WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.559 How spirits materialize? Reader, have you ever attended a seance for full form 2 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:11.160 materialization? Have you ever thought you had met your dead relatives spirit at these 3 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:15.880 seances? If you have never had the pleasure of attending a seance of this 4 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:20.879 phase, you have missed a rare treat. The writer has assisted at many 5 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:25.559 a one and will relate to you some of the wonderful phenomena occurring at them 6 00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:31.760 and the means used to produce them. There are hundreds of materializing mediums doing 7 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:36.679 business in this country who are swelling a good sized bank account. Their business 8 00:00:36.799 --> 00:00:41.799 sometimes runs into the hundreds of dollars in a single week. This phase of 9 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:48.640 mediumship is considered by the spiritualists as the highest possible attainment, and if you 10 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:54.200 are a clever full form medium, your financial welfare is assured. Many and 11 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:59.039 various are the methods employed by the different mediums to produce this phase. It 12 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:03.399 is in Boston, New York, and San Francisco that it has worked the 13 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:08.120 finest. The full form seances most often met with are very simply worked and 14 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:12.879 easy of performance by the medium. You are usually given a seat and a 15 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:19.879 circle of chairs about the front of a cabinet made by hanging heavy curtains across 16 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:23.159 the corner of the room. If you are a stranger or one who looks 17 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:27.280 or acts as though he would grab the spirits, you are seated at the 18 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:32.599 farthest point from the cabinet, or if there are two rows of seats, 19 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:36.560 you will be given a seat at the back row. I made my way 20 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:42.439 to the materializing seance at which my friends hoped to materialize. I was admitted 21 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:47.799 to the seance room and found about twenty persons already assembled. I was seated 22 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:52.280 in the front row of chairs. The cabinet used was a closet about six 23 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:56.640 feet long and four feet wide. The ceiling of both the room and the 24 00:01:56.680 --> 00:02:00.640 cabinet was of wood. After a thorough examination had been made of the cabinet 25 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:06.040 by all those who cared to do so, the sitters were rearranged to suit 26 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:10.919 medium. There were present now thirty five persons. The seance room was very 27 00:02:12.039 --> 00:02:15.039 large. The door had been taken off the closet that served as a cabinet, 28 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:20.599 and in its stead were hung heavy curtains. The floor of the room 29 00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:23.919 was carpeted with a dark carpet, as was the cabinet. The light was 30 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:29.199 furnished by a lamp placed in a box that was fastened to the wall some 31 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:32.360 eight feet from the floor. This box had a sliding lid in front, 32 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:38.719 controlled by a cord passing into the cabinet. By this means, the spirits 33 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:43.120 could regulate the light to suit themselves, without any movement on the part of 34 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:46.479 any of those in the seance room being necessary. When everything was in readiness, 35 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:53.039 the medium entered the cabinet, seated himself and was tied and so secured 36 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:57.240 to his chair that it was impossible that he could have any use of himself. 37 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:01.120 He was most thoroughly secure to his chair, and his chair nailed fast 38 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:06.639 to the floor by passing leather straps over the rounds in the side and kneeling 39 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:09.120 the ends to the floor. After it was shown to the sitters that he 40 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:15.520 was utterly helpless, the curtain was drawn. The manager now placed an ordinary 41 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:19.159 kitchen table in front of the door of the cabinet, so that it stood 42 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:23.879 away from it about two feet. The table contained no drawing. On the 43 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:29.599 table was laid writing materials, a guitar, and small bell. The manager 44 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:35.240 seated himself close to one side of the cabinet entrance and started a large Swiss 45 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:38.879 music box. Before it had finished the first air, the lamp was shut 46 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:45.960 entirely off, making the room achy dark. An illuminated hand and arm was 47 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:50.960 now seen to come from behind the curtain and play an accompaniment to the music 48 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:53.599 box on the guitar. We could see plainly the movement of the hand, 49 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:59.039 arm and fingers as it manipulated the strings of the instrument. It did not 50 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:02.719 appear necessary to finger the strings on the keyboard, although the air was in 51 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:08.120 a key that made it impossible to tune the guitar so that an accompaniment could 52 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:13.840 be performed without fingering. However, but one hand was visible and it was 53 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:17.800 picking the strings. After the tune was finished, the hand left the instrument 54 00:04:18.040 --> 00:04:23.079 and moved out into the room to the front of the table, and from 55 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:27.279 the sound we knew it was writing on the tablet that had been placed there. 