magic and real detectives-第35节

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surface　of　a　middle　slate；　where　but　a　moment　before　there　was

nothing；　seems　to　be　truly　a　marvel。　　The　subject　having　cleaned

and　stacked　these　slates　himself；　and　having　seen　them　examined　so

many　times；　naturally　feels　impressed　that　the　message　comes　by

some　superhuman　power。





THE　NAME　OF　THE　DEAD





In　the　book　entitled　Psychics：　Facts　and　Theories；　by　Rev。　Minot　J。

Savage；　at　page　15；　the　following　account　will　be　found：



〃Soon　I　began　to　hear　raps；　apparently　on　the　floor；　and　then　in

different　parts　of　the　room。　　On　this；　the　lady　remarked；　simply：

'Evidently　there　is　some　one　here　who　wishes　to　communicate　with

you。　　Let　us　go　into　the　front　parlor；　where　it　will　be　quieter。'

This　we　did；　the　raps　following　us；　or　rather　beginning　again　as

soon　as　we　were　seated。　　At　her　suggestion　I　then　took　pencil　and

paper　（which　I　happened　to　have　in　my　bag）；　and　sat　at　one　side　of

a　marble…top　table；　while　she　sat　at　the　other　side　in　a　rocker　and

some　distance　away。　　Then　she　said：　'As　one　way　of　getting　at　the

matter；　suppose　you　do　this：　　You　know　what　friends　you　have　in　the

spirit　world。　　Write　now　a　list　of　namesany　names　you　please；

real　or　fictitious；　only　among　them　somewhere　include　the　names　of

some　friends　in　the　spirit　world　who；　you　think；　might　like　to

communicate　with　you；　if　such　a　thing　were　possible。'　　I　then

began。　　I　held　a　paper　so　that　she　could　not　possibly　have　seen

what　I　wrote；　even　though　she　had　not　been　so　far　away。　　I　took

special　pains　that　no　movement　or　facial　expression　should　betray

me。　　Meantime　she　sat　quietly　rocking　and　talking。　　As　I　wrote；

perhaps　at　the　eighth　or　tenth　name；　I　began　to　write　the　name　of　a

lady　friend　who　had　not　been　long　dead。　　I　had　hardly　written　the

first　letter　before　there　came　three　loud　distinct　raps。　　Then　my

hostess　said；　'This　friend　of　yours；　of　course；　knows　where　she

died。　　Write　now　a　list　of　places；　including　in　it　the　place　of　her

death；　and　see　if　she　will　recognize　it。'　　This　I　did；　beginning

with　Vienna；　and　so　on　with　any　that　occurred　to　me。　　Again　I　had

hardly　begun　to　write　the　real　name；　when　once　more　came　three

raps。　　And　so　on；　concerning　other　matters。　　I　speak　of　these　only

as　specimens。



〃Now；　I　cannot　say　that　in　this　particular　case　the　raps　were　not

caused　by　the　toe　joints　of　the　lady。　　The　thing　that　puzzles　me　in

this　theory；　is　as　to　how　the　toe　joints　happened　to　know　the　name

of　my　friend；　where　she　died；　etc。；　which　facts　the　lady　herself

did　not　know；　and　never　had　known。〃



It　has　been　the　writer's　good　fortune　to　witness　practically　this

same　experiment；　performed　by　a　very　expert　medium；　Dr。

Schlossenger；　who　was　traveling　over　the　country　a　few　years　ago。



I　was　residing　at　that　time　in　Falls　City；　Neb。；　a　place　of　a　few

thousand　population。　　For　two　winters　I　had　traveled　some　as　a

magician；　so　when　the　medium　came　to　town；　and　began　to　perform　his

miracles；　certain　members　of　the　community　suggested　having　me

witness　one　of　his　seances；　thinking　I　would　be　able　to　discover

whether　his　tests　were　genuine；　or　whether　they　were　performed　by

the　aid　of　trickery。　　Accordingly；　one　evening；　a　prominent

physician　invited　me；　with　certain　relatives　and　friends；　to　attend

a　seance　given　in　his　parlors。



When　we　arrived　I　was　introduced　to　the　medium；　an　elderly

gentleman　with　a　long　white　beard；　and　wearing　glasses。　　He

appeared　to　be　slightly　deaf；　as　he　placed　his　hand　to　his　ear　and

had　my　name　repeated。　　He　was　introduced　to　the　remainder　of　the

company　en　masse；　the　names　of　the　visitors　not　being　given　to　him。



The　medium　soon　announced　that　〃his　mission　on　this　earth　was　to

absolutely　prove　to　humanity　the　immortality　of　the　soul。〃　　He　now

offered　to　give　some　tests　to　those　desiring　it；　and　asked　for　a

small　table　which　was　placed　in　an　adjoining　room。　　He　invariably

held　his　hand　to　his　ear；　to　catch　what　was　being　said；　being

apparently　quite　deaf。　　He　also　used　this　same　expedient　when

listening　to　the　voices　of　the　unseen　spirits；　and　reporting　their

communications。



My　father　and　another　gentleman　were　selected　for　the　first　test；

as　they　were　considered　very　skeptical　in　such　matters。　　As　they

retired　to　a　closed　room　I　did　not　see　the　experiment；　but　will

give　some　parts　of　it　as　reported　to　me；　farther　on。　　In　a　short

time　they　returned　to　the　parlor；　engaged　in　a　discussion　over　the

