El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-16

~NO hlCtllOQ VI u6cepIlOn pIdCllCCO OS
splritualistic mediums OF the CONNER
cial class is better fitted for the con-
quest of dOubters than that of allow
ing the medium. to be tied or otherwise
fastened in such a manner that it is
seemingly impossible for him to do the
tricks that are afterWard done. In some
Of the NATURALIZATION" seances the me-
dunn is tied, and in fact has no di-
rect part in the manifestation that after
ward takes place. But as a rule the
mediums escape in whole or in part
from the harness placed about them and
do have some part in the manifesto
lions.
Anna Eva Fay Attained Fame.
One of the most striking instances
of rope tying in which the medium had
a part In the subsequent manifesto
tons was that of the first Anna Eva
Fay who toured this country. There are
several Anna Eva Fays. by the way.
She permitted herself to have her wrists
firmly bound. tied behind her back and
fastened into a ring attached 10 a stan
chiOn. A bandage was placed around
her neck. and il was attached TO a screw
eye farther upon the stanchion, and she
was seated on a stool in front of this
post. Her feet were tied together with
a long rope, the one end Of which was
constantly held by a member of the
order to make assurance douDIy sure
tina. she could in no wise escape from
her predicament all knots were care
fully sewed together
Performed Many Tricks
In this position, and tied as she was,
every member of the committee asserted
that she could not possibly escape or
reach any Of the objects placed with
her in the cabinet Yet as soon as the
curtain was drawn a bell began to ring.
Then glass OF water was set in front
OF her and the water disappeared from
the glass. Later a guitar was played
and then thrown over the curtain of the
cabinet. After all of these manifes-
tations, the medium asked that the cur
tain be drawn aside, that her bandages
be re-examined and then that member
of the committee be blindfolded and
seated by her side. He was to place his
hands Upon her knees and make sure
they did not move. Yet directly :.,e
sound of nail being driven none was
heard Other manifestations followed
one after another, and no person in the
room nor any one of the committee had
the slightest idea how it was accomp-
lished. Not one of them believed that
Anna Eva Fay had produced the mani
festations herself
Physical Agility to Rescue.
Ct lHCy were cnIlTG4N mistaken, Tor
the woman was not tied so that she
could not move Although her hands
were tied together behind her and the
bandages passed through the ring in
the stanchion, there was about six
inches of slack in the bandage on her
hands. She was something of a contor-
zionist, and by taking advantage of the
slack she twisted and slipped her body
around so that she could reach the ari-
cles in the cabinet with her bound
hands Yet neither her head nor her
feet were moved during the perform,
ance. Of course this trick REQUIRES
great physical agility.
The Packing Box Trick
Other mediums have permitted them
selves to be placed in packing cases.
large paper bags, locked mail bags. and
in other places from which it would
seem impossible to escape, and still have
brought forth manifestations just the
same. In one case a medium was lock-
ed in a strong packing box, in which he
had been placed by a committee, after
having been handcuffed with a pair of
regulation police handouts. A curtain
was drawn, the spectators held their
breath for a few minutes, and then the
Signal was given that all was in readf- !
ness Tor the opening Of the box mani
restations or spiritualistic power hav- I
ms l0EASh pace III the meantime. w hen |
the box was opened by the committee |
there was found in it, handcuffed, a !
young woman, who bore no resemblance !
10 the original occupant While I
everyone was interested in her, the me- /
dunn who had been locked in the pack |
ing case in the first instance, made his !
appearance on the stage. /
Boxes Have Trap Doors.
The explanation of this escape is very /
simple, when once understood The
packing box had two handles. BY turn
ing one of the screws 10 one of these !
handles one end Of this box was re- /
leased and taken out. The imprisoned
medium then craWIed out secured a !
key TO the handouts from a confeder- !
ate, and unlocked them. He then placed |
them on the wrists of his fair confed-
crate, she crawled into the packing box.
and replaced the screw in it's original
position. To this day that committee
does not know how the exchange of oc-
cupantS was effected.
In another case the medium and all
his sitters gathered around a large
table. and placed their hands toward
the center as the SpOkes run towards the
hub Of a wheel and through holes in
the table they were all tightly inter-
laced and bound together and to the
table by the weaving of copper wire
through the holes and around their
arms Yet-when the lights were put out |
the manifestations appeared. The Sc