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

their parts during the progress of the
naturalization.
The lighting system was on two cir
cults. One circuit which was con-
trolled by a switch, placed at a dis
lance from the floor where it could only
be reached by a man of ordinary
height, standing on tip-toes. and reach
ing at arms length, controlled three
groups of two 16-candle power lamps.
The fourth pair of lamps was situated
at the extreme rear of the hall, and
was controlled by what is termed
DINNER" That is, graduations of light
could be secured by throwing the
switch Of the DINNER, a part OF way
across the face of the Indicator. This
could be so regulated that only the
faintest glow of light could be pro-
duced. or the light could be made to
grow gradually more and more bright
until complete brilliancy was attained.
During the singing of the hymns, or
during the playing of the music box or
photograph. the black curtains could
be seen to sway and move, and a mo-
ment later spirit form would glide TO
the front OF the stage and in a sepul-
chral whisper would announce a name.
Then the music would cease.
Immediately there would be a re-
Spouse from the audience. A grief
stricken relative would call the spirit
form by the name of loved one who
had been. laid to rest beneath the shell
ter of the sod. A conversation, pitifuI
for the heart-broken earnestness. the
wild longing and yearning that were
portrayed by the tones Of the deluded
one in the audience would be carried
on for a few moments, and then the
spirit would vanish with word of
farewell, behind the curtain Of the cab
met
Some of the scenes enacted during
these seances were of the most touch
ing and pathetic character. At seance
held few weeks ago i'm this hall, the
form of what was purported to be the
spirit of girl about 16 years of age
appeared.
A Sample Deception.
"Oh, it is my darling daughter" cried
a mother whose child had been torn
from her by the hand of death. The
tones of the woman's voice, carrying a
weight of woe. yet buOyed by a note of
nope, that hoped i'm defiance of a
shadow of doubt that still fingered.
sent thrill Of sympathy through the
audience.
Yes, mother" the spirit" answered
In the sibilant whisper which has been
recognized by many as that of Arnold
VINO pretended to be in a condition of
trance, Yes, mother. l have come to
be with you for a few minutes"
And how are you. dear?" asked the
mother with a wild eagerness i'm her
voice
/ am very, very happy in the spirit
land" the shade answered
Then the spirit" turned it's back to
the audience. saying:
See how long my hair has grown,
mammal
Long tresses of the thckest and soft
est hair fell almost to the waist of the
spirit" With hands that could scarce
ly be- seen, the spirit lifted the
tresses, and ran its finger between the
heavy strands.
"Oh. my darling girl the mother
sobbed, choking for words to express
her love and grief. "Oh, my darling. |
how beautiful you arer'
Am ]. mamma ?" the spirit an
swered. Il am with you often when |
you do not know it, L come to YOU !
whenever l can. You must not grieve |
for me so much. mamma, because 1 am |
happy and am caring for you and help |
ing you all the time
Are you, dear heart? Oh, / know |
that you are. My God. 1 know it! I
can feel your dear spirit near mep'
Il must go, now. mamma. because 7
am getting weaker. / cannot stay long
tonight because L am so weak" and /
the whisper would die away until il |
was almost inaudible
Mother Is Deceived. |
Goodbye, goodbye" the vanishing /
spirit said. and the mother with her |
face covered with tears of grief because
of her loss, and with tears Of transient I.
happiness because she half believed |
that she had conversed with her lost
daughters pure spirit, echoed the good |
bye, as the form. so beautiful i'm her
eyes, vanished behind the curtain.
Then the mother, unable to restrain the
pent-up feelings of her broken heart
unable to control the wild emotions Of 1
grief mingled with hope collapsed.
with her frail body shaken by the sobs
that sent pang of grief to every heart
in the room.
The naturalization of the spirit of
her daughter was, real for the moment,
to this sorrowful mother. To the UNI
sophisticated, to the ignorant, to those
who had not observed carefully with
a view of discovering the means of per-
petrating this deception, the illusion
was perfect But to those whose eyes
were not blinded by an unreasoning
faith in these men who played on the
heartstrings of their victims, as the
wind plays through the pines in the
northern forests, the deception could
easily be seen and understood
When the hall was filed, and when
all the lights were turned out. ample
time was given for the confederates of
the mediums" to slip from the fur
mace room door, or from the front seats.
behind the sable curtains, without be-
ing seen by those who sat i'm the audi
ence behind the first row of seats.
This first row of seats. il has been
shown, was always filed by the faith
full. by those who were completely de-
-eived, or who were lin the game"
and who were fully cognizant of the
that were being enacted.
Once inside the cabinet" it was but
he matter Of few moments for the
,onfederates to robe themselves i'm the
semi-luminous garments that were
either in the pulpit on the
platform. or behind the curtain that
covered the rear wall, and appear
through the folds of the front curtain
rs the spirits of the friends and reIa-