56 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:30.360 The arm was of bluish light and appeared to end just above the elbow 57 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:35.079 and to have no connection with the body. It finished writing and seemed to 58 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:39.879 float into the cabinet near the top. The light was opened, and the 59 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:45.360 manager requested those who had tied the medium to examine his condition and see if 60 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:49.319 the ropes had been tampered with. The examination was made and it was evident 61 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:55.759 that the fastenings were undisturbed. The communication was read aloud to those present and 62 00:04:55.879 --> 00:05:00.759 contain the following quote. We are pleased to beat so many seecerts after light 63 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.519 and truth here this evening, and from the conditions as we sense them, 64 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:10.399 we will have a satisfactory and pleasant seance. The way to obtain the best 65 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:15.160 results is for each person to maintain a passive condition and take what we have 66 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:19.040 to give. You may rest assured that our best efforts will be put forth 67 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:26.120 to give you entire satisfaction. The control close quote. The writing was exactly 68 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:30.920 on the rule of the lines. Although written in absolute darkness. The hand 69 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.480 and arm, although luminous, did not give out a particle of light. 70 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:40.079 The arm had been at least five feet from the cabinet opening and seven feet 71 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:44.680 from the medium. Surely it was not he the message read. The light 72 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.759 was again shut down, and the music again started. Once more. A 73 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:53.720 hand appeared, and floating out to the table again began writing. Of a 74 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:59.040 sudden the hand disappeared, and after a few seconds I was astonished to feel 75 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:03.759 a hand thrusting a paper into my top coat. Pocket. Now appeared two 76 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:08.079 hands, and they played an air on the guitar. Now came three, 77 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:12.240 then four hands were visible, bright as the day. Two of them began 78 00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:16.000 writing again, and when they had finished, two more sitters with the recipients 79 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.839 of sheets of paper. Soon the light was opened for an inspection of the 80 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:25.360 cabinet, which was made with the conclusion that the medium had not moved. 81 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:30.040 Those of us receiving communications were afforded an opportunity to read them. We found 82 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:35.240 them nicely written as before, and all contained tests. After the light went 83 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:40.560 out again, more hands were seen. The table was floated about over the 84 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:44.519 heads of the circle, as was the music box, which weighed at least 85 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:49.199 fifty pounds. Another examination of the cabinet was made, and everything found satisfactory. 86 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:54.759 This time the light was not put entirely out, but a very dim 87 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:59.480 light was allowed. The music box was again set playing, and while yet 88 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:03.319 it was played the first tune, a tall figure robed in creamy white, 89 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:09.560 with gleaming sparks in her hair and on her head a sort of crown issued 90 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:14.639 from the cabinet. She was recognized by a gentleman present, a spiritualist, 91 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:20.040 whose spirit guide she was and who addressed her as my queen. She stood 92 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:24.680 a few seconds behind the table, and then stepped out in the open space 93 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.959 between the sitters and the table. The gentleman now arose from his seat, 94 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:32.399 and standing beside her, holding her hand, conversed in a whisper with her 95 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:39.160 for some seconds. This was most assuredly a lady if appearisons go for anything. 