magic and real detectives-第31部分

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matches；　and　when　he　retired　for　the　drink　of　water；　he　read　my

question。



As　to　the　slate　trick；　all　was　fair　until　he　picked　up　the　top

slate；　wrote　an　automatic　message；　apparently　read　it　aloud　to　me；

and　then　upon　my　informing　him　that　the　message　did　not　answer　my

question；　he　seemed　dissatisfied；　apparently　erased　the　message；

and　replaced　the　large　slate　on　top　of　the　stack　of　slates。　　What

he　really　did　was　to　pick　up　the　large　top　slate；　bottom　side

toward　himself；　and　at　the　same　time　to　carry　with　it　a　small　slate

pressed　tightly　against　its　under　side。　　He　held　the　large　slate

with　its　under　side　tilted　from　me；　so　I　could　not　see　this　small

slate。　　There　being　so　many　small　slates　in　the　stack；　the

temporary　absence　of　one　from　the　stack　attracted　no　notice。



He　kept　this　small　slate　next　to　him　out　of　my　view；　and　really

wrote　the　message　on　the　small　slate　which　was　next　to　him；　and

which　was　concealed　from　my　view　by　the　larger　slate。　　He　did　not

read　aloud　what　he　had　actually　written；　but　merely　pretended　to　do

so；　repeating　something　entirely　foreign　to　the　subject　instead。

What　he　had　written　really　answered　my　question　fully。　　When　he

appeared　to　erase　the　message；　his　movements　were　but　a　pretense；

and　he　did　not　erase　it　at　all。　　When　he　replaced　the　large　slate

on　the　stack　of　slates；　he；　of　course；　replaced　the　small　one　which

was　concealed　under　it；　message　side　down。



It　must　be　remembered　that　the　operator；　at　the　beginning　of　the

slate　trick；　first　took　up　and　examined　the　large　slate　a　time　or

so　for　a　message；　and　finding　none；　seemed　disappointed；　and

finally　wrote　the　automatic　message；　then　on　being　informed　that　it

did　not　apply　to　the　case；　he　seemed　dissatisfied　and　appeared　to

erase　it。



After　the　message　was　written　and　the　slates　replaced；　he　examined

the　top　slate　a　time　or　so；　and　even　lifted　off　a　few　small　slates

looking　for　writing；　but　did　not　turn　them　over；　then　seeing

nothing；　he　scattered　the　slates　around　on　the　table；　leaving　their

same　sides　downward；　and　handing　me　the　cover；　he　requested　me　to

cover　them　and　place　my　hands　on　them。



The　trick　was　now　practically　done。　　As　the　slates　had　been

examined　so　many　times　and　nothing　found　on　them；　even　after　the

automatic　writing；　the　majority　of　persons　would　testify　that　there

was　positively　nothing　on　the　slates　when　the　medium　left　the

table。　　The　majority　of　persons　would　never　remember　that　he　at　one

time　wrote　on　the　large　slate　and　erased　it。　　The　message　being　on

a　small　slate；　and　these　being　spread　around；　few　would　have　known

that　this　message　really　appeared　on　the　particular　small　slate

that　was　originally　next　the　top　of　the　stack。



Most　people　would　have　certified　that　they　cleaned　all　of　the

slates　themselves；　that　the　medium　never　touched　any　of　the　small

ones；　and　that　he　only　laid　his　hands　on　top　of　the　stack　a　few

times。　　Some　would　even　forget　that　the　medium　handled　their

writing　at　all　before　burning　it。



I　am　sure　that　the　nickeled　tube　that　carried　the　dripping　water

into　the　space　over　the　glass　bowl；　had　a　second　tube　within　it；

through　which　his　assistant　from　the　adjoining　room　either　blew；　or

sent　by　some　mechanism；　the　chemicals　（probably　potassium）　that

