The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-02-10
WORKING THE SPIRIT HAND.

WORKING THE SPIRIT HAND
Jules Wallace, who vas recently compelled
to fly from St. Louis after he had driven
one person insane by his alleged power to
communicate with the spirits of those gone
before and after he had induced hundreds
of other credulous people to line his pock-
cts with coin of the realm
The general scheme of such tricksters is
to convince some credulous person of their
power to communicate with spirits, fore
tell the futures mysteries, dispel dark
clouds that already actually hover over the
dupe or clouds that the fakir's active i'm
agination sees gathering in the near or dis
tant future. When the victim is we'll
alarmed, the mediums kindly offer to do
the dispelling at SO, $40, $50 or 500 dis
pei" the sums varying according to theap-
parent financial condition of the dupe.
One of Wallace's tricks was to give a
seeker after knowledge two cards and two
envelopes. On one card was to be written
the name of a deceased male relative and
the question the patron desired the spirit
to answer. On the other card was to be
written the name of a deceased friend and
question. The St. Louis Republic recent
~ sent An investigator to expose this trick,
and the reporter tells the following story:
"Wallace told me to put the cards in the
envelopes with the writing toward the
front. as he was going to cut holes in the
back of the envelopes and seal the envelopes
to the cards with sealing wax. The name
of the deceased () relative placed on the
card was Martha Jones, an aunt of mine,
who is living. The questions asked were
as follows:
"'How soon do you suppose l am going to
be married?'
"'Is the lady to whom am engaged true!'
"Now, l have been married for two
years, but Wallace did not know that, nor
did the spirits either, apparently. The de-
ceased male friend l wrote down as Philip
McBee, a living man, and asked him the
following questions:
"'What is the present outlook for my fu-
turey
"'Will I get the money expect soon?'
II am not expecting any money and have
no resources except the money l work for.
When the envelopes had been sealed, Wal
lace pressed them to his forehead and began
to go through variety of motions. He
then carelessly stepped behind me, where
could not see him for two minutes. am
convinced that while there be rubbed some
thing over the face of the envelope and
thus easily read my message. He came to
the table and laid down the envelope, cut
side up, and said:
~ learn from the spirit Martha Jones
that you are. single man and that there
are some doubts as to how soon you will be
married. Thelady you are engaged to is
true and faithful, as you take her to be-
II took this gorgeous lie all in. He con-
tinued still more impressively:
~ find Philip McBee is here with you.
He is very glad to see that you are in
prosperous condition, and says you will re-
cover your financial losses. The prospects
for your future look favorable
"As had had no financial losses, was
married and as both the spirits summoned
BY Professor Wallace were living mortals,
I naturally did not place much confidence
in his boosted relations with the other
world. He then went on to tell my future.
He said there was heavy cloud hanging