magic and real detectives-第36节

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

It　was　only　afterwards　that　I　thought　out　the　explanation；　which　I

will　give　farther　on。　　As　to　the　raps；　they　had　the　sound　as　of　a

pencil　tapping　loudly　on　a　thin　strip　of　wood；　or　a　ruler；　and　not

the　sound　of　tapping　on　a　table。　　I　had　previously　known　of　the

mechanical　and　electrical　rappers；　supplied　by　certain　conjuring

depots；　and　worn　on　the　person　of　the　medium；　or　attached　to　a

table。　　My　impression　was　at　the　time　that　possibly　he　had　a　rapper

in　the　sleeve　of　the　arm　extended　over　the　table；　and　by　directing

the　attention　to　the　table　the　sound　would　appear　to　come　from

there。　　As　I　was　sitting　right　against　the　table；　I　will　say　that

the　sound　did　not　appear　to　me　to　come　from　the　table；　but　more

nearly　from　his　person。



Referring　again　to　the　test　given　my　father；　the　medium　first

announced　his　prices；　which　he　would　accept　if　satisfactory。　　This

was　agreed　to　and　paid。　　He　then　had　my　father　write　names　on　paper

in　a　manner　similar　to　the　way　I　have　described；　except　he　did　not

request　my　father　to　write　a　dead　person's　name；　instead；　he

requested　him　to　write；　among　other　names；　his　mother's　maiden

name；　his　wife's　maiden　name；　his　father's　name；　also　the　names　of

certain　members　of　his　family　and　of　some　of　his　friends；　some　of

whom　should　be　dead。　　This　my　father　did。



Among　the　names　written　by　my　father　was　his　mother's　maiden　name；

viz。；　〃Celestina　Redexilana　Phelps；〃　a　name　certainly　out　of　the

ordinary。　　He　also　wrote　his　wife's　maiden　name；　his　father's　name；

his　brother's　name；　and　several　other　namessix　or　eight

altogether。



When　the　medium　had　the　billets　taken　out　of　the　hat　he　said；　〃You

have　there　the　name　of　your　mother；　the　name　is　something　like

'Celestia　（not　Celestina）　Roxalena　（not　Redexilana）　Phelps；'〃　thus

giving　wrong　pronunciations　to　the　first　two　names。　　However；　when

my　father　opened　it；　sure　enough　it　was　his　mother's　maiden　name。

My　father　now　took　another　billet　which　had　written　thereon　his

father's　name。　　This　the　medium　gave　correctly；　stating　that　this

was　his　father's　name。　　The　next　billet　had　written　thereon　the

name　of　my　father's　brother；　the　name　was　James　Asahel　Abbott。〃

The　medium　then　said：　　〃Your　brother　James　is　here；　and　he　says　to

tell　you　that　he　is　happy　and　that　you　are　making　a　great　mistake

not　to　believe。〃



Now　this　brother　had　always　been　called　by　his　second　name　and　not

by　the　name　of　James。　　My　father　said；　〃If　you　are　my　brother；　give

me　your　full　name。〃　　The　medium　replied；　〃James　Ash…a…bell　Abbott；〃

giving　an　entirely　wrong　pronunciation　of　the　second　name。　　This　it

was；　with　some　other　error；　that　led　to　the　discussion　they　had　on

returning　to　the　parlor；　and　in　which　my　father　remarked；　〃If　you

get　your　information　from　the　dead；　they　should　be　able　to

pronounce　their　own　names　correctly。〃



My　father；　not　being　familiar　with　the　methods　of　trickery；　could

not　with　exactness　give　all　the　minute　details　of　the　test　as　I

would　have　wished；　and　as　I　never　had　an　opportunity　to　see　this

experiment　myself；　I　can　only　surmise　the　means　employed　in　its

production。



The　second　experiment　with　my　father　had　been　an　effort　to　tell　the

disease　of　which　my　grandfather　died；　also　the　place　where　he　died。

The　medium　required　my　father　to　write　on　the　usual　ruled　paper；　a

name　of　a　disease　and　also　a　name　of　a　place；　in　each　space；　that

is；　one　disease　and　one　place　in　each　space。　　He　remarked　in　giving

directions；　〃Like　New　York　measles；　Philadelphia　smallpox；　etc。〃

He　required；　however；　that　my　father　write　IN　THE　SAME　SPACE　the

correct　disease；　and　also　the　correct　place　of　his　father's　death。

The　remainder　of　the　spaces　were　to　contain　the　names　of　any

disease　or　any　place　he　might　choose。



This　my　father　did；　writing　in　one　space　〃Sacramento　dysentery。〃

This　was　the　correct　disease；　but　the　city　was　the　place　of　my

grandfather's　burial；　and　not　the　place　of　his　death；　the　latter

being　a　village　called　〃Hangtown。〃　　The　medium　quickly　gave

dysentery　as　the　disease；　and　Sacramento　as　the　place　of　my

grandfather's　death。　　It　was　plain　that　had　my　father　written　the

village　where　his　father　died；　instead　of　his　burial　place；　the

medium　would　have　succeeded。



This；　however；　proved　beyond　a　doubt　that　the　medium　obtained　his

information　FROM　THE　WRITING；　and　not　from　the　spirits　of　the　dead。



