Year: 1877

SpIritualIsm as Explained at the


opera House.


A Ie" years ago man by the name oil
Ellis came 10 thS city accompanied by u
young lady who passed ior his daughter.
one was quite an attractive person map
Pearance, decidedly robust and healthy
looking, but nevertheless very spiritual,
as the sequel proved. She was a"msdium."
She could DO things ot a very wonderful
character. Noodds how tight her hands
and feet were tied to tue chair on which
she sat inside oil the cabinet, she could, as
soon as the doors OF the cabinet were
closed, summon around her spirit
or two, and through their agency
ring bells, blow horns, play on the &C.
cordeon, beat on the drum, and make In
different ways a hideous amount tol noise.
her father claimed that she had II
ministeFing spirit OF some sort-the sup
posedspiritotaielioW oil who had gone to the
war from some town in Connecticut, and
fallen early in the conflict, and before each
evenings entertainment he went through
asolemn speech in which he recited the
origin, rise and progress OF the wonderful
mediumshlp possessed by his daughter.
IL was alwaySa great mystery to him. He
Iam.N Na.2= -
hAd never been able to understand and
consequently could not explain how his
daughter was able by the aid OF her
lamiilar spirit to perform the mysteries
wrought inside the cabinet All he knew
was that when the doors were shut the
spirit was always on hand and The noise
began.


There were number OF people who
attended the performances given by Ellis
daughter who really believed in her me-
u'umship' anu u Sill larger number who
neither believed nor disDelleVed, who
were simply mystlIled and conionnded.
The lact that all oil Ellis movements in
the city were stealthy and suspicious, as
Tor instance the fact that he never adver'
nsed his performances in the papers, nor
used any OF the large halls OF the city, but
put up little posters with his own hands
in an Irregular way around the CITY, and
gave all his entertainments in private
hall, escaped the attention of many per-
sons who were quite ready to be i'm.
pressed by any species OF supernatural
ism, but were carefully noted by those
who were on the look out for fraud and
sleiGht of hand.


Ellis show had quite run ior several
nights, and the wonderful performances
OF his daughter were the talk ol the town.
There soon came, however, reports OF
exposures at certain points OF the coun'
try which they had visited, and where, it
Seemed, sharp committees had solved the
alleged Bpiritualistic element in their
tricks, and where the atmosphere had be-
come so hot and unhealthy that Ellis and
his daughter had found it expedient to
leave in hurry.


The denouement OF their exhibition
here was hastened by the enterprise Of
Mr.. Jacob Grubb and few other citi.
zens, who found that enough home talent
could be speedily enlisted to get up the
same sort Of performances without any
aid whatever from the spirits. And no
sooner had Ellis and his daughter left
the city than these enterprising gentle.
men did really get up first class per.
iormancc, in which the pretended super.
naturalism OF the business was shown up
in way that will be long remembered in
this community. 1t was a blow from
which spiritualism hereabouts never re.
covered, because 1t opened the eyes Of a
vast number of people to the hollowness
on which the pretended mysteries