The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-14
sert dominance over other peo-

poeo local medium who had been
lpllylnE hob with that community.
ilOudiui agreed. but tho medium
came 10 him and told q story Of
hard luck, requesting thai Houdiui
permit ono more SeanCc, when re
Ipromiscd 10 leave town. llouglpia
sympathy was enlisted. and hc made
= compact with the medium to hrIp
him out. when tho time tor the
scauco came, three or four mon held
the medium, one with n hand over
his mouth. and waited for tho *
posuro. Instead. Houdini did sll ~
the mediums tricks, with few more
bcsdes.
THE believers were Just as ak
ious to uphold their medium as tho
others were 20 expose him. said
IoudinL while | had tho table
walking somebody threw rock ON
Il, and that was not part OF my
program. am satisfied that some
one brought tho rock along 20 as to
help the medium out II he really got
into trouble. They were not taking
any chances on his being unable 90
give a eign at the right moment"
\ favorite practice with many mo-
dums Is the sounding Of a trumpet
as kind of introduction Tor the
spirits, lloudlni fays he met ono
man who had developed this piece
of mysiitlcation 30 tho point whore
he could blow trumpet lying on q
table several fcct away by "A sort
Iof ycntriloqui@m
According 20 Itoudlni. mediums
make capital out OF euggcBtions
which sometimes come 10 people
from no apparent source and FOR no
apparent cause.
naNfhn1nuIafa familiar
with this trick OF tho subcOnscious
mind he said, but many persons
will go 10 "a medium and ask for
an Interpretation, This is simply
another phase OF fortune telling,
crystal and star gazing. and such
things. suppose that you were n
medium and man told you that he
had received warning, either asleep
on awake. You could guess how to
proceed. lie might not have paid
much attention to It at first Then
the warning was repeated. After the
third tlmo most people begin to
worry about the matter and me-
diums thrive because OF their anN-
ioty. The first warning merely was
n thought growing out of some other
thought, usually IA fear OF the very
thing which the warning concerned.
The second and third suggestions.
perhaps dozen more, follow logi-
Cally on the heels OF the first. But
the medium affects to see grave pos
sibillties In all OF this and makes
another convert.
warnings Mean Little.
"Those who imagine that they have
had these warnings do not stop TO
reflect that most OF us go through
life In fear OF n great many things
that never happen. Fear Is one OF
tho ruling motives OF our actions.
and when n person has once become
afraid OF something definite the me-
dium can persuade him to believe
practically whatever he likes. IL IL
IA strange outgrowth of tho mediums
work that persons who have been
in fear OF something will find relief
In the reassuranccs OF a medium.
The medium usually IL careful not
wholly to settle their troubles, but
p to keep them In state OF some sus-
\ pcnEc, or to hold out prospects OF
{ further revelations which will make
= them happy. The medium really has
I an easy time once he gets tho cred
ulity OF a follower. II In a COM
= Portable habit to depend upon a me-
y dium for the solution OF all troubles
= and everybody IL certain to have
{ enough OF these so that the medium
p Will bo kept busy satisfying their
I doubts and longings."
= Houdini was reminded that sew
{ eral men OF the first rank have be-
s como convinced that they had re-
y celved messages from the dead. and
, was asked II his experiments In
I psychic fields had thrown any light
: on this subject.
Il have made compacts with seven
, persons that tho one OF us dying first
lUniITI "a with tho thar lf
II were possible" he said. but 1
: have never received n word. The
first compact was made 25 years
ago, and | am certain that II any
, one OF those persons could have
: reached me no would have done so.
The last one was my secretary. "A
, man Of mature years, and we were
\ very much attached to each other.
The day before an operation he said
: to me. HoudIni. this may be the
end. IL In Is. l am coming back to
: you no matter what happens on the
: other side, providing there Is any
, way that / can reach you. And II
} | can come. you will know II In me,
because | am going to Will IL 80
strong that you cannot be mistaken
lie died the next day. That was
more than "A year ago and there has
} been no sign. | have waited and
, watched believing that IL any man
! ever could have sent back word, he
, would have been the man. And |
} know that our minds were so close
{ TO each other that must have re-
{ celyed the signal IL there had been
one. But | never have had even
1 n suggestion that my friend wanted
TO call me, No one could accuse me
p OF being unwilling to receive such
a eign. because It would have been
\ the greatest enlightenment | could
possibly have had In this world
Sclf-hypnotism, according TO Hou-
dlni. IL a common form Of deception
praCticed by those who believe that
they have had messages from tho
dead without the help Of mediums.
And this willingness TO believe. OF
course, is another prime stock In
trade for mediums. Houdini said
that even Harry Keller. now dead.
] and whom he regarded as the great
est OF all magicians, confessed TO
him that he had been fooled by
clever manipulators, Keller said
this was because he did not know
what TO expect nor in which direc-
tlon TO guide his Intelligence when
, the mystifier began 70 work.
, The secret Of all such perform
p ances Is % catch the mind off guard.
. and the moment after IL has been
, La, Ia t,lllNy with