New-York tribune., 1903-04-06
POLICE ROUT SPIRITS.
HEAR "GHOSTLY" MUSIC.
Object to Sunday Performance OF
Medium for Money.

Mrs. Stoddard Gray and her son. De Witt G.
Hough. advertised a spiritualistic seance, the
fffty-ffth anniversary of modern spiritual1sin,
to take place at their home No 331 West Fifty
seventh-st., last night. The one hundred and
fifty persons who gathered seance. and.
although it was a spirited one, at its end the
only spirits in evidence We're the low ones Of
Mrs Gray Mr. Hough and a named
Thompson; the spirits of the audience were not
as high as they might have been, and they
clamored for the return of the price Of admis-
sion.
Captain Dillon of the West Forty-seventh-st
station was told that the seance was being held
in a manner that violated the Sunday theatrical
law, and he sent Detectives MCGEE, Hoar and
Dukeshare to investigated it.
On demanding admittance the detectives were
ushered into a parlor, where sat the one hun
dred and fifty, confronted by booth draped in
funereal hangings. Therein sat Mr.. Hough, and
he looked huffy Well he might, for gag that
was much too large for his mouth cracking
his laws his hands were tied behind his back,
and the spirits which had been engaged at Sun
day prices to remove the gag were late TN
dock those spirits'' he thought. and then he saw
the detectives
"Are YOU conducting a theatrical perform
ance" asked McGee-
Hough displayed hesitancy in answering. Nc
Gee repeated the question and Hough repeated
the hesitancy The spirits were evidently de-
tanned MCGEE discovered the reason for
Hough's reluctance then and left him sputter-
ing "g-r-r-r-r'' and struggling to release his
hands.
In a hack room the detectives found Thompson
sbivering in corner. Cold weather, wasn't It,
said Thompson; a little too cold for spirits ac-
custorned to the equabe climes of spirit land
Then MCGEE held converse with a man who
seemed to be the announcer. This man mad
yertently dropped harmonica. and at the same
time one of the detectives searching the
booth found therein number Of bells These
being displayed the audience rose as one man
and yelled I'VE want our money back!' The
barnoonica and the bells, they explained had
laid bare the swindle Hough, they said, before
the arrival of the police, had entered the oooth
rohed in white with the air of lamb led TO the
slaughter his hands tied behind his back and Il
ring pendent from one ear. The curtains were
closed the harmonica played When you amt
got no money you needn't come around ana
the bells tangled they're at the quarter Ihen
the curtains parted and showed the ring on the
other ear Spirits had done the bell ringing the
ear ringing and the harmonica playing an
nounced the announcer.
Ar this iuncture Mrs. Gray allowed Housh
to speak AS she removed the gag she mas
feelings with her voice, saying
what will the spirits think of US? My poor
so, Won are excited, and are the rest OF US
We have been entertaining these people, ana
If is shame that the performance Is inter-
r,1nted" MCGEE and the detectives then dues
toned Mrs. Gray, who declared 1nat t5e ailaas ans
was not a public performance Tney oeParteo @
laayrinp one of their number to watch the re
nainder of the proceedings
circulars were distributed among those VINO
a+ta dad Seance StdtlnS lLdI SSdIlCcS "CiC
held on Sunday and Wednesday evenings ana
Saturday afternoon, the admlsslon peLns s;+di %;
Tha circulars bore the name OF the Splrltual
science Institute No 331 West Fffty-seVentn-
et The original advertisement for last nlghts
seance said it free. 1t cost 81, however, 10
hear the bells ring, the harmonlca play ana the
rings change ears - s
Colonel E D. Baker was advertised as one OF
the ghosts who was to assist at the bell ringing
end Colonel Andrew Perkins and Professor
Robert Hare as the controlling mediums
Deoeeuoe Eve rbich admission was charged with
o,,t a license was a violation of the theatrlcaI
law He said he would swear out warrants ior
the arrest of Mrs. Gray, Hough and thompson
In the excitement one woman IN the audlence,
who was evidently in close touch with some
sort OF spirits. told MCGEE that heF nusparra L,
was city official and that all city oLlcidiS were
looking for graft and were thieves ana ROBBERS
That's what you're here for" was her climax
and subsistence
aeThese people make the claim that this seance
was a religious exercise, but they had no license
IL. l
performance of Juggling such as can be seen al
Coney Island. 1t is my intention TO go TO court
tomorrow and present evidence which nave
ohtained and ask for summonSeS for the TWO
principals. Mrs Stoddard Gray and De witt Z.
Hough They can be proceeded against crlrnl-
nally, and the proprietor OF the mousse III d 0i'it
action. :, ..o,
The Rev. Dr. Isaac K. Funk, who is scepuca!
as to whether the likeness of Henry Waro
Rsecher which appeared to him at spiritual
seance recently was really the sublimal body OF
tba distinguished preacher, was not present. al
tbouph he has asserted that he would attend
such meetings to convince himself as 10 the true
side OF spiritualism.
DINING CAR SERVICE
On The PENNSYLVANIA Railroad is uhexcelled. At