The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-23

ana many "Spiritualists" but space
can De devoted to the most common
and ingenious only.
In his Hours With the Ghosts" Mr..
Evans tells of an experience with a
cohluror VINO arranged a seance and
performed slate writing tests in exact
imitation or SHADES famous perform
ahces. The conjurOr invited Mr.. Evans
TO his home, explaining that he would
perform many of SHADES best stunts
and then explain how they were done.
When Mr.. Evans was ushered into the
parlOr he saw table, cabinet and mu-
Slcal instruments scattered about the
room, but could discover no evidences
of trickery. While waiting for his host
to enter Mr.. Evans was startled to hear
a rap on the table tou. This was an
sWered by more raps inside the cabi-
net The guitar started to DIav. This
was suspended in the air from the
ceiling and could not be reached bv
any visible hands. During this hub
DUB the conjurOr entered the room.
smiling at Mr. Evans startled look.
Slate Writing.
The next trick performed by the con-
Juror was one of SHADES lannon's slate
writings in which Spirits" were sup
posed TO scribble messages to inouiring
friends. Evans, Obeying the conjuror's
instructions. washed both sides Of
slate with a damp cloth. Scattering
some tiny fragments of pencil upon ii
the conJuror stuck the slate under the
table with his right hand, Mr.. Evans
holding to the other end. Mr. Evans
heard heavy raps on the table top and
felt fingers plucking at his garments
from beneath the table The coniuror's
body quivered in strange commissions
and his eyes had a CLASSY look Sounds
of writing were heard beneath the ia
BILE.
Take care" gasped the conjuror
breathlessly.
THE slate was ierked violently ont
of our hands by some powerful agency.
but the medium regained it and pressed
1T against the table as before" writes
Mr. Evans. I'm a little while he
brought the slate I'D, and there upon
its surface was a spirit message ad-
dressed to me-"Are you convinced
now?"
AT this juncture there came a knock
at the door and the conjuror answered
IT. The servant announces some one
TO see me-" explained the conjuror
when he -eturned to the table. THAT
is all. Don't hurry, as 1 have another
trick to snow"
After washing both sides of the slate
thoroughly the cOnjuror this tipie
placed it under a chatting dish over in
the center Of the table. He ana MS
guest Joined hands Presently the
sound of scratching on the slate was
heard. Upon uncovering the slate the
author found a long message on it
signed "CagliOStrO."
How Trick Is Performed.
The explanations of these two tricks
follow. In performing the first trick
the medium had slipped a piec of pen
Gil glued to a thimble upon one finger
on the right hand. While holding the
slate beneath the table he writes a
message backwards. To make it an
pear that the message was written on
the surface next to the table the me-
dunn must appear to be in commissions.
as this permits him to jerk the slate
away from the person opposite him and
place the writing against the under
side of the table. When it is taken out
there is the messs gel The mysterious
fingers which plucked at the garments
OF the sitter were nothing more chan
the conjuror's big toe. He had slipped
off slipper quietly and earlier in the
evening and had cut hole in his sock.
The liberated toe and a second one
reached under the table and plucked
away right merrily. The second trick
was also easy. The second slate has a
pad, which fits exactly in the frame
and is the exact color of the slate itself
With the light in the room dimmed
this fraud cannot be detected. In
washing the slate the medium removes
the pad and slides the slate benath the
chatting dish cover. BY initiating the
of pencil on slate the |
medium fools his sitter into thinking
some hand is writing on the slate |
When the deception has been kept UP |
for a few seconds the deceived one is |
permitted to uncover the slate and
read a long message from some spirit
with highly romantic name. This, of |
course. was written by the medium |!