The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-17
Expose OF Her Tricks by a Learned
Gentleman of the
South.
She Was in Helena Not Long Ago,
and Created Quite q
Furore.
She il Called Simply an Expert Equilibrist
Of Sampsonian Muscle and u
Star Impostor.

Annie Abbott, "tho little Georgia wonder"
who has been all che week holding forth at
the Grand opera house, is imposing upon
the public In a most mastsrly manner.
The Nashville papers, clippings from which
came to The Journal yesterday. contain
explanations of her .'feats" by Prof. o. j.
Porter, assistant instructor of chemistry
in Vanderbilt medical department at Co
lumbia. The professor, in u letter to The
Journal, says the expose was commented
upon editorially in papers in the south,
and accounts of it printed all through the
east. The exposures too place in Column
bia, and afterwards in Nashville. Says
Prof. Porter in his letter.
II have held and still hold out to Prof. d.
T. Smith, of louisville, a proposition to
test the matter by meeting him before a
properly selected committee of scientific
gentlemen. He Is bou the only gentle
man of any note who defends her"
The lifting of six men is explained in
this way: The men are SO arranged that
the center or weight is over the two back
legs of the chair. Being balanced over SO
small a base it is easy to push the men over,
making them appear to rise as they spill out
of the chair. The Columbia Herald. in an
account of Prof. Porter's expose, says:
The NJ. D. was such a doubling Thomas
thatthe husband of the woman ridiculed
him from the stage. To such an extent
was this carried on that DR.. Porter finally
arose and offered to show the performance
to be all a cheat and q fraud. At the close
of the exhibition Mr.. Abbott very sneering-
~ invited the doctor to expose the fake
and the doctor took the platform.
Then follows in detail an explanation OF
all the tricks. occupying more than a col
umn of spoce. DR.. Porter stated that no
body could be elevated from below unless
the point of support is brought directly be-
meath the center of gravity. If you balance
= billiard cue upon the point OF your fore
finger you can lift it toward the ceiling be-
cause you have the center OF the weight dl-
rectly over the point of support. But if you
place the cue with an angle of, say ten de-
grees, You will find it impossible to elevate
IL. Speaking moro pa, ticularly of the Alb
bolt trick of preventing any one from lift.
ing her, Prof. Porter says:
The shoulder joint, being a bali any
socket joint, is capable of movement in and
direction. Miss Abbott, by a series OF
adroit, though almost imperceptible, move
ments, keeps her shoulders (the center of
gravity from coming directly over her ell
bows'tthe point of support), therefore she
caEnot be lifted.
The feat of handling and turning about
with perfect ease the veriest Sampson in
the land' he explained at considerable
length in the newspaper article, as is the
feat ct lifting and carrying a man Sitting
On the end of q Billiard cue, while six 9TH
ers press the cue to the floor Ali the
faats, in the doctors mind, are simply the
tricks Of an expert equilibrist. and he ex-
plains them on scientific grounds.
The following explanation of the billiard
cue trick will prove interesting:
The feat of lifting and carrying about a
man sitting on the end Of a billiard cue
Fhile six others press the cue to the floor"
ID as follows: First. the man does not sit
on the cue;" his weight rests upon the fore
arms and hands of the gentlemen who are
pulling the cue to the floor. Now, said the
doctor, can't you see that the gentlemen
who think they are holding down the cue
are deludsd? Because if they are really
pulling down on the cue and a mans
weight on bearing down in addition the
it were stout enough to sustain the COM
bined weight of both the gentlemen's
hands and the man on top, still she can
do her feat" The gentlemen having
formed a circle holding the cue with tine
man On top in the middle, she then
goes under the circle of hands and arms,
places her open hands in contact with the
lower position of the cue, while with her
back she pushes off his balance the man be-
hind her. who in turn throws the other GEN
tlemen out of balance, and off all start in
one direction; she keeping them going by
pushing in a slantine direction with the
lower end of the cue. Another proof that
she does not sustain the weight is that in
her last nights performance the gentlemen
got started off too fast for her, leaving her
while they carried the gentlemen on top
(and the cue also) some distance-without
her heiptY.
DR.. Porter. in the letter to the Journal,
refers to the leading citizens of Columbia
Tor the truth of his statements, and the ed |
ltor of the Columbia Herald writes a letter |
vouching for all that the doctor says.