Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-24
THE MODERN SP|RTTUAL|SM
SPIRITUALISTS EXPOSED LAST
NIGHT BY MIR. ROGERS, BEFORE
THE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY
Mr.. Rogers Exposed Every Kind of
Alleged SpirituaIism Practiced by
the Mediums of the Day-He Claims
Every Medium is Dependant on
Trickery to Accomplish His Ends.

~AAe<sNA AoAAoAh ~ 0Pii LIS ~ 81 NSlAASN
spiritualists, furnished almost a COM
piete expose of the work before the
Wheeling and Ohio County Medical
Society last night, at regular meet
ing in the Office of the Board of Edu-
cation. At the start Mr.. Rogers ex-
planned very briefly that spiritual
ism" was all of it trickery, and that it
was only his intention to demonstrate
the shrewdness of the art by which
so many people are fooled into believ-
ing they are conversing with depart
ed relatives. In some instances he al
lowed the deception to be perceived,
but in the greater number it was COM
pletely mystifying.
Those present were: DR.. w. R. Tay-
Tor, chairman; DR.. H. P. Linz ,secre-
tary; and Doctors H. B. Baguley, ]. A.
Campbell, l.. D. Wilson, j. ]. Osburn,
w. c. Etzler, E. L. Armbrecht, F. B.
Ridgeway, S. L. Jepson, G. L. Mccoy,
H. B. Jones, C. F. Ulrich, W. P. Nc
Grail, ]. Schwinn, G. Alderman, R. J.
Reed, w. S. Bebout, j. w. Mcdonald,
F. J. L. Hupp, E. A. Hildreth, Andrew
Wilson, c. A. Wingerter, G. A. Asch-
mann and the Rev. c. H. Mallory, of
Zane street NJ. E. church; the Rev. Arch
ibald Moore, Mr.. S. P. Parker, Mr.. John
c. Lynch, Prof. Work, of the City High
School.
Mr.. Rogers first gave his attention to
the slate tricks, where through the me-
dunn the spirits will write messages on
them. The first trick was with single
slate. 1t was handed to DR.. Mcdonald
and found to be perfectly clean. On re-
quest the Doctor held the slate inside
the cabinet, and when 1t was with
drawn there was a sentence written up
on it. Mr.. Rogers showed how he had
changed states on the Doctor, deceiving
everybody in the room with one excep-
ton. This is used only when there is
but one person present beside the me-
dunn.
The next was the addition trick. One
of the physicians present held an APP
parently blank slate in the cabinet.
A card was passed through the audi
ence and five numbers of four figures
set down by different people. DR.. Jep-
son added the sums and announced the
result. When the slate was removed
tire t5tal amount vas written on ii in
large figures. All the time the medium
for the evening stood in the centre of
the floor.
Or. Jepson, upon request, then wrote
number on a card and placed it in an
envelope. The medium Immediately
called what it was. A test showed the
number could not be read through the
paper of the envelope.
Mr. Rogers then completely exposed
~toIIo = ~f,-;&
tie seance-"the dark circle" A ring
was formed about table and a larger
ring outside. The room was complete
ly darkened, for, the medium explained,
dark circle spirits would not material
ize where there is any light. He then
went through number of movements,
such as laying on of the hands and
talking through trumpet which stood
on end in the centre of the table. A
slate was then put on the table and the
two people in the circle on either side
of the medium took hold of his hands.
When the gas was lighted there was
writing on the slate. But the medium
still retained in his mouth the slate
pencil and this explained the deception.
At this point he gave a short treatise
on other receptions used in "the dark
circle" and the way of performing
them.
The room was partially darkened
for the cabinet trick. The cabinet con-
sisted of framework of steel. 1t was
about five feet long and two and a half
feet deep. Over the front was an arm
hole at each end. Mr.. Rogers first led
DR.. Osborn and Mr.. Work forward, Civ
ing them seats on the end He himself
took the chair in the centre. DR.. Os-
burn held the little finger of his left
hand and Mr.. Work the little finger of
his right hand. The curtain was drawn
over them and just their heads pro-
truded. After they had been seated
there moment bell began ringing
in the cabinet. 1t appeared and disap-
peared at different points along the cab
met and finally was thrown TO the
centre of the floor. Next a tambourine
went through the same tactics. The
curtain was then raised and the medi-
UNI was seen with one hand held by
DIR. Osburn and the other by Mr.. Work.
The medium asked each: Would you
give me your affidavit / never had my
hand loose from yours?" Il would"
was the answer. A number OF other
couples were furnished the same decep-
ton and in no instance was the man
ner of execution detected.
The medium was then handcuffed to
a chair and put in the cabinet with
only his head protruding. He then
rang the bell and the tambourine in
side the cabinet. A trumpet protrud-
ed from an upper aperture in the cab
met and messages were given to diff
ferent people present. A hand appear
ed at different openings in the hang
irgs. When the curtain was lifted the
medium was again handcuffed to the
chair. The keyholes in the cuffs were
taPed and marked so that they could
not possibly have been unlocked.
He was then handcuffed with his
hands in front Of him and he took his
seat in the center of the cabinet. The
hand appeared again. Natural flow
ers were thrown to different persons
in the room States which had been
nailed up tight, free from any writing
earlier in the evening were passed in.
Later when opened there would be
sentences written on the inside OF one
OF the states. There were several
other receptions.
His last deception was by far the
most marvellous. He announced his
intention OF going into trance Sud-