Year: 1876

How Jennings Fooled the Rochester Peo-
pIe-Some Ingenious Tricks.


G. L. Jennings, whose pretended
spiritualistic seances have attracted much
attention in Rochester, Elmira, and
elsewhere, has made full confession OF
the manner in which he deceived the
public. He has made the following
statements under oath:


The cabinet which I used was par
titioned by a wire screen, having the
aperture in the vacant end or side in
which J did not sit. I saw that 1 could
not stand this test at all, and that some
thing must be done. decided to get
an accomplice, that we might consult
together about what was to be done.
Often at the midnight hour we have
gone to my room to plan what we should
DO, and see if any alterations could be
made in the cabinet. We decided to re-
move small strip running across the
top of the door and forming q part OF
the casing. Our idea was to hollow out
space which would extend up into the
cornice of the cabinet, large enough TO
hide some false faces and boards, and
have the piece we removed fixed to work
securely with spring. So we followed
out small space. We then replaced
the piece, fixing it firm enough 10 hold
in case of investigation. had my ac-
c)mplice paint me a couple OF faces, one
of man and the other of womap. l
then got small piece Of wire, which l
twisted up to put in my pocket, and told
them would shut the wire door, as MIR.
Cutter, the control, said he thought l
was strong enough to materialize
through the screen. L entered the cab
met and tie singing and music COM
menced. I Strengthened out the wire,
attached one of the faces to it, then
rolled The face up, poked it through the
screen, and then unroled it by turning
the wire. also had piece OF thick,
dark worsted cloth, which I used as a
beard for myself. On this night two
faces appeared at once, one at each
aperture, which almost threw the audi
ence into ecstasies.


Ny accomplice was concealed IN a
closet opening off the cabinet. At the
end of the closet was simply the scant-
ling and sideboards. Leaving Just
space enough for my aecomplice to
stand, we placed false end in the
closet, which swung on hinges. From
the closet it was impossible to detect a
deception. A committee appointed
marched in with sealing wax and can
die, and sealed up the closet door and
the window. This disconnected me, and
80 the conditions were pronounced bad,
and no manifestations we're given; but,
instead, gave them short lecture on
Spiritualism, and stated that the next
night, probably, everything would be
all right. The question was how to gel
my accomplice out of the closet. After
ali had gone l returned, and, heating O
knife, unsealed the door. BY this
means no one could see that it had been
done. We consulted together as to
what we could do, and he struck upon a
plan which we adopted and worked sue.
cessfully. We sealed all the screws and
sides tight, but from the inside we cul
through the matched door in such way
that from the inside OF me closet one
half of it could be opened.


I didn't make much money, as had
to divide with my accomplice, who had
me in his power. He used false hair,
wigs, boards, etc., and put -four on bis
hands, to give a ghostly appearance
We practiced in the daytime, with my
self as audience and he as the spirit.


Many people came, and recognized IN
the seances faces of deceased friends.
One even ng I attended a temperance
meeting, and heard Gen. Riley tell
about Adonijah Green, who forty years
before kept hctel where the Whitcomb
House now is. In my next seance ne
appeared, and no one knew him. But
on inquiry they found such man had
lived here ct that time, and kept hotel.
I went up to Mount Hope, and from
tombstones obtained names to use. !
got the names of Lieutenant Kline and
Gen. Stevens. For baby faces we used
a piece of black velveteen, cutting out
small round hole for the face. This,
placed over face, looked like the small
features of babe.


Bouquets, rings, ETC., were taken
from the hands of the spectators and re-
turned Willis uy Aonuo "eho 49, >
stocks. A MIR. Tubbs one evening pro-
posed additional seals to the closet door.
I objected on the ground that the con
troll said too many alterations had al
ready been made. Mr.. Tubbs finally
asked me to allow him to enter the
closet and seal it in his own way. The
control refused, but said at the next sit
ting a manifestation would be given
which would satisfy ALA form would
walk out of the cabinet in their midst
but Mr.. Tubbs said he would not be
satisfied until his demand was complied
with, and, furthermore, no more seances
could be given until it was done. ! said
I was greatly incensed at the control, be,
cause he would not consent to this, but
I had no alternative but to stop. MIR.
Tubbs was determined, and 1 saw the
game was up. I knew that the Rev. MIR;
Stratton was acquainted with some OF
nv relatives, and SO I went to him for
advice. He advised me to make a clean
breast of it.