St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-03
TRICKS OF The TRADE.
A MEDIUM EXPOSED At A SEANcE
nv CAMDEN !
GR1PPED A SPIRIT HAND.

How Spirits Chucked a Dupe's
Chin With Stuffed Glove
Stuck on a Carpenters Fule-s
Maurice Barnett Exposes al
Fake Medium Named Henry
Laflar.
An exciting episode took place last
night at spiritualistic seance in pri-.
vate house On Hudson street, Camden,
says the Philadelphia Record, which re-
suited in Maurice Barnett, determined
young Englishman, living at No. go
! Warwick street, this city, exposing the
tricks of a medium named Henry Lollar,
of No. 1888 North Twelfth street. who
is assisted in his work of defrauding the
public by his wife and a man named
Brown. Barnett was accompanied to-
the seance by Harry Upham. of No.
1877 South Eighteenth strset, and DR..
w. S. Bray, of No. 902 North Second
street, Camden, and both gentlemen
materially assisted in exposing the
fraud.
Barnett is beardless young man Of
spiritualistic tendencies, but not at all
spirituelle in appearance. He is tall
and muscular, and has more than ordin-
airy strength in his hands and arms. He
has been attending the circles given by
Lollar for some time, and on account of
his belief in spiritualism was at first an
easy mark for the medium and his
QcSICfantS MT
spirit manifestations as produced by
Lollar were rank receptions. he deter
mined to fathom the mystery, il pos
sible, and last night his opportunity
came, He was invited by DR.. Bray to
attend a private circle in Camden,
and, after some hesitation, decided to
accept. Accompanied by his friends
he went to the seance. but his story is
best told in his own words:
FELT SPIRIT TOUCHES.
Having attended the dark circles
given at his rooms by Lollar. and wit
messed many strange manifestations
and celestial lights, and experienced
spirit touches, was thoroughly con
WINGED Of the mans claims that he was
a spirit medium. All my experiences
were most uncanny, and can tell you
L was frightened at the apparently WON
derful manifestations on several occa-
SionS. But my faith was somewhat
shaken by other people present at the
circles telling me that the spirit touches
L experienced were produced by
gloved hand, which they saw moving
around tho darkened room by means of
ehink of light that came through
crack in the door. AS | always held
the mediums hands, L thought possibly
LOiiar'S assistants administered the
spirit touches, and determined to inveS-
tigate.
"There were seventeen people at the
seance when we arrived there tonight,
and although we were not expected
Lollar invited ME TO join the circle. The
eighteen of US sat around in the dark
eped room, and, must confess, was
plcious that noticed was when we had
to move a divan in the loom
to complete the circle. In showing
this piece of furniture SLoIt we
were startled by flashes or light
shooting across the room and appar-
emily emanating from the carpet on the
floor. This was all uncanny circum-
stance, and 1 determined to investigate
it. Reaching down | rubbed my hand
over the carpet and found that / could
produce the spirit lights myself. A
misty film seemed to arise from the
lights, convincing me that. this effect
was produced by PHOSPHORUS thrown
on the floor.
7 AN UNCANNY EXPERIENCE.
| After completing the circle Lollar
asked where he should begin to make
the spirits manifest themselves, and,
although he was on the opposite side of
! the room from me, Mr.. Brown sug-
:, gested that he call some of my rela-
| tives forth from the spirit world. Lollar
crossed the room, and, taking me by
the two hands, knelt down in front of
me. Almost instantly l experienced
the spirit touches and felt hand tap
me on various parts of the body. is
that you. father?' L asked. The ha nd
tapped me once, meaning no. is that
you. MilIy? L next inqu ired.
The spirit hand tapped three times,
meaning yes, and l wondered what
Alilly wanted to communicate TO me. as
she was niece OF mine who died twenty
years ago In England. couldn't under
stand why her spirit should cross the
ocean to call on me, and to make sure
of her identity l said: If that is you,
! Mllly, tap me three times on the left
shoulder The three taps came, and to
convince myself l SAID: Now. tweak
! my noSe.' This strange request caused
the others present to laugh, but was in
earnest and repeated tho words. In
stead of tweaking my nose / felt the
cold, ciammy hand chucking me under
| the chin.
THE TRICK EXPOSED.
"The sensation was not enjoya BILE, l
can tell you, bur | knew my opportunity
| had come to learn if any one was in col
fusion with Lollar. l Thought Brown
or his wife was back of him, and
| wrenehing my hands from his, clutehed
the spirit hand and called excitedly for
| a light. My friend, Harry Upham, IN
stantly sprung cigar-lighter on the
| scene and DR.. Bray struck match. By
| the dim light of the two we saw Lollar
had been operating the spirit hand him
self. He had stuffed. black kid glove
fastened to an eight-cent two-foot rule,
| aud worked the arrangement with his
mouth. We were not quick enough to
get the stuffed glove. but we got part of
the rule, which was broken in the
struggle for its possession.
The spirit glove apparently disap-
peared, but MIR. Upham saw one of the
men slip 1t into lift pocket in the
inside of his coat. OF course this broke
up the circle and the seance, although
| they tried to convince US thaS>she spirit
had really been about. told Loliar,
! however. that female spirits didn't roam.
I about with carpenters rules in their