magic and real detectives-第37节

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



With　a　little　practice　the　above　test　can　be　given　with　very　small

chance　of　failure；　and　in　the　event　of　making　a　failure　it　can　be

explained　by　the　statement　that　〃there　are　opposing　spirits

present；〃　or　some　similar　excuse。　　If　one　has　other　tests　at　his

command；　it　is　well；　in　the　event　of　failure；　to　announce　that　he

will　try　something　else；　and　then　give　another　test。　　As　these

experiments　are　always　tried　alone　with　one　or；　at　most；　two

subjects；　a　failure　attracts　little　notice。



Now　I　cannot　say　positively　that　Dr。　Schlossenger　performed　this

experiment　in　exactly　this　same　manner；　but　I　do　have　a

recollection　of　his　hurrying　me　along　in　my　writing　at　some　stage

of　its　progress。　　I　also　know　that　I　can　succeed　as　often　as　he

did。　　I　will　add　further　that　a　few　days　later　I　prepared　six　names

in　advance；　and；　with　my　wife；　had　a　sitting　with　the　medium；　this

time；　although　I　paid　him；　he　failed　utterly。　　He　tried　in　every

way　and　had　me　write　additional　names。　　This　time　I　guarded　the

points　in　the　above　explanation；　yet　no　matter　how　he　tried；　he

made　an　utter　failure。　　All　tricks　require　certain　conditions；　and

this　is　why　it　is　not　safe　to　repeat　the　same　trick　for　the　same

person。　　There　is　too　much　danger　that　the　subject　may　notice　the

sameness　of　the　modus　operandi。



Referring　to　the　second　test　which　was　given　by　the　medium　to　my

father；　I　will　state　that　when　the　subjects　are　writing　the　cities

and　diseases；　they　will　naturally　pause　after　writing　the　city；　to

think　of　a　disease　to　go　with　it。　　Of　course；　when　writing　the

correct　ones；　which　are　already　in　mind；　no　pause　will　be

necessary。　　Also　advantage　may　be　taken　of　the　fact　that　a　small

per　cent　of　persons　die　of　smallpox　or　measles。　　If　in　giving　the

directions　one　says；　〃Write　like　this：　'Philadelphia　smallpox；　New

York　measles；'〃　and　the　subject　writes　smallpox　or　measles　in　the

list；　it　is　safe　to　eliminate　that　from　the　case。　　This　is

especially　true　if　written　in　connection　with　some　large　city；　the

name　of　which　occurs　readily　to　the　mind。　　It　is　safe　also　to

eliminate　Philadelphia　or　New　York　if　these　should　be　written；

providing　you　mentioned　these　names　in　the　directions；　and　that　the

test　is　not　being　given　in　their　section　of　the　country。　　A　small

per　cent　of　the　people　of　a　country　die　in　any　two　places　of

prominence。　　Yet　these　places　will　be　written　readily　by　most

subjects　if　they　are　suggested；　or　at　least　other　places　of　equal

prominence　will　be　written。　　If　an　unusual　place　or　disease　should

be　written；　it　is　almost　certain　these　are　the　ones。



It　can　readily　be　seen　how　expert　one　can　become　at　this　by

continuous　practice；　such　as　a　medium　has　many　times　a　day；　how　one

can　learn　to　take　advantage　of　every　little　point；　and　use　it　with

telling　effect　on　unsuspecting　strangers；　who　do　not　know　what　is

going　to　happen；　or　what　to　look　for。



I　have　been　told　that　Dr。　Schlossenger　had　a　very　sharp　eye；

although　wearing　glasses；　and　that　the　glasses　were　probably　to

make　the　subject　think　it　impossible　for　him　to　read　writing　when

they　were　moved　out　of　position　and　placed　on　the　forehead；　as　they

were　during　the　tests。　　It　has　also　been　suggested　that　his　poor

hearing　was　feigned；　to　enable　him　to　hear　remarks　made　about

himself　in　his　presence。　　I　have　suspected　that　his　memory　had

become　trained　to　a　high　degree　of　accuracy；　enabling　him　to　give

his　tests　with　such　marvelous　success；　as　he　did　with　nearly　all

wherever　he　went。　　That　he　does　not　use　one　set　of　principles　only

in　his　tricks；　I　am　certain；　but　has　many　more　at　his　command　which

he　uses　continually。　　However；　I　can　only　vaguely　guess　at　them

from　having　seen　his　tests　but　once。



Now；　I　do　not　say　that　this　was　the　method　employed　by　the　lady

with　Rev。　Savage；　given　in　the　account　at　the　beginning　of　this

chapter。　　But　as　the　experiments　are　practically　the　same；　it　is

safe　to　conclude　that　the　methods　used　are　the　same；　or　nearly　so。

If　the　test　were　genuine　in　the　case　of　the　lady　mentioned；　it　was

probably　genuine　in　the　case　of　Dr。　Schlossenger。　　On　the　other

hand；　if　it　were　trickery　in　one　case；　it　probably　was　in　both。







MIND　READING　IN　PUBLIC





Not　long　ago　I　received　a　letter　from　an　old…time　friend；　in　which

he　urgently　requested　me　to　make　a　journey　to　his　city。　　In　bygone

