davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
Might Easily Cause DeIu-
siOns i'm HysteriCal
Persons.

The medium game is hard TO beat. harder
than the races. for they have their sup
pOrters trained now TO say that there are
good sittings and bad ones and that bad
sitting, in which trickery Is used. is by no
means proof that the medium Is not genu-
inc They say that the mediums take such
pride in Their ability and reputation that
when they see that the spirits are not going
To respond they VIII resort to trickery.
but at the very next sitting they may have
genuine spirit communications.
How are you going 10 beat a game like
that? The medium may be caught taking
ninety-nine times in succession and still
it proves nothing. Which shell is the little
pea under? Now you see It. and now YOU
don't
Mime. Eusapia PaladinO has been playing
the game for fOrty-six years. She is an
italian peasant. short stOcky and swarthy
Her rather unkept gray hair is combed
In the prevailing style of two years ago
and cOnceals the scar on the right side
of her head which is one of her chief
assets. That scar and her left leg are
used on every one OF ner audiences She
exhibits her scar and recalls that a humid
breeze that blows alternately hot and cold
is supposed to proceed from the scar and
from her left leg.
y great many things may happen while
the credulous observer is anxi0usIy watch
ing for the breeze. And madamc's nm
tortlons during seanee are equally caIcu-
lated 20 distract attention. She rolls about
constantly In her chair and moves hack
and fortr from tine table. Before the sit
ting begins II is announced that madame,s
hands and feet are hypersesthetic and must
a.
cannot be held down by the guardians feet
but the mediums feet must be ON TON
In the s. me way her hands cannot he
tightly held III the sIightes, pr.ss,,r., A.
eNerted madame screams and ,omnIairs
that she Is hurt. She expostulates vo,ifer-
olsly when little things are done that dis
please her. things that make possible a
closer guardianship over actions.
Her muscular development iq B,,Ia sho,..
OF remarkable. The muscles of her ahdo-
"en would do credit To a professional
strong man. fhey stand out I'm huge
iuses ana c9rrdsations. And when the
operations of table tipping anI levitat,on
sle being gone through with these muscles
are at their utmost tension IL at such a
t'ine tue observers arm is laid across her
Knees IN such manner that tn upper arrn
rests agaius, her abdone, in win ~. so,,,.1
'hat tne abdominal muscles are eNerting
thelr utmost force and that the muscles
OF her thighs are strained apparently to
their last ounce o. pressure
she wrlthes In her char while the affair
Is proceeding. and with eyes half closed
sroahS and wrings her hands. Fer a wom-
an VINO Is said neither 20 speak nor under
s'ahd English u is strange To hear her
say "ph. iear' ph, dear. dear.' as she
leans over the Il BILE with s,rarsc mouth
ings and grimaces
MI the un.e her manager Is keeping up
nus ps''ef I" tne sienographer. who Is re-
4ortins the so-ealled prenomena.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

action at a distance.
Spirits are materialized through trap
doors Ia cabinets. The trap may be n
the wall. or. better. in the ceiling when
the spOOks descend by means Of padded
ladder. The ceiling trap cannot easily be
detected The gauzy garments OF ths
spOOks are dyed in luminous or phOsphOr-
escent paint which gives a brilliant ef-
feet in the darkenss.
Nine PaladinO's manager admitted thu
other day that he put luminous paint on
her arm. but said he did it as a check on
her movements.
A medium who is a good actor and las
a flexible voice has no difficulty IN person.
ating departed queens. Indian chiefs and
what not. Children's voices are initiated,
although some mediums use real children.
who are trained TO represent the departed
little ones OF grieving parents who at
tend the seances.
A Judge OF the Supreme Court in an
Eastern state whose fiancee had died in a
railroad wreck. was persuaded 70 give
valuable diamond engagement ring 10 a
male medium. who attired in bridal costums.
with orange blossoms and carrying lilies
Of-the-valley IN his hand. impersonated tbs
spirit OF the young woman.
Mediums usually read the Bible. and hsv,
the believers sing hymns like Shall We
Gather az the River while the spirits are
materiaIizing. in order 70 cover any noises
Of the trap
Sometimes there is an exhibition OF rub
Der spirits. which are blown up by tube
under the floor with bellows aud disap-
pear when the air is drawn out OF them.
Out I'm California a medium materialized
part OF a gold mine a massive bowlder
of gold quartz. and the faithful never
dreamed that the spirits VINO brought the
quarts from the mine were mules" 4
Treasury OF Heaven" with a guarantee
of 80 per cent dividends, was este abIished.
and the believers subscribed E5.c00 fo-
stock in the intervals between singing
sacred hymns.
Spirit paintings which develop on blank
canvas before the eyes of sitUers are easily
produced The canvas is painted with chem
icals. chiefly forms OF potassium and bis
muth. which are invisible as applied.
Amid low lights and slow music the me-
dium, sitting AT a peephOle. in the cabinet
and armed with an atOmizeT. sprays the
canvas with developing solution Of tinct-
ure OF iron OF prussiate of potash. The
kissing Of the atOmizer is covered bv the
strains OF religious music and the picture
manifestly grows before the ewes OF the
startled spectators.
There are less obvious methods of apply
ing the developing solution. Spirit photo
graphs can be made in a dozen ways.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