would　take　fire　and　burn　on　striking　the　water。



　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。



When　I　perform　the　slate　trick　described　above；　after　writing　the

〃automatic〃　message；　apparently　erasing　it；　and　replacing　the

slates；　I　do　not　scatter　the　slates　around　on　the　table　as　this

medium　did。　　Instead；　I　proceed　as　I　will　now　describe。



We　place　our　palms　on　the　stack；　and　after　a　time　examine　the　large

slate　for　a　message；　but　find　none。　　I　may　incidentally　remark　that

this　last　examination　unconsciously　verifies　in　the　sitter's　mind

the　fact　that　I　actually　erased　what　I　wrote　〃automatically。〃



I　now　look　on　some　of　the　smaller　slates　for　a　message；　but　find

none。　　When　I　do　this　I　do　not　turn　these　slates　over　and　look　on

their　under　sides；　but　merely　take　off　the　top　slate　to　see　if

there　be　a　message　on　the　upper　surface　of　the　one　under　it。　　I

merely　remark；　〃Well；　there　is　nothing　on　that　slate；〃　indicating

the　second　one　from　the　top；　and　at　the　same　time　I　drop　the　top

slate　（now　in　my　hand）　on　the　table　beside　the　stack。　　I

immediately　take　off　the　second　slate　and　repeat　this　same

performance；　dropping　it　on　top　of　the　first　one。　　I　keep　on　with

this　performance　until　I　have　removed　four　or　five　of　the　slates；

and　have　them　stacked　in　a　second　stack　beside　the　first　one。　　Then

seeming　to　grow　discouraged；　I　remark；　〃I　guess　there　is　no

message〃；　and　I　replace　the　second　stack　on　the　first　stack。　　This

places　the　message　slate　four　or　five　slates　down　in　the　stack；　as

the　bottom　slate　of　the　second　stack；　being　the　top　slate　of　the

original　stack；　is　now　the　message　slate。



I　next　up…edge　the　small　slates　and　place　a　rubber　band　around　them

placing　them　in　the　sitter's　lap。　　I；　of　course；　place　what　was　the

top　of　the　stack　downward　when　I　do　so。　　As　the　stack　is　on　the

side　edges　of　the　slates　when　I　first　up…edge　them；　I　next　bring

them　upon　the　end　edges；　while　I　put　the　band　in　place。　　It　is　now

easy　to　place　the　stack　of　slates　upon　the　sitter's　lap　with　the

top　slate　down　and　to　attract　no　notice　to　this　fact。　　This　is

because　the　position　has　been　changed　a　time　or　so　in　placing　the

band　on；　and　I　then　take　the　stack　in　my　hands　by　the　edges　of　the

slates；　and　simply　place　what　was　the　top　side　of　the　stack　in　the

beginning；　at　the　bottom。



In　due　time　I　tell　the　subject　to　make　an　examination　for　a

message；　and　of　course　four　or　five　slates　down　he　finds　a　message

on　the　upper　surface　of　one　of　the　slates。



This　seems　very　miraculous；　as　the　slates　have　been　so　repeatedly

examined　and　nothing　found。　　Finding　the　message　on　the　upper

surface　of　a　middle　slate；　where　but　a　moment　before　there　was

nothing；　seems　to　be　truly　a　marvel。　　The　subject　having　cleaned

and　stacked　these　slates　himself；　and　having　seen　them　examined　so

many　times；　naturally　feels　impressed　that　the　message　comes　by

some　superhuman　power。





THE　NAME　OF　THE　DEAD





In　the　book　entitled　Psychics：　Facts　and　Theories；　by　Rev。　Minot　J。

Savage；　at　page　15；　the　following　account　will　be　found：



〃Soon　I　began　to　hear　raps；　apparently　on　the　floor；　and　then　in

different　parts　of　the　room。　　On　this；　the　lady　remarked；　simply：

'Evidently　there　is　some　one　here　who　wishes　to　communicate　with

you。　　Let　us　go　into　the　front　parlor；　where　it　will　be　quieter。'

