The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-31


| citizens, twenty-five years ago and gave an
exhibition of his wonderful powers in his
entertainers mansion, which was situated
In beautiful park, dozen rods from the
street, in the fashionable quarter. None OF
the mediums family was invited to be
present. The most distinguished citizens
in business and social circles attended his
seance, which was inexplicable to every
one, and was said to be in some respects his
most extraordinary exhibition during
his career. He introduced one
feature, never attempted before, and
which was never reported in the news
papers. The people, most of whom were
materialists and skeptics, had all gathered
in the gentlemsn's parlor. 1t was a beau
tiful, crisp, fall evening, and the wide,
| open grounds, with a broad gravel drive
way winding through them from the street
| to the house door, were almost as bright as
dcy with the light of the unobsoured
autumn moon. Hume came into the circle
| from another room at o'clock, CARRIED in
| black, according to the fashion OF the
period. While he was perfectly at ease,
| gay, and almost sprightly, his manner was
characterized by an appearance Of singular
self-exaltation. He evidently intended to
! astonish some Of his fellow citizens, who
had been wont, years before, to
rebuke him for his shiftlessness and
| guy him on account of his odd fancieS and
convictions. He seated himself in the midst
Of his audience and began chatting with
them atfably on matter-of-fsc6 topics. The
room had been partly darkened; there were
no curtains or shutters at the windows, so
| every one in the room, looking across the
| brightly Illuminated lawn, could not fail to
see any one who might approach the house
either on foot or driving. Hume ohatted on
| for about five minutes, and some members
of the company began to wonder when his
promised spiritual manifestation would be-
| gin.
Hume appeared to divine their thoughts,
| for suddenly he interrupted his own dis
! course, and with a peculiar smile said:
Presently; in fact we arc waiting now
simply for the rest of the company to ar
rive, and then the 'seance' will begin"
"But is not every one already present
who has been invited" asked the host, with
q puzzled look.
Doubtless )" was the mediums response:
''all the visible guests who received invita-
tons are here. 1t is the guests whom l in
vited that l am expecting. Ha! If l am
not mistaken here comes one Of them now.
Just keep watch upon the lawn all Of you,
and see them approach. | am quite sure
there will be a number Of them. Keep
your eyes wide open. Now, listen"
Instantly the audience gazing steadily
out OF the parlor windows, heard strange
sounds, though they saw nothing but the
still lawn, sheesed with frost that sparkled
| in the moonlight. There was no wind
moving to delude them, but they heard
distinctly the swiftly rolling hack, then the
hoot beats of dashing horses. They heard
the rattle OF harnesses, champing of bits
and the furious swapping OF whiplash.
! Then were the sounds of the fna-
rush, the vehicle wheeling up in front of the
stone steps at the door, the horses paw
ing the gravel and rattling their curb
chaius, the driver springing down from his
| lofty seat, the carriage doors opening and
banged TO, and human footsteps ascending
the doorsteps. Then the driver leaped back
to his seat, the whip snapped, the harnesses
| ratified ag8in, the steeds paved the earth
| and with great clatter the vehicle was
whirled down the winding track, aud was
heard rafting into the distant street, the
sound Of its movements gradually growing
fainter, and finally dying away on the tran
! quill evening air.
The audience, which until then had been
motionless aud speeohess, staring out Of
| doors, listening to the approach and depart
ure of the spectral coach, but seeing nothing
unusual, turned and gazed at Hume The
wizard was smiling. He was calm and un-
| Hurried. "Come," he said, "now let us 90
and receive our new visitors" He arose
and led the way to the front door. He threw
! it open instantly, and the company gazed
across the vacant lawn in uudis9uised
| emazement Some of them even fastened
| around the dwelling and searched the shrub
berry Of the grounds They saw no
one, and there was no mark Of
wheels or footsteps on the frosty
gravel walks. The company returned
to the parlor, took seats again, and in
stantly another intangible, invisible coach
hurried into the grounds, rushed to the door
steps with similar uproar and departed
Then came a whole procession of carriages,
winding into, through and out of the
| grounds; footsteps as of a score of people
we're heard I'm the porch, and a murmur Of
| lew voices therein; then the front door was
heard to open and shut repeatedly, and
finally doors opened and were closed in all
parts of the house; there were strange, &C.
| centric footballs in upper rooms. crockery
ratified in distant apartments, and
furniture was heard shuff1ing about in
| the chambers. Some persons in the audi
enca said they felt ''creepy sense" as il
unseen fingers were about to touch them
Several Of the ladies became hysterical, and
| thereupon the seance was abruptly ended
| Hume remained in unrutfied serenity
| through it all. He was at no time. ap-
| parently, in trance. He smiled In an odd,
! quiet sort Of way; his eyes were wide open,
dilated and luminous, and his face was
| ghost-like in its pallor. He now and then
made a remark to his company. what!
are you satisfied slreadyi The manifesta-
ton has hardly begun" be said in conclu-
sion.
! But the audience had had enough. He
never gave another sesnce in Norwich, and,
| 1t Is said. never returned here afterward
! His family knew very little OF his doing
! except through newspaper reports A num-
Der of the town people vividly recall has
| first and only seance in Norwich, and the
death of his half-sister Nellie led them TO
discuss all the incidents OF it this week
! The manifestation is as wonderful and in
| scrutible to them now as when they wit
L