The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-12-09
THE SPIRITS BREATH.
GORE A VERY EARTHLY DOOR
OF BOILED ONIONS.
How Mediums. Game on Rich Man
Was Exposed - Robbed While
Seeking to Meet His De-
ceased Wife.

ceased Wife.
There are more dupes in this
city than you newspaper fellows have
any idea Of" said one of the sleuth
hounds of a private detective agency
the other day.
well If spin you yarn the dra-
matte persona must remain incog.
Mr.. b is very rich man. Some
five years ago he lost his WIFE, and
as he had no children to comfort him
and had been devoted husband, he
felt that the light of his life had clean
gone out
In this mood he turned to Spirit
ualism and took to attending ma
terializing seances. He went to sew
eral places and saw no end of ghosts.
who appeared and disappeared while
the gas was turned down very low
and who always spoke in sepulchral
whispers us though they had lost the
best portions of their innings.
Ghosts come high, and Mr.. B
spent lot. of money hunting for
them. He struck one that looked like
his wife, or that he thought looked
like his wife. for. of course. no iden-
tifica. ion with just enough light to
make darkness visible would hold &C.
cOrding to the laws of evidence.
'.But something about this particu-
lar one touched some peculiar chord
Of memory and he became convinced
thai he had seen the materialized
spirit of his beloved wife. This was
at a seance given by Nine. Y.
OF course Mr.. B. didn't want
any other persons to be present when
he interviewed the shade of the de-
parted wife. Such Intrusion seemed
to him like sacrilege. Besides he
had money and could afford to be ex-
elusive. So he made an arrange
ment with Nine. Y by which she
gave him a private seance every
Thursday night. And for every such
seance he paid her $50. 1t was
pretty nice figure but what man. es-
peclally rich man. would weigh the
blessings of immortality demonstra-
ted against filthy lucre? Perish the
thought!
AT these seances there were none
present but Mr.. b. Nine. Y and
the apparition. The thing went on
with A5he regularity of clockwork.
Aftersinging Sweet Hour of Prayer"
Nine. Y. at 9:1O. turned down the
lights and waddled into the cabinet
and at 9:15 there emerged from the
cabinet slender willowy white
| rObed creature. She allowed Mr.
BIO kiss her hand; if he ever be-
came more demonstrative she would
| retreat into the cabinet and appear
no more that evening, declaring that
the spiritual elements of which she
was composed were not strong enough
to withstand closer contact with
earthly flesh and blood and at 9:35
anyhow she always fluttered back in
to the cabinet
She never spoke above whisper
to Mr.. B.. told him that she was
happy progressing patiently, await
ing his coming was glad that he con-
tinued to love her. and so on. And
when Mr.. B-went away he always
left behind him an envelope contain.
ing three ten dollar bills.
The thing ran on a couple of
years. Then Mr.. BIS suspicious
became aroused. and in very pecu-
liar fashion. He detected an odor of
onions about the alleged ghost of his
wife. A ghost that smells of onions
is certain to awaken suspicious It
may exhale an odor of violets or roses
with perfect safety. but onions are of
the earth earthly. Besides. the late
Mrs. B. detested onions.
There was another motive at work
with Mr.. B.. Time heals many
sorrow. 1t had healed his. And he
had discovered that certain charm
ing widow could console him much
more effectually than the ghost could.
In fact he found that the ties that
bound him to the ghost had become
rather embarrassing. At the same
time his conscience would not allow
him to break off with a genuine
ghost That would be worse than
playing false with the living.
The upshot of it was thai I was
put on the case. Inever had an easier
one in my life. was convinced that
Nine. Y. had a confederate because
she was too bulky herself to person
ate the late Mrs B. I discovered
that Nine Y. had another visitor on
Thursday nights-a female who al
ways arrived half an hour before Mr..
B. called and went away half an hour
after he had left the house.
Il traced this female to respe eta
bic house on Fifth avenue. / learned
from the servants that the lady's maid
was a great favorite with everybody.
especially her mistress. but that rain
or shine. she always went OFT on
Thursday night. In fact that was one
of the conditions under which she held
her place. 1t was supposed that she
had a sweetheart and her devotion
was regarded as point in her favor.
.sOf course the inference was ire
sistible l got Mr.. b to introduce
me as friend at the next seance.
When the ghost emerged from the
cabinet l stepped in front of it Mr..
B. turned on the light and the next
moment there rushed into my arms.
not ghost but girl. who turned out
to be mighty pretty when the sheet
fell off and allowed one to see her
features
She did the business for Nine. Y.
on half shares. Her excuse was that
Mr.. B. wanted to see his wife ghost