days　he　and　I　had　spent　many　hours　together；　discussing　the

mysteries　of　existence；　the　hidden　powers　which　nature　manifests　to

us；　and　the　origin　and　destiny　of　the　human　soul。　　My　friend　is　a

physician；　and　what　is　more；　an　earnest　student；　and　he　is　also　an

investigator　of　that　strange　phenomenon　in　nature　which　manifests

itself　in　organized　beings　subjectively；　as　thought；　feeling　and

things　spiritual。



Many　times　had　we　discussed　the　possibility　and　also　the

probability　of　an　existence　of　the　spiritual　part　of　man　after

death。　　Many　times　had　he　reported　to　me　cases　of　strange　phenomena

that　tended　to　prove　the　indestructibility　of　spirit。



When　I　received　this　missive；　it　stated　to　me　that　the　writer　most

earnestly　desired　my　presence　in　his　city；　that　I　might　assist　in

investigating　a　very　strange　and　marvelous　case　of　psychic

phenomena。　　The　case　was　that　of　a　certain　traveling　spirit　medium；

who　claimed　the　power　to　summon　from　the　realms　of　the　invisible

the　shades　of　our　departed　friends　and　loved　ones。　　He　gave　most

marvelous　exhibitions　to　prove　his　strange　and　miraculous　power。

My　friend　stated　that　he　thought　he　had　at　last　found　a　person　with

at　least　some　queer　psychical　gift；　if　not　even　possessing　the

power　that　he　claimed。　　He　had　watched　the　exhibition　most

carefully；　and　had　even　served　on　a　committee　on　the　psychic's

stage；　and　he　could　find　no　evidence　of　trickery　of　any　kind。　　He

was　inclined　to　believe　that　this　strange　being　really　possessed

the　power　of　vision　without　the　use　of　human　eyes　as　he　certainly

read　sealed　missives；　of　which　he　could　in　no　secret　manner　have

obtained　knowledge。



Accordingly；　on　Saturday　evening；　I　journeyed　to　a　city　one　hundred

miles　away　to　witness　the　work　of　this　modern　sorcerer。　　On　my

arrival　I　suggested　to　my　friend　a　number　of　ways　by　which　such

things　could　be　performed　by　trickery；　but　he　informed　me　that　none

of　my　explanations　seemed　to　elucidate　this　strange　work。　　The

secret　did　not　consist　in　the　use　of　odorless　alcohol；　for　the

reason　that　the　medium　never　touched　the　sealed　envelopes　at　all。

In　fact　he　was　never　nearer　to　them　than　ten　feet。　　This　also　made

it　impossible　for　him　to　use　the　principle　on　which　the　trick　is

based；　which　is　known　to　the　profession　as　〃Washington　Irving

Bishop's　Sealed　Letter　Reading。〃



He　informed　me　that　sheets　of　paper　or　cards　were　passed　to　the

spectators　in　the　audience；　and　at　the　same　time　envelopes　in　which

to　seal　their　questions　were　furnished　for　them；　that　the

spectators　wrote　questions　as　directed；　many　times　signing　their

own　names　to　them。　　He　was　certain　that　many　persons　folded　their

written　questions　before　sealing　them；　and　that　the　operator

himself　did　not　even　collect　the　envelopes　on　many　occasions。　　He

informed　me　that　the　best　evidence　of　the　genuineness　of　the

performance　lay　in　the　fact　that　the　medium　seemed　to　have　no　fixed

conditions　for　his　experiments；　but　seemed　to　perform　them　in　a

different　manner　on　each　occasion。　　The　conditions　were　different

in　every　case；　yet　he　always　read　the　questions　with　the　most

marvelous　certainty。



I　thought　the　matter　over　after　this；　but　could　in　no　way　think　of

any　plausible　means　of　accomplishing　his　work　by　trickery。　　I

finally　decided　to　wait　and　see　the　performance　first；　and　to

figure　afterwards　on　the　method　employed。



Accordingly；　at　eight　o'clock　that　evening　I　was　seated　in　the　hall

with　my　friend；　and　shortly　afterwards　the　〃Seer〃　made　his

appearance；　taking　his　seat　on　the　stage。　　He　was　a　very　slender

personage；　with　long　hair　and　a　particularly　ghostly　look。　　He　took

his　seat　quietly　on　the　stage。　　In　a　short　time　his　manager

appeared　and　made　an　opening　address；　which　I　will　not　repeat；　and

then　asked　some　boy　in　the　audience　to　pass　cards　around　to　the

spectators　on　which　they　were　to　write　questions。　　Envelopes　were

also　distributed；　in　which　to　seal　the　cards。　　When　the　writing　was

finished；　the　manager　asked　any　boy　to　take　a　hat　which　he　held　in

his　hand；　and　collect　the　sealed　envelopes。　　After　the　boy；　whom

everyone　knew　to　be　a　local　resident；　kindly　volunteered　for　this

service　and　executed　it；　a　committee　was　invited　to　the　stage　to

properly　blindfold　the　medium。　　This　was　done　in　a　satisfactory

manner；　and　the　committee　then　returned　to　the　audience。　　The

manager　now　led　the　blindfolded　medium　to　the　rear　of　the　stage；

where　he　was　seated　somewhat　behind　a　table；　on　which　were　some