The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-03-29

Innuences DR.. ouackenbos Con-
WINGED.
Music lovers and specialists in psy-
chic phenomena gathered the other
night in the parlors of Dr.. John D.
Quackenbos, professor in Columbia col
lege, doctor OF medicine and lecturer on
hypnotism, to witness a private per-
Torrance, the first in New York, Of
Mrs. Ellen McAllister-Spencer, who Is
known to her friends MS the psychic
piano player" says the New York Her
aid.
Mrs. McAllister-Spencer is personally
and ancestrally well known in Chicago
and other western cities. She Is the
daughter Of the late William King Nc
Allister, for many years senior judge Of
the appellate court in Illinois. Her
home is in Ravenswood, Chicago. Ac-
c0rding to the story she told the other
night, her father and her mother were
both fond OF music and wished that she
should be taught in her early youth to
play the piano.
II took lessons" she said, for about
three years between the ages of twelve
and fifteen years, but my teacher gave
me up as an impossible subject. Iii the
first place, my hands, Ms you see'-:ind
she held up a plump and dimiDutive
hand, with very short ~fingers-.are too
small for a piano players. Further
more, I could never mcmorize a piece.
and I was not the least bit interested
In = c@,1dioc ca i, vc ~ Hal ~
accept the teachers verdict"
Some twenty years ago the family
was living in Waukeegan, III. Spirit
ualism was beginning to lie talked
about there. It was a favorite pastime
for young people to sit in a circle
around a table with their hands upon
its surface and concentrate their alter
ton in the hope of making the table
move. The table never did move n
the McAllister family, but a sister of
Mrs. Spencer suddenly began to move
her hands as If she were playing a
piano. It. was suggested that SHE
should seat herself at the piano and see
what she could do. This experiment
also was a failure.
Suddenly I expressed an ardent wish
that I could play" said Mrs. Spencer.
II felt a strange inspiration. My moth
er told me to try. I sat down at the
keyboard, and to the establishment Of
everybody, my own especially, my
hands flew over the keys in an Inn
provisation. ! played on for hours, and
everything that l played was as new to-
everybody as it was to me. l felt that
l was impelled by some unseen force
within me. Since that time the gift
has left me-"
"And how do you account for it?'
was asked.
Personally l believe that the spirits
of masters dead and gone take possess
sion Of my mind, for while I do not
play anything that is in their works l
always play in the style of some ia
nous composer"
The guests had gathered by this time,
and the performance begun. Professor
Games Hyslop of Columbia college was
the master Of ceremonies. He came
simply as an unbiased observer to
make up his mind as to the character
Of Mrs. Spencer's gifts and if they
were supranormal to make a report to
the International Psychic society, Of
which he is the most prominent New
York member.
This was the method employed. Pro-
fessor Hyslop whispered in Mrs. Spen-
GERS ear the name Of some composer
whose method she was to follow. She
at once dashed into a brilliant perform
ance. Her fingers moved over the
keys with a precision and agility that
seemed to bespeak the trained per-
former.
At the close Of every selection the au
dience was called upon to give it's YER
dict as to the master who had been
initiated. In every case the musical
critics responded correctly. The list
comprised Chopin, Wagner, Beethoven,
Mozart, Grieg, Schumann, Gottschalk,
Strauss and Stalsmidt.
Then themes for improvisation were
suggested and successfully performed.
At the close Of the performance Pro
fessor Hyslop, while acknowledging
that 1t was a brilliant tour de force, |
said he would have to reserve any de- /
cision as to possible psychic influences
until he had had further opportunity |
to study the pianiste.
"Of course" he said, from the bare
facts before me it is impossible to say
whether it is q feat Of memory or not.
! must hear the lady pay many times
and subject her to many tests before
I can be assured that each selection is
really an improvisation Of the mo-
ment. II she eve repeats herself in
a long series Of performances, then it
would seem that her gifts are supra
normal. I would next have to obtain
facts as to her ancestry, to learn If her
gifts were atavistic. 1 think from
what I have heard tonight, however,
that it is likely Mrs. Spencer's mind
has a disposition to subliminal activ-
ffvn