DOING THE PUBLIC.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 268, 10 November 1881, Page 1

DOING THE PUBLIC.

The tickets of M^rialisfa (wrles "Silver Pen " in ilia Herald) sro bpcOT:in£ bolder every d^y. Qiite a etir oscu r red in Plait's Ha'i last week. An announcement appeared in print of various sty lea — newspaper?, posters, and small biils — while circulars were freely distributed acnon^ the popiiia'ior, announcing !be fact that on such a night Cfcarleß Sladc— sho, by the way, ic a oelebrated wonder as to necromantic powers, slate-writiog', &".• — would perform many miraculous tots, assisted by two lip-top mediums, who would evoke spirits from the tomb, aud eo to and fro among the audience. Everyone's cousin, sister, and aunt lons dead would come up on the first c&ll tbere and then. A piano would be lifted off the gro'jnd into roid- iir, and musical instruments would float about the roof, upheld by spirits hands. A "small charge," oaly to cover expense ot hall and eras, would be made. Uaa)inr]ftil of the mccy jilts already practised od ihU efisilj-.ulied community, the people rushed in crowds to ihe tune of 1000 to see tbe show, paying the usual four bits, or tv?o shillincre, to get in. After a lon r ; pause, ia wliieh the multitude became turious. a young man, partially the worae for wbieky, came on to tho platform, and coe3menced resdiu^ a pamphlet. Soon cries of "Biirg on the spirits,'' be«ao, and the people rose en masse !o their feet. One man n?:nr the door accidentally observed tlie ticket tnker pick up his l.eavy little sack of money and quietly slip into the street, together with the door keeper. Then the word went round, and gr-.'at was tli9 coniueion that Jo;k plnce. The police were called, the men followed, and caught in their hotel room with the booty — 1000 dollars in silver and 400 do!lur3 ia ol J from some other qaurier — * nice litile sua-. Tiie pair were lodged in prison, aud the money one would have thought ought to have been teturned to the beulked public; but the ways of Sun Francisco, as regards justice, are peculiar, ssd her laws ftarfuiiy and wonderfully organised. The young men hired an attorney, to whom tbey paid SOO dollars, and ercb being fi_od 200 dollars eich, made 700 dollars; so they made 300 dollars oe the U'ousuctiorj, and walked coolly out of the town, bena-ih the anathema. of the people.