The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-06-04

table lnJO the air. A student VI JuSSe
phenomena of long experience said
to me: Il believe that the levitations
are the only genuine part of the per-
Torrance. the rest is trickery."
The faith in levitations is exception
ally widespread. Her hands are nearly
always in view as the table tits away
from her they sometimes slowly and
mystically rise away from it. The
holders, right and left feel the pres
sure of her feet on theirs and so re-
port. She often asks you to put your
arms across her knees, and they
seem to be motionless. Our observer
from the large chest reported that he
could see bo Sampering with the
right leg of the table. Our observer
from the open panel reported that he
could see no tampering with her left
leg.
How Trick Was Detected.
1t was a surprise the secret Of the
levitations that long after the Janu-
airy sittings were over, the plan was
adopted of concealing watches under
the chairs of the sitters. Eusapia sits
at the end of the table. On each side
are two sitters. The rungs were TAX
en- out of the chairs. Several rehear-
sails we're held. Each person among
the sitters had his post and his part
assigned When Eusapia arrived and
took her seat her attention was di-
verted by asking her to cause an
electroscope to discharge, as she was
reported to have done at Paris. The
electroscope was placed on the table
and she put her hand to it.
The sitters and the bystanders drew
up to the table, leaning eagerly to-
ward the instrument. This hid the
door from which the two creeping
devotees of science, clad in close-fit-
ting jersey gymnasium costume and
ready for their act of self-humilia- |
ton, came noiselessly across the floor
and lay at full length under the chairs |
their respective faces close to her
right and left foot. Eusapia suspected |
nothing. Neither the spirits nor her |
psychic sense" appraised her of the ,
keen-eyed sKepticism ambushed at her
feet. She testified more than once !
afterward that that evening had been
q oOod ono tbo
1t was certainly richer in "pheno- .
mena" than any other l have seen.
There were none of the usual long
pauses. For two hours or so one
striking event succeeded another, with
hardly an intermission.
Mr.. Rim, who was under the chair
on the left, tells me that his mind
was quite open on the subject. When
he was settled and the fitting began
he said to himself 81 am simply an
observer. l do not know what will
happen. Perhaps a foot will come out
from under the dress and perhaps
not. p" He saw, however, that she was
substituting
Her right heel rested on the foot
of the holder on the right, and her
right toe of the same foot, rested on
the foot of the holder on the left.
Just as Mr.. Rim was making his
reflections the left foot appeared
from under her dress. The table was
tilted, as usual, by her hands, raising
its left leg above the floor. She put
her left foot under the table leg, and,
by that means, lifted the table.
Observer From Above.
Meanwhile the observers above saw
her, when the attention of most was
drawn away to the other end of the
table and press it down. Thus the
table was hoisted between her left
foot and her left hand. On other &C.
casions the thing is apparently done
with her right hand and foot. But
Eusapia seems to work on the left y,
side when she can.
AS to the knees remaining notion
less when the sitter's arm is placed
across them, that is explained in two
ways. First, no one equals Eusapia in
the scrupulousness with which she
shuts the stable door or beseeches ,
you to do so after the horse is stolen. :
The very instant that left or right
knee is motionless, she draws your
hand across it. She deceives you by :
beginning to draw your hand across
While in reality she is still working !
with the left knee. The other expla. I
nation S that it is quite possible to f
lift a table a considerable distance c
from the floor by this method without T
(strange to say raising the left knee 7