Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-03
.SPOOKS WERE THERE.
A MYSTERIOUS MEETING OF SPIRIT
UAlisTS HELD HERE LAST NIGHT.
The Medium Was a Lady Who Performed
Wonderful Feats--" Maudie" anu
the other speetre-

Strange voices spoke and brought mes
sages from those who long since have de-
parted this life, while in the darkness
little child fitted around, and with its
tender hands touched the occupants OF
the mysterious chamber.
In the NOISY street below the hum of ve-
bicles and electric-cars told the story OF O
busy city, while within the sombre apart,
ments there was another world-a Worlu
Of wonders and OF spirits.
VERY SELECT COMPANY.
The only applicants Of the room, which
was in a lodging-house, were the proprie-
tor and his wife, young doctor and his
better half anoth sr lady and mystiticd
representative of the DISPATCH, and last
but not least a medium and her " mana
eer.n The medium was a woman--a wo-
man "fair. fat. and forty" mediums are
not sensitive about their ages), and despite
very unfavorable circumstances she per-
formed several feats which we're truly
wonderful At times the exclusive gath
ering who witnessed her performances felt
the very blood freeze in their veins, and in
the almost appalling darkness they ex-
perienced an almost irresistible desire
10 spring up and flee. The mysterious
woman conversed with the gathering
little while before the show commenced.
and If there was anything remarkable
about her at that time the spectators
failed 70 notice II. She conyersed rather
veil when she spoke at all, but rather
maintained reserve of manner. The most
| striking thing about the medium was her
| hair. II was very blonde and still more
Wavy. In fact. a cynical individual would
almost have imagined that its graceful
undulations were the products of million
curl papers removed but few minutes be-
fore her appearance. But these specula-
| tlOns are mundane trivlalties, and If the
| lady must be described at all it can be
truthfully asserted that she had very
| pleasant, refined face.
THE GHOST IN THE CLOSET.
About $3.50 O'Clock her manager apollo
gsticaIly stated that tho surroundings
we're not particularly favorable to "spooki.
ness" but nevertheless his prOtege would
do her best. The medium then went into
| a little closet which was entirely empty.
| There was nothing in the room except the
| paper on the wall. The reporter can testi-
| fy to this The lady took her seat III a
char and was then tied tightly by the
neck with very strong string, so that it
would have been practically impossible
! for her 10 move any distance at
| all. The host tied the knots and
the scribe superlntended the job. Then
| two dark curtains were thrown over the
| doorway of the closet and the spiritualist
was obscured from view. The gas was
| turned out and kerosene-lamp was put
on a table in the corner Of the room. A
| paper bag was put over this, 80 that the
| light might be still more subdued. For
several minutes the spectators sat IN
| silence and the Stiffness was unbroken
but already things began to get scary."
There was something "spOoky" IN the
very atmosphere. Suddenly the voice of a
| little girl broke the stiffness, and in
| q plaintive, childish voice she requested
! the guests TO sing a hymn. Ii might
! De stated parenthetlcally that most of the
company had very limited list to select
| from, but at any rate, the music COM
menced The Doctor PLAYED the organ and
! then n small white figure appeared III front
, If the curtain. IL was very vague, but
| seemed TO be that Of a chlld.
| The manager stated that this was
"Alaudie,D the little girl who always talked
| for the medium. The face of the spirit
was go vague that il could hardly be seen,
J but her flowing white garments were very
distinct against the black background OF
the curtains. The child disappeared, and
then a larger figure, evidently y woman,
appeared and one of the ladies present
rushed to it and embraced the hazy mass
of white. Words were exchanged, and
when the lady returned she declared that
she had been talking with the daughter
of her husband
DAUGHTER OF HER HUSBANDS FIRST WIFE.
IL occurred TO the scribe. despite the
fact that his hair had a rather perpendicu-
lar tendency, that it was a rather natural
thing tor ladies 70 talk with their hus-
bands daughters, and so he asked the
woman why she wss so tremulous aud ner-
yous after her conference with the ghost.
20, that's the daughter of my husbands
first wife" replied the lady. She has
been dead for years, and though l have
often got messages from her, never talked
with her before" d.
And then, in the impenetrable gloom,
hrO igurls appeared-tgures OF children
clothed in that same startling white.
After awhile they vanished in the dark
ness. and then there was a mans voice.
The proprietor recognized the words as
those of a distant friend, and he and
Member Ghost had a brief conference,
III which. as afterwards occurred quite fire.
duently, the rules of English grammar
were somewhat ignored. IL fact. several
Of the "spooks" displayed tendency TO
violate those sacred syntactIcal obligations
which school-teachers hold so dear, and
even little "Maudie.n although she used
some right big words, rather had ten
dency TO neglect the requirements or the
verb ito be-"
Once the child's voice cried out: Some
one keeps asking nv medium for Barbara ;
she wants To talk with her
BARBARA WAS HER NAME.
The newspaper-man wondered if the un-
known person desired the treckle-taced,
big-wasted Barbara Dering who figures IN
Amelie Riye's last novel, but the little
lady who sat next to him trembled most
violently, for her name was Barbara. too.
She was positive that no one in Richmond
knew 1t save her husband, and she became
so alarmed that she declined to speak with
the invisible person. Her husband was
more inuuisitive, however, and, like good
| many spouses, he undertook 70 talk for his
wife. He wanted TO know who desired to
! confer with his better half, but "'spooks !"
can't be blntfed in that way. Subsequent
! ly, however, Maudie said the person who
wanted to speak with Barbara had very,
very black hair dark eyes, and toperlng
| hands, AMI was rather fat mot too fat,
| though. The lady could recall no ac-
| quaintance of this description,
One OF the figures that appeared fairly
terrified the spectators. The proprietor
OF the house was complacently sitting with
| his legs crossed when suddenly an apDarl-
| ton clothed III that same mystic white
sprung at him and then vanished. The ek-
feet was simply norrifying.
Maudie" was quite sassy at times.
| Once she asked her auditors 70 sing
Nearer, My God, to Thee" and after an
utter failure on the part OF the spectators
10 comply with her request the Doctor re-
marked that the undertaking was an I'M
| possible one.
IHE BABY PRESSED HIS HAND.
ITS time you were learning replied
| the juvenile ghost. When the lights were
turned on again the medium came out
| from the closet. She looked somewhat
exhausted and remarked upon the great
strain to which she had been subjected
| Notwithstanding this. her manner sug-
| gested something else. tie made
all the company sat around IN
circle and hold hands and wait for
spirit manifestations" The gas was
again turned out, after the reporter
and another "skepticn had been placed
| on each side of the medium. The slightest
movement on her part would have been
perceptible Suddenly one Of the guests
said he felt tiny baby's hand touching
him. Others made the same remark, and
| twice the infants little fingers softly
pressed the scribe's capacious fist. Attha
time no movement on the part OF the me-
| dium was noticeable.
| The entertainment. which was OF
| strictly private nature. ended with tht
| payment of dollar apiece by each OF the