BETRAYED BY A MEDIUM.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2235, 17 May 1880, Page 2

BETRAYED BY A MEDIUM.

A trial took place at Vienna the other day the result of which will not be received with much favor by those who put their trust in “ mediums.” A spiritualist professor, named Hansen, who has acquired considerable/ notoriety at Vienna and Pesth during the last few months, recently requested any oneof the spectators to Come oh >to the platform, and undertook to mesmerise him against his will. The challenge was accepted by a young man named Fischer, and the professor, despite his artistic passes, failed to produce any effect upon him Fischer began to banter the professor, and told him that he was only a “ vile imposter,” for the use of which expression he was summoned before the district magistrate and fined a hundred florins. The professor, however, did not look upon this as a sufficient reparation for his injured honour, and commenced a fresh suit in order to prove that he was really capable of doing what he professed to do. He called as a witness a young man who had always appeared an excellent medium upon the platform, and who, at the bidding of the professor was in the habit of falling into a trance and of holding communication with spirits from the other world; but when he came to be cross-examined by the counsel for the defence he confessed that he had only been shamming temporary death, and to the great amusement of the Court proceeded to demonstrate. how the trick was done. The consequence was that Professor Hansen lost his suit, and he must now regret that he was not content to accept the hundred florins first awarded to him.