The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-23

miuth. He was then tied to a wooden
post and it was nailed to the floor The
cabinet was closed and the mailing and
writing etc, usual in such cases, was
gone through.
blank card was produced and DR..
Edison, who was a doubling Thomas if
there ever was one tore off a corner of
the card so he would know the card if
he saw it again. 1t was placed on thedOc-
tors knee and the curtain drawn In
less time than it would take a man to
write one line across the card, the cur
tain was drawn and the card was full
OF lengthy message from Franklin,
presumably Benjamin, which expressed
his gratitude in seeing so many of his
friends present DR.. Edison fitted the
corner ne still held and found it was the
same card. He then split up the wood
en- pieces used and found them sound.
A pair Of handcuffs was brought to
the stage by a colOred boy who said
they came from Sheriff -Kepley. The
cOlOred boy was about to put them on
the doctors wrists when a dOubter in
the balcony called to demand that John
WilkerSOn put them on.
Mr. WilkersOn, who has been closely
allied with handouts and such things
for a. number of years, then spent a few
moments seeing that the cuffs We're
tightly on and DR.. Edison expressed
himself of the opinion that if the cuffs
came off without being unlocked first
the hands would have to come off too
and that it would be Impossible, so far
as he was able to tell, to get the hands
further than six inches apart without
breaking the chain.
DR. Cooke went into the cabinet It
was closed and in a moment two hands
appeared, with fingers wiggling in the
center Of the cabinet q t the top. Slowly
they separated till the two hands were
six feet apart. CApplause)
chair and the pitcher used before
were then taken into the cabinet by the
doctor, and in q moment he appeared
carrying the chair and pitcher securely
handcuffed together and his hands free
1t tSOk Mr. WilkersOn and the key sew
era1 moments to release the pitcher
from the chair.
A box was then produced and Mr.
Powell was put in it at one end of the
cabinet. and a large sack pulled over it.
All had been examined by the commit
tee and checked off. The mouth of the
sack was then sealed to the stage car
pet by members of the committee and
John WilkersOn put himself behind the
cabinet to see that no one lodged in or
out. Everybody in the audience that
knew John WilkerSOn knew it wouldn't
be safe for man to try to dodge in or
out if he caught him at it.
The cabinet was then closed, and up
on it being opened again white robed
figure stood at the opposite end, and
upon being handed a bell rang it,
The cabinet was then closed and
opened again and the figure was gone
The seals on the sack were broken and
the sack lifted
The box was empty
why, he is gone" said Cooke
No, I'm not; here I am said voice
from the foyer, and the man who had
entered the box in the cabinet a minute
before came walking down the center
aisle and up onto the stage.
During this act the lights were low
cred, but not put out. There was light
enough to permit the audience to recog-
nize the different members of the com
mittee on the stage, and John Wilker-
son stood guard at the back of the cab
met through the entire act. The new
stage carpet upon which the cabinet sat
had been examined by the committee
before.
During the cabinet manifestations"
Dr. Cookies assistant manipulated the
string that drew and withdrew the cab
met curtains
This excited the suspicion of some la
dy in the audience, and she called to
DR. Edison: Watch the man that pulls
the string, doctor"
I'm watching him." said Dr. Edison
Upon going home a Topeka man who
was in the audience found the family
cat, which he was sure he locked out
of doors upon leaving,in the house, but
was not surprised at it.