magic and real detectives-第32部分

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

apparently　quite　deaf。　　He　also　used　this　same　expedient　when

listening　to　the　voices　of　the　unseen　spirits；　and　reporting　their

communications。



My　father　and　another　gentleman　were　selected　for　the　first　test；

as　they　were　considered　very　skeptical　in　such　matters。　　As　they

retired　to　a　closed　room　I　did　not　see　the　experiment；　but　will

give　some　parts　of　it　as　reported　to　me；　farther　on。　　In　a　short

time　they　returned　to　the　parlor；　engaged　in　a　discussion　over　the

matter；　and　my　father　remarked；　〃I　do　not　know　how　you　got　your

information；　but　I　feel　certain　it　was　not　from　my　brother；　or　he

would　have　given　a　certain　point　correctly。〃　　The　medium　then　said；

〃If　I　will　tell　you　where　your　father　died；　and　the　disease　he　died

of；　will　you　be　convinced？〃　　My　father　replied；　〃I　suppose　I　will

have　to　be；　if　you　can　do　that。〃



They　then　retired；　and　the　medium　succeeded　partially　in　the

experiment；　and　would　have　certainly　succeeded　entirely；　had　my

father　followed　his　instructions。　　I　will　describe　what　was

reported　to　me　of　this　test；　farther　on。



I　now　offered　myself　for　a　test。　　I　retired　to　the　room　with　the

medium；　and　incidentally　offered　him　one　dollar　and　fifty　cents；

the　same　my　father　had　given　him；　but　he　refused　the　money；　saying：

〃Your　father　is　not　convinced；　and　I　will　not　take　any　more　money。〃



He　now　took　a　sheet　of　paper　from　a　tablet；　and　drew　five　straight

lines　across　it；　spacing　the　sheet　into　six　spaces　about　equal。

Next　taking　my　hand；　and　looking　earnestly　into　my　face；　he　said：

〃Promise　me　that　if　I　succeed；　you　will　not　make　light　of　this。

Promise　me；　for　this　is　very　sacred　to　me。〃　　I　did　so。　　He　now

directed　me　to　write　names　in　the　spaces　on　the　sheet；　any　names　I

pleased；　writing　but　one　name　in　each　space。　　All　the　names　were　to

be　of　living　or　fictitious　persons　except　one；　this　one　to　be　the

name　of　some　one　I　had　known　who　was　then　dead。　　He　said；　〃Be　fair

with　me；　and　I　will　scratch　out　the　dead　person's　name。〃　　These

were　his　exact　words；　therefore　I　in　no　way　tried　to　hide　my

writing　from　him；　although　he　stood　at　a　distance　and　did　not

appear　to　watch　me。　　I　took　a　pencil　and　began　writing　the　names；

being　unprepared　I　had　to　think　of　the　names　I　wished　to　write。　　I

desired　to　select　names　of　persons　living　at　a　distance；　so　that　he

could　in　no　possible　manner　know　them。　　While　I　was　writing　he

talked　incessantly；　which　in　spite　of　myself　divided　my　attention。

At　the　same　time　he　kept　urging　me　to　write；　and　immediately　after

urging　me；　would　begin　talking　rapidly　on　some　spiritualistic

subject。　　I　remember　saying；　〃You　must　give　me　time　to　think。〃　　I

thought　I　used　great　care；　so　as　to　write　each　name　with　the　same

precision；　and　tried　to　betray　no　emotion　when　writing　the　dead

person's　name。　　I　selected　the　name　〃Cora　Holt〃　for　the　dead

person's　name。　　This　was　the　name　of　an　aunt　who　had　died　in

another　State。



As　soon　as　I　had　written　the　names　he　asked　me　to　cut　them　apart

into　slips；　having　one　name　on　each　slip。　　Now　here　I　do　not

remember　whether　he　folded　them　himself；　or　had　me　help；　as　I　was

not　expecting　them　to　be　folded。　　However；　we　folded　each　one　into

a　billet　with　the　writing　inside。



He　now　directed　me　to　place　them　in　a　hat；　and　to　hold　the　hat

under　the　table；　take　out　the　billets　one　at　a　time；　and　throw　them

on　the　table　top。　　This　I　did　while　he　stood　with　his　right　arm

extended　toward　the　table　and　about　one　foot　above　it。　　After　I　had

thrown　a　few　billets　on　the　table；　as　I　threw　the　next　one；　I　heard

three　loud　distinct　raps。　　He　said；　〃There；　that's　the　one　that　is

dead。　　Open　it　and　see　if　I　am　right；　but　do　not　let　me　see　it。

Fold　it　up　again　and　place　it　in　your　pocket。〃　　I　opened　the

billet。　　I　did　not　know　what　the　name　would　be；　as　I　had　mixed　them

under　the　table；　yet　I　had　a　feeling　that　it　was　correct。　　I　opened

it　and　sure　enough　the　name　was　〃Cora　Holt。〃　　I　refolded　it；

placing　it　in　my　pocket。　　I　must　confess　that　I　felt　a　momentary

creepy　feeling　pass　over　me；　as　my　emotions　were　wrought　up　to　such

a　pitch　by　the　intense　manner　in　which　I　had　watched　all　the

details　of　the　experiment。　　I　informed　him　that　he　was　right；　but

did　not　tell　him　the　name。　　He　now　took　my　hand　in　his；　and　leading

me　into　the　parlor；　had　me　state　to　the　company　what　had　just

