The herald., 1896-08-07
IA NIGHT WITH SPOOkS
The Herald Representative
at a Seance
Spirits WITH | STRONG PULSE
Various Shades Visit This Earth
at Red0ndO
HEAVENLY MILLINERY STYLE
The Souls Of Departed Men Wear Fierce
False Mustsches
"Doetor asd Mrs. Wilcox Reap Rich Har.
vest Of Hard 6 DIN
Their Methods Spoken Of DisparagingIy by
Hany Prominent Spiritualists Who AZ.
tended the Circie-ResuIts Of an In.
vestigation by Herald Reporter
The Souls Of Departed Men Wear Fierce
False Mustaches
"Doctor asd Mrs. Wilcox Reap Rich Har.
vest Of Hard Coin

| hIty SeeheTS dlteT SOtnc tdnSlple
evidence Of the existence of real spirit
world, among whom was a Herald re-
porter attended a naturalization"
| seance, given by Or" and Mrs. r. A.
Wilcox, in the basement of the big am
| phitheater at the Spiritualist camp
meeting at Redondo Wednesday even
ing. They all saw spooks. These, how
| ever, while tangible enough, We're not of
| such a character that they made the
best of evidence of spirit realm. Such,
at any rate, was the opinion of the re-
porter and of all attendants who were
interviewed, including two prominent
mediums.
The seance began shortly after s
| o'clock. The room in which it was held
was plain, UNFINISHED apartment
with solid floor and ceiling. All about
the walls were arranged chairs in a cir
Gle, one arc of which was formed by the
cabinet. This necessary adjunct of ma
FERTILIZATION was put up in the presence
of all. and was thoroughly inspected
| by the reporter and others. 1t was
made of folding screen frame, covered
with heavy red cloth, the front being
! nothing but a swinging curtain of the
same material The top was covered and
securely closed. Light was furnished
from common hand lamp, which was
lowered and raised at the bidding of
DIR" Wilcox. according to the demands
Of the occasion.
Before commencing the seance the
doctor" gave brief talk. in which he
explained, or, rather, announced. what
was about to transpire and urged that
every one obey orders and behave as
ladies and gentlemen. concluding with
the warning statement that the police
| were present. both inside and out of the
| building. Then the medium, Mrs. n. d.
wilcox, was led down from an upper
! room and took her seat in the cabinet
| with the curtain raised. Upon invitation
| of DR." Wilcox The Herald represen-
tative bound her hands together with a
short cord furnished him, tied the ends
| of the cord together with string, and
the seance began.
First series of tricks were performed,
| their connection with the spirit world
| not being explained. They were similar
to those done by many of the leading
conjurers, and were executed with al
| most as great skill. First camp stool
| was thrown into the cabinet. the cur
tain lowered and in a moment a voice
| from the inside called light The cur
| tain was raised and the medium stood
| In this manner the stool was shifted in
| to nearly every possible position \
| chair was substituted and the same per
| Torrance repeated Next coat was
| borrowed, and this was put on and Off
| rapidly and in many ways, sometimes
| wrong side out, again with both arms in
| one sleeve, and so on through numerous
! changes. The tricks were cleveriy and
| rapidly done.
Religious songs were then sung by the
audience, while the medium sat in the
| open cabinet and rested or as the doc
! tor explained, went under the control
When sufficient number of hymns
had been sung to evoke the aid of a
| quantity of shades. the light was turned
| low, down went the curtain and Will
| another vocal selection of some length
| was rendered, the medium prepared
| herself to do battle with the skeptcs
| After the lapse of about three or four
| minutes white form showed itself at
| the aperture in the curtain. Becoming
! trif1e holder it came out in full view.
| then darteu back behind the curtain
AfterWard the white shade appeared
| frequently, gradually going farther from
| It's dark retreat until it rushed with
| outstretched hands to one of the medi.
| ums or the cult who was present The
| fern touched the medium and ran quick.
| ~ back to the cabinet. From that On
| spirit Visitants were numerous They
NiSiteu tile SedtS OF many IN the circle.
| always one at a time, often taking some
| person by the hand and leading him
| hack toward the place from which they
| emerged. Here a salutation was ex-
| changed and the spirit disappeared
| Ihese salutations We're of varied ma
ture-sometimes grasp of the hand. a
| caresS and often a kiss-accordipe I ,
the individual who received the visit.
| The Herald reporter was one of the
| nrst to receive a caller from the other
world. He was led to the cabinet re-
| ceived dainty kiss on the hand from n
pair OF warm lips, and the shade was
! gone. AT the request of DR." Wilcox,
| he then took seat almost touching the
cabinet. from which vantage point he
| observed with closest scrutiny all thai
followed.
| spirit forms became more numerous
ana the circle kept up measured chant
OF Well-known Sunday school songs Oc-
casionally the mediums guide would
call out, strange to remark in the voice
! OF the medium. for some favorite hymn
IL also happened during the evening that
| Or. Wilcox expressed his choice of
| music to the spirit control, called Red
Face. and the selection was rendered on
| a plaintive-voiced accordion. This in.
| strument of torture was, however, first
| placed In the cabinet at the request of
the control" heard very distinctly by
| the reporter, who sat close by.
| During the entire performance the
doctor" acted as stage manager At
|