The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-05
And Proves a &EsS Success IS a cvnYer-
satl0aaAsi With the Ghosts.
HOW he SAVED A cRtDuloUs olp MAN
The Seance by which tho salvation
orthc Dnpe or :Sptritnnlisis WA.
Accomplished Was Far More Inn
pressiSc Than wcrc the Genuine
Affairs The Magician Explains.
BY H. F. JoKosA.


than his stage performances, but which
possess a singular quality of human in
terest For Instance, IL young man came
to him not very long ago and said that
his father had fallen so completely un-
der the influence OF certain spiritual
isttc medium that he would transact no
business without advice from the spirit
land and 1t was feared that the old man
was going to bring destruction upon
himself through his serious attention to
the ghosts. Some time ago the son
stated the heavenly guides had advised
their worshiper to invest in some min
ing stocks of doubtful character and he
had declared that he would take the
poiner. The son was greatly alarmed
and he had come to Kellar to learn If by
means of the magician's talent the ven
cradle dupe's faith could not be shaken
in these shades that come so good-nat-
ureuiy from the land of the unknown to
advise him in everything from the value
of mining securities to the best type of
bicycle. The possessors OF the heavenly
truths conveyed their meanings to the
old man In messages written upon or
binary states.
Kellar had exposed the notorious DR.
S!ade at Philadelphia in some slate
writing phenomena before the Sebert
commission and he knew the complete
science of conveying messages from the
ahodes in the eternal stars To some
weary pilgrim here on earth. The story
of the young man gained Eellar's sym
thy and he arranged n scheme to thwart
tne splrits ana deprive them OF their
Dious old victim.
The son departed happy and upon
meeting his father said "Bathcr ]
have discovered new medium who is IL
peach. All your friends are not in it
with this one. He communes with the
spirits every minute of his life, and he
knows every move they make. SlatS-
writing? Why that fellow can just hol-
Ter at n slate and the spirit will coveA
1t with solemn advice in seven lam
guages."
The father rejoiced at the discovery
of his son and he gladly accepted All
invitation to attend a seance for the
new medium and get some more advice
from heaven.
Thereupon the son simply Informed
kellar that his fathers name was An
drew. that his wifes name was Martha
and that the name of his daughter was
Susan. Equipped with this meagre but
satisfactory data Kellnr prepared
campaign against the spirits.
An appointed hour found the old man.
his son. and friend of KcllarS-there
by special invitation to witness the per-
formance-seated in the library of the
magician's home. Across the knees of
the old man lay bundle of n dozen new
states which he had brought in his de-
sire to defeat any ringing in of fake
states. Presently Ke!lar made his en-
trance and without any delay proceeded
To the business of the occasion. Strip
ping the library table of its lamps. books
and covering, he remarked casually that
the moQuette carpet of the room would
probably interfere somewhat with the
magnetic control of the spirits, but that
he thought he could manage the ghosts
all right. At his request. they examined
the table and failing to find any satanic
device about It. they took seats. Kelar
instructed them to draw their chairs
close to the table. The old man sat
opposite the magician: the son and the
friend were at either end. The room
was brilliantly Illuminated and remain
ed SO throughout the seance. After a
pause, kellar spoke in low tones. eau
tioning the others to remain perfectly
quiet. to make no remarks and to ask
no questions until after the spirits had
had an opportunity to manifest them
selves. In making these preliminary ar
rangements. Kellar's manner was
solemn and mystic. his pale face was
inscrutable while his eyes swept from
one to another of the party in those
stern and challenging chances which
somehow makes all victims of mediums
feel meek and utterly incapable of do
Ing anything SO offensive as to eXpose
n fraud. Presently he took the old mans
states from the table and careleSsly in
spected them. They We're of many
kinds and sizes, some in plain wooden
frames. some in the decorated borders
which was stamped with figures. letters
and drawings of animals the masi-
clan asked the men to extend their
hands one over the other, to the center
of the table. a little stack of six hands
= having been made kellar placed his long
Slim left hand on top of the stack. With
his right hand. he thrust the slate under
the table. keeping his thumb always i'm
sight. however, just above the edge of
the table There was another moment
or stiffness. Opposite the magician sat
the old man. motionless and awed his
eyes upon the pale eXpreSsionless face
OF the pretended medium If some
ghost had then arrived who was not
used to serving mediums he could have
found nothing in his Ehostly experience
TO explain the meaning OF these four
still figures. seated in silence about the
little table.
Presently Kellar drew the slate from
beneath tine table. All eyes were IN
stantdy upon 1T However It was still
perfectly blank. Kellar eyed IT wistfully
and In tone OF disappointment whisper
ed: IAe spirits are a tIdfle slow this
evening" Again he thrust the slate un-
der the table, always keeping his thumb
IN sight In less than ten seconds he
sara: Let us look again" When the
slape came into view it was found TO be
covered on both sidss with writing, done
IN a hand too fine for any human being
10 nave inscribed in such a brief time
moreover. the writing was in seven Ian
guages-Japanese, Greek, Hindoostapaa
Af'aocc, Chinese, Russian and Nav,io
Indian. The old man had no knowiedoe
or Japanese, nor Greek nor IJindno
stance, nor Arabic nor Chinese. nor Rms.
sian, nor Navajo Indian, but tlhds exhihS-
fion so paralyZed him that ne didn't even
ask for a translation 80