Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-06
LII JOE IN SPlRlT-LAND
A Commercial Seance and a Miracle
That Would Daze Sir oliver
..rTwENTIETH street and Columbia ave-

l. nue." t.....,...
The Believer. who had rounded up his
friends for personally conducted tour to the
spirit world at the heels of a commercial me-
dium, spoke gravely to the taxicabby Every
one in the group eyed him curiously He
happened to be a keen business man, power
in big industrial plant, a shrewd judge of
human character. He had the knack of swift
discernment that is essential to any one who
can fight the game of poker. He was, as they
say, no dummy And for that reason he sub
sequently became phenomenon more star
ting even than his ghosts-a dazzling revela-
tion of the credulous spot that lies somewhere
deep in every human being
go ahead he muttercd bitterly, "and
laughed. You won't laugh long. Sec!' Here
he Tipped two ivory cubes into the street
They were dice. ''They told me, said the
Believer. mot to gamble The spirits. told
me. Last night we had some fellows at the
house and l lost $37 trying to make Lii
joe.
Everybody who ever was mad enough TO
fiddle with dice knows that Little Joe is
the term of designation applied to four spots.
And. excepting the taxicabby, said
whispering voice, ''he's the most sophisti-
Gated one of the crowd, :"
1t was at that instant that the taXicfJ
slowed down. The driver looked goomily
backward
'I'll stop half block away" he said un-
happily: Haunted houses is bad for the
ignition :"
TT WAS TO be dark circle trih manifesto
tions. The Believer had been to three. He
had seen things and heard things he said
which convinced him that Sir Oliver Lodge
was only cropping at the outer edges of
realm celestial
Three fights NJ was large shabby room
and solitary ,ady waiting for her clients.
The medium might once have been an actress
before the years had their way with her.
There was in her voice remnant of splendor.
There was a cat too. that strobe proudly
about the room to show that poverty cannot
crush everything. Chairs in even lines were
backed soldly against the walls, The medium
sat in the center of the floor and talked of the
dead and their ways and of her cat, which,
she said, could plainly utter four words
yes. mo- and 'that's true Some poor
soul doing penance in that little body
Softly by twos and fours the inquirers en-
tered as they were probably entering half a
hundred similar places in all parts of the
city that night as devotees to the rising fad Of
spiritualism Came man in a hundred
dollar fur coat-a rich owner of moving pic
ture theatres, whose wife had lately died.
Came a nurse and small business man. who
presented to the company as regular
stters in at the circle. Came dozen earnest
looking men, and came three prosperous
looking negro women.
Later developments involving the nurse
made it plain that commercial medium often
has confederates who are presented in
ances ordinary seekers after light. 1t
was the nurse who arose when the circle was
filed and turned out the last gas jet Abso-
Lutte darkness and silence was over every
thing. Visitors were not permitted to carry
in wraps or anything that might hide, say,
fashlight.
The medium, who had collected 81 from
each of her visitors, entered a cabinet. In a
voice as true and moving as that of a muted
cello one of the negro women began to sing
Nearer My God, to Thee.
HC S Fl H H ~ whispered the Believer.
~ All believers were supposed to believe
that the medium had passed to state of
trance within her cabinet She was no longer
mortal but an ethereal force. AS such her
name was Mary and as Mary you could ad-
dress her. Her voice came from the cabinet
in strangIed whispers.
Did any one know an Elwood who had
passed on? An Elwood was seeking friends
No one knew him. But there was a quick
gasping response when the stranged voice
announced that an Emmaline. who seemed
to be an elderly lady, long dead, had some
thing to say.
Its grandmother again" whispered one
Of the negro women. They had met her there
before. dim phosphorescent shape took
form near the cabinet door and moved slowly
to the middle of the room. Grandmother,
grandmother. how Leautiful you look to-
night" said an awed and happy voice from
r,a H.
said Ellen -
She's welcome" murmured the circle in
unson-a formality intended TO put spirits
| at their ease.
Are you happy grandmother" said the
voice that started the singing. is little
| Jimmy happy?'
We're happy" said the shade, BE at
| peace.'
| BE with us in our home, grandmother"
I'm always with you in your home
! Ellen came the thin reply as the form of
! light seemed to stream downward through
| the floor. telescope pole, hoop passed
downward over an open velvet bag lined with
! phosphorescent silk does the thing neatly A
| microphone or a special form of me e!aphone
| does the rest.
! WARNING of impending motor accidents,
w business advice personal information.
! all indefinite, came from the cabinet. Half
dozen times manifestations of light ap-
peared and voices from the dark address
the regular customers. woman spoke for
children. A mans voice spoke for men and
bows and old women and it was never more
than thinly disguised and it uttered lament
| able English Once it was Doctor Agnew
who returned to advise the nurse about her
rheumatism
<tXkTONDER. whispered one of the Be
w levers friends, whether Lii Joe is
here?'
1t was barely audible whisper But from