96 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:44.079 Her hands were quite small and were warm and lifelike, as several including 97 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:48.079 myself, can testify, having been permitted to shake hands with her. At 98 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:53.839 last she started to the cabinet, and as she went appeared to grow shorter, 99 00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:58.720 until as she disappeared between the curtains, she was not much taller than 100 00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:01.920 the table. The manner now explained that the spirit had remained out rather too 101 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:07.160 long and came near dematerializing before she reached the cabinet. Now came the spirit 102 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:11.360 of a young man dressed in a light suit of clothes, who gave his 103 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:15.319 name and said his mother was present. She was, and had a few 104 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.839 words of conversation with him. When he disappeared into the cabinet. The lady 105 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:24.879 said that it was unmistakably her son, but there was something that was not 106 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:28.360 as he had been but what it was she was unable to describe. The 107 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:33.399 next spirit to present itself was my son Eddie. He came out from the 108 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:37.919 cabinet, calling Papa, Papa. The manager asked, who is your papa, 109 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:43.000 and he replied mister Smith. All this time he stood between the table 110 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.679 and the cabinet, and only his head and shoulders could be seen. The 111 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:50.399 manager told him to step out where he could be seen. When he came 112 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:54.159 round to the front of the table, it was rather dark, but I 113 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:58.440 could swear it was my son. He was just the right size, with 114 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:05.000 long flaxen hair and a very pale face. He wore a light colored waist 115 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:09.559 and darker knee breeches and stockings, with a large black bow at his throat, 116 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.840 just as I remembered seeing him last in health. While Eddie was still 117 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:16.679 standing in front of the table, a large man came out and shook him 118 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:20.919 by the hand. Eddie spoke, saying, must I go back? Grandpa? 119 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:24.559 The farm turned toward me, saying, my son, this is a 120 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:28.639 great pleasure to us, but we must not long remain, as it is 121 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:33.879 our first attempt at materializing. He turned to go when the manager said to 122 00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:35.879 him, if the gentleman, is your son, you are to give him 123 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.679 your name. The name of the child is Eddie. In my own is 124 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:45.320 j a smith, replied the farm. As they vanished into the cabinet, 125 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:48.919 the manager suggested that it would be well to examine and see whether the medium 126 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:54.639 had been out or not. The cabinet was examined, and everything found satisfactory. 127 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.519 Spirit after spirit came from the cabinet, one or two at a time 128 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.759 for an hour. Some of them came to friends, and others were controls 129 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:07.879 of the medium. Many of them were recognized by different ones of the sitters 130 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.720 in the room. I, for one, could swear to the identity of 131 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:16.679 my own son, Eddie, while my father was plainly recognizable. The room 132 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:20.799 was again made dark. Suddenly there appeared on the floor in front of the 133 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.480 table a light about as large as a baseball. It moved about in a 134 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:30.720 circle of perhaps a foot in diameter and grew larger. It soon lost the 135 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:35.600 shape of a ball and appeared to be a luminous cloud. Seemingly we could 136 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:39.279 see into and through it. In the course of thirty seconds, it had 137 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:45.600 become as large as a six year old child. Still there was no definite 138 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:50.879 shape, only a fleecy cloud like mass, turning, twisting and rolling. 139 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:54.080 At the end of perhaps a minute, it was the size and shape of 140 00:10:54.120 --> 00:10:58.879 an adult person. The face could not be seen, but light luminous spots 141 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:05.200 visible, as though the hairs and ears were decorated with gems. The shape 142 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:09.679 spoke and requested light. As the light was turned on, the luminousness disappeared, 143 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:15.480 and we beheld a beautiful young lady clothed in a dazzling white costume. 144 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:20.159 Her arms and shoulders were bare, and about her neck there was a necklace 145 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:24.960 of what appeared to be very brilliant diamonds. Her feet were encased in white 146 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:30.399 slippers with straps across the inn step in. Her ears and hair glistened and 147 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:35.480 shimmered beautiful diamonds. Her face and arms were as alabaster, and altogether she 148 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:39.559 was one of the most beautiful women I had ever beheld. She was recognized 149 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:43.720 by a lady and gentlemen present as their daughter. They had met her here 150 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:48.519 before. They were from the east and were wealthy. The spirit requested that 151 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:52.440 they come to her, which they did, and were each kissed and embraced 152 00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:58.159 by it. They held a moment's conversation with her and resumed their seats. 