　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。



After　thinking　the　matter　over；　I　decided　that；　while　I　was

uncertain　as　to　the　manner　in　which　Dr。　Schlossenger　had　performed

all　of　these　experiments；　I　could　reproduce　two　of　them　with

certainty　as　often　as　he　did。　　I　immediately　made　the　trial　and

found　I　could　succeed　fully　nine　times　out　of　ten　on　an　average。　　I

might　state　that　the　doctor　also　failed　about　one　time　in　ten　on　an

average；　nevertheless；　the　people　of　the　community　were　greatly

excited；　talking　of　his　miracles；　in　groups　on　the　streets；　for

some　days。　　The　medium　was　coining　money；　yet　I　found　a　few　cases

where　he　failed　totally。　　The　failures　were　seldom　mentioned；　it

was　the　successes　that　excited　the　people。



The　method　I　use　in　reproducing　the　first　test　given　me；　is　to　so

direct　the　attention　of　the　subjects　before　the　writing；　by　my

discourse；　as　to　cause　them　to　select　unconsciously　the　name　of　the

dead　person　in　advance。　　This　is　easily　managed　with　a　little

practice　in　talking；　and　still　they　will　never　guess　that　it　is

done　on　purpose。



Now；　as　they　begin　to　write；　they　will　naturally　pause　before

writing　each　name；　to　think　of　a　name　to　write。　　The　pause　may　be

but　slight；　yet　there　is　some　pause。　　Of　course；　when　they　write

the　selected　name；　no　pause　will　be　necessary；　and　if　hurried

properly　at　that　time　they　will　make　none。　　This　is　the　object　of

the　incessant　talking　during　the　experiment。　　If　left　to

themselves；　the　subjects　will；　in　about　one　half　of　the　cases；

write　the　selected　name　in　the　third　space　from　the　top。　　In　about

half　of　the　remaining　cases　the　selected　name　will　be　written　in

the　fourth　space　from　the　top。　　This　is　especially　true　if　in　your

instructions　you　direct　the　subject　to　〃mix　the　dead　person's　name

somewhere　in　among　the　others　where　you　cannot　know　where　it　is。〃

In　the　remaining　cases　the　subjects　are　liable　to　write　the

selected　name　anywhere；　generally　first　or　last。　　Now　my　object　is

to　so　manipulate　my　subjects　as　to　cause　them　to　write　the　selected

name　when　I　want　them　to　do　so。　　This　is　done　by　continuous

talking；　and　distracting　their　attention　until　the　proper　moment。

I　choose　the　third　space；　since　this；　being　the　one　they　are　most

liable　to　choose　of　their　own　accord；　is　the　easiest　to　force。

Just　as　they　begin　to　write　the　first　name；　before　they　make　a

mark；　I　say　suddenly；　〃Now　be　sure　and　select　names　of　living

persons　that　I　could　not　possibly　know。〃　　This　is　almost　certain　to

insure　a　pause；　and　the　name　of　a　living　person　to　be　written

first。　　I　continue　my　talking　in　a　natural　manner；　taking　the

attention　to　a　great　extent　from　the　writing；　and　nearly　always

observing　another　pause　just　before　writing　the　second　name。　　When

the　second　name　is　almost　finished　I　exclaim　suddenly；　〃Now　write

as　rapidly　as　possible！〃　　If　the　subjects　have　been　properly

impressed　with　the　seriousness　of　the　experiment；　they　will　almost

invariably；　on　finishing　the　second　name　（in　obedience　to　my

command　〃to　be　as　rapid　as　possible；〃　and　in　their　desire　to　please

me）；　hurry　into　the　name　already　in　their　minds；　thus　writing　the

selected　name　in　the　third　place。　　If　such　is　the　case　they　will

now　most　surely　pause　to　think　of　a　fourth　name。　　If　so；　I　am

certain　that　I　now　know　the　selected　name。　　However；　if　they　should

rapidly　pass　into　the　fourth　name；　it　is　then　uncertain　whether　the

selected　name　is　in　the　third　or　fourth　space。　　This；　however；

seldom　happens　if　worked　in　an　expert　manner。



In　rare　cases　the　subject　cannot　be　manipulated　by　the　performer；

in　which　case　it　is　purely　guesswork；　even　in　such　cases；　however；

I　stand　one　chance　in　six　of　succeeding；　and　if　I　make　a　second

trial　on　failing　（not　uncommon　with　mediums）；　I　stand　one　chance　in

three　of　succeeding。



It　is　hardly　worth　while　to　say　that　as　I　fold　the　billets；　I　fold

the　third　one　slightly　different　from　the　rest；　so　that　while　it

will　not　attract　attention；　I　can　see　at　a　glance　what　it　is　when

thrown　on　the　table。　　I　memorize　the　name；　also；　if　in　doubt；　I

fold　a　second　choice　in　a　still　different　manner　for　a　second

trial。　　Frequently　I　memorize　more　of　the　names；　folding　so　I　can

pick　them　out。　　Then；　after　giving　the　dead　person's　name　with

proper　effect；　I　pick　up　the　others；　hold　them　to　my　head　and　call

out　the　names。　　The　effect　of　this　on　a　subject　is　very　impressive。



With　a　little　practice　the　above　test　can　b