The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-12
BY Il. z. JoKOSA.


KeIlar, the celebrated magician, occa-
sionally performs feats in a private
way that are no more wonderful per-
haps than his stage performances, but
which possess a singular quality of hui
man interest. For instance. a young
man came to him not long ago and
said that his father had fallen so COM
pletely under the influence of a certain
spiritualistic medium that he would
transact no business without advice
from the spirit, land and it was feared
that he Old man was going 10 bring
destruction upon himself through his
serious attention to the ghosts. Some
time ago the son stated the heavenly
guides had advised their Worshipper to
invest in some mining stocks of doubt
full character and he had declared that
he would take the pointer. The son
was greatly alarmed and he had come
to Kellar to learn if by means of the
magician's talent the venerable dupe's
faith could be shaken in these shades
that come so good-naturedly 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 ordin-
airy states.
Kellar had exposed the notorious DR..
Slade, at Philadelphia, in some slate
writing phenomena before the Siebert
commission, and he knew the complete
science Of conveying messages from the
abodeS in the eternal stars to some
weary pilgrim here on earth. The story
Of the young man gained hellar's sym
pathy and he arranged a scheme TO
thwart the spirits and deprive them of
their Dious old victim.
The son departed, happy, and upon
meeting his father said: Father, I
have discovered a new medium who is
a peach. All your friends are not in
j. with this one. He communes with
the spirits every minute of his life and
he knows every move they make. Slate
writing? Why that fellow can just
holler at a slate and the spirits will
cover it with solemn advice in seven
languages
The father rejoiced at the discovery
of his son and he gladly accepted an
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, and that his wife's name was
Martha and that the name of his
daughter was Susan. Equipped with
this meagre but satisfactory data KEEL
lar prepared a campaign against the
spirits.
An appointed hour found the old
man. his son and a friend Of Kellar's
there by special invitation to witness
the performances seated in the library
OF the magician's home. Across the
knees of the old man lay bundle of a
dozen new states, which he had
brought in his desire to defeat any
ringing in of fake states. Presently
Aellar made his entrance and without
any delay proceeded to the business of
the occasion. Stripping the library
table of its lamps, books and covering,
he remarked 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. Kellar in
structed 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
remained so throughout the seance.
After pause, kellar spoke in a low
tone, cautiOning the others to remain
perfectly quiet, to make no remarks
and TO ask no questions until after the
spirits had had an opportunity to man.
ifest themselves. In making these pre-
liIninary arrangements. kellar's man
ner 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 glances
which somehow makes all victims of
mediums feel meek and utterly in