153 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:01.960 When the lamp was slowly turned down. As the light became dim, the 154 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:07.840 spirit became luminous, The face and arms disappeared, and the body became as 155 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:13.759 a cloud, again, turning and twisting and growing smaller, until it was 156 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:18.399 nothing but a small light spot on the carpet, which of a sudden disappeared 157 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:24.639 entirely. Immediately after this manifestation, an examination of the medium and cabinet was 158 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:28.759 made, and it was certain the medium had not been away from his chair. 159 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:33.200 The light was again turned out and the music box started. When two 160 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:37.240 bright spots appeared on the carpet, one at either end of the table. 161 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:41.360 These went through the same process of development, until when the light was turned 162 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:46.279 on there was another beautiful female spirit at one end of the table, and 163 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:50.840 a child of perhaps eight years of age at the other. The child was 164 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:56.440 recognized by a lady present as her daughter, while the adult spirit was recognized 165 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:01.320 and rapturously greeted by a gentleman who sat near me on my left as his 166 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:05.879 darling angel Guardian. They had quite a long conversation in which they made use 167 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:11.399 of very endearing language, each to the other. I supposed it was the 168 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.279 gentleman's wife. The spirits did not disappear as the first one had, but 169 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.840 when the light had been turned off, the luminous shape revolved a few times, 170 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:24.639 and on two occasions assumed the garb in shape of men. And when 171 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:28.519 the light was turned on again there stood the men with beards and men's forms. 172 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:35.159 After some eight or ten of these materializations and d materializations before our eyes, 173 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.879 the last couple completely disappeared. The light was again turned down, and 174 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:45.639 a luminous shape came from the cabinet, followed by others, until seven of 175 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:48.159 them stood on the floor. The light was turned up until we could see 176 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:54.000 the seven spirits. Five were females and two males. They were of different 177 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:58.480 sizes. The curtain at the door of the cabinet had been pulled aside, 178 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.279 and we could see the medium sitting in the chair in which he was bound. 179 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:07.440 The farms now filed into the cabinet again while the music box played. 180 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:13.000 After they had disappeared, the light was turned up, an investigation made of 181 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:18.039 the cabinet, and the seance was over. Their reader is a truthful description 182 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:22.879 of what can be witnessed at the seances of mediums who are artists. None 183 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.039 of your bungling amateur work here. The work of such a medium is always 184 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:31.480 satisfactory, for the reason that if a man feels sure that the medium is 185 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:35.600 a fraud, he has been so well entertained that he does not regret the 186 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:39.080 money paid for the opportunity to witness him. This is the class of medium 187 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:45.279 also, who frequently succeed in getting large sums of money from wealthy persons they 188 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:50.559 have converted to spiritualism. Did the writer not give you the true explanation of 189 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:54.519 the matter in which these things were produced, You would probably say it was 190 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:58.559 conceived by a very fertile imagination. If you believed that he saw these things, 191 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:03.000 you perhaps offer the preacher's explanation by saying it is the work of the 192 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:07.759 devil, or that of the scientists by asserting that it is the mesmerist power 193 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:13.440 over your mind, or the operator has discovered an odd force in nature, 194 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:18.919 or go off on a long dissertation on hypnotism and fourth dimension of space problems. 195 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:22.679 However, it is not the work of the devil, neither are there 196 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:31.200 any but natural laws necessary to its production. The seance described actually occurred and 197 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:35.200 was described in writing by mister smith in the language used, although it was 198 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:39.240 not printed, and the writer was one of those who assisted in its production. 