The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-07-16
ANOTHER EXPOSE
OF THE MEDIUMS
"A Mystifying Trick in Thought Trans
ference is Made Plain by the Path
finder Methods Adopted to Obtain
Information Of Strangers.
IT'S MERELY TRICKERY

The Pathnnder presented re-
port of so. called "thought-trans-
ference" demonstration not long
ago, in which pianist on the stage
was supposed to play any tune
whose name was whispered to her
partner down in the audience. 1t
was pointed out in that article that
while the Pathfinder neither accepts
nor rejects the theory of thought
transference, this performance was
no conclusive proof of such phe-
nomenon, for the reason that the
same results could be secured by
wireless signaling or other ordinary
methods. We have the following
very interesting communication from
Mr.. C. w. Dickinson of La Crosse,
Wis:
Editor Pathfinder: It seems too
clear that you have not come into
contact with certain phases of de-
monstration that completely upset
your theory of artificial connivance,
and it leads me to record, for the
interest of yourself and your readers,
an experience of my own that can
not be accounted for upon your
hypothesis.
Good Trick
Some three or four years ago !
was detained by business for some
DAYS in a town in which show was
in operation. Ny curiosity was ex-
cited and went in. 1 found a man
distributing bits of blank paper from
a book in his hands, instructing
those who would receive them 20
write upon the paper any question
they wished, sign their names, hold
the paper in their hands, and keep
their thought concentrated upon the
question.
When he had passed through the
audience he went up to the stage,
throwing the book of blanks upon
the stage. outside the curtain, where
it remained in plain sight. Then
followed period of moving pictures,
followed by the appearance of a
young woman upon the stage, evil
IDENTIFY in a condition Of intense
mental excitement. She was blind
folded bv the man, and after short
interval called a name which she
said she could see.
The manager asked if there was
anyone In the audience by that
name, and woman near me answer
ed. The medium (if she could be
called such) then repeated the ques-
ton she said she saw on the paper
in the woman's hand, and the wo-
man said it was correct. The medi-
um then gave certain answers. which
are not german to my purpose in
this relation. But the medium call
ed many names. all answered to by
people in the audience, and the
questions repeated by the medium
were generally said to be correct.
The questions were mostly foolish
and trivial, but some very serious.
Generally the audience seemed to be
satisfied with the genuineness of the
performance, and some of the people
seemed to be well-known residents
of the town.
However, it occurred to me that
there was a good deal of opportunity
for collision between the operator
and the audience, and determined
to test the medium the next evening
in my own way.
He Was Stranger
was stranger to everyone in
the town except the man l was do
ing business with. Before going to the
picture hall the next evening, took
a piece of blank paper from my
grip. and wrote my question there.
A few days before, l had received a
letter from my father, relating 10 a
financial matter, and to his health
My question was: What was the
substance of the last letter l re-
ceived from my father?'
L put tie paper in my pocket
and at the proper time in the hall
took it into my hand, and con-
centrated my thought upon it. But.
while the picture performance was
in progress. it came to me that il
was rather foolish to parade any
affair of my father before such utter
strangers. and replaced the paper
in my pocket and gave my thought
to the entertainment simply as a
spectator.
When the medium appeared
therefore, and called the first name
my mind was without the concen.
tration said to be required. A