matter；　and　my　father　remarked；　〃I　do　not　know　how　you　got　your

information；　but　I　feel　certain　it　was　not　from　my　brother；　or　he

would　have　given　a　certain　point　correctly。〃　　The　medium　then　said；

〃If　I　will　tell　you　where　your　father　died；　and　the　disease　he　died

of；　will　you　be　convinced？〃　　My　father　replied；　〃I　suppose　I　will

have　to　be；　if　you　can　do　that。〃



They　then　retired；　and　the　medium　succeeded　partially　in　the

experiment；　and　would　have　certainly　succeeded　entirely；　had　my

father　followed　his　instructions。　　I　will　describe　what　was

reported　to　me　of　this　test；　farther　on。



I　now　offered　myself　for　a　test。　　I　retired　to　the　room　with　the

medium；　and　incidentally　offered　him　one　dollar　and　fifty　cents；

the　same　my　father　had　given　him；　but　he　refused　the　money；　saying：

〃Your　father　is　not　convinced；　and　I　will　not　take　any　more　money。〃



He　now　took　a　sheet　of　paper　from　a　tablet；　and　drew　five　straight

lines　across　it；　spacing　the　sheet　into　six　spaces　about　equal。

Next　taking　my　hand；　and　looking　earnestly　into　my　face；　he　said：

〃Promise　me　that　if　I　succeed；　you　will　not　make　light　of　this。

Promise　me；　for　this　is　very　sacred　to　me。〃　　I　did　so。　　He　now

directed　me　to　write　names　in　the　spaces　on　the　sheet；　any　names　I

pleased；　writing　but　one　name　in　each　space。　　All　the　names　were　to

be　of　living　or　fictitious　persons　except　one；　this　one　to　be　the

name　of　some　one　I　had　known　who　was　then　dead。　　He　said；　〃Be　fair

with　me；　and　I　will　scratch　out　the　dead　person's　name。〃　　These

were　his　exact　words；　therefore　I　in　no　way　tried　to　hide　my

writing　from　him；　although　he　stood　at　a　distance　and　did　not

appear　to　watch　me。　　I　took　a　pencil　and　began　writing　the　names；

being　unprepared　I　had　to　think　of　the　names　I　wished　to　write。　　I

desired　to　select　names　of　persons　living　at　a　distance；　so　that　he

could　in　no　possible　manner　know　them。　　While　I　was　writing　he

talked　incessantly；　which　in　spite　of　myself　divided　my　attention。

At　the　same　time　he　kept　urging　me　to　write；　and　immediately　after

urging　me；　would　begin　talking　rapidly　on　some　spiritualistic

subject。　　I　remember　saying；　〃You　must　give　me　time　to　think。〃　　I

thought　I　used　great　care；　so　as　to　write　each　name　with　the　same

precision；　and　tried　to　betray　no　emotion　when　writing　the　dead

person's　name。　　I　selected　the　name　〃Cora　Holt〃　for　the　dead

person's　name。　　This　was　the　name　of　an　aunt　who　had　died　in

another　State。



As　soon　as　I　had　written　the　names　he　asked　me　to　cut　them　apart

into　slips；　having　one　name　on　each　slip。　　Now　here　I　do　not

remember　whether　he　folded　them　himself；　or　had　me　help；　as　I　was

not　expecting　them　to　be　folded。　　However；　we　folded　each　one　into

a　billet　with　the　writing　inside。



He　now　directed　me　to　place　them　in　a　hat；　and　to　hold　the　hat

under　the　table；　take　out　the　billets　one　at　a　time；　and　throw　them

on　the　table　top。　　This　I　did　while　he　stood　with　his　right　arm

extended　toward　the　table　and　about　one　foot　above　it。　　After　I　had

thrown　a　few　billets　on　the　table；　as　I　threw　the　next　one；　I　heard

three　loud　distinct　raps。　　He　said；　〃There；　that's　the　one　that　is

dead。　　Open　it　and　see　if　I　am　right；　but　do　not　let　me　see　it。

Fold　it　up　again　and　place　it　in　your　pocket。〃　　I　opened　the

billet。　　I　did　not　know　what　the　name　would　be；　as　I　had　mixed　them

under　the　table；　yet　I　had　a　feeling　that　it　was　correct。　　I　opened

it　and　sure　enough　the　name　was　〃Cora　Holt。〃　　I　refolded　it；

placing　it　in　my　pocket。　　I　must　confess　that　I　felt　a　momentary

creepy　feeling　pass　over　me；　as　my　emotions　were　wrought　up　to　such

a　pitch　by　the　intense　manner　in　which　I　had　watched　all　the

details　of　the　experiment。　　I　informed　him　that　he　was　right；　but

did　not　tell　him　the　name。　　He　now　took　my　hand　in　his；　and　leading

me　into　the　parlor；　had　me　state　to　the　company　what　had　just

occurred。　　Now　placing　his　hand　on　my　head；　he　said：　〃I　will

endeavor　to　give　you　the　name。〃　　Closing　his　eyes；　his　body

trembled　or　shuddered　with　a　kind　of　paroxysm；　and　apparently　with

a　great　effort　he　pronounced　the　name　〃Cora　Holt。〃　　This　effort

seemed　to　greatly　exhaust　him；　and　coming　out　of　his　temporary

trance　he　begged　us　to　excuse　him；　saying　that　there　were　opposing

spirits　present　and　he　could　do　no　more　that　night；　that　he　had

done　all　for　us　that　lay　within　his　power。　　He　now　took　his　leave。



This　was　all　very　impressive　to　me　at　the　time；　except　the　raps。

It　was　only　afterwards　that　I　thought　out　the　ex