PROFESSOR AND MRS. BALD WIN.

Kumara Times, Issue 2686, 1 May 1885, Page 2

PROFESSOR AND MRS. BALD WIN.

WONDERFUL THOUGHT READING. The performance at the Theatre Royal last night by Professor and Mrs Baldwin was, by long odds, the most wonderful and startling ever given in Kumara, and kept a large audience delighted and bewildered for over three hours, yet so great was the pleasure of the public that it seemed impossible the time could have flown so quickly. The Professor commenced the entertainment with a model of a lady’s hand that was examined by the audience and then placed on a sheet of glass laid on the backs of two chairs. There was evidently no machinery about the hand, and no connection of any sort with the stage, while the sheet of glass prevented the use of electricity, yet at Mr Baldwin’s request it seemed imbued with life and intelligence, and became a spirit-rapping hand, rapping out ua-

swers to various questions, telling tbe names of various cards drawn from a pack by ladies in tbe audience, and telling a young man’s fortune in a most amusing manner. This part of the entertainment caused roars of laughter. A committee of inspection selected from the audience, and a better or raoie representative committee could not have been chosen. The Rev. George Hay, of the Presbyterian Church; Rev. R. Heffernan, of the English Church • Mr MacDerraott, Postmaster ; Mr Foldi, of Hillman’s Town i Mr J. Woods, Mr M. Maloney, and Mr Rogers. The committee carefully examined every piece of apparatus and scrutinised the entire peformance yet could not discover any trickery! A most amusing Cabinet performance was then given, the Professor being tied so tightly that his hands were all black and purple; the knots were sealed with wax, and Mr Foldi loaned the Professor his coat, and in less than five seconds the coat was placed on the Professors back, yet every knot was tied and every seal perfect. The coat was sewn together at the breast and at the sleeves, yet, in one second, was removed with every stitch perfect. After a number of other extremely laughable performances the Professor gave his great Thought Reading. Mr Woods thought of a lamp and Air Baldwin taking the tips of his fingers at once led him to (be table and correctly selected the article thought of. Mr Maloney thought of an article iu the audience, and although Mr Baldwin was securely blindfolded, he at once found the thing Mr Maloney had chosen. The Rev. George Hay then thought of a pain in some part of his body. The Professor passed his finger tips over Mr Hay’s body, and said the pain was in the shoulder, which Mr Hay said was right. Rev. Mr Heffernan then took °an ordinary pin, and after pretending to hide it in several places, placed it in the breast-pocket of a man’s coat. During this time the Professor left the hall in charge of two of the committee, when brought in blindfolded he took Mr Heffernan’s hand and dashing quickly down the aisle at once found the pin. Mr Baldwin requested the committee and any one in the .audience to think of any question they wanted answered and write it on a little bit of paper, place the paper in the pocket, and not to tell anyone what they had written. Mrs Baldwin was then mesmerised and answered some thirty or forty questions written by the most prominent people in the building. All sorts of questions were thus answered, and in every case each lady and gentleman stated upon their honor that there was no trick or confederacy. Some of the answers were extremely funny, causing screams of laughter. In the Spirit Bride’s Reception the faces and forms of dead people appeared at the cabinet window and spoke to the audience. Mr Lacie’s ventriloquism was exceedingly good, and fully sustained his high European reputation. Tonight there will be new and startling features, and we can conscientiously recommend all to attend.