Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-11
MAGIC AND RELIGION
Hermann Tells How SpirltualIstIc
Seance Ire Conducted
TIKI MIND-SEADlNG TRICK.
What IL Wanted 10 More Investigation
and Less sconpg By tho
Public.
written for the Dispatch.)

written for the Dispatcn)
Although perfectly well aware that any
subject touching on the relation between
any form OF religion and any form OK
amusement is a dangerous one, the temp
tatlon to take a header into stage spiritu-
alistlc manifestations Il too great to DC
resisted Just at the present time. when
there are any number Of alleged spiritual
mediums and exposers Of spiritual medi-
ums' practices now before the public.
While we are being treated to lectures
on Hindoo miracles and with accounts OF
| tho improbable. II not the impossible. be-
| ing seen and experienced almost daily, 1t
| might not be amss to discuss the manner
| In which great many OF the most mar
| vellous so-callej spiritual manifestations
| are produced.
Ii is a most difficult matter for me to
| say what must necessarily be satisfying
| In order to cover the subject under treat
ment without being accused OF scoiiing
at the religious belief OF some community
| or sect. Believe me, it Is tar from my
| intention to hold UP to ridicule any form
| OF religious worship or belief l have
been uccuStu OL u CpifltudltSl
| OF accomplishing many illusions through
| the aid OF spirits. while Spiritualists,
| on the other hand, have accused ME OF SO
closely initiating the work OF their medi-
ums as to seemingly accomplish by
| trckery what they claim to do by spirit
uaI aid. hold that any form Of religious
belief or worship indulged In by sincere
4 human beings Is worthy of respect. IL
one cannot find IL In his heart to respect
their creed their sincerity should certainly
command II. That there are many invisi-
Bile forces, impossible for the average
| human being OF to-day to understand, Is
| apparent to every thinking individual.
and it is quite as probable that a means
OF communication between the material
and spiritual worlds will be established so
plain and direct rs not to admit OF a
| dispute or question. The discovery OF
| steam and electricity. the marvels
wrought by Edison, the wizard, and the
wonderful discoveries made by medical
| scientists In the last Few years. are
enough to convince even the most skepti-
| cal that we know very little OF what Is I'm
this world OF ours and the atmosphere
that surrounds IL. Now, without saying
that spiritual manifestations are all
caused by methods described In the fol-
lowing paragraphs, I desire TO show how
| many of the most mysterious manifesta-
| tions secured by bogus mediums may be
done with q combination of trickery and
mechanical appliances.
| One OF the favorite experiments CT the
| travelling show spiritual medium Is the
| reading OF sealed letters and the writing
down Of answers to them before breaking
the seal or apparently disturbing IL in
any way. The performers assistant goes
4 fhr0llOl fha on1fanRa with N 49, hlo L.
paper a very hard-pointed pencil and q
package OF strong. thick envelopes. The
pad will be handed to some one in the
audience to write plainly In order that
the writing may be easily read. and
| when the question Is finished TO tear of
the paper on which II is written. fold It
no, and place 1t in the envelope securely.
This performance is repeated number
OF times until the professor has at least
a half dozen envelopes. each one
or which contains a question written
on piece OF paper. These let
ters are pressed to the forehead and
after the usual trance business or
, without it, as the performer may choose,
! tn question Is slowly read out TO the
audience and answered according to the
| whim of the operator The man who
wrote the question Is then called for. he
rises. receives his envelope. inspects IT
carefully 10 see that 1t has not been
tampered with. opens 1t. and displays
the question. which. OF course, Is the
one Just read and answered by tho per-
former. Now. this seems truly wonderful,
but when It is known that the pads are
carefully prepared with sheet OF carbon
paper concealed inside. some three or
four sheets below the one on which the
| question is written. and that the writing
| plainly with the hard pencil leaves
the marks legible. all the operator has
/ to do when the pads are returned to him
IL TO tear OF the first three or four
| leaves and read each ono OF the question
plainly written by the carbon underneath.
the mystery disappears. The same pad
Is never used twice. and. the attention
| OF the audience being riveted on tho
envelopes, which are placed in a hat or
basket, the inspection OF the pads Is not
detected or even thought OF.
! Another favorite trick IL TO collect n
number OF watches on a tray. the per-
former declaring that the clairvoyant
whom he Is assisting VIII read the num-
| bers OF these watches correctly without
opening the case or handling the time
| piece. All that Is necessary for the sue
cessful performance OF this trick is the
knowledge OF the number on one watch
on the tray This watch Is supplied by a
confederate IN the audience, and when
the first watch Is picked up the number
on the inside Of the case Of the confede-
rates watcn Is read OFF, the audience Is
requested to pencil the numbers down,
and when the watches are returned to the
owners they are found to be correct in
! every case. as the possession OF the firss
number enables the performer to ap-
| parently read II out OF another watch,
and when this watch is opened ne gets
! another number. and 90 proceeds until the
| collection Is exhausted. This unexplained
! Is one Of the most wonderful tricks I'm
second sight.
| Another form of second-sight business
| Is By two performers. usually n male and
a female. who will appear upon the stage.
| The female will be carefully mesmerized.
| seated in q chair. blindfolded. and a hood
or bag placed over her head; then the
assistant will pass rapidly through the
audience and touch articles here and
| there, while the bindfolded performer
| calls of the names Of them as rapidly as
| they can be touched. All this Is done with
out asking a single question. as 1t has
been previously arranged that when pass
ing through the audience he Is to touch a
number OF articles. a list OF which Is
carefully committed 10 memory, II always
! being so managed that articles to be
| found in every audience are selected. lie
will touch first lady's bonnet, mans
watchchain. walking-cane, hat. an um-
brella, the top Of an opera-chair, and so
on, until dozen or more articles have
been enumerated, when he will begin tc
ask questions. He will stop. take a
watch, open II, and say: "What have
herer The answer from the bllndfolded
performer will be: "a watch" Again,
| question: "Color7' Answer: Cold II
the watch had been a silver one the ques-
| ton would have been: "Metaly' instead
Of "Color?" which would have conveyed
the information to the blndfolded person
that 1t was q silver. watch. Occasionally
the question IL: what metalY' and the
answer, Brass" invariably is the means
of raising a hearty laugn at the expenSe
OF tho owner Of the ttmepiece.
| II Is impossible TO understand With.
| out making a careful study OF the mat
ter to what extent C. series Of questions
] may be carried. The most wonderful de-
/ scriptions of coins. dates on bank-notes
numbers In watches. the time Of day. full
| description OF articles OF wearing ap-
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