The sun., 1908-12-06
TRICKS OF MEDIUMS.
Table Tipping and Similar Manifesto.
lions Not So Hard to Produce.

Being a spook medium is not 80 din =
cult profession as it appears to the
uninitiated. Some OF the most elective
performances are achieved when the
medium Is supposed to be held or tied so
securely that it seems impossible that
he couh have escaped TO play the spook
part 30 actively.
One of these rope tying devices is ex-
planned in the Bohemian Magazine. 1t is
the one used by the Davenports brothers
In preparing the rope with which they
are to be tied they take one OF the cords
by the middle and form at that point
a bow or double loop. All that is neces-
sary to make this knot is to wind the cord
once around the fingers. and through the
ring thus formed draw a small portion
Of the cord on each side in opposite
directions. This in fact 10 double
slip knot, the loops OF which may be
d;Tn;n;shed or increased In size as the ends
are drawn tight or released.
Lea wing the two loops open, the two
ends OF the rope are passed through two
holes bored in the chair, and with the ends
ihe mediums are secured tightly, the legs
being fastened to the bottom OF the chair.
while the arms are bound close to the body.
To ali appearances they are thoroughly
secured, but this is what really happens
The moment that the cabinet is closed they
draw back the legs a little, thus alackening
the knot sufficiently to permit them to
extract one hand. -,
With the other hand they hold the
knot ready to be drawn tight again
AZ soon as the hand Is replaced and the
legs are extended, but with one hand tfee
Il lis quite easy for them to make all the
racket and produce as many. varieties
of phenomena as the most captions critic
could require. Moreover, when the knots
are examined after the sitting all appear
in perfect order. -,
Levita ting or tipping the table ie another
exhibition 81 4psychicS force that is always
watched with interest, ana yet there are
scores of means by which these results
may be obtained fraudlientiy. In rae.
n,rpoee NAV he procured from the es-
tablished dealers in such articles. for the
old fashioned method Of lifting the table
with hand or knee In now classed as far
TOO primitive q trick to be worked effect
lively.
small or very light the medium uses a
little rubber sucker, but when 1t Is a
large or heavy table that is to be levi
tated the services OF an accomplice are
usually employed.
Thus, as one example OF these methods
a stout leather band strapped to their
wrists under he cuffs. Attached to this
is an iron rod which extends about an
inch beyond the leather band. To lift
the table, therefore. 1t ia. only necessary
that the projecting portion OF the piece
OF iron should be slipped beneath il, for
in this position viselike. grip can be OBJ
tained ia that will permit Of the table being
moved In all directions without the slight
est danger OF detection by ordinary in
. Still another method requires that
both the medium and his aocomp'ice shall
be supplied with q stout leather strap.
In this case the strap goes round the
neck under the clothing. and attached
to the lower end Is a strong hook, which
can be brought into requisition as needed;
N hen the lights have been extinguished
the two operators slip the hook from its
place Of concealment: attach u to the
under side OF the liable. and when they
straighten or stand UP even the heaviest
niece OF furniture can be levitated with
comparatively little difAculty.