN the box.
A confederate behind the scenes
meantime took the original SHIPS
from the hat and obtained that with
| the name upon it. The box was a
double one, so cleverly made that the
deception defied detection 10 one VINO
did not know its trick. The slip With
the name in il was put IN one com
partment and the committee put the
l OlleT SIP III Tue othtt tohhRssi siAseHs-
This accounted for the slip OF paper,
and the audience looked cheap, but
cried hopefully for the explanation OF
the slate writing. That was simpler
vet. The slate which had been lying
| In plain view all the time, was picked
| up. and by a careless twist of the wrist
the doctor shook out the side on which
tire writing was. This was thin bit
Of cardboard with slate surface.
/ which fitted exactly into the frame ON
one side of the slate and was held
light BY a clever invisible arrange
ment, SO that the addition OF the piece
70 the slate previously passed about
| the audience was not noticeable TO the
| ewes of the committee. The prepared
piece, with the writing on 1t, was
| brought in with the table, q piece of
newspaper pasted over the back max
/ ing il indistinguishable from the real
newspaper tina. also lay upon the
table. While placing the chalk under
the slate the doctor fitted the loose
piece with the slate frame, and that
was all there was about il. The audi
enee was too chagrined at the way It
had been taken in to applaud very
heartily at this, and their taste was
spoiled for the tricks that followed.
D.. Richmond then produced
Washington Irving Bishops bank
note trick telling the number OF
note by means OF secret signs from a
confederate. and produced some spirit