Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-05
COOKIES SpOOKS.
The Ghost Sharp Challenged
by Mr.. Innes.
His Tricks Pronounced to Be
Very Simple.
Some Inside Facts About the Pro-
fessor's Performance.
Nothing Wonderful About the Exhibi-
tion The Professor Tied Himself.
The Committee Had to Keep
Their Eyes Shut.

Mr.. C. w. Innes forwards the follow
ing interesting statement about Prof.
Cookies spook entertainment at the Los
Angeles theater on Sunday night:
Your issue of today contains de-
scription of the entertainment of Prof.
Cooke given at the Los Angeles theater
last evening, in which there are some
mistakes which desire to correct. /
was one of the committee who were on
the stage for the purpose of investigat-
ing, and l must say that Prof Cooke
derful to the writer. In the first place
you say that the committee tied the
professor in his chair, which is mis-
take. He tied himself in his own
peculiar way while he was in his cabinet
with the doors closed. No one saw him
do this. and if he will let any of us
study the way he was tied for few
minutes we can do the same things as
he did. The knots were so tied that by
pressing the knees together the ropes
around his wrists were loosened, thus
allowing him to free his hands and use
them at will.
The trick with Major Toler's coat was
simply case of mesmerism-nothing
more. There is not a doubt that Major
Toler was mesmerized.
Next comes the trick with the card.
The card produced by Professor Cooke
was not the one given him by the COM
mittee, and we so reported at the time.
1t was evident they we're different from
the fact that the corner torn off by the
committee did not fit where the corner
was torn off of the one produced by the
professor after the curtains had been
drawn. The professor was tied very
loosely to the pole, and whilst he could
not and did not get loose from the pole,
still the way in which he was tied
allowed him sufficient use of his hands
to perform sill he did in that position
without any miracle whatever.
Next comes the poorest excuse for a
miracle l ever saw. The professor and
Mr.. Powell (his paid help, and not one
of the committee) took their seats at
opposite ends of the table, while the
committee took their seats on the sides
of the table. Cooke and Powell sat
close up to the table, and pressed hard
against it with their bodies. Of
course, being at opposite ends of
the table, and pushing against
each other, when they raised them
selves the table came with them. But
no one got on the table and was carried
around as stated in your issue of to-day.
Instead of the case striking the COM
mittee as decided case of spooks ]
think they will all agree with the writer
that it was the poorest second-cass
slight-of-hand performance we ever saw.
Besides all this when one of the com.
mittee went into the cabinet with the
professor he asked US to promise we
would not open our eyes. and when the
so-called spook was about to make his
appearance we had to promise not to
catch him or you would have seen him
on the stage. for the writer went there
for the purpose of catching and expos.
ing the spirits.
/ am thorough non-believer in
spirits, and will agree to catch or try to
catch anything you can show me that
looks like ghost. However, according
to my idea of a ghost this one did moi
look enough like one to tempt me.