The Irish standard., 1908-08-29

and tell about their love affairs and
family difficulties in a way that makes
you gasp. I blush sometimes to listen
to them.
The cheapest seance isn't the place
where the mediums make their money,
though; it is really only an advertise
ment to get custom for the private
and developing seance. All the time
she is sending communications to the
audience she is string them up. If one
looks more easy or eager than the rest
she says something like this:
John tells me that the spirits have
much to tell you. but you're holding
back. You need to draw closer to
en-
That suggestion, is thrown out once
or twice. About the third time this
particular victim visits the seance the
spirit say:
We've something to tell you that
can't be told in public. You must see
medium alone
IF the victim is a woman-and she
usually is-curiosity brings her around
the very next day. The private sit
tings cost from so cents an hour up.
according to the means and credulity
of the victim. The medium loses no
chance of leading her on to come
again.
There is medium in San Fran
cisco-Mme. Smith, we'll call her-who
is a wonder in her way. The Pacific
Mail liner Rio de Janeiro was sunk
in the Golden Gate on Washington's
Birthday. 1901, with 100000 in gold
aboard No one could find the hull.
After the steamship and wrecking
companies had tried and failed. Mime.
Smith had a revelation from the CAP
tain of the Rio which showed her the
exact spot where the hull lay in shall
low water. Nine. Smith had this reve-
said 1t would not do for her to take all
that money: she'd lose her power IL
she did. But she was going to let in
all her dear friends and believers-for
consideration.
According to a fakir who stood in
with her, but fell out with her later
she sold $4,000 Of stock in her wreck
ing company. They made few bluffs
at diving, and then announced that
Mrs. Smith had been guided wrong by
an evil spirit and that the expenses Of
diving had eaten up the capital
But Nine. Smith would make it all
right Shed give in return for wreck
ing company stock shares in an oil
company which was to make a fortune
from wells discovered by her phychic
powers. They took 1t like lambs, ana
she's doing business at the old stand.
"Materializing or bringing ghosts
out of the vastly deep doesn't pay so
well. 1t is a kind Of public show,
with very little side graft. Therefore
IL III lCSS COl1lltlOIl, d11u ADMISSION Is
higher, usually dollar a head.
1--WE seen dozens Of developing Sc
ances. and in every case the method
was the same. The cabinet is hung
with black. and covered in front with
a black curtain. The surrounding wall
is also draped in black.
"Often the cabinet is in the bow
window of the house or hall. The audi
ence is asked to inspect the walls and
curtains. They may inspect all they
like. The trick isn't there.
There is a DIM. shaded point Of
light in the back Of the room, practi-
cally no light at all. When all is ready
the medium takes a seat near the cur
tain and calls for a hymn
while 1t is being sung his assist
ant-usually a woman-steals into the
room by side door near the cabinet.
She's dressed in dead black robe. and
against the black background Of the
walls and cabinet she can't be seen at
all in that light, no matter how much
she moves. She wears rubber soled
shoes. and the hymn helps her to enter
without being heard.
Under the black robe she is dressed
in shostly white. and often she wears
mask lightly coated with phosphor-
escent paint to make shining spirit
face.
when the signal is given she opens
the black robe in front, and when she
disappears she simply closes it again.
BY closing 1t a certain way she pro-
duces the effect Of disappearing
through the floor. There are often two
or three assistants. one child or small
woman.
THE developing medium. like the
test medium. keeps tabs on the de-
parted dear ones of his regular Gus
toners, and trots them out for their