There is another very good rope and mechanical post test sometimes used by mediums. A post in an upright position is securely fastened to the floor. In the upper part of the post a hole is bored clear through, to allow of two small ropes being passed through the opening from side to side. The medium passes the ropes through the post, then invites the committee to tie his hands fast against the post, and then to tie or nail the ends of the rope down on the floor. All the usual manifestations take place. The medium is also instantaneously released, and rope and knots are found undisturbed. By glancing at Fig. 38 the mystery will be cleared up. The post is hollow, and carries a leaden or iron weight. This weight has a horizontally extending passage to correspond with the channel in the post. This weight is held in the top part of the post by a catch, which is released by a projecting bolt-head at the bottom of the post. It will be remembered that the post is made fast to the floor by screws passing through angle irons fastened by bolts to the post. It is one of these bolt-heads that releases the catch. At the bottom of the post is another catch, which will also hold the weight at the bottom. The one bolt will release both catches. The medium runs the ropes through the post, releases the catch, which allows weight to drop, carrying ropes with it; and the catch locks the weight at the bottom of the post. They can now tie the medium. All he has to do is to release the weight; he can then pull the rope up and get as large a slack as he desires, allowing the weight to drop back again. There is a chair--an ordinary-looking wooden kitchen chair--worked on somewhat the same style. There is a hole bored through each rear leg or upright of the back. The medium sits on the chair, facing the back of it, and has a hand tied to each upright. The slack is obtained the same as in the post, with the exception that a spring instead of a weight is used, and it is locked or released by the backward or forward sliding of a portion of the chair-seat. A convincing trick often employed is the iron ring test. The medium and investigator sit opposite each other, clasping their hands. An iron ring is now placed on the medium’s lap, and the cabinet door is closed; in a few moments the door is opened again, and the ring is found on the investigator’s arm, although he has never released his hold of the medium’s hand. The medium has concealed in his coat sleeve a duplicate of the ring used. When the cabinet door is closed, the medium spreads his legs apart, allowing the ring to drop on the seat of his chair, the bottom of which should be of cane or of cloth, in order to avoid the noise due to the dropping of the ring. He now replaces his legs, and, of course, this ring is hidden merely by his sitting on it. The ring in his sleeve he tosses on to the skeptic’s arm, and, of course, without the hands being unclasped.