Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1895-07-13
TERRIBLE SPECTACLE
From the French of catulle Mendes,
by W. ;. Duncan.

Are you of the same opinion as Ham
let? Do you believe that there are
more things in heaven and earth than
are dreamt of in our philosophy? Do
you believe that, IN London lodging
Eliphas Levy, has evoked AppOllOnius
de Tyane. the humble seer, and that
the illustrious savant, William
Crookes. has taken tea several times
each week, for many months, with
the materialized spirit Of a young
woman, robed in a vestment OF linen,
her head surmounted by a turban of
feathers?
Do not laugh! A spectre, even under
O turban. would cause the marrow in
your bones TO freeze, and the ludi-
crous effect probably would add to the
horror.
As for myself, l did not laugh yes
terday evening while reading in the
Boston Traveller in September, 1894,
the report of a trial which will no
doubt ultimately terminate in the
conviction of the accused.
1t is a dreadful affair. While per-
using the particulars, gathered from
the statement of a waiter of the hotel,
who overheard through the keyhOle
the conversation of the two principals,
and from the unanimous testimony of
forty trustworthy persons who as
sisted at the browning scene of the
drama, felt a chill run through me
as if piece of ice had been placed
between my shoulders. What would
it have been had witnessed. person
ally, the beautiful young victim, with
the bleeding wound over her heart,
wetting her fingers there to annoint
the face of the assassin with bap-
tism of crimson drops?
On the 25th of February last, about
o'clock in the afternoon, famous
medium" Prof. Benjamin Haven
port davenport" that is to say,
''pOrt of safety"-and Miss Ida Sout-
chotte, very delicate young woman
who for several years had been assO-
ciated with the professor in his ex-
periments, were sitting at dinner in
their apartments on the second floor
of the Devunshire Hotel IL New York.
Famous Mr.. Benjamin davenport
was in fact, but he owed his celebrity
to Illicit means. so everybody ttfirmed.
The bonafide spiritualists cbstinately
withheld from him the confidence
which they reposed in Mr. William
Crookes and Mr.. Daniel Douglas
Home. THE most yirulent attacks to
which our cause has been subjected"
said the author of the History Of
American Spil'itU alism.'' 'emanate
from rapacious and unprinciplsd med
iums, who, when the manifestations
do not result as quickly as circum-
stances demand, have resource to
trickery to insure success" Prof.
davenport belonged to this class.
In addition his record was most I'M
savory. Strange stories We're afoat of
highway robberies perpetrated by him
in South America, of cheating at MAY
in the gambling houses Of san Fran
cisco, of revolvers too hastily dis
charged at inoffensive dupes: it was
also whispered that the professors
wife, betrayed, ruined and beaten.
even, had died of chagrin.
But, Notwithstanding these unpleas-
ant rumors and thanks to the dexter
lty Of his experiments, Mr.. BENJAMIN
davenport did not fail to exercise .
considerable influence over a certain
class of credulous souls, who are al
ways ready to be imposed upon. II
would have been a dif1cult matter TO
persuade large number of honorable
people of both hemispheres that thew
had not seen, listened to, touched
even, thanks to him, the embodied
spirits of their brothers, their moth
ers or their sisters He was, further
more, admirably served by a fatal
yisage OF a dusky hue, deep black
eyes fraught with a baleful glimmer
mouth forever c0ntorted in a de-
moniacal sheer, and by the almost pro-
phetic earnestness Of his utterance
Standardization.
When the waiter at the hotel had
retired Che did not withdraw very farl (
IN carrying away the dessert dishes 4
by the way" said the medium to .
Miss Ida, there is a seance this even
Ing at Mrs. Johanna HardIng's .
Many people will be there: some i'm
pertant personages, two or three mil
ionaires. You will conceal under
Jour skirt the sheet Of gauze that
wells the apparitions and the Iaay's
peruke, the blonde one"
Just as you please, BENJAMIN" an
swered Ida SoutchOtte in a resigned
voice
The waiter hes23 her cross the room.
After a few moments she asked:
Whom do you wish to evoke. Ben
5amin?"
He burst into a coarse, brutal