The Washington herald., 1908-01-13

New YORK, Jan 12.-Hou'N have 10 ad-
nit it's pretty stiff proposition for an
innocent, girlish control to go up against
to look around the darkened room with
her spirit eyes and fnd that there is a
lack OF harmony among the friends pres
ent But Notwithstanding the stih prop
osition, little Blue Bell did the best she
could
Blue Bell Is not 20 be confounded with
little Bright Eyes. Of fragrant memory
Blue Bell earns her spirit meal tickets
in much the same way. however, for Blue
Bell is the tame spook Of Medium Sam
uel Thompson who is in turn by day
light an attendant in a Kingston hos
pital. but who. when the shades Of night
close around Harlem flats, sometimes
comes down from the northern city, and
for a 81 for admission fee to visitors
puts little Blue Bell through her PAGES.
Blue Bell, like Tinker Bell, Is rather to
be heard than seen. Young as she is,
her voice reminds one Of nothing 50 much
as the cracked falsetto with which an
old man suffering from hard cold might
order rock and rye. But there are those
who, overlooking the small matter Of her
voice, are entirely too glad TO have Blue
Bell come into their homes as an hon
ored guest
Frank +. Nipple a lawyer. is one Of
these, and it was Mr.. Nipple who. on
Saturday night, invited a few friends 70
meet the youthful Blue Bell at his home.
i76 Vest Hist street. It was at Mr. Hip
r44a FQ,r1
against the stiff proposition mentioned.
Arranged the Seance.
Mr Thompson, who cracks the whip
and holds the hoop for Blue Bell TO jump
through, is d man Of sixty or thereabouts.
MT Nipple and Medium Thompson doped
up a cabinet out of the lawyers back
parlor The door into the hall was care
fully sealed with postage stamps-bor-
rowed-and the window was darkened.
After a little while there was an awful
groaning from the cabinet, a gasping for
breath
Between his gasps, Mr.. Thompson sum
moned the friends 10 observe him. 4
curtain was raised, and there he sat,
with AT least half a dozen windings Of
hands were pressed tightly together be-
tween his knees. his legs above his knees
were held together by more Of the same
rope. II may be presumed that the hands
were tied together, and also tied 10 the
knees.
But. as somebody has said. be that as IL
may The curtain was dropped again. and
pretty soon Blue Bells voice was heard
calling for 'Two'-lest somebody mis-
understand. it may be said that this call
ing for two" demanded two persons So
two believers were admitted 10 the cab-
net. one stood on each side OF the seated
medium then each laid hand on Mr..
/ Thompsons head, and they clasped their
/ hands tightly together at arms lengths.
Spirits Got Busy.
Soon, in the darkness. there came spirit
taps, rapping the two victims on their
backs and sides. This was repeated
many times with various believers-when-
! ever there was a woman in the cabinet
/ there were also screams and cries Of 4. .et
me OUT I won't stay in here with them
another minute," and other expressions
of a hysterical nature Which made the
few believers gasp with expectation and
T
ethereal friends, the spooks.
Now. it happened that there was
scoffer present who wanted 10 know il
the mediums hands were tied together.
He insisted that he be allowed to bind
Mr. ThOmpSons s hands witn = tape Mr.
/ Thompson finally consented. Blue Bell.
however, is nothing If not sensitive. and
this evidence of lack Of belief in her
{ Oh Ere
the collar that she just took up her dolls
and went home.
After few minutes fruitless trying,
when the beads Of perspiration stood
out on the mediums head and he grosned
like the ID. T. ward in q hospital with
the strenuousness Of his mental effort.
he finally said that he would have TO
take a few minutes rest The humans
went out of the cabinet and Mr.. Thomp-
son rested in the darkness.
The Rope Remained.
When he announced that his strength
had returned. the tape had been taken
/ from the wrists. and only the cruel, cut
/ ting rope remained. After some further
manifestations the rest of the programme
was given TO Blue Bells appearance. and
the investigation Of her friends, Big Chief
and Old Squaw.
For the benefit of those who have never
seen Blue Bell. it may he said that to
the initiated she looked like a bit Of
phosphorus. such as YOU might take on
your finger. Big Chief and Old Squaw,
who allowed a moderately close examina-
ton Of their features only to Mr.. Hip
ple-when a skeptc approached the cur
] 4f.s,. I'll,
said 10 be Indian faces were withdrawn
hastily.
Early this morning, when those Of the
folks who had come from Brooklyn were
idgeting in their seats. little Blue Bell
gave up the ghost after announcing. in her
sad falsetto, that il was impossible for
her 10 make revelations that night on
account of the lack of harmony among
the friends.