The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
MEDIUM THAT
KNEW TOO MUCH
Her Spirits Told the Truth and
Nothing Bot the Truth, and
Her Audience Fled.

did you hear about Charles Jonesf'
said Joe GiRh as he sat in Uncle Oak Maybee's
general country store and emporium at
Coram. L. l.. n morning last week.
"No. what about him?' asked Uncle
Oak.
why. yisttiday he was drivin' home
with his wagon full Of paint pots, havln'
finished tn days work on Bob A~postrophe
C~astanette's new house. when along came
a big tourin' car all painted green and white
wallpaper stripes. They was two men
in tn car besides tn chatter.
"Th' car jest grazed ChaTley's wagon
by about an inch. Then Il swung in right
in front OF his hoss. You know his hoss
is mighty sperrited, an tn car scared him
80 he reared.
Those two men in tn machine turned
around an grinned and made some sassy
remark which Charley didn't catch. But
quick as a wink he up an picked up a pot
full OF white paint an fired II at 'em.
9Th pot hit tn back OF tn tun-no an
white paint was spattered all over those
fellers till you cd hardly see their clothes,
They didn't stop either, jest hurried right
or till they got to Yaphank. / hear they
stopped there an got some articles Of
clothin'.'
Mr. Gish paused and laughed heartily.
His cousin, 81 Cornelium Of Moriohes. grinned
and seemed about 20 venture some remark,
ar unusual proceeding for him. when Uncle
Oak once more justified his reputation by
changing the subject abruptly:
"E ! live to be a hundred years old. like
my wife's second cousin in S~quiretown,
I'll never have as much fun again as / did
when that sperritulist was here" he re-
marked solemnly.
"You remember her bein' here last sum-
mer, don't your H~alicarnassa was her
name. ef / recall nightly. an she boarded
with me an my wife while she was givin'
se-anoes in tn town hall.
Il figure I've never told you about tn
inside information l give her. | told my
wife about it afterward IN she offended
she was shocked through an through.
Mrs. Halicarnassa was always askin' me
about tn people in town here while she was
a-boardin' with US. All day long, meal
times an other times. she'd pelt me with
questions.
Il answered EN- all good natured enough
an told her lots Of things that l cd see
came in very handy at night durin' the
se-ances. Everybody was surprised at tn
marvellous information she displayed, de-
rived directly from tn sperrits, ~too-every-
body 'oept me.
81 c'dn't help GRIMM up my sleeve
seein' tn hull town gapin' an takin' on
about Mrs. Halicarnassa's wonderful pow
ers. Then suddenly it occurred to me
Oakley l says to myself, you amt havin'
half tn fun you ought TO be havin'.'
9Th very nqXt daV | draw Mrs. Hall
carnassa TO one side an put tn matter
clearly before her.
Mrs. H. | says, 1 know you van to
make a first class job Of your se-anoes an
hot tips on tn people in this here town
an R~co'rste idee OF their mindworks IN
habits OF thought an Twin, To get that
you need som one like me that's lived
with these people all his life an knows
EN- like a book.
Now ef you're agreeable I'm willin' to
let you in on tn ground floor respectin'
some OF our leadin' citizens. Then you
can tell 'em all about themselves jest as
plain as ef you cd read their thoughts
an give 'em some good advice
Nov ! will say this fer Mrs. H., she
was a highly sensible woman. She grabbed
a-holt OF that idee with celebrity.
First, l up an told her about Abel
Mapes. told her how Abel used to go bare
foot to school when he was a boy. how he
went into tn grocery business an sold
poor stuff at starvation prices durin' tn
civil war. how he bought a little and from
time to time till he got a-holt Of half tn
township. how he foreclosed mortgages
shown no more mercy than a machine
an, in short. how he was as fine a specimen
OF tn tightw'ad an skinhint as you cd find
in a million.
"She Jest hung on my words. When I
got through she had as good an idee OF
Abel Mapes's character as il she'd had
IN live with him fer forty wars
Il took p'ticklar pains to attend the
se-ance tina night. Abel had beef attendin'
right along night after night an it was a