The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-02-18
SPIRIT COMMUNICATION

ualism through the medium of man
named Jones and his wife who re-
Gently came here from Illinois. A
number of meetings have been held
and so much talk has come to
this Office that reporter, armed with
o fifty cent transfer ticket, Joined
crowd of young skeptics and attended
the performance. In the crowd were
such we'll known scientists as J Earl
Chastain, Walt. McNiel, Billy Nc
Clure, Tom Bowlus, Lew Horville,
Otis Hodgson and Lewis Coffield.
The crowd went to the house where
the spirits appear in the southwest
part of town and entered. Two or
three women who live near by and
several men were present.
The crowd was seated in double
semi-circes facing corner of the
room which was draped with dark
double curtain about six feet high.
Behind the curtain was table on
which Jay a guitar, writing tablet
and two horns a yard long. Mr..
Jones and wife-the two mediums
seated themselves between the two
curtains, which hung across line.
and Earl Chastain took the third
chair between them. The mediums
each held one of the DOCTORS wrists
and gripped it tightly. The light was
then turned down and the magnetism
of the crowd conferred on the curtain.
The invisible, known as "Jack, ]"
failed to make his presence known, so
Billy Mcclure aud Walt McNiel were
substituted for the doctor. At last
the table resounded to three raps and
then the long horns were waved
over the curtain, the guitar twaDged
anu Jack" was in full control. He
wrote a note on the tablet and threw
1t over the curtain, threw one of the
horns over, took Frank Smiths hand
kerchief and wouldn't give it back
whacked several of the boys over the
head with the horn and then subsid-
ed.
The light was then turned up and
every body eagerly read the note. 1t
said: "do think you can learn all
at once. John c." Then the dark
seance was announced. Chastain and
Hodgson were prepared for this and
they at once proceeded to tie Mr..
Jones In chair behind the curtain
with 1ifty-foot trot line which they
bought new for the purpose. A circle
was formed of the audience, while
Jones, bound, was put behind the
curtain. The light was turned out.
Then "Jack" asked through one of
the horns, which were outside the
Curtain, If the crowd desired that
Jones be left bound or unbound. All
the boys answered "unbound."
Jones groaned and gurgled behind
the curtain as "Jack" pulled and
tugged at the rope. Then the light
was turned up and Mr.. Jones asked
Mr.. Hodgs0n and Mr.. Chastain to un-
bind him. Thus it appeared to the
believers.
The boys idea was somewhat
different. 1t appeared TO them that
the two mediums after squeezing
all the. feeling out of the third PERSONS
hands, each let go with one hanC
and with the free hand die
the monkey business. Nothing
was done that required two hand'
and the curtain hid all movements
The horns had been placed end t.
end on the table. Each medium
waved horn. With one finger tn,
guitar was picked, one string only II
time. Mr.. Jones wrote on the tab
let because his right hand was be
hind the curtain. The reason Mr.
Smith failed to recover his handker
chief was that 1t fell on the foo
beyond the reach of the mediums
In the dark seance, Mrs. Jones sa
next the curtain aud held the horl
to Mr.. Jones' mouth while he aske'
the will of the audience. Mr.. Jone
was tied 90 tight and couldn't &c
loose. The boys intended striking
a match and showing Mrs. Jone
holding the horn to Mr.. Jones
mouth. The match made phosphore
scent light on their hands, and the
was lost on the floor.
i Nothing was done which could nc
be done with one hand; nothing tina
at all would conform to the huma
idea of the actions of spirit. Th
seance was declared to be a partis
failure owing to the predominance {
men and the consequent weakness
of the spirit. The boys agreed o
this one point with the performer
on all others they seemed to disagree,
What Mr.. Jones thinks when alOn
In private cogitation, has not bee
Ha will nnt tallr fnp mn il