199 00:15:39.799 --> 00:15:46.120 We will now proceed to explain this particular seance. It will be remembered 200 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:50.679 that the room and cabinet were carpeted with a dark carpet, and that the 201 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:54.960 ceilings were of wood. The ceilings were decorated by being put on in panels. 202 00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:58.919 The ceilings of the cabinet would not have been like those of the room 203 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:03.960 had the closet been a part of the architect's plans of the house. It 204 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:07.240 was not, but was made by the medium. He simply built a lath 205 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:11.879 and plaster partition from the corner of a wide chimney to the wall, thus 206 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:15.960 enclosing a space of six by four feet. The panel in the ceiling of 207 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:22.080 the closet was twenty inches square. This panel was doctored and could be displaced, 208 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:26.639 leaving an aperture large enough for the spooks to get through with perfect ease. 209 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:30.600 A light ladder, which reached within three feet of the floor of the 210 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:36.039 cabinet, was hooked fast above and furnished the means of getting down and up 211 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:41.440 again. There were eight persons connected with the sails described by mister Smith seven 212 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:44.879 upstairs, and the medium in the cabinet. Of course, it was not 213 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.519 necessary that the medium get out of his fastenings, and the facts are that 214 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:52.600 he did not. The table was placed across the cabinet door, not to 215 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:56.639 lay the instruments on, but to be very much in the way should anyone 216 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:00.360 make a rush and grab for the materialized forms. In case this occurred, 217 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:06.160 the spooks above would close the light, making the room perfectly dark, and 218 00:17:06.200 --> 00:17:10.319 the manager would do his utmost to turn the table on end or side with 219 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.240 the legs out in the room. Before the grabber could get the lay of 220 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:17.559 things and get past it. The spooks would have gone through the trap, 221 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:19.880 closed it, pulled up the ladder, and the grabber would have found the 222 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:25.799 medium writhing and groaning and bleeding from the mouth. The bleeding was for effect 223 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:30.200 and was caused by sucking very hard on his teeth and gums. The table 224 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:36.160 also served a convenient purpose in the materialization and de materialization through the floor. 225 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:40.920 You now know where the spooks came from in this particular house, and how 226 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:45.079 they got in and out. Now let us see how they managed the materializations 227 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:51.079 and the properties used to produce them. The trap and ladder were practically noiseless 228 00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:56.160 in their operations, but the music box made assurance doubly sure that the least 229 00:17:56.200 --> 00:18:00.480 sound from the cabinet should not be heard in the seance room. When the 230 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.920 box began its first air, the trap door was opened, and down the 231 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:08.839 ladder came a young man clad in a suit of black tights. He was 232 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:14.200 entirely covered with black, with the exception of his right arm, which was 233 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:17.720 bare to a point a little more than half way from the elbow to his 234 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:22.440 shoulder. The bare arm glowed with a luminous bluish light. This condition of 235 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:29.119 things was brought about by powdering his arm with pulverized luminous paint. If you 236 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:33.400 are not told the method of transforming the sticky paint to powder, you will 237 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:37.039 not be able to do it, and will conclude the rider was romancing. 238 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:40.920 In this case, the most essential thing to you will be to know where 239 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:45.240 you can procure this paint. The rider has been unable to procure it anywhere 240 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:48.519 except of a devout and company of New York City. It is put up 241 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:53.200 in a package resembling six ounce jelly glasses, and you will get six of 242 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:59.359 them for five dollars in order to reduce it to powder. Thin the contents 243 00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:03.359 of one of the glo glasses with one pint of turpentine. When it is 244 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:07.920 thoroughly cut and incorporated into the turpentine, soak strips of muslim in it and 245 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:11.640 hang them out to dry. When thoroughly dry, you can shake the powder 246 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:15.720 from the cloth. In order to powder one of your arms, gather one 247 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:19.599 of the cloths in your hands and use it as a powder puff on your 248 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:23.319 arm. You will not be able to get all the paint out, but 249 