and finally strike the sides of its bottle I'm
the amplitude of its vibrations Regua-
tiOn rapS were produced by the pendulums
I'm answer TO questions. The secret Of this
device was highly scientific. The pendu-
lums were of different lengths and all
were i'm more or less constant motion
owing to the jar Of street traffic and so on.
BY imperceptibly jogging the table at
just the right moments. the medium was
able to increase the vibrations OF any par
ticular pendulum. and these same jOgs.
not coinciding with the swing of the other
pendulums tended to cancel their motion
D. u. Home. the celebrated American
medium. while demonstrating in London
for Professor Crookess benefit, picked up
a live coal from the CRATE in his naked
hand. and. dropping on CEe knee, reven-
TALLY inquired. Are not the ways of God
WONDERFUL This miracle has been dupl-
Gated by "palming'' imitation coal OF
spOngy platinum. which. when sprayed with
hydrogen gas by mechanism hidden in
the sleeve. becomes incdndescent. Various
chemicals will partly protect the hands
from heat. and in a dimiy lighted room
the medium may wear asbestos gloves
when Juggling red-hot Goals
- The first and most vital necessity of the
medium is to elude She control OF the
Sttters on either side of him or her. In the
darkness and during imaginary convuisions
il is difficult feat Sor the medium 10
withdraw hand and leave the sitters
nursing the other. under the impression
that each has still control Of a separate
hand With the free hand bells may be
rung. backs of necks ticklcd and all kinds
Of phenomena produced.
one knee Of the medium may he sim-
larry substituted for both knees, while it is
easy to remove a foot from control by
leaving n stifftned shoe form for the sitter
To press upon.
Many mediums have an acrObatic use %
their limbs which intensifies the adVan-
tages of q free hand and a free foot. If
the sitters are particularly gulhbe, she
medium may present them with artificial
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

hands TO hold in control. the false mem
bers having been previous warmed by con-
tact with the mediums body.
DIR. Richard Hodgson. of Boston, who
was secretary of the American branch OF
the Society for PsychicaI Research. caught
Nine. PaladnO at Cambridge. England,
about a dozen years ago, m the act Of sub
stituting one han1 and one foot for both
hands and feet. Given .ree hand and a
free foot wrote DR.. HodgsOn, and nearly
all the phenomena can be explained"
Rapping devices have been quite per-
feeted since their crude invention by the
Fox sisters. Simple raps may be made by
sliding the shoe heel on the leg of table.
rubbing moist fingers slowly on the table
top. by rubbing the thumb nails together
while holding them in contact with the
table. by scratching shirt cuffs and by
cracking the joints of knees or toes. A
pneumatic rapper concealed i'm the me-
dium's trouser leg and operated by spread
ing the knees. consists of rubber tubing. a
piston and, a tiny lead hammer. Tele-
graphic raps are made by regular Morse
Instrument in a box operated by an electro
magnet concealed in the table top and with
a secret button for the medium TO press
I.evitatiOn of tables may be accomplished
by foot under the legs, upward pressure
of the knees. and. while leaving the hands
on the table. putting the head under il and
goltishly buttinG the table upward.
rubber suction cap will cause a table or
other object TO rise very neatly under the
mediums hand.
Sometimes a medium jabs a wide headed
pin into the centre of a light table, slips
the head of the pin into a slit in the under
side of a gold ring which he wears and
airily whirls the table around his head.
a table that is light may he lifted at a
distance from the medium by two black
threads under il. stretching across the
room and operated by two assistants i'm adj
joining rooms.
For moderately heavy levitatiOns the me-
dunn and his assistant equip themselves
with fiat steel strips attached firmly 10 the
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
Palodino'S Odd Methods.