This　we　did；　the　raps　following　us；　or　rather　beginning　again　as

soon　as　we　were　seated。　　At　her　suggestion　I　then　took　pencil　and

paper　（which　I　happened　to　have　in　my　bag）；　and　sat　at　one　side　of

a　marble…top　table；　while　she　sat　at　the　other　side　in　a　rocker　and

some　distance　away。　　Then　she　said：　'As　one　way　of　getting　at　the

matter；　suppose　you　do　this：　　You　know　what　friends　you　have　in　the

spirit　world。　　Write　now　a　list　of　namesany　names　you　please；

real　or　fictitious；　only　among　them　somewhere　include　the　names　of

some　friends　in　the　spirit　world　who；　you　think；　might　like　to

communicate　with　you；　if　such　a　thing　were　possible。'　　I　then

began。　　I　held　a　paper　so　that　she　could　not　possibly　have　seen

what　I　wrote；　even　though　she　had　not　been　so　far　away。　　I　took

special　pains　that　no　movement　or　facial　expression　should　betray

me。　　Meantime　she　sat　quietly　rocking　and　talking。　　As　I　wrote；

perhaps　at　the　eighth　or　tenth　name；　I　began　to　write　the　name　of　a

lady　friend　who　had　not　been　long　dead。　　I　had　hardly　written　the

first　letter　before　there　came　three　loud　distinct　raps。　　Then　my

hostess　said；　'This　friend　of　yours；　of　course；　knows　where　she

died。　　Write　now　a　list　of　places；　including　in　it　the　place　of　her

death；　and　see　if　she　will　recognize　it。'　　This　I　did；　beginning

with　Vienna；　and　so　on　with　any　that　occurred　to　me。　　Again　I　had

hardly　begun　to　write　the　real　name；　when　once　more　came　three

raps。　　And　so　on；　concerning　other　matters。　　I　speak　of　these　only

as　specimens。



〃Now；　I　cannot　say　that　in　this　particular　case　the　raps　were　not

caused　by　the　toe　joints　of　the　lady。　　The　thing　that　puzzles　me　in

this　theory；　is　as　to　how　the　toe　joints　happened　to　know　the　name

of　my　friend；　where　she　died；　etc。；　which　facts　the　lady　herself

did　not　know；　and　never　had　known。〃



It　has　been　the　writer's　good　fortune　to　witness　practically　this

same　experiment；　performed　by　a　very　expert　medium；　Dr。

Schlossenger；　who　was　traveling　over　the　country　a　few　years　ago。



I　was　residing　at　that　time　in　Falls　City；　Neb。；　a　place　of　a　few

thousand　population。　　For　two　winters　I　had　traveled　some　as　a

magician；　so　when　the　medium　came　to　town；　and　began　to　perform　his

miracles；　certain　members　of　the　community　suggested　having　me

witness　one　of　his　seances；　thinking　I　would　be　able　to　discover

whether　his　tests　were　genuine；　or　whether　they　were　performed　by

the　aid　of　trickery。　　Accordingly；　one　evening；　a　prominent

physician　invited　me；　with　certain　relatives　and　friends；　to　attend

a　seance　given　in　his　parlors。



When　we　arrived　I　was　introduced　to　the　medium；　an　elderly

gentleman　with　a　long　white　beard；　and　wearing　glasses。　　He

appeared　to　be　slightly　deaf；　as　he　placed　his　hand　to　his　ear　and

had　my　name　repeated。　　He　was　introduced　to　the　remainder　of　the

company　en　masse；　the　names　of　the　visitors　not　being　given　to　him。



The　medium　soon　announced　that　〃his　mission　on　this　earth　was　to

absolutely　prove　to　humanity　the　immortality　of　the　soul。〃　　He　now

offered　to　give　some　tests　to　those　desiring　it；　and　asked　for　a

small　table　which　was　placed　in　an　adjoining　room。　　He　invariably

held　his　hand　to　his　ear；　to　catch　what　was　being　said；　being

apparently　quite　deaf。　　He　also