“Spirits.”

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 4, 22 April 1893, Page 15

“Spirits.”

(By Mu Stuart Cumberland, in the Pall Mall Budget.) The days of ghost-catching 1 are practically past. The mediums who “ materialize” spirit-forms are wary, and materialize only in the presence of those who are disinclined to lay rude hands upon their visitors from the other world. But, for the delectation of the faithful, forms are still “materialized,” and accepted by them as spirits above proof—this is, disproof. It is not necessary to describe a “materialization” seance; it is always the same—with variations. All that I need do is to explain how the “business” is worked. Some mediums work from a cabinet, some from behind a curtain, whilst ethers “ materialize ” in the open—in the dark. Some cabinets have a trap-

door; in such case a conf ©derate can work tli© oracle whilst the medium sits securely tied in the.cabinet; But many mediums work single-handed, “materializing” under, what ar» term ed “ stringent test conditions; ” that is to say, they allow themselves to be searched before commencing tha seance, and, after being searched, tobe secured in some form or other. Leave it to them, however, to get out of their bonds. A favourite “ teat ” was that of placing the medium in a sack, drawn tightly round tha medium’s neck with a running - tape,, which was tied in a knot at the back and sealed. The wrists were also tied with tapes, the ends passed through two little holes in the bag, knotted, and sealed. Under’ such conditions it would be impossible for the medium, to get out of the bag without either cutting the tapes or breaking the seals. But your medium knows a thing or two. When he is in the bag he draw® down a couple of feet or so of the running tape from a little slit in the hem inside and loops it on to a hook in his waistcoat. You then draw the tapes tant outside from behind; but all the medium has to do is to unhook, the loop, leaving him plenty of room to crawl out of the bag. But .how about the tapes round his wrists ? That is simple enough. The medium does not pass the ends of these tapes through the holes for you to tie, but dummy ends, with which he has supplied himself. In this way h© ift never secured, and can “ materialize at his own sweet will.

The “ spirit garments ” are some* times handed in by a confederate t they may be contained in a rug with a false pocket or concealed in a secret recess; to which the medium has access—a few yards of gauze, a little phosphorus oil, some strips of wadding, and the trick is done. “ Materialized forms ” require but few “ pi-ops.” With wadding a medium can readily change his face to any appearance. Let any one of my readers try the experiment. , Take a piece of -wadding, cut out two holes for the eyes and a slit for the mouth, smear the, face with glycerine; and stick it on; throw some white muslin over your head, and your best friend, in a dim light, -will take you for anything but what you are. The face of the fresh and youthful spirit is produced by rubbing a little rouge on that portion of the wadding which covers the cheeks. A littie common-, or garden blue will make a ghoatsufficiently ancient and weird-looking to satisfy the most exacting in this direction. I may mention for the information of those who wish to go in for a little amateur “materialization ” that a patent has not yet been taken out for this ghostly make-up. The “ spirit-hand ” business is interesting even to the unbeliever, if well done; to the emotional it is decidedly creepy, while to the out-and-ont believer it is ever a most convincing sign. The “ spirit-hand ” is worked at a covered table, at which sits the medium. The medium places his hand upon the table and the third and “ spirit-hand ” appears at his side. The “sitters” are always some distance from the table while the “ manifestation ” is being worked* “ But how does the medium produce the third hand, if, as you say, both of his hands are upon the table in full view of the sitters?” That is the rub. The medium has a stuffed fleshcoloured glove, to which is attached a cuff; to this cuff is attached a piec* of strong elastic. The elastic runs up his trousers-leg, and is fastened round his waist. Before the seance begins the glove lies hidden in the leg of his . trousers ; he, unseen by the sitters* draws down the glove, and fixes the cuff on the toe of his boot. The spirit-hand ” is now ready for' production. He slides his leg to the foot; of which'the glove is fixed over his other leg, so that the glove just comes in sight-—the leg itself is covered by the table-cloth. The “ spirit-hand ” is produced. Ho withdraws his leg, displaces the glove with his other ' foot, and the elastic pulls it up his tx-ousers, as before. The “ spirithand ” has disappeared.