magic and real detectives-第41节

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I　now　take　up　my　Bible；　which　I　will　stake　I　brought　into　the　room；

unnoticed；　when　I　returned　with　the　last　basket。　　I　then　seat

myself　and　leisurely　turn　the　leaves　through　the　Bible；　reading

verses；　and　giving　the　tests　as　before　described。



I　always　first　read　a　question　secretly；　and　then　turn　by　the　sheet

of　paper　and　begin　reading　a　verse　of　Scripture。　　As　I　do　this　I

permit　the　front　of　the　Bible　to　lower　enough　for　the　spectators　to

see　the　printed　pages。　　This　prevents　suspicion。　　Meanwhile；　the

spectators　have　forgotten　that　I　ever　stepped　from　the　room　at　all

with　the　basket；　and　even　that　my　wife　retired　for　some

refreshments。　　Neither　did　they　notice　the　Bible　when　I　brought　it

in。



The　effect　on　each　person；　as　I　call　him　by　name　and　describe　the

〃influence〃　of　his　〃dear　one；〃　giving　names　and　most　marvelous

information；　is　far　superior　to　what　it　would　be　were　I　merely　to

read　the　questions　literally；　and　give　the　answers。







SOME　FAMOUS　EXPOSURES





Probably　the　greatest　swindle　ever　perpetrated　in　the　name　of

spiritualism　was　recently　brought　to　light　in　Stockton；　California。

The　medium　and　his　confederates　materialized　everything　from　frogs

and　small　fish　to　a　huge　bowlder　of　gold　quartz　weighing　several

hundred　pounds。　　This　latter　had　to　be　brought　from　the　mountains

with　a　mule　team。



The　materializing　was　done　through　sliding　panels　in　the　walls；

while　the　believers　sat　holding　hands　about　the　opposite　side　of　a

table；　and　loudly　singing　sacred　hymns。　　They　had　the　only　door　to

the　room　locked　and　sealed；　and　never　dreamed　that　the　spirits　who

brought　the　quartz　from　the　mine　were　mules。



Thousands　of　dollars　were　invested　in　this　〃spirit　mine；〃　the

believers　stacking　their　money　on　the　quartz　as　it　lay　on　the　table

at　a　dark　seance；　and　receiving　deeds　in　return　for　their　money；

which　the　spirits　dematerialized。



The　medium　established；　or　had　his　spirits　establish；　a　〃Treasury

of　Heaven；〃　for　the　faithful　to　deposit　their　money　in；　and　on

which　they　were　to　receive　fifty　per　cent　interest。　　This　interest

the　believers　continued　to　receive　at　dark　seances　from　the　spirits

for　a　time。　　Each　sitter's　interest　was　found　on　the　table　stacked

in　front　of　him　when　the　lights　were　lighted。　　When　the　spirit　bank

became　insolvent　and　the　chief　medium　disappeared；　the　believers

were　out　about　thirty…five　thousand　dollars。



No　less　a　personage　than　a　millionaire　of　Tacoma；　Washington；　is

said　to　have　contributed　largely　to　this　spirit　fund。　　I　had　known

of　this　case　for　some　time　before　the　exposure　（conducted　by　a

performer　engaged　for　the　purpose）；　and　knew　that　certain

interested　persons　were　contemplating　bringing　it　about；　in　order

to　rescue　certain　estimable　persons　from　the　clutches　of　these

mediums。　　This　was　successful；　and　the　confederates　of　the　medium

signed　written　confessions　in　the　presence　of　one　of　the　most

devout　of　the　believers；　and　a　gentleman　who　is　otherwise　very

intelligent。　　Upon　this　the　gentleman　was　greatly　crestfallen；　but

he　still　insists　that　there　are　certain　mediums　who　are　not

impostors；　and　that　certain　mediums　in　Chicago　who　produce　spirit

portraits　are　genuine。



A　full　and　very　interesting　account　of　this　exposure　is　given　in

the　San　Francisco　Examiner　of　March　3　and　4；　1907。



　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。



I　could　report　enough　cases　of　materialization　to　fill　a　volume。

These　I　know　of；　from　various　sources；　and　in　every　case　they　were

invariably　fraudulent。　　I　will　give　a　short　account　of　a

materialization　which　a　very　expert　medium；　who　is　on　friendly

terms　with　me；　witnessed。　　The　gentleman　was　originally　a　minister；

and　afterwards　began　investigating　spiritualism；　as　he　was　a

believer　in　it。　　He　hoped　to　become　a　medium；　and　at　one　time　paid

two　lady　mediums　of　some　renown；　who　reside　in　Chicago；　three

dollars　a　sitting　for　three　sittings　a　week。　　These　sittings　were

conducted　for　the　purpose　of　developing　this　gentleman　in

mediumship。　　He　continued　this　for　a　long　time；　but　he　was　no

nearer　to　being　a　medium　than　he　was　in　the　beginning。



At　one　time　he　detected　one　of　the　sisters　passing　a　slate　to　the

other；　and　substituting　another　in　its　place。　　He　saw　the　edge　of

one　of　the　slates　protruding　from　behind　the　dress　of　one　of　the

sisters。　　They　never　knew　they　were　discovered　as　he　said　nothing；

