The San Francisco call., 1896-03-04
MISS FAYS SOMNOLENCY.
The Woman Who Reads Peoples
Minds and Calls It Mental
Telegraphy.
She Talks About the DiScoverer of the
Crookes Tubes Used in Opaque
Photography.

There was crowded house at the Audi
torium last night to witness the initial
performance given by Miss Anna Eva Fay,
who introduced a number of startling ex.
perime nts, and closed the exhibition with
what is designated on the bills as "somno-
lency."
The first part of the performance, in
which she was assisted by Mr.. Pingree,
was devoted to the cabinet tricks con-
Quoted under the supervision of Edgar B.
Raymond, attorney at law, and P. S. Beel
of the southeast corner of Clay and Davis
streets, VINO volunteered as judges.
The cabinet tricks were neatly per-
formed. In one the woman was held by
the two judges, and in the other she was
tied by linen ands knotted, sewed to-
gether and then secured to an iron ring
secured into an upright board nailed to the
floor in the presence of the audience.
Her neck was fastened by bands of linen
cloth to the same board, and while In that
position she was inclosed in very small
wooden box, leaving only her head ex
posed. The trick was performed by some
agency that to the audience was not ap-
parent.
An intervening performance was one
given by Litchield, who makes up in
lDduy CudldCleIS DtlOTc tllc dUulcuC6 duu
presents many amusing portraits of peo-
pie.
The audience was requested to write
short single questions, sign each with the
full name of the writer, fold the paper
without letting any one know the con-
ter.ts and place the paper out of sight.
Then Miss Fay gave an exhibition of
'the talking hand, " and then she showed
very neat trick OF causing hand
kerchief borrowed from one of the judges
to stand on end and move about at her
command.
This was followed by the "Somnolency.'
Miss Fay was seated in chair in tho mid
die of the stage and her eyes blindtolded
with dark-colored handkerchief.
She declared that she saw names written
on pieces of paper and saw questions
asked. She called name after name and
repeated the written question, and in each
case when the name was announced and
the question stated Mr.. Pingree called for
the paper held by the person named.
He read it, and in almost every instance
the spoken question was identified with
the written one. To each she gave one
answer; some were serious, others anus
ing and others sarcastic. Some fifty
questions were announced and answered
by Miss Fay.
After the performance Miss Fay was
seen by q representative for THE CALL.
She was still attired in the costume she
wore during the evening, an elegant white
silk trimmed with ermine, that once be-
longed to Nine. Blavatsky, and over her
shoulders was large ermine cape, as d
protection against the nipping cold
She is rather tall, slender, weighing but
eighty-seven pounds, has blonde hair,
light eyes that scintillate like gems and
become animated wien she converses.
She has passed the forty-year mark and
talks with strongly marked English ac-
cent.
There is no such thing as humbug,"
said Miss Fay, who is a theosophlst, for
there is cause for every effect. This
somnolency is not spiritualism; it is men,
tai telegraphy. Ny brain is in constant
com motion. 1t works with lightning
rapidity. When a person fixes his or her
mind on the question asked l can read it
as quick as l can print.
Professor William Crookes, who discov-
cred the Crookes tube that is used in the
cathode ray process, often told rue, when l
was guest at his home in 1872 and later
years, that he would like to photograph
my brain when it is active.
"'Yes, Anna be said to me, i will in.
vent something that will photograph the
whole interior of the human body, and
what has been produced has been the re-
suit Of his research after making that
statement. He is such dear old man,
for he is over 20 now, tall, thin, with
small head and with snow white hair"