The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-27
ANNIE ABBOTT IN GOTHAM.
She MyStifieS and PIeaSeS The Wise
New Workers.
Forces Men to Lose Their Strength
and Tug at Mere Trihes-Makes
Atoms Seem Like Tons.


Atoms Seem Like Tons.
From he New York World.
little slip Of a woman, who weighs
ninety-eight pounds, stood in a parlor of
the Sturtevant house last night and
played the very mischief with the law Of
weights and several other laws, to the
CONSERVATION of many distinguished ply
sicians, who were as completely at a loss
to explain the exhibition as were the lay
men who saw it.
Mrs Annie Abbott is so small in APP
pearance that it seemed that any able
bodied man could lift her from the floor
but if Mrs. Abbott doesn't wish to be
lifted she is harder to raise than a car
window. This strange and inexplicabie
power which she possesses has made
her famous in other parts of the world,
but it has never before been seen
in New York. In Germany she has
stirred up fine row among wise pro-
fessors, and to-day she sails for Europe
/ To help some of the professors out, for
! they have gone to law over book written
about her. She intended starring sooner
! but her departure was delayed by a
| nervous attack, and DR.. Thomas Il.
Bailey of No. l East Thirteenth street
was called To attend her. He was so
completely habbergasted by Mrs. Abbott
that he decided, in the interest of science
| to make it pleasant for his learned
! friends who laughed at him when he
! told them about the strange woman. So
he arranged for the exhibition of last
! evening
MANY DOCTORS PRESENT.
! Among the doctors who were there
were Charles L. Dana, John A Wyeth,
| A. L. Ranuey, W. Il. Townsend, Andrew
| r.. Robinson, Thomas r. Pooley, Henry
| G. Pifard, Edward J. Birmingham,
Henry D. Chaplin, Guy Bailey and H.
| t'rauenthal
Mrs Abbott has thin, worn face, with
a suggestion of prettiness about it. Her
/ blue eyes are very bright. She has brown
| hair. Last night she wore gorgeous
evening dress of black embroidered satin
and green silk trimmed with ostrich
feathers. She wore many diamonds, for
| she has made deal of money by exhibit
ing her powers. She made little speech
to begin with. She said she wouldn't call
/ it anything; she would make some tests,
| and thosc who saw it could call the power
what they liked And if they
could explain to her just what it
was she would be very much
obliged. Some of her tests had been sug-
| gested by DR. CharoOt. He thought the
(
had called it something else. A good
many people said she was a magnet. She
! dosen't think she is. Others said it was
a trick, and if it was she was sure every
one would agree that it was a good one.
She didn't know anything about magne-
tism nor hypnotism nor electricity nor
occultism. She was an ignorant country
girl, born in Georgia, who had married
when Is, and all the education she had
she had picked up herself. she explained
the broad platform which had been
placed in the room by saying that she
could not work on carpets or metals.
COULD NOT LIFT THE CHILD.
Then Mrs. Abbott started right in. She
| called her daughter, who is II years old,
and who wore yellow dress. and asked
a doctor to lift the little girl. The doctor
who came forward was big man. He
picked up the child without difficulty.
1T is easy to lift her." said the wise
man.
Now we will try the experiment"
said Mrs. Abbott, smiling. 81 will place
one hand on her spine, between the shout
ders. Place your hands underneath the
little girls arms so that your flesh wll
come in contact with hers. I will place
my other hand on yours. Now then!n
The doctor drew long breath and be-
gan to lift. The child was slightly raised
| and then sank back again. The man
tugged and pulled harder than ever.
"Lemme get a better hold. he said
breathlessIy. Then he clasped the girl
about the waist and pulled harder than
ever. Suddenly the child shot into the
| air.
The doctors hands came in contact"
explained Mrs. Abbott. "When that oc-
ours no longer have any control"
They tried this experiment and demon
strated its truth. Three soiled, grinning
urchins from the street were brought
upon the platform. They and the little
girl clasped hands and four strong men
| gathered behind them. On was Dr. O'Sul-
Ivan. The men made individual attempts
to lift the youngsters. 1t was a fine
sight to see DR.. O'Sullivan get down on
his knees and boost He could push that
little street arab over, but he couldn't lift
him with all his strength.
MEN T UGGED IN VAIN.
"Now, then, all together" said Mrs.
Abbott, and four other men began to tug
away at the children, who had clasped
hands. No one little foot left the floor
although the men tugged until their
faces looked like Holsters
Mrs. Abbott said she wanted fifteen or
eighteen men TO come on the platform.
So DR. Bailey and his wise brethren,
some of whom weighed more than $50
pounds, stood up. She arranged them in
| a line, one man graSplng the man in
| front by the coat collar, while the other
hand was placed in the small of the
back. Mrs, Abbott placed herself at the
head Of the line, which looked as if it
was about to break into the lockstep.
She placed her hands on physicians.
Now, push me through the wall, If
you can" she said.
They did their level best. They came
down on her like line of foot ball rush
ers, and it seemed that she must be
driven clear through into the street. But
the line collapsed like jackknife. Mrs.
! Abbott scarcely budged. The physician
upon whom she placed her hands said he
! felt no pressure whatever. When this
was over everyone gathered about Mrs.
| Abbott and looked upon her with open
mouths. II was a little uncanny. but it
was as nothing compared with what fol-
| lowed. A pair of ordinary platform scales
was brought in from the storeroom of the
! hotel. The storekeeper came along to do
the weighing.
SCALES WERE KNOCKED OUT.
"We'll have my weight the first thing"
said Mrs. Abbott brightly. She stepped