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:29.519 the pieces will make luminous crowns, slippers, stars, and luminous decorations for 250 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:33.200 your robes. You will be under the necessity of perfuming your robes each time 251 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:37.720 they are used, for the odor of the turpentine will always remain to a 252 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:42.480 greater or lesser degree. To illuminate a robe or costume, the mediums always 253 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:48.480 say robe. You proceed the same as in the powdering process, except add 254 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:52.039 to the pint of paint. You will add a wine glassful of damar varnish, 255 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:56.119 which will prevent its falling or being shaken off as powder. You are 256 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:00.559 not to make the robe of muslin, but of white netting. Every lady 257 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:04.319 will know what netting is. It is the lightest, thinnest material the writer 258 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:08.079 ever sold in a dry good store. Ten yards of it can be put 259 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:12.359 into your vest pocket. Do not scrimp the material, but get as much 260 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:17.880 of it into your robe as possible. When he of the luminous arm steps 261 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:22.279 from the cabinet into the dark room, no part of him is visible save 262 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:26.079 the arm. He picks the strings of the instrument with the illuminated hand and 263 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:30.680 fingers the keyboard with the other. He makes the sound of writing on the 264 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:36.000 tablet and tears off a leaf, which he conceals, and, drawing a 265 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:40.640 long black stocking over the luminous arm, places in the pocket of the sitter 266 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:45.000 a communication that has been written upstairs in good light. This accounts for the 267 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:49.599 even beautiful writing supposed to have been done in the dark. He covers the 268 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:55.160 luminous arm so that anyone so inclined could not locate it in arder to grab 269 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:59.759 when he is near enough. By mounting the table, that luminous hand and 270 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:03.000 arm can be made to show as though it was floating about near the ceiling. 271 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:07.319 When four hands were visible, there were two spooks at work with two 272 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:12.400 arms illuminated, you can readily understand the forces that floated the music box and 273 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:18.480 table above the heads of the sitters, and then explanation is useless. When 274 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.119 the first female spirit appeared, it was in reality a young woman dressed in 275 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:27.279 a gargious white costume without paint. Hence the light was turned up instead of 276 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:33.960 down in order that she be visible. Rhinestones and sumatra gems being cheap, 277 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:37.920 she was plentifully supplied with diamonds. Although many of those who are the queens 278 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:44.559 are spirit guides of controls of wealthy spiritualists, fanatics wear real diamonds the gift 279 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:48.319 of their wealthy charge are King, as they usually call him. When she 280 00:21:48.440 --> 00:21:52.839 started for the cabinet, she used her hands to keep her robe from under 281 00:21:52.839 --> 00:21:56.640 her feet, and as she went stooped lower and lower, until as she 282 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:00.839 disappeared in the cabinet, she went on her hands and knees. This is 283 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:06.839 what caused the appearance of de materialization. When mister Smith's son Eddie came from 284 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:10.640 the cabinet, he was represented by a boy of about eight years of age, 285 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:15.279 the son of one of the female spooks upstairs. He receives two dollars 286 00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:18.279 a night for his services, the same as the largest spooks. He was 287 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:23.079 powdered until he was very white, a blonde wig put over his brown hair, 288 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:27.240 and dressed as most boys are at the age mister Smith's son died. 289 00:22:27.960 --> 00:22:33.000 Mister Smith recognized him by his size, his light complexion, and flaxen hair, 290 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:37.119 and the fact that he called him Papa and gave his correct name. 291 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:42.319 His father was made up from the description given by the medium and acknowledged by 292 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:45.960 mister Smith as correct. Of course, he knew his own name, for 293 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:51.079 it was given him by the slate writer. We now come to a part 294 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:56.000 of the phenomena that all spiritualists who have witnessed it will swear by. What 295 00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:00.119 is referred to is the materializing and de materializing of the spirit from the floor 296 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:06.640 and before your eyes. In this you see first a small light which grows 297 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:11.319 larger and larger, until there stands before you a fully formed female or male 298 00:23:11.400 --> 00:23:15.319 spirit, as was described in mister Smith's experience. In order to accomplish what 299 00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:21.079 he witnessed, the same spook, who had before been recognized by a gentleman 300 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:26.920 as his queen, prepared herself in the following way, divesting herself of all 301 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:32.400 clothing. She donned a simple long chemise that reached her shoe tops. She 302 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:36.920 drew on a pair of white stockings and over them a pair of white slippers. 