'MadaDle grOans and wrings her hands
She has one hand in her lap. Now her lett
hand is In her lap and her right hand is on
the table. She grOans again That is good.
She Is probably going into a trance. She
has Doth hands on the table. Waves one
hand toward the curtain. TO the "spirit'D
Nenl John Veni John, Both hands on
the table Table rises on two legs TO
the sitters1 Did you see that9 Die YOU
see it, Remarkable. (TO the guardians)
How was the control? (Without waiting
for an answer) The control Is good. Tha
table rises on one leg. Did YOU get that
Miss Alene (TO the sittersJ You saw L.
didn't you? Table still on one leg Two
seconds. Did you get that. Miss AlIeng'
Meanwhile, madame's groans and GRIM
aces continue and her movements in her
chair. She has made il one OF her rules
that only persons whose hands are rot
subject % moisture can be her guardians.
and she has chosen guardians who seem TO
her To be in sympathy or prepared to be-
heve in her. Her own hands are dry and
have acquired no moisture from those who
are guarding her
She has moved her hands and waved
them about so much that il is difficult
10 follow her. But when the table begins
W A4''. sue mas oOln udnUS Tree from ner
guardians and the fingers pressed firmly on
the table top. while the thumbs are below
the edge OF the table narrow border
runs around below the table top and the
table Is light enough so that IL can hs
lifted and held out from the body with lit
tie stress on the wrists. il one is fairly
strong
After a few seconds OF tipping or a bare
moment OF levitatiOn. which seems mucn
longer under the strain Of watching IN the
darkened room and with the awed feeling
that has been inspired. the muscular ten
sIO1 is suddenly relieved and the tabls
drops back 20 the floor with a crash
All the while the distracting patter keeps
up. and II the sitters seem sufficiently m-
pressiOnable The manager and his assist
ants suddenly call attention To- strange
lights that are seen 70 glow behind the cur
tain. Phantom hands NAV be suggested
There, Did You see itg'' "Oh, That
hanlv
The table in the cabinet has a light
coiored top. and the legs are Vanished and
polished. The curtains of the cabinet az
kept in motion. and the faint light Is now
rcccted from the table top and the less
and now shielded BY the curtain and 50
the luminous spots come and 80.
And all the time the grimaces, the grOans
ami cOntOrtions and the eternal patter x
the manager. IL would be strange ID hys-
terical persons did not witness marvellous
phenOraena.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

Unlike Many Other Resorts, Child Victims of the
Great White Plague Are Made to Feel at Home
There-Hosts of Them Expected.

conducted by Dr. Alfred T. hess Of New
York city, the first child TO be received
showed positive test II tuberculosis.
Three months later he was discharged as
cured. In other cases i've and six months
were allowed FOR complete cure. and the
condition Of the remaining patients is 50
far improved NJ nIncty-twO children will
have been saved from the deadly disease
within "A month
Unlike the residents Of many other cor-
munities where tuberculosis sanatoriums
have been proposed the people Of Lake
wood have iesrlessiy given tleir support
10 the n'OvemeIt. rhe children haze h,en
allowed the use Of private vehicles in their
trips 10 nearby seashone resorts They
have been entertained at the moving pict-
Gre SHOWS and are shown every kindness
ly the citizens Of the town
As The first institution Of its kind in this
country. the progress Of the Lakewood pre-
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

With the organization Of the Tubercu-
lcsis Prev yentcrium for children at Lake
wood. y. j.. this hitherto exclusive winter
rosori has enlisted in The worldwide war
against thc great white plague. Led 10y
group Of philauthropists, including Nathan
Sursus Mrs. Grover Cleveland. Marcus VI.
Marks. Mrs } Borden Hartman and Miss
dorothy Whitney, the members Of the
Fashionable cottage colony adjoining
George J. Gould's Georgian Court have
liedged their aid 10 movement for the
free cure Of tuberculosis infected children
from the tenemen's Of the big cities
ln the nght 10 reduce infant mortality
Ih. Grover Cleveland cottage and the
Lakewood Hotel were given 20 The charity
hy Nathan S1raus a resident Of Lake
wood has given tbc use Of eighteen acres
,f land FOR a playground. Another citi-
z"u has given the use Of stages for eN-
cursi0n trims, certain young men, forming
o committee, have given their time 10 en-
terrain The male children. and the physi-
clans OF Tie town have volunteered their
services IN connection with the clinic which
van be- a part Of the Institution.
Through The aid and cooperation Of the
cottagers d. is planned To make Lake
wood The battlefield Of an exhaustive night
against fhs fatal tuberculosis germ. The
Ircveutorium viii not attempt TO treat ad-
Ranced cases Of tuberculosis, but viii lie
confined TO the work 0f stamping out the
Traces ~ disease ia the children who have
heretofore been left 10 become the helpless
victims 81 its raKages. The plan 10 treat
900 children al one time is 80 arranged
tlat several big cities viii be allowed the
lssc Of the prevention camps which viii he
built oE the sand dunes adjoining the
Cleveland coiisge.
Sew York City alone has 3.ep0 tubercu-
losis infected children, according 10 the
reports of those active IN the work Of re-
Heking its victims among The tenement
liOuses. Newark Paterson Trenton and
Phlsdelphia viii also be asked 10 Join the
lhoKeTueut 70 combat the dreaded germ.
Willie 4 viii DO Impossible 10 treat more
than small percentage Of these cases for
some dino. The enthusiasm - the Lake
wood philanthTopists ~ eNpected 20 result
in n general movement 10 take over large
tracts of Lakewood land suitable for pre-
Nentorium camps for the host of victims
thai = expected 10 arrive.
ln the experiments. which were carefully
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
KEEP ABREAST OF SCIENCE.

