New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-14
HIS LAST Undertaking.
WASHINGTON IRVING BISHOP DEAD
STRICKEN DOWN WHILE PERFORMING TRICKS
AT 4 DINNER-A FATAL TRANCE,

AT 4 DINNER-A FATAL TRANCE,
Washington irving Bishop, the mind reader died
shortly after noon yesterday at the Lambs Club, No
- West Twenty sixih.st. IN company with Henry T.
DIxcy, Mr.. Bishop had been q guest at the monthly
dinner known by the CLUB Gamboi' During
tho dinner bishop had performed his weH-kho"h
dagger trick and had pretended to stab the ncioi
Louis Aldrich, who occupied the next char. NDou'
a. m Bishop, In compliance with n generally OK
pressed desire, exhibited some Of his mnd'reaaIhS
powers. Clay Greene, the playwright VINO nan pro
sided at the "Gambol,7 was outspoken scep'Ic
about Bishops ability aud he was selected as thn
subject Of the experiment Mr. Greene having been
requested to think Of some word, Psked mp booh
and his glance was attracted By the rRic Townsend
This he decided upon as the test word Bishop placed
one OF his hands oil Greencs forehead and almost
immediately wrote the name correctly on piece OIL
paper, beginning with the last letter and spelling
backwards. He was then securely bllnafoIdea ana
the book handed to him. lie turned over the leaves
rapidly til he came the page from which inc
word had boon chosen and then put his pencil on the
name
Almost Immediately after performing these feats
Bishop passed into catalcptic trance AS ne was
known TO be- subject attacks OF this knd, ana hao
even been charged with Stimulating them Tor the
purpose Of creating mysterious elect no great alarm
was felt In about fifteen minutes he recovered
Ioked about his seizure and gave some further exhibit
tons Of his powers. but at their close again passed
into trance state in which his body and limbs be
came perfectly rigid. lie was taken to bed
on one Of the upper floors and was attended 10
hy Drs John A. Irwin and William Lees. several times
during the night and in the morning Mr. Bishop became
conscious bur always to lapse again into the cataiep'c
rigor About 2 a. m. DR.. Lees gave his opinion tha'
death was inevitable and left the club. Dr. Irwin
remained I'll the last and at the death'oed wero also
W G. stewart, Bert Thomas, John g. Ritchie' Gay
Greene and Charles W. Thomas.
Mr. bishop was not conscious for some time before
his death, which occurred NJ Il 10 p. m hlecU"
and other appliances were strcnuously used III al
effort 10 restore life, tho peculiar nature Vi ho
disease made Or. Irwin feel the necessity OF using
every stlmulatve measure known 10 medical science
After half an hours fruItoss work the effort was
abandoned and the body was removed to an under
takers at No. 8 sxth-ave.
Mr. Risbop who was an American by birth, IS
believed to have been about forty one years Oh ITO
first became generally known in this city some sixteen
years ago as tho business manager OF the pretchuoo
spiritualist' Annie Eva Fay. Their connection "'H
moi last long and soon after ifs termination Bishop ap
poared as an exposcr Of spIruallsm,7 doing tn the
I!rbt all the tricks for which Miss Fay had declared
darkness Indispensable lie was OF low stature anu
as his hands were exceptionally small and supple even
for one Of his height II impossible tn tie his Wrists
with any knots through which be could not easily sup
HIS hands After travelling about tho country i"r
time, he began 70 uONrlup MS TtdI VI P''''N'
mind reading powers, and soon confined bis exhibitions
to this new feat. Ho gave performances here ana III
Eurupo and hts controversy IN london with Henry
IabOuchcre VIII be remembered by many. IADoucL'r'
offered 10 give 900 pounds to charity II h''H"p
coud correctly rad tho number Of hanEnote to be
Enclosed IN sealed envelope tho mind reader 10 FiNo
a similar amount should he fail. Bishop declared MS
willingness To accept the challenge, but wanted some
alterations In the conditions TO which laboLchrrc
would not consent and the matter vas finally dropped
since Mr. Bishops return 10 this country his cartor
has been varied and by no means "HiifN} cFcua"Ic,
In l-r4 hs married 10 Boston widow, Mrs lirl't
e. Loud she obtained Il divorce from him on March
II Of this year the ground Of cruelty. aud II "a'
also said that he had another Wifc lYinE, Aat ho
was continually under the influence OF cocaine or some
other narcotic aud that tn consequence OF his cAc"N'c,
HIS confinement In lunauc asNlums had boon naGr
necessary. Tho news that he lad been divorced
reached Bishop while hc was performing lciorr a
large audience in Minneapolis, aud In reading IN"
telc gram he fell into cLalcpuc ~ ana rmanol IN
con, ius FOR whole day. Pour days after nj, he
was remarked 10 Li, first wife, by whom no had
daughter $500
Mr. Bishops VIII" and mother arc living IN Philafol-
pha and Mr. Thomas, VINO has brcn his agent during
the last season. started yesterday afternoon 10 break
the news to them. II had been arranged that Mr..
bishop should travel next season IN company with
jules Levy, the comet player, under the manage
ment Of John g. Wtchic aud the necessary papers
were to be signed yesterday.