The San Francisco call., 1896-03-13
IS THIS HER SECRET?
A Suggestion as to How Somno.
lency Is Performed by
Anna Eva Fay.
Possibility That 1t Is Com mbination of
Carbon Paper and a Very Re.
tentive Memory.

Miss Anna Eva Fay, who has been doing
binet tricks and reading other people 9
minds" 10y mental telegraphy, invites in
yestigation into the manner in which she
produces results.
In the part of the performance given un-
der the title of ''Somnolency the announce
ment is made that any one in the audience
can write short question, sign his or her
name to it and then put it away until
called for. Young men move through the
audience with half dozen paper-covered
boards that have the appearance of card
board. These are distributed to the au-
dience with a small piece of white paper,
one placed near the top of the board, and
when passed to the next individual the
other piece is placed near the bottom.
The person receiving the tablet usually
writes where the paper is placed.
After quite number of questions have
been written and signed and the bits of
white paper slowed away in pockets, tho
young man and the tablets disappear and
a man comes on the stage and gives per-
formance that lasts hall an hour. When
his portion of the show is over MSS Fay
appears, takes seat, has her eyes blinded
with colored handkerchief and she pro-
ceeds to read"
81 see" she said the other night, "the
name Jacob P. Bogardus, and he asks,
Can Miss Fay give me test of her
| powersP The answer is yes"
Mr.. Pingree, who acts with her, asked if
Mr.. Bogardus was in the house, and if so
| to present his paper. That gentleman
arose and gave his paper to messenger
who handed it to Mr.. Pingree, who read :
| "Can Miss Fay give me a test of her
| powers? Jacob B. Bogardus."
The mind-reader gave a number of
| names and questions, and each succeed
| ing one was a repetition of the first in
manner OF announcing and reading from
the paper, the names and questions in
| each case differing, of course.
| Suddenly Mr.. Pingree makes the an
nouncemcnt that Miss Fay does not un-
dertake to answer every question, for if
each required only one minute it would
extend the seance too late into the night.
He adds that she usually answers about 40
per cent of the questions asked. He also
states that people may bring with them
questions written at home.
In explanation it is SAID that the boards
handed around have under the outer cover
| sheet of carbon paper laid on one OF
white paper, and when an individual
writes question it is transferred by means
OF the carbon to the white paper, and, in
order that there may be no confusion, the
white paper handed to the individual is
placed, one at the top and the other at the
bottom, the tablet turned over and the pro-
cess repeated, so there are four questions
and names on each tablet. Twenty tablets
so distributed would furnish no less than
eighty questions.
When the half-hour performance is given
by the man who makes up in imitation OF
other people, Miss Fay receives the tablets,
tears off the outer covering. sees the Ques-
tions and names and, as they are all short
and simple, she has in that half-hour an
opportunity to memorize them and, OF
course, has no difficulty in reading other
peoples minds"
Sometimes during the performance she
gives question and name, but no one an
swering or producing the paper, Mr..
Pingree says: 1T the party does not want
| to make himself known we'll pass to
another, as we have no time to spare"
| Sometimes Miss Fay will declare that a
gentleman is thinking question but will
| tleman is thinking Who will be the
next President?' | will tell him, William
Mckinley, Jr., of Ohio"
| Then Mr.. PiEgree asks, "Is there any
| one who has been thinking that question ?'
and one in the audience rises and says.
eyes, and just told the gentleman on
| my right that it would be strange if she
could discover that my mind was running
on who would be the next President"
| The explanation Of this is that there are
always several in the audience who set
their minds on SO popular a topic. and
Miss Fay being a shrewd person, an
| nounces such topic, and generally finds
some one willing to admit that he had beer.
| thinking some such question. If ques-
| ton written at home is not announced it
may be classed as one Of the go per cent
| the LADY does not answer.