The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-12
Trickery Of Italian
Medium IS Exposed
Scientists Watch Seances and
Find That Spirits Are Very
Material
Continued From Page One

were taken out, and from hole in the
top of the cabinet" An investigator
lying on a mattress on top of a high
instrument case, also kept his eyes at
the hole. awaiting the appearance of
her arm or foot in the cabinet below.
Finally she was watched from the
space under the chairs on the right
and left sides of the table. the watch
ers having their eyes within about
eight inches of her feet.
First of all we made close observa
lions of her extraordinary substitution
trick" L confess l was crestfallen
when 1 discovered that this old ruse
was still her grand strategy. She per-
suades the two holders on her right
and left that they are holding two
hands or two feet, when, in fact, they
have hold of one at different points.
With the feet it can be easily done, as
the feet of the holders and the medium
are all together under a table foot
and half wide. With the hands it is
done either on her lap as she sits at
the table or on the table under cover OF
the cutain, which often blows OUT
over the table and remains there.
Secret Discovered
We found the secret of her material
izations." In all the previous. reports
weird hands, heads, etc, suddenly ap-
pearing in front of the curtains. had
figured plentifully.
Again l was crestfallen. These spir-
itual members, taking shape before our
eyes, turned out to be-the mediums
hands. BY close watching we repeat
eddy saw her hand, which had slipped
its holding, dart back toward the cur
tain. The hand appearing above her
head was often strikingly like hers
Sometimes it was white and vague in
the subsequently, swathed
in a bit of flimsy white material like a
handkerchief that she was once no.
ticed to carry with her.
The much described small black head
with grotesque features that darts out
from the curtain in the gloom and as
suddenly disappears-that is her hand,
swathed this time in piece of black
stuff. The features were apparently
made by her fingers held in peculiar
way. We saw, once or twice, most
uneanny white hand, almost luminous,
a witch's evocation indeed. No mater
ialization whatever appeared except
when there was reason to believe that
the medium had her left hand free.
She Is left handed, and every material
ization was such as her left hand could
produce.
Then through all the foreign ac-
counts these eerie breezes blow. Cold
air under the table. sudden blowing
! out of the curtain, etc, and chief of all.
| the famous breeze from scar above
the forehead" The curtain is flung out
| by her arm and hand and makes a
breeze as it is flung. When it bulges
out slightly this is apparently done by
her foot or hand. Again, the folds of
it shiver slightly when, In the manner
of a sorceress, she holds some ones
hand opposite and calls for the spirit
to come. The prosaic cause of this
| phenomenon is that she turns her head
| sideways near the curtain and with a
little pickering of the mouth blows
along its surface.
That far famed breeze from above
the brow on the left side came from the
| corner of her mouth. 1 have been
practicing 1T ever since and can pro-
duce it with not little effect. The
current of air is sent up close to the
| face.
The touches are made, of course, by
the mediums hand, usually the left,
| and also by her foot, which she can
| raise to more than a moderate height
without altering the poise of her body
L have seen her touch and grasp and
put on and take off the eyeglasses of
an elderly divine who sat on her left
in midnight seance. 1t was done (not
this time by the foot) through the cur
tain, which blew out" up to his face
His chair was violently pulled once or
twice. The curtain was over the table
/ was controlling on the right and
letting Eusapia have her way. 1t was
perfectly evident from the position of
my hand under the curtain that this
gentleman was deceived in the usual
manner He holding o-f
of the same handler right.
VERY COMMON TRICK
The movements in the cabinet are
done usually, of course, by hand or foot
The first evening 1 saw her the curtain
was over the table and there was moth
ing to hinder substitution. Accordingly
the spirits were active slender hand
or tabourette came out in the semi
darkness, came forward slowly through
the air over the mediums left arm. and
seemed to try to climb up the table.
where it at length deposited itself. In
this very common trick of hers the
foot and left hand-sometimes the foot
| alone-brings the object out of the cab
met, and hand finally pushes it upon
! the table.
Other movements in the cabinet are
caused in various ways Sometimes she
will gradually work her chair back UNI
| til 1t is in contact with objects in the
cabinet which are touching still other
| objects. Pushing the chair little will
then make the noises.
We next come to the raps The me-
dunn early in the sitting will tap or
| thump three times in rne middle of the
seance table and listen. Three faint
dull, but unmistakable raps or thuds
are heard in reply. They seem to come
from under the table, as If some hand
| vnrA 1t.