PROFESSOR RICE, MIND READER AND PHYSIOGNOMIST, AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1995, 21 April 1885, Page 2

PROFESSOR RICE, MIND READER AND PHYSIOGNOMIST, AT CAMBRIDGE.

A f\jhm large .uidienco JHnrmbled in thn I'ubhc Hall C'.unbiidge on ftatuid.iy night to witness tin* exhibitions of I'lnfrsidi Kicc, tliu well-known mind ie,.idei. Tho imputation of the i>i<>fo->'ii li.ul pieceded linn, and people who had he.ud of liih o\ti.«>idin.iiy peifoiniances in Auckland andel.sowheie, and whowcio sceptical of tho genuineness of tho "cience of winch ho is tho exponent, woie anxious to sen foi themselves and judge of the exemplifications of this truly wonderful pouei ninny c.imo to detect, and if possible e\!>oso tho tiickery of the so-called power ; whih 1 otheis come to ridicule what to their mind* seemed the preposterous assumption of one irinu to read what was going on in tho mind of another. The many expressions of surpiine find the universal satisfaction which gicoted every item of tlio thought-reading programme on Saturday night was an unmistnkeablo testimony that thn piofessor had matciially disturbed the scepticism of hw audience. A comniitti'C of gentlemen, contesting of Mr Brooks, Mr Forrest, Mr Nenl, Mr Keening and tho Key 11. K. Dewsbury, was selected hv tho audience for tho first aerie* of tests Mi Forrest wan the first subject, liut to all iipponi AiiccH a difficult one, the treasure* of Inn mind refusing to communicato themnolve.s in any Mich manner. He had hidden a nail Komcwhoro in the lining of tho building, and though he thought of the nail, he never dreamt of tho locality, and so his test wan a failure Mr Brooks was next operated on. Tho professor took his hand, and stiaightwuy led him to tin; countenance *>f Mr T. G. SandeH, and grabbing the spectacles which adorned tho wrings of thnt gentleman, hold them up to the audience aa tho article thought of. Mr Dcwhbury came next, and being, aa the proft'Ksor rumaikod, an excellent subject, wiiK led by tho hand down to whore Mr Dyer was heated. After very little investigation tho professor dislodged a pin from beneath tho coat collar of that gentlom.ui, and displayed it to the aatouiHhed onlookeis. Mr ¥. A. Whitaker troubled the susceptibility of the medium. Having been led up nnd down and round the hall for mime considerable timo, the professor came to tho vest pocket of Mr J. L. Soutter and producod a watch key. Thw, ho snid, wan similar to what Mr tVhit.iker had been thinking of, but ho had not been able to fix upon the exact locality. Mr Whitaker explained that he had been think ing of a watch key which win concealed m Mr Dyer's pocket. Mr Kdga-r next tested tho fifticacy of the hciouco. The medium led him to the bottom of the room, wheic Mr T. B. Lewis wan bitting, and immediately divod his fingers into the vest pocket of that gentleman, and produced a sixpenny bit. Melievinj? that tho article thought of was Hinallei tlinn this he made anothor se.nch, and produced a threejKsnny bit, which he held up to the audience. Sc\ei.d other fe.its of an equally satisfactory chaiactei ivum given and greeted with applause Die Hucond part of tho entertainment consisted of a number of well-performed sleight jfhand trickn. Tho pockot-handkerchiof knot trick was perhaps, tho most astounding. Alwtut half-a-d07.0n knots weio tied uid tested by the audicnco, and tho hnnd. «-ieliief ix'ivpn into tho handa of Mr WelU, .vho kept Ins hngoru tightly prcHHtid upon .ho knot, The pmfessor M.«t at olio Mido of he ■'tage, and >lr Wells at the other. Mr kVells was then told to shake out the handcerchicf, and on d >ing so the knotv had lisappofiwh The phyHiognoinical part of ho euttrtHinnient wrs equally nuc«««»ful,