Evening star., 1922-03-26

effect is produced by speaking in;'
the trumpet so as 10 partially deflecf
the soic. at an angle This trumpe,
stunt i really a very old one. AMI
like most of the others. originated
in America. 1t is also one of thoS.
that / have reproduced with tho
added advantage that you can pTr
any question to n'y trumpet and tn
trumpet will answer you. Further
more. in doing the trick / dispens"
with darkness ard also with 'ecto-
plasm'."
What about this famous ecto
plasm'?' asked the interviewer. III
is the so-called psychic matte. is Ii
not, with which the dead are ais"
senting their own faces" Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle says he has touched it
and describes it as .beastly stuff. J.
there actually any such thing
of course there is was the reply.
given in tone of great seriousness.
The best stuff to make it of is gauz.
or sausage skim
L remarked 10 Marriott upon lH'
surprising accuracy of many of the
statements made by "clairvoyants'
and other mediums 10 sitters OF
whose affairs they could have had
no possible knowledge and asked him
to explain this.
:: :: ::
'.THE fact is" he said. that a sit
ters account OF what was told
him by medium is seldom, if ever. de
pendable. l have proved this timeo
without number. l have accompanied
friends who hoped to get messages
from the spirit world to clairvoyants
and taken, a stenographer along to re-
cord the communication. Afterward l
have had the stenographer take down
the sitters remembrance Of the com
munication. The two accounts have
borne no resemblance
This psychic sleuth was also asked If
he had investigated the performances of
Miss BeSsinet. the .'materializing me-
dium'' from the United States, who re
Gently returned to her own country
after holding series of seances in this
country. I'm her presence" declared
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Il saw my
motaer. with every wrinkle of her dear
old face, within touch of me-
YES" said Marriott. Il am perfectly
familiar with Miss Bessinet's particular
stunt. In fact. l have long been IA
n1iliar with it. every detail of her act.
In hix.fli nd
the gramaphone. having been described
in an article published in an English
paper as long ago as 1870. No, there
is nothing new in spiritualism. Why
should there be, when the old stunts
still 60"
He gave me an amusing account Of his
first experience With "snisits.' -
Il was under twenty he said, when
I attended my first seance. The me
diums' in this case were man and his
! wife, / Joined the circle and witnessed
the table turninGs and materializations.
These seances at first were free, but
later the controlling spirit announced
that thereafter fee of $3.50 would be
charged. the laborer, he remarked, be-
ing worthy of his nire. Deciding to
subject the first of these new sittinEs
to an investigation. attended it. taking
a pal with me. The cabinet in which
the medium sat vas. in this t.staDrs.
behind a curtain which was nuns "
one end of the room. The danger points,
SO far as the medium was concerned.
we're at the two ends of this curtain.
and my confederate and / succeeded in
occupying the chairs facing them.
x * X +
sJN due course a spirit form was
materialized and walked about
the room. AS it did SO, a series of
rapid intakes of the breath could
be heard / was quite conscious of
the reason for these, having previous
ly strewn the floor lavishly with
tacks. At this point. under cover Of
the darkness, I left my seat and
slipped behind the curtain. Tho cabi-
Ia CONTINUED on Sixth Page.)