303 00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:40.960 Into her hair and ear, she put rhinestone diamonds, and around her 304 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:45.160 neck a necklace of the same beautiful but valueless stones. On each year lobe 305 00:23:45.160 --> 00:23:49.839 and around her neck were put small spots of the luminous powder to represent the 306 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:55.559 diamonds. While it was dark, her face was powdered and her eyebrows and 307 00:23:55.599 --> 00:24:00.599 eyelashes darkened, while a dark line was drawn under each eye. She now 308 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.599 took a black mask that covered her head and her robe in her hands, 309 00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:08.279 and went down to the cabinet. Arriving there, she put the black mask 310 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:14.240 over her head to prevent the luminous diamonds being seen until the proper time. 311 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.880 She carried her robe in a black bag. Crawling from between the curtains and 312 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:22.200 under the table, she exposed on the floor a small part of her robe. 313 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:26.400 This she shook and moved about, allowing it to escape from the bag 314 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:30.519 until it was all out. She was now from under the table and on 315 00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:33.880 her knees, and it was time the head show on the farm. So 316 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.519 getting close to the robe, she threw off and under the table the black 317 00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:42.960 mask. The shape was now the size of an adult. She adjusted the 318 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:48.160 robe to her person and rapped for light. As a matter of course, 319 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.279 when any light was made, the luminousness of robe was drowned, and she 320 00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:56.920 appeared in simply a white costume. The necklace and ear drops could now be 321 00:24:56.039 --> 00:25:00.000 seen, but when the light was such as to reveal them, the loos 322 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.319 when of spots had disappeared, leaving the spectator to think the ones he now 323 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:07.720 saw were the ones he had seen in the dark. The process of de 324 00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:12.799 materialization will now be apparent, and the description will only tire the reader. 325 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:18.200 One small spook was all that was required, as he could be made to 326 00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:22.359 represent boy or a girl as was desired by clothing him in the garments of 327 00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:26.559 Edith's sex. At the close of the seance, the full force of spooks 328 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:30.839 came into the room. After disappearing, they shinnied up the ladder, drew 329 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:33.680 it after them, closed the panel and the trap in the floor above it, 330 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.920 replaced the carpet and pushed over the place a heavy bedstead, from which 331 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:44.039 they took the castors. They now carried the letter downstairs and concealed it in 332 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:48.000 the coal house as they went through it on their way home. They will 333 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:52.839 get their pay next day. Should ever so close an examination of the cabinet 334 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:57.400 be made, you could not find anything wrong. This particular medium has taken 335 00:25:57.480 --> 00:26:03.160 investigators into the cellar beneath the cabinet and the room above it scores of times, 336 00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:07.839 yet nothing was discovered. You are not always to search for the trap 337 00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:11.720 of the ceiling, nor yet in the floor. A trap is not possible 338 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:15.599 in the ceiling, except a closet is used as cabinet and the ceiling is 339 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:18.400 of wood. Where this condition of things does not exist, you must search 340 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:22.559 elsewhere. The floor is a very likely place when it cannot be made in 341 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:26.279 the ceiling. If you do not find it there, examine the base or 342 00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:30.880 mop board. If it is in the mop board, you will find upon 343 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:34.200 examination that there is a joint in it near the corner of the cabinet. 344 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:38.319 But you will find it solidly nailed, with about four nails each side of 345 00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:45.000 the joint. This appearance of extraordinary solidity will be absolute proof that it is 346 00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:48.680 not solid. The nails are not what they appear, but are only pieces 347 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:52.480 about one half inch in length and do not even go through the board. 