There is said % he no spook manifesto
tion which cannot be duplicated by trick
ery. Levitations- rappings. slate writings
and the like are old habits Of the spirits
hat thousands of new accomplishments
have been invented i'm the last few decades.
Mediums perfect and vary old tricks while
1hcy cudcel their brains to put forth at
lractvc novelties. They keep abreast with
Tho latest discoveries Of science and apply
them 10 spoofv uses. No doubt the y ray,
radium and wireless teleGraphy have al
ready been pressed into the service Of those
who evoke the inhabitants Of the fourth
dimension. # space.
MediuurslIip Is an extensive business. with
a detailed system and its OSn laboratories
and shops Cor supplying spook parapherna- p
Tia % the trade. The wonderful personal
knowledge II mediums is obtained from
gossip files ~ local newspapers. grave
yards directories and so forth. a man
ma Toe sent out TO canvass a town and OBJ
tain Information about citizens who are
likely a. prove easy marks.
some mediums have even made a written
contract with the oldest inhabitant OF a
town. whereby DE received half the pro-
oeeds oT tho ADMINISTRATIONS" IN return
Tor furnishing intimate information about
his fellow townsmen. With several hum
ored dollars ga his pocket and his signature
ON the contract. the oldest inhabitant would
hc a uaTiN 10 the fraud and would never
dare 20 reveal the MEDIUMS secret. This
local aliv NAV be placed ~ a peephole, 50
that hc sees each person as lie enters the
inodiuul's anteroom and is able TO tell tho
l-tler the name and personal history az the
caller in advance Of The sitting.
Carbon sheets under writing pads and
table covers hollow table legs. chemicals
which produce invisible impressions oi
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
SEALED ENVELOPE FAKES,

There are innumerable deceptions with
sealed envelopes. The sitter writes mes
sage Of inquiry addressed 10 the dead and
places il in an empty envelope. which is
then sealed. In few moments the
medium tears the envelope open at the end
and takes out a neat spOok reply. The
explanation is that the envelope has
double front. or compartment. TO hold the
fake message. and this is pulled out when
the envelope is torn open. While the sitter
is excitedly reading the spirit document
the medium substitutes an ordinary en-
velope, which is a duplicate OF the trick
envelope and similarly torn a the end. so
that the dupe can take the spirit message
and the envelope home with him.
A woman operator had great success with
answering questions written white cards
in sealed envelopes. The performance was
given in the dark. and when the lights were
turned up the medium returned the on
velopes TO the sitteTs. absolutely intact. Not
the least convincing feature Of this test
was the rapidity with which the operator
ratified on the answers 10 the questions.
She had an electric pocket lamp in hood
in front Of her. and 5y holding the light
behind the envelope she could plainly read
the cards inside.
Another excellent device for getting az
the contents Of sealed letters is 20 moisten
the envelope with Odorless alcohol. which
makes il transparent when held up 10 4
light. a skilled performer can walk away
q short distance from a group of spectators
rub an alcohol-soaked sponge across the
envelope Of a letter and read the contents
while holding il mp against a strong light.
while he has apparently done nothing but
touch his brow with the letter 10 get the
vibrations"
Messages on states are done in manv
ways. A medium may write upon slate
placed under table with his hig toe 20
which stub Of pencil is attached. Low
cut shoes and soE with an opening for the
chirogra phical toe facilitate this operation.
Again. the medium may hold pencil in his
mouth and STOPPING over the table in the
darkness may indite q spirit message while
his hands are I'm perfect control of the
sitters. States ready written may be stored
I'm grooves under the mediums chair. drawn
forth by him and substituted for blank
states a. he resches his hand down i'm pre-
tense to draw his chair up 10 the liable.
Chemicals are used on states 20 bring out
the faces of patent medicine bellies which
many people recognize as pictures OF their
relatives. medium called on TO produce
a message on the inne- side Of the siJter's
own double slates. which hinged, pad
locked and sealed. has no fear of the Chal-
lenge. When tho ligh,s turned low ne
ducks under the table and using a pocket
fash lamp To illuminate his labors prizes
the double states apart with wedges and in
serts umbrella wirv At the end Of
which a bit Of slate pencil is firmly glued.
- IL.
world without disturbing seals or screws
A more scientific method Of inscribing
the inner surface % double states which
are allowed TO contain an innocent bit OF
chalk for tho spirits convenience. is
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
a DECOY.

