The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-23
A MlSFIT MEDIUM.
A REMARKABLY UNSUCCESSFUL
scEANCE ON MCKINNEY STREET.
An Interpreter OF Messages From the
Spirit World Makes an Awful Num-
Der OF Bad Breaks-The ~Infantile and
the Supernatural.

HN1shhs NV F~1Nf
last night in the parlors of Mr.. c. J.. Elmore,
at No. 27 Mckinney street, for the purpose
of testing an alleged spiritual medium. The
so-callod medium is a young man of about
~thirty-fiye years Of age, rather bald, with a
brown mustache, dark eyes and passably
intelligent-looking. He calls himself DR.. G.
b. Dewey, and claims TO have the power of
throwing himself into a trance, during the
progress of which he loses his personality
and becomes somebody else, for whose utter
ances he disclaims any responsibility. There
were three reporters present last night
to witness the seance. 1t was very
funny, and half the time those who
were present could only restrain their laugh
ter by examining handkerchicfs and other
handy material into their mouths. The
room was not darkened. as is sometimes
lone when spirits are expected; but u very
bright lamp In the back parlor threw Il flood
OF light over the surroundings, while the
lamp in the front room, in which the me
jun and his victims sat, was only slightly
turned down, not enough TO make IL dill
cult to clearly distinguish the features Of
every person in the room. The "mejum"
drew a rocking chair near to the
center of the apartment, and then requested
| lnNl tOHltDOuN TdlSt u lults III OIltIs
doubtless, TO facilitate his transmission into
the trance state without jar or FRICTION and to
sound Of slow music. An obliging lady who
was present sang the first verse of Nearer,
my God, TO TheeV in a very fair alto voice,
and Others OF the small congregation present
timidly chimcd in. Before the music had
died away the "mejum" gave n convulsive
gasp rs " he was struggling with q iish-bone.
Then after n short interval he made a pc
culiar noise by pressing his tongue TO the
roof Of his mouth and giving vent to a sound
that was a cross between Il chucklo and a
snort. Then lac gave a tremendous shudder,
swallowed another bone, and after anoth-
err choking scene gently sank into
n condition Of Quiescence. by this time DR..
Dewey had lost his identity and became
merged into n curious personality which
called itself Waumcga, supposed TO be n
semi idiotic female Of the Mohawk persua-
sion, addicted TO the use OF baby talk, upon
the theory that Indians talk like infants
struggling with the difficulties Of i~nfantile
articulation, and supposed TO be gifted with
power Of supernatural vision. There was
no effort on the "mcjum's' part to produce
even q scmblanceo OF the supernatural. ltSim-
ply described what il saw i. language at times
almost inarticulatc and with what appeared
To the reporter as n studied attempt nt indis-
tinct cnunciation. The ''mejum" with its
eyes apparently closed and rocking 10 and
fro would begin It's revelations by addressing
one member OF the party In this fashion:
GLOW dye do2'
The party addressed was instructed 10 re-
ply, "Ilow dye doy'
Then the 'mcjum" continued. II hap.
pened TO be a lady he was talking 20; a ven
cradle, honest-loOking old lady, who wore
her hair smooth after the fashion OF ouI
mothers. "Waumcga sees spirit white
squaw, with hair smoothed down and cape
on shoulder"
Everybody b~rcathlcssly asked the old lady
whether she rfrogn zed In the description
any hint OF adcpartod friend or relative
To the general disappointment and rcgrcI
she answered tina she did not
In the meantime the medium, with CORFU
gated brow and hands chatting each other
was cropping about darkly, searching for
clew. Then Il broke out with this: me So,
sumpin standing by you, spirit big chief
white hail. top knot, little bald, John-Dicl
; Again tho old lady failed to recognize IN,
picture, aud omphat,cally denied that she ha,
| any departe d friend who answered TO thl
r name of John, Dick or George"
The "mejun' was way oil Its base AM
was making a sad meas OF IL.
, The dashcs noted above between IN,
names uttered by the 'mojum" reprcscn
intervals OF time during which tho a%forcsaiC
''mcjum" was cropping about Ia q condition
, OF ncbulous uncertainty, hoping at last q
, hit upon n name that might bear some rc
, semblancc near or remote TO something o
, somebody the party addressed once knew
But the ''mcjum" failed TO catch on 10 IN
0 first old lady and IN despair passed on 10
young man. IL, got the same rnckc
about "tall spirit white chief, palc-iacc,
squnw, but even this vague description iaile'
TO hit anybody in the young mans %rccollcc
, ton. Finally the '1mcjum'' struck oil, o
rather water. "Waumegn see sumpin' lool
like -wntcr-sccms look like water" th
young man shook his bead, but suddenl!
p calculated: II believe I did fall into n pom
once when a boy This admission lille,
= Waumcm with Joy and caused IL To brcal
T. out into a hystcrical burst OF supprcssc,
, Indian laughter, In which the audience VIII.
4 had been waiting for the chance joinel
. heartily. Having secured n confirmation q
y the water guess, the "mcjum' went ON int
= thrilling details aud said: 'Clothcs get wet
, scoot him, mocasins going fast,
This seemed ~ restore confidence In th
"mcjum," aud ''mcjum' stock wcn ~
! rapidly, some Of the spectators cxchangin
glnuccs Of admiration aud wonder
The next one attacked was the ArrEAL n
porter. The "mcjum'' insisted that the n
! porter had a dead friend named Jim an
the reporter politely but firmly rcpudiaie
the insinuation with scorn. Then u sait
Mega see something. seem like three boys.
That was a good hap.haAard guess; thcf
wcru three boys la the reporters family. al
brothers and all alive and kicking Ia th
body and desh aud with only an occasions
J. acquaintance with spirits.
The next lady tried hard 10 encourage Oh
'mcium,n but without success. The ncA
victim was a young man who, by q raj
chance, once had a lady friend named Ettl
Tho 'mcium," after trying Lily, aud JANE
and Liza, finally stumbled upon Eta, an
the Young man Clipped IN, "Ihats right.
and inquired about her feelings toward hin
, and was informed that she still held him !
the highest rcgarl, and had forgiven him "a
= his unavoidable absence from her dcaihbc'
< Then the ''mcjum" tackled the tot Icpori'
OF n contemporary and said Mega -
70 sumpin like stout chici-broad shoulder
short and round" Tho tat reporter sloo
his head. but truth compelled him 10 "a
that all his departed relatives were lean
fence rails. Nothing Disconnected. tie IN
q ium" went ON guessing az names OF the o
A. porter's friends, aud tried Tom, Edward an
John, aud the roguish reporter said. THAT
M rirhL Johu-icscfibc him. hut the IN
ID inmi couldn't do IL because tie vision VI
cloudy. and the truth Ia, the reporter told
no. for hc never knew anybody named job
u. except John l.. Sullivan.
= The "mcjum' continued 10 make I'D
breaks all along the line. To one lady
Al said: l"Mo see sumpin like WINE en-
~ eaten sumpin Idle ice dream which ma,
M the lady turn red In the face at the imput
~ ton that her departed relatives were In
=, warm a climate. There was much more
. this monkey business. Til lucktcst hit u
u ''mcium" made was when 10 told agcntlem'
~ that IL saw his departed friend Dinrino
W who had n crooked eve. The gentleman ~