The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-09-10
SHE PLAYED SPIRIT.

the MATCHMAKING WIRE cage ileuluiH, udH
been exposed" is the word that passes
from cottage to cottage. from tent to
tent, from mouth to mouth at the Onset
BAY Spiritualists' camp meeting, where
thousands Of SpiriIualists are eating fish
and clans by day and consulting spirits
by night.
For several days Mrs. Etta Roberts
has been an object of interest 10 believer
and skeptic alike. She had a wire cage
built by a local joiner, and placed it on
the stage of the Casino. A large crowd
was present on the night of her first per
Torrance. The medium invited exalni-
nation from everybody, and then, the
Committee of Investigation reporting
favorabiy. she entered the cage She
was locked in and a seal was put on the
lock. The black curtains that covered
the cage soon began to move, and fig
ure in white stepped into view For an
hour suppositious spooks held high car
nival: tall spirits. short spirits. spirits
with long robes, and spirits without any
robes to speak of, appeared in rapid sue
cession, until the audience was motion
less with fear and dumb with asfonish
ment The sitting was brought TO a
sudden conclusion by the mediums being
pitched head first. apparently through
the locked door. and almost INTO Tie
faces of the spectators. Examination
showed that the lock had not been tam
pered with.
The performance was under the Pres-
dency of Meredith Little, of Glen Fails,
r. l. The names Of the spirits were an
nounced, and Mr.. Little said he recog-
niZed some of his dead friends.
So much interest was aroused that
another sitting was arranged. 1t took
place at the mediums house, and Mere
dith Little: John Brooks, of Philadel-
phia; E. Baker, of Topeka Mrs. Dr..
Bland. wife of Or. bland, of Washington;
Mrs. Kate Stiles, of Boston; and three
others were present. The medium was
caged-as usual-and the show pro
ceeded with the usual results, except
that there were more of them. There
was not the same responsiveness as on
the former occasion. Mr. Little. the
presiding elder. hadn't kissed his spirit
bride with quite so much warmth as us
ual, and "Pinkie.n IL Choctw squaw,
didn't get anybody to dance the Irish
Jig with. There was, ia fact, a wet blan-
ket over the company. Mrs. Kate Stiles
who calls herself the medium for King
Phillip, stamped her foot on the pine
floor and demanded an immediate re-
animation.
With fear and trembling, Mr. Little
around and see for themselves "Of
course; there's nothing to see replied
the medium. So led by MIR. Little, the
company began to search under the
chairs under the bed, behind the doors,
upstairs, down stairs, inside and out
side of the house. and had il not been
for a pile of clothing found in the kitci-
en- adjoining the spook chamber. all
would have been we'll for the believers,
but on discovering the clothing carefully
placed on chair, the inquirers resumed
the search.
Mr.. Little, armed with a cane, began
probing the closets, and finally ran the
cane way under the bed as he ex-
claimed that there was something there
every woman in the company uttered a
deep 'sOh y
Come out here, you devil.'' exclaimed
Mr.. Little, come out here, ] sayt' and
he gave the bed vigorous pull into the
middle of the small room. There was
nothing to be seen.
by Jove. l struck something with
;ny stick as sure as | am alive" he con-
sinued, as the blazing lamp, held with
trembling hands, revealed only the va
can't space.
''Oh, we are mistaken; she's a medi-
nm, I guess, after all, added ii sylnpa-
rhetic voice
Lets try again, said Mr. Little, and
with all his strength he pulled the bed
away with so much rapidity that it re-
yealed disappearing stockIng-foot.
All, here you are he cried, we've
got you, have WEI You little devil,
could shake the very breath out of your
body. VIII make short work out OF
vou.n And he drew forth from under
the bed a young girl whose lack of cloth
ing was the most striking feature of her
appearance.
How in the devil did you come here,
sou little Imp?" he continued, as ne
s.look her by the shoulder
"Oh, just come in for fun Iclinbed
IN at the kitchen window and have been
having great time being Rugged and
Kissed, inst as if | was a real spirit - re-
piled the half-dressed girl wholly una
Dashed. 1T was only a trick | was play
ing for fun and then she turned and
fed to the kitchen in search of her
clothes, closely followed by the compa-
ny. They lied her and took her back
AS they drew the girl TO the light they
saw she was little Annie West, neigh
boris daughter, about fourteen years
old
$50 you have been playing spirit, have
yours they asked.
Eyes, its fun. I'm 1000 years old. am
I?' and the girls eye twinkled
where did you come from chiid?''
asked Mrs Roberts
Il got in at the kitchen door to play
spirit. Didn't you see me? When the
other spirit was out of sight, then came
out"
You are a confederate and shall be
made. to confess" said Mr. Little, as the
spokesman for the crowd
Il have nothing to confess except YOU
squeezed and kissed me and called me
your old duckey sweet>heart," answered
the girl, mystifying the company more
and more.
You shall confess: I'll choke it out of
you,'' cried one of the men vehemently,
whereupon Mrs. Roberts stepped be-
tween them SAYING
''This has gone far enough; the child
shan't be touched. She says she's PLAYED
a joke. If that's so, she's hurt me worse
than anybody else. Now get out of here
all of you, and let the girl dress herself. y
The case of Mrs. Roberts was laid be-
fore the directory of the Onset Bay
Grove Association, and as a result the
following notice was sent to Mrs Rob-
ertS:-
To Mrs. Eta Roberts: 1t having come
to our knowledge from reliable witnesses
who were present at your seance Oh the
afternoon of August 10, that you were
assisted by a confederate in the person
OF Miss Annie West, in producing fraud
ulent manifestations; and
Whereas, The Board of Directors de-
sire to sustain by their sympathy and
support all genuine mediums for every
variety of manifestation, and to protect
their regulations from the demoraIizing
influence of fraudulent pretenders, even
though they may be at times genuine
mediums, hereby request you to leave
the grounds of the Association, and to
attempt no more deceit in the sacred
name of Spiritualism.
DR.. H. B. SToRER, President
THOMAS B. GRIFFITH, Treasurer
w. +. NYE, Secretary.
CHARLES HOWARD, D;,.4,.
HENR1ETTA B. .. BULLOCK, DIR RS
Onset, Mass, Aug. 16, 1891
Mrs Roberts still remains but Miss
West has gone. Before going she pleaded
with some of the people not to let her
mother know what she had done The
grounds are fairly swarlnng with me0i-
ums, representing every phase OF the
movement from healing to naterialiZing