The minister who had exchanged Win
the Rev, Mr. Talcom was much scandal
ized 10 see Deacon Erastus SNOWFALL n
the vestry. after service. deliberately TAX
ing a ifty-cent piece cut OF the coutTibu-
ticn box and substituting a dime.
"Brer SNOWFALL he exclaimed. IN horror
and amazement. THAT'S pIoin dishouc,-
d0lngsv'
What's the matter parsous tho deaccH
asked. genially. conscious OF his own rec-
titude. It's ted on with that Il '-rr piecc
Tor de las 70 years. That aiu't con-
trthutiOn:s that's temp'rary tOan. as =
CNle example, Youths COMPANION.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

Many persons who are well grounded in
their Haeckel have been mentally heckled.
so 10 speak. by the apparent marvels of
spirltism as demonstrated 10y Nine Pala-
. dino al ssances las: week. The newspapers
reported that the Italian medium really
made a table go mp in the air. and that
tnere We're ghostiy rappings and bulgings
of curtains. while some Of those present
rrofessed 20 see disembodied hands in busy
movement. over in London. England. the
spirits of Cardiral Manning and Mr.. Glad
stone have been conVersing with NJ. T.
Stead through the agency OF 'Julis's Bu-
reau." Mr. Stead asked the Great Com
moner what he thought about tho budget.
and tie latter made a testy answer,
III is very distasteful-very distasteful-
20 contact this political arena once more"
Yes. Mr. Gladstone replied Mr.. Stead.
rerroachfully. "and YET you cannot even
give us vour beaediction in the fight. Car
oinal Manning seems much more alert in
his sympathies with the earth movements
than YOU do.
As I come more closely into touch with
you" conceded the shade Of the Great
C0nmoner, 4 begin TO feel again this fire
burning within me. and ] wish for few
brief days ] could be with YOU"
n was remarked by academic persons
that Mir. Gladstone's grammar had de-
Perforated since he joined the spirit band.
a. is ar odd fact that the shades Of great
men generally employ slipshOd language
and even fan into grieVous errors Of syn
tax. The matter OF their messages is also
usually vacuOus or silly. a IL the pre-
occupation OF supernal affairs left them
. only the lees Of intellectually 10 bestOw on
their friends below. Spirit poetry IS nOtOri-
dlsly Of a low grade. The shades Of
, Shakespeare and Browning turn out
tnprsery jingles OF numerical stanzas, in
stead OF tho expected masterpieces.
Uncommon wit was shown by Henry
Ward Beecher's shade IN response 10 per
fcs7ent- inquiries by Dr Isaac *. Funk as
10 the mystery Of Biblical coin called the
widows mite.
Il don't want TO be bothered any more.
sna hope the widows mite get Dr. Funk,
said the testing spOok
To some students there is not so much
marvel I'm spirtism as there is in the in
finite Ingenuity of the methods used by
mediums in Stimulating spOok phenomena.
The resources Of chemistry and physics
l.aVe been drawn on To deceive not only
the crodulOus but the wary and intelligent.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

being assisted b. Or. Abraham jacob. Dr
Herman NJ. Biggs and Dr s. s. Goldwater.
gave detailed account Of the experiment.
lie said
since July =. WREN the first children were
received al the Cleveland cottage ninety
two patients between the ages Of four ana
fourteen years have been admitted They
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21

veutorium is being watched by physicians N
almost every city. The founders OF the
clarity have sent reports Of the expert
monts 20 the clinics Of leading American
and European hospitals and quarterly bull
letins will SHOW the progress OF the hgAt.
In the arst medical report Of the preyentO-
mum DT. Hess. who has charge OF the work.
New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
EXPRESSIVE PERSEVERANCE

so you never make fun Of YOUR wife.s
..syN' N,yer' ! tried that long ago"
,, cue Kept ON buying others trying To
please me. Washington Star W