348 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:57.000 The piece is fastened on the other side with a couple of bolts that hold 349 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:02.200 it very firmly in place. There is a corresponding opening in the mop board 350 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:06.119 in the next room, although no attempt is made to so carefully conceal it, 351 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:08.960 as no one is ever admitted to it. Through this trap, the 352 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:14.720 spooks into the cabinet by crawling and wiggling. It is not a very desirable 353 00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:18.599 trap, for the mop board is scarcely ever wide enough to permit of a 354 00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:22.720 trap that the spook could get through in a hurry. Besides, they must 355 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:26.960 assume their costumes after they get into the cabinet or tear them to pieces. 356 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:30.720 You can see how this would make it very inconvenient. If the room is 357 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:36.240 wainscotted, the spook will have all the sea room necessary in his trap, 358 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:40.319 for it will extend from just below the molding on the top of the wainscotting 359 00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:44.359 to the floor behind the strip of quarter round. It is next to an 360 00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:49.279 impossibility to detect these traps by examining in the cabinet. They were constructed to 361 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:56.519 avoid discovery, and no pain spared to make them so absolutely perfect that not 362 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:00.160 one chance in a million is taken. The proper place to seek for traps 363 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:03.920 is in the adjoining room, upstairs, or in the cellar. One is 364 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:08.200 foolish to undertake to find a trap by thumping the walls or floor, for 365 00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:12.240 if you happen to thump one, the medium who is smart enough to make 366 00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:18.119 use of a trap is also sharp enough to make provision for its being thumped, 367 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:22.039 and your sounding method goes for nought. Bear in mind that when you 368 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:26.519 are examining the cabinet, you are seeking at the very place that is prepared 369 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:33.200 most effectively to withstand your investigations. Do not forget the manager in your search. 370 00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:37.400 He or she is never searched, or never has been up to date, 371 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:41.640 which has been the cause of many a failure to find the properties of 372 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:45.880 the medium. When the sales was given in a room and cabinet furnished by 373 00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:49.599 a stranger and skeptic, do not be deceived into a belief that all of 374 00:28:49.640 --> 00:28:55.000 the sitters are strangers to the medium. There may be one to five persons 375 00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:59.400 present who pay their money the same as yourself, and who may appear to 376 00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:03.359 be the most skied gyptical of anyone in the room. They will generally be 377 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:08.599 the recipients of some very elegant tests, and weep copiously great grief fladen tears 378 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:14.880 when they recognize the beloved features of some relative. They are the most careful 379 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:18.839 of investigators, and when the medium's trap is located in the door, jam 380 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:22.839 will pound the walls and insists on the carpet being taken up. When they 381 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:27.160 will get upon their hands and knees and make a most searching examination of the 382 00:29:27.160 --> 00:29:33.240 floor. They are the closest and most critical of the investigators, but they 383 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:37.599 are very careful to examine everywhere except where the defect is located. Because one 384 00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:42.440 or two men seem to be making such a critical investigation, do not allow 385 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:48.160 that fact to prevent you making one on your own responsibility. Wait until they 386 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:52.079 have finished, and then examine not only where they did, but more particularly 387 00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:57.039 where they did not. Their examination is only for the purpose of misleading others. 388 00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:02.359 Their tests are received in a way to cause those about them to think 389 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:07.400 they admit them very unwillingly, are because they were so undeniable that they could 390 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:11.519 do nothing else. A great many will probably deny that confederates are ever employed. 391 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:15.720 They are not by mediums who are not smooth enough to produce that which 392 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:21.079 appears so wonderful as to make a good business for them. The writer could 393 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:26.079 advise those mediums who give such rank seances to employ a few floor workers they 394 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:30.960 are easily obtained, and see what a difference it would make in the amount 395 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:34.680 of business they will do. Get good ones those who know human nature and 396 00:30:34.839 --> 00:30:38.759 know when they have said all that is necessary. Most of them are inclined 397 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:44.839 to say too much, thus causing the ordinary man to suspect that they are confederates.