but　this　〃opened　his　eyes。〃　　After　this　he　investigated　everywhere；

and　at　every　opportunity；　and　grew　to　be　a　very　expert　medium

himself。



Recently；　when　in　Los　Angeles；　he　visited　a　seance　conducted　by　a

medium　who　claimed　to　be　a　Buddhist　priest。　　This　medium　was　known

under　the　name　of　〃The　Reverend　Swami　Mazzininanda。〃　　He　had　an

altar　in　his　home；　constructed　something　like　those　in　Roman

Catholic　churches。　　He　had　various　candles　and　images　on　this

altar；　including　an　image　of　Buddha；　and　also　a　number　of　mystical

figures。　　It　was　a　great　mixture　of　〃fake〃　Buddhism；　Roman

Catholicism；　and　modern　spiritualism。　　The　medium　also　wore　the

costume　of　a　Buddhist　priest　at　his　seances。



This　〃priest〃　held　services　here　for　the　faithful。　　He　conducted

all　in　Hindoostani　（？）；　his　native　tongue。　　He　chanted；　prayed　to

Buddha；　etc。；　all　in　a　queer…sounding　〃gibberish。〃　　Certain

evenings　of　the　week　were　devoted　to　〃soul…travel；〃　and　certain

evenings　after　the　religious　services　a　〃Black　Chapter〃　was　held。



The　gentleman　whom　I　have　mentioned　attended　one　of　these　dark

seances。　　He　sat　with　other　spectators　around　the　room　in　perfect

darkness。　　The　spectators　were　not　required　to　hold　hands；　so　great

was　their　faith。　　Finally；　in　the　darkness；　a　queer…looking；

vapory；　luminous　form　floated　around　in　the　air　and　paused　in　front

of　the　spectators。　　My　friend　slipped　down　quietly　on　his　knees；

and　gradually　worked　closer　and　closer　to　the　luminous　form；　until

he　could　detect　that　the　vapor　was　a　kind　of　luminous　〃cheese

cloth。〃　　He　did　not　desire　to　expose　this　〃priest；〃　but　he　desired

to　have　the　〃priest〃　know　that　some　one　had　discovered　him。　　My

friend　accordingly　took　hold　of　the　gauze　and　gave　it　a　very　slight

downward　jerk。　　He　then　immediately　returned　quietly　to　his　seat。



There　was　an　immediate　pause　in　the　discourse　of　the　〃priest；〃　who

had　really　been　floating　this　form　on　the　end　of　a　stick。　　Everyone

knew　that　something　had　happened；　but　no　one　but　my　friend　knew

what　it　was。　　The　〃priest〃　then　said　in　his　slow；　peculiar；

eccentric　and　measured　tones；　〃I　have　received　a　very　great　shock；

and　I　will　be　unable　to　continue　further　this　evening。〃　　The　next

day；　when　in　conversation　with　some　of　the　〃faithful；〃　this

〃priest〃　stated　in　his　peculiar　manner　of　speaking；　and　with

intense　earnestness；　that　which　follows：　〃Last　night　I　received　a

very　great　shock。　　I　was　just　in　the　middle　of　the　'Dark　Chapter'

and　the　spirit　of　the　Master；　Krishna；　was　out。　　Having　spent　the

greater　portion　of　my　life　on　the　Himalayas；　my　right　eye　has

become　injured　by　the　snows。〃　　Then　pointing　to　his　right　eye；　he

added；　〃My　right　eye　has　a　defect　in　it　which　you　cannot　see；　but

on　account　of　that；　I　can　only　see　in　the　dark　with　it。　　I

immediately　turned　my　right　eye　downward　and　I　looked！　　I

distinctly　saw　a　lady's　hand　reached　out　toward　my　robe　in　the

darkness；　and　this　hand　took　hold　of　it　and　jerked　it　lightly　just

like　this。〃　　The　〃Reverend　Swami〃　here　illustrated；　by　slightly

jerking　his　coat　downward。　　It　was　very　amusing　to　hear　him；　in

great　seriousness；　relate　this　in　his　low　and　measured　accents　to

his　faithful　followers。



Shortly　after　this；　when　the　Los　Angeles　Herald　was　conducting　a

crusade　against　the　numerous　mediums　of　that　city；　and　when　it　had

an　exhibit　in　its　windows　of　the　confiscated　material　of　some　of

them；　this　〃Buddhist　priest〃　was　arrested　and　imprisoned　for　some

of　his　practices。







Hereward　Carrington



More　Tricks　of　〃Spiritualists〃





〃MATTER　THROUGH　MATTER〃





There　is　one　very　clever　〃test〃　that　is　sometimes　performed　which

would　seem　to　show　that　something　of　this　sort　IS　accomplished。　　It

is；　however；　nothing　more　than　an　ingenious　trick；　and　this　might

be　a　good　time　to　explain　its　modus　operandi。　　The　general　effect

of　the　illusion　is　this：　The　medium　requests　some　one　to　assist　him

in　an　experiment　in　which　he　is　going　to　attempt　to　pass　〃matter

through　matter。〃　　As　the　test　is　one　in　which　a　confederate　might

easily　be　employed；　he　is　very　careful　to　choose　some　person　who　is

well　known；　or　whose　character　is　above　all　suspicion。　　If　this

were　not　so；　the　entire　effect　of　the　test　would　be　lost　upon　the

investigators。　　Having　secured　his　assistant；　he　hands　him；　for

examination；　a　solid　steel　ring；　just　large　enough　to　slip　on　and

off　the　hand　and　arm　easily。　　The　ring　is　perfectly　solid；　and　may

be　examined　by　anyone　desirous　of　doi