The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-17
THOUGHT SHE WlS / WITCH
Experience in Spain Of Anna Eva
Fay, Of This City.
GAVE AWAY POLICE SECRETS.
The 'sWhfte Mahatma,. Now the
Driver From Madrid because Her
Performances Were Too Mys-
terfous-Met = Distfnct Froat-De-
~ serted ~ Audience and Supers.

: serted ~ Audience and Supers.
Anna Eva Fay. the white Maha tma."
now the wife of w. II. Pingree. of ahis
city, had an experience four years ago
with Spanish audience which Illustrates
the blind superstition Of the people. and
Gated classes of any save the most COM
mon phys steal laws. She was driven from
Madrid by a police mandate on account
of the mystery surrounding one of her
performances in Barcelona. In the COM
parative retirement Of her present life in
Seattle she has been brought by recent
events to a lively recollection Of her first
and only appearance among the dons.
She had arranged for a tour Of Spain
under the management of Stirkosch. tho
well known impresaTio, who at various
times has figured as the manager for
Patti Lehman, Materna and PaderewsA:.
The tour opened at Barcelona with good
house.
Miss Fay began her performance and
introduced II as usual with little exhib--
tion OF legsrdemain. The ordinary tricks
when Miss Fay makes handkerchief
walk across the stage. kel.ar and Miss
Fay are the only two doing this trick.
No wires are used. and absolutely no
ordinary connection Is established be-
tween the handkerchief and the performer.
Yet, Ii seems 10 move and walk about
at the Will Of the performer. After the
handkerchief had marched few steps
across the stage to the tune of lively
American two-step. murmurings of dis
satisfaction were heard al through the
audience, that finally eliminated In
distinct round OF Kisses when the hand
kerchief changed from two-stsp into
tho wild movements of Spanish fandan-
go.
The trick was something that was
new and incapable OF explanation from
tho ordinary standpoint OF physical laws.
known TO the average Spanish.
Nothing daunted, Miss Fay continued,
the performance though all the local stage
hands began 10 disappear, one by one.
and Miss Fay had TO get along with
her own forces.
Her next part was the telling OF the
secrets OF everybody In the audience.
though she knew none OF them, and did
not know word Of Spanish. so the
performance had 10 be done through an
interpreter.
She started in by telling prominent
EIfrTcIldis OF iNc tl b&S t<Ais sou
during the FIVE years he had been absent
from home. She followed that up by In
forming the chief Of police OF all the de-
tails OF celebrated murder committed
in Barcelona twelve years ago, of which
new Information had come 10 the chiefs
office that same afternoon. Expressions or
surprise were first seen on the counts-
nances OF the astouished Spaniaris which
soon changed into manifestations of dis
pleasure and unrest People began leav-
, ing Their seats. the chief of police looked
fierce and ruffled. that he hal been
drawn lnto the performance also. and be-
fore Miss Fay had finished she was play
Ing to an audience OF empty seats.
Thoroughly Disguised she and Mr.. Pin
gree wended their way back 10 their hotel.
The next morning at breakfast they tried
10 engage the clerks ami walters in con-
vessation 70 ascertain II nobody at all
had found any inert Il the performance.
az the newspapers were strangely noT,-
committai on the subject The clerks
were polite. but did not answer: the wait
srs scraped and bowed. but confined their
attention to the opening Of the soft boiled
eggs and the pouring ont of the coffee
Nobody spoke. and all looked sad and dis
sressed. A horrible suspicion flashed across
Miss Fay's mind. ,ha. perhaps they were
afraid TO speak 70 her, thinking she was
in league with the devil.
However, Il was not 50 bad "a that.
An American friend was stopping al the
same hotel and he informed Miss Fay that
the reason why no one spoke was because
man died In the hotel the night before
and 4 was customary. whenever 4 death
occurred In a Spanish hotel, for all the
| employees 10 maintain a strict silence for
! the next ten days.
As Miss Fay Is wenran OF vsvaciaus
temperament. 10th 70 stay ia a living
grave far ten days. 10 please the memory.
| OF departed unknown. and a. her recep-
| ton In Barcelona had been distinct
frost. she decided she might as well move
on TO Madrid az once The next day found
| Mr.. and Mrs P,nSree In the Spanish
capital They had Just got comfortably
/ fixed In really good hotel. when a
| messenger arrived from the chief of police
tn Madrid asking them IN most D1..te terms
10 vaeate the hotel. and shake the soil oc
Madrid Oft their feet as they were not
wanted.
MIR P.ngrea Immediately rushed down
to ths chiefs office. and learned that a
telegram from The chief az notice II Rarce-
loGa had Informed his Madrid coufrere of
the injury 10 the Barcelona chiefs name
a13 office by having its secrets discussed
publicly by a foreign woman on the stage
% a theatre The Madrid Official did not
care to take any chances like that, and
decided that the hest thing 10 do was %
entirely prevent the appearance OF Miss
Fay IN odd Madrid"
Nj P;aEree HE'D himse's 20 the Averi-
/ can consulate. only 20 find that the Amer
/ sean consul was absent. with the AMIR
/ lean minister. Mr.. Hams Taylor. on 4
| trsp % Paris. and the secretary in charge,
| a naJ.ve-born Spaniard. advised Mr.. Pin
| gree that the easiest way was the b@st.
s-s "a TIRE Barcelona pubic did not care
| Ter the performances anyway. there WIS
TO reason fer thinking that ire Madrid
people woG.a.
fhss sounded Ike common sense ard
ffe saf5e night Mr.. ard Mrs. p.ngree sock
/ me train for Paris. a city where sIirs~-
| sfFtons are Unkaown. since the day THAI
/ fne French Ueop.s crowned a goddess
l e. keAsaEa.. n The ..tl..attsar -a.it, g