LIGHT UPON A DARK SEANCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2423, 21 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

LIGHT UPON A DARK SEANCE.

Exciiant.e Hai.l Blackburn, was recently the scene of an extraordiuar} , disturbance. On the previous night Miss Anna Fay, an American, and her company, which includes Miss Edmund'on, a "magnetiq lady began a series entertainments, of which consisted of "spirit demonstrations " and "mind reading ," including the floating of chairs and tables in mid-air," "the materialisation of flowers," a plaster of Paris hand, which is "endowed with intelligence," "dark seances," and other peformances of a mysterious nature Miss Fay claims to have the gift of magnetism in a very large degree and alleges that her remarkable powers have been subjected to every possible test by scientific men with entire satisfaction. She states that her exhibitions arc due to conjuring scionce, aud spiritualism, and on the handbills quotes eulogistic descriptions of her entertainments from metropolitan and other journals. The Blackburn spiritualists, however have refused to accept her as a medium. On Monday night the audience fancied that they were being deceived and owing to noisy interruptions the enertainment had to be terminated abruptly, On Tuesday night- the disturbance was still worse. Miss Fay's greatest feat was to make an aerial flight over the heads of the audience from the platform to the back of the hall the transit being accomplished almost in darkness. The gas was turned clown, and a light object looking exactly like the figure of a weman was seen floating over the centre of the long hall from the platform towards the copula over the main entrance. By preconcerted arrangement a number of matches were struck by persons in the audience, and one man thrust a sharp hooked stick into the floating body and brought it to the ground. It was found to be nothing more than an inflated linen bag to which was attached a string, used to draw it rapidly along a very fine wire. Miss Fay was discovered standing on top of the entrance cupola, which had been reached by a ladder. When the matches were struck she shouted out for the lights to be turned out, as upon darkness depended the success of the experiment, arid she was not quite ready to begin. The conspirators, however, took no notice of her cries, and when the deception was laid bare a. great disturbance commenced. So threatening, in fact, was the aspect of affairs that a strong body of police was sent for. Miss Fay attempted to explain, but could not inaku herself Jicard. Suspicion had been aroused by the wire over the hall, and by the attendant whispering to some young man about to cuter that "she was too soon," thinking he was addressing Miss Fa}'.

" THE QUEENLAUq HING." Lonuov has become quite excited over the new photograph of Her Majesty, and the outside of the numerous shop windows in which it is exposed are thronged with spectators. The photos are labelled by the shopkeepers with the "fetching" inscription, "The Queen Laughing." Hitherto portraits have always represented Her Majesty in a sad mood, but in this much appreciated photograph she wears a very broad smile, which, if not queenly, is at any rate pleasing. Some hypercritical people even describe it as decidedly comical.