The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-25
SPIRIT OF RUSSIAN GENIUS
NJ PetrOve SalOvovO Is Investigating
in Spirit Land.

NJ. PetrOve SalOvOvO Is Investigating
in Spirit Land.
Russia, out of its crude materialism,
has made it's contributions to psychic
phenomena, and recently it has evolved
Sambor, a spirit medium, who has at
trocted the attention of Europe TO his
seances. The secretary for Russia Of the
Society for Psychological Research is NJ
NJ. Petrovo-Salovovo of St. Petersburg.
The secretary has made study of the
work Of this medium, especially with ref
erence to the physical phenomena attend
ing his seances.
Sambor is scarcely 80 years old, well
built and muscular. In his seances he
goes into frances in which the physical
phenomena of epilepsy are observed. He
is capable of speech in these frances, but
it is speech that has reference only TO the
experiments which are being conducted.
Salovovo, in his study of the physical
phenomena attending these seances, does
not enter into the spirit manifestations.
but considers only the physical showings
that are unaccountably made.
One Of the famous series of seances
gone through with by Sambor was at the
house of S. A. Bezsenoff of st. Peters
burg, The host was a disbeHever in the
spiritual phenomena that were promised
and was prepared to question even the
physical showings. Several other disbe-
| levers were present In all fourteen per
sons formed in circle, sitting, with
hands placed down on their knees. Out
side this circle was small oval table,
having on it pieces Of glass covered with
luminous paint, a bell, and a guitar. On
the mantel over the fireplace was music
box that before the opening OF the first
seance had been allowed to run down.
The medium had been searched care
fully He came into the circle chain,
drawing up an ordinary Austrian chair,
seating himself with his back TO the fire.
place. On the mediums left was DR..
Tour, an unbehever, and on his right the
host. Each of these men took firm hold
of Sambor's wrists and as far as possible
held firmly to them Lights were put out
and the medium passed into a trance
state.
Suddenly luminous stars broke out in
the dark, more numerous on the right of
Sambor than on his left. The medium
stood up and all the strings Of the guitar
on the table outside of the circle tinEle3
as If a set of fingers had swept across
them. A piece of luminous glass fell off
the table and a small obiect-afterwards
| discovered to be a piece Of candle-drop-
ped from above to the table and rolled off
on the floor The unwound music box
on the manteI played several airs, and
the first seance ended by the medium.
still in his trance calling for light.
DR.. Tour had not been at all satisfied
with the experiment The medium had
been perspiring freely, and owing to the
dampness Of his wrists and the strong
mucular contractions of the trance medi-
UNI, he had been unable TO hold to the
mans arms at all times So, at his re-
quest, he had his wrist firmly bound 10
the wrist of the medium IN the next
/ seaance.
Sitting on the same Austrian chair as
before. Saulbor called for lights out and
the second seance began. He shivered
and moved uneasily for a moment, then
dropped to the floor. snoring. and occa-
sionally grooming as II in agony Then,
form this prone position, he began rising
( IA the air until the arms Of Tour and Bez-
senoR were extended straight up. Or.
Tour. with his hand drawn up as far as
was possible, reached out with the other
+ hand TO ind the mans body. but could
not touch it with either hand or foot
/ Suddenly. as he was reaching out, he felt
/ the soIes Of two feet on the arm that had
+ been bound to Sambor's. and At the same
time Bezsenon exclaimed that the medi-
unm's hips were resting against his head
and shoulders
+ The medium then descended - the floor
and IN an instant rose again, taxing the
/ Austrian chair with him Two or three
star groups snapped and sparkled in the
rear 81 the room And Bezsenon said he
felt that the Austrian chair was hanging
or his arm by the back The medium fell
on a nearby sofa in commissions, calling
f for a light and when it was termed Or
the chair hung 20 Bszsenoff' arm. though
he stin held firmly 70 the MEDIUMS wrist
liz the next manifestation Tours hsud
was firmly bound - one os the MEDIUMS
and a heavy oak CHAIR from the han was
substituted fer the drsf one.
When the lights had been put ont the
bell that had been pat on the table rose
IA the air. ringing its outlines visible BE-
CAUSE Of P light coating Of luminous paint
/ There were q few star flashes and sam
ho~ fell 70 the foar again En- commissions
( As lie struggled BezssnoH felt the back
- this char hang upen his arm. bur
. while i vas being announced i siippea
III ana at the instant Dr. Tour saad K
was hanging on his owns arm ~hich had
been So armly eound 81 THAR = IRE Hse-
diun1- Then al Z the strirgs u tl4 ga
tar on the table were tnanE5. ard 10
medium. SIN r. g trance. eafted tor iEht
The whole COMPANY ta~n saw tne chafr
hanging - the arm - ~. T7u- tae arm
beng thrust between ths oak eArs A. "a