The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Science
The Lock and Key Library: The Most Interesting Stories of All Nations: Real Life
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction; Parapsychology
We will first refer to the tests given the first evening. A boy
from the audience gathered up the sealed envelopes in a hat, and
brought them to the stage, sitting with them in his lap; while he
delivered one at a time to the manager, who held it aloft, during
which time the blindfolded medium in the rear gave the test.
There was a simple little move that escaped the eyes of the
spectators in this instance. The spectators did not know what was
to happen, neither did the boy. The move was executed as follows:
Just as the boy came on the stage with the hat the manager received
the hat in his right hand and in a natural manner. Nothing was
thought of this, as there was nothing suspicious in the act.
Meanwhile the manager directed the boy to take a chair that sat to
the left of the front of the stage, and to place it to the right
side in front, facing the audience, and to take his seat thereon.
Now, this conversation with the boy naturally occupied the
attention of the spectators; and while the boy was executing the
directions the manager turned to the table, which was somewhat back
on the stage, and apparently took a large handkerchief from it, and
with the hat still apparently in his hand, he stepped to the boy,
giving him the hat of envelopes and the handkerchief, at the same
time instructing him how to cover the hat, and how to deliver the
envelopes one at a time. All of this maneuvering seemed so natural
that the audience thought nothing whatever of it.
Now, as the manager turned to the table to get the handkerchief,
and while most eyes were on the boy as he placed his chair and took
his seat, the manager deftly exchanged the hat in his right hand
for another hat just like it, that was filled with "dummy"
envelopes and which was behind the flowers, music box, etc., on the
table. As he immediately turned with the hat apparently still in
his hand, but with a large handkerchief in his other hand,
everything seemed natural and the audience thought nothing of the
incident.
The manager now, after giving the boy the hat and handkerchief,
invited a committee to come forward and blindfold the medium who
had been seated at the left of the stage. The committee first
placed a lady's glove on the eyes of the medium as an additional
precaution, and then placed a handkerchief over this and tied it
behind his head. This method of blindfolding is the one usually
employed by most mediums. If the face of the medium be properly
formed, he can easily shift such a bandage with his eyebrows,
sufficiently to see directly under his eyes, by looking down
alongside his nose. The committee now retired to the audience, and
the performer led the medium to a seat behind the table.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account