Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-19
MIND READING FEATS.
Extraordinary Display Of the hys-
terious Power Possessed by
A YOUNG MAN FROM NEWARK, o.
Blindfolded, He Reads, Writes and Copies
Pictures From a Book.
WASHINGTON /. BISHOP ECLlPSED

WADulNVlVN IL DiphVA
NEW YORK, MAY 1S.-All the way from
Newark, o., comes an aspirant 'or honors
in the field lately occupied BY Washington
Irving Bishop, the mind reader, in the per-
son of Mr.. Chauucey Palmer, and II the
sight and hearing is to be believed, MI
Palmer's claim for distiction must be cred
tied. One day last week, says local news
paper man. l received a note saying that
mind reader from the West would give an
exhibition at friends house, and an accept
ance of the invitation was urged on the
ground that he would DO some very interest
ing things. My friends claims for the
mind reader were sparse of the truth, for Mr..
Palmer's performance or tests, as he called
them, that evening were little short of won-
derful.
Anticipating colluSion between some Of
those to be present, / asked an artist friend
to accompany me, and on the way to the
house where we were hidden We agreed upon
a plan of detecting and defeating any CO.
operation between the mind reader and
colleague Just here it is pertinent to say
minds of most people as to what mind read
ing really is.
WIDELY DIFFERENT vIwS.
The disciples of theosophism say THAT
the mind can be read by one person whose
physical condition is such that he can put
himself in harmony with the astral body
of the person whose ideas are to be shown" :"
Others insist that mind readers are really
L. 4l,As 1x-
other form of hypnotism.
Doctors and scientists claim that the So
called mind readers are really more fit sub
jects for hospital and medical treatment
than for public exhibition; that they are, in
other words, ''cataleptics. In proof ofthis
they urge that Mr.. Bishop, the most for
ward Of those who made it a profession, died
at an early age physical wreck in cata-
leptic trance and was for years subject to
morphine and other stimulants.
Mr.. Palmer, the latest OF those to give
these exhibitions, is another proof of what
the doctors say about the cataleptico or highly
nervous state. The physicians also state
that those who have been successful in this
peculiar line are men of weak individuality,
but noted personal characteristics. Palmer
fills the bill exactly.
He is in appearance a man about 35 years
old, with flashing black eyes and dark hair
streaked with gray at the temples and sides
of the head, hands thin almost to attenua-
tion and very sensitive, nervous mouth.
He impressed me at once as being a man
out of the ordinary, and on closer aequaint-
ance noticed that his individuality was
not OF high order.
WHAT THE TESTS WERE.
The exhibition was given in private res
idence, on West Thirty-fourth street, and
although there were but a dozen present all
were in a way professional people. A doc
tor, lawyer, a sea captain, journalists, an
artist, a theological student, an actress and
a noted barytone and soprano of an equally
noted church choir. Alter we were all
seated in the parlor Mr.. Palmer, before
starting on the evenings exhibition, handed
round little card with list of the tests"
which he claimed he could perform, written
First-Driving team of horses through the
city,
neutrality-suspicious. tableaux of three or
Third-Finding on calendar the day and
month on which any person was born.
Fourth-Following exact route over which
Fifrh-Writing on blackboard name or word
thought of by any person.
Sixth-The famous mock murder test of
Bishop.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. simultaneously gest-
ures made by any person several feet away, Mr.
Palmer's back being in front of the person.
Eigbth-Writingo on mirror word or sentence
thought of, the only connection between Mr.
Palmer and subject being a silk string or wire.
Ninth-Findlng pin or needle secreted in
any part of the city.
fenth-Ffuding on piano note or chord
thought of.
Eleventh-Writing 'on mirror any word or
sentence in any language, written OH paper and
sealed In envelope, the only connection be-
tween subject and Mr.. Palmer being wire or
silk string
Twelfth-Finding a word Selected from
book and writing same on paper, the subjects
hand laid on MI. Palmer's head being the only
connection.
Thirteenth-The finding of three articles Sc
lected by three different persons, then tied in
handkerchiefs and secreted. These hidden ar
ticles will be returned TO their proper places to
the fraction of an inch.
Note-An these tests are performed while
Nh Palmer is thoroughly blindfolded.
A REMARKABLE FEAT.
81 will commence the evenings perform
ance by few of the more simple tests, such
as finding three secreted articles. First
kindly appoint committee.
The doctor, the artist and / volunteered
and were appointed, and the artist took Mr.
Palmer into back room and carefully
blindfolded him. While he was absent
from the room three of the party took re-
spectively knife, coin from the interior
of the cabinet and bonbonniere from a table, |
tied them in a handkerchief and secreted |
the handkerchief on the top of a bedstead |
on the third floor. The mind reader |
then took the hand of the gentle |
man who secreted the articles and COM |
menced search for the missing haEdker- |
chief. Around the room, down on his knees |
looking under sofas, chairs and the piano. |
he dragged the committeeman, and finally, |
like sprinter, ran for the door and darted |
up the stairs straight to the room on the |
third floor and then to the bed where, after a |
minutes hesitation, he placed the hand he |
was holding on the linen.
The conclusion of the test was more re-
markable than the first part. Taking
separately each article Palmer replaced them |
In their identical positions TO the fractions |
of an inch, running down the stairs and
avoiding the furniture in the rooms ouite as
well as if his eyes were not darkened'
MOVING ABOUT BLINDFoLpED.
The next test was somewhat on the same
order, one of the ladies present leaving the |
room and on her return stating she had |
secreted an article and asked Mr.. Palmer |
to find it in the same way. A brief effort |
resulted in finding pin, which had been !
stuck in the tip of gas burner in the back |
room. Then tableaus Ia Bishop were re-
produced in endless variety, and the simpler |
tricks of the programme, such as finding |
chords on the piano thought of, the finding |
of scars and birthmarks on the body and the |
instant going to point desired |
while blindiolded, were INDUCED in for a
short while. 1t will be remembered that |
Bishop, just before be expired at the Lambs |
Club dinner, tried the difficult feat of trac-
ing word while blindfolded that some one |
present had thought OF. and he did it by |
holding the subjects hands in his. Mr.. |
Bishop accomplished what he tried to do, |