occurred。　　Now　placing　his　hand　on　my　head；　he　said：　〃I　will

endeavor　to　give　you　the　name。〃　　Closing　his　eyes；　his　body

trembled　or　shuddered　with　a　kind　of　paroxysm；　and　apparently　with

a　great　effort　he　pronounced　the　name　〃Cora　Holt。〃　　This　effort

seemed　to　greatly　exhaust　him；　and　coming　out　of　his　temporary

trance　he　begged　us　to　excuse　him；　saying　that　there　were　opposing

spirits　present　and　he　could　do　no　more　that　night；　that　he　had

done　all　for　us　that　lay　within　his　power。　　He　now　took　his　leave。



This　was　all　very　impressive　to　me　at　the　time；　except　the　raps。

It　was　only　afterwards　that　I　thought　out　the　explanation；　which　I

will　give　farther　on。　　As　to　the　raps；　they　had　the　sound　as　of　a

pencil　tapping　loudly　on　a　thin　strip　of　wood；　or　a　ruler；　and　not

the　sound　of　tapping　on　a　table。　　I　had　previously　known　of　the

mechanical　and　electrical　rappers；　supplied　by　certain　conjuring

depots；　and　worn　on　the　person　of　the　medium；　or　attached　to　a

table。　　My　impression　was　at　the　time　that　possibly　he　had　a　rapper

in　the　sleeve　of　the　arm　extended　over　the　table；　and　by　directing

the　attention　to　the　table　the　sound　would　appear　to　come　from

there。　　As　I　was　sitting　right　against　the　table；　I　will　say　that

the　sound　did　not　appear　to　me　to　come　from　the　table；　but　more

nearly　from　his　person。



Referring　again　to　the　test　given　my　father；　the　medium　first

announced　his　prices；　which　he　would　accept　if　satisfactory。　　This

was　agreed　to　and　paid。　　He　then　had　my　father　write　names　on　paper

in　a　manner　similar　to　the　way　I　have　described；　except　he　did　not

request　my　father　to　write　a　dead　person's　name；　instead；　he

requested　him　to　write；　among　other　names；　his　mother's　maiden

name；　his　wife's　maiden　name；　his　father's　name；　also　the　names　of

certain　members　of　his　family　and　of　some　of　his　friends；　some　of

whom　should　be　dead。　　This　my　father　did。



Among　the　names　written　by　my　father　was　his　mother's　maiden　name；

viz。；　〃Celestina　Redexilana　Phelps；〃　a　name　certainly　out　of　the

ordinary。　　He　also　wrote　his　wife's　maiden　name；　his　father's　name；

his　brother's　name；　and　several　other　namessix　or　eight

altogether。



When　the　medium　had　the　billets　taken　out　of　the　hat　he　said；　〃You

have　there　the　name　of　your　mother；　the　name　is　something　like

'Celestia　（not　Celestina）　Roxalena　（not　Redexilana）　Phelps；'〃　thus

giving　wrong　pronunciations　to　the　first　two　names。　　However；　when

my　father　opened　it；　sure　enough　it　was　his　mother's　maiden　name。

My　father　now　took　another　billet　which　had　written　thereon　his

father's　name。　　This　the　medium　gave　correctly；　stating　that　this

was　his　father's　name。　　The　next　billet　had　written　thereon　the

name　of　my　father's　brother；　the　name　was　James　Asahel　Abbott。〃

The　medium　then　said：　　〃Your　brother　James　is　here；　and　he　says　to

tell　you　that　he　is　happy　and　that　you　are　making　a　great　mistake

not　to　believe。〃



Now　this　brother　had　always　been　called　by　his　second　name　and　not

by　the　name　of　James。　　My　father　said；　〃If　you　are　my　brother；　give

me　your　full　name。〃　　The　medium　replied；　〃James　Ash…a…bell　Abbott；〃

giving　an　entirely　wrong　pronunciation　of　the　second　name。　　This　it

was；　with　some　other　error；　that　led　to　the　discussion　they　had　on

returning　to　the　parlor；　and　in　which　my　father　remarked；　〃If　you

get　your　information　from　the　dead；　they　should　be　able　to

pronounce　their　own　names　correctly。〃



My　father；　not　being　familiar　with　the　methods　of　trickery；　could

not　with　exactness　give　all　the　minute　details　of　the　test　as　I

would　have　wished；　and　as　I　never　had　an　opportunity　to　see　this

experiment　myself；　I　can　only　surmise　the　means　employed　in　its

production。



The　second　experiment　with　my　father　had　been　an　effort　to　tell　the

disease　of　which　my　grandfather　died；　also　the　place　where　he　died。

The　medium　required　my　father　to　write　on　the　usual　ruled　paper；　a

name　of　a　disease　and　also　a　name　of　a　place；　in　each　space；　that

is；　one　disease　and　one　place　in　each　space。　　He　remarked　in　giving

directions；　〃Like　New　York　measles；　Philadelphia　smallpox；　etc。〃

He　required；　however；　that　my　father　write　IN　THE　SAME　SPACE　the

correct　disease；　and　also　the　correct　place　of　his　father's　death。

The　remainder　of　the　spaces　were　to　contain　the　names　of　any

disease　or　any　place　he　might　choose。



This　my　father　did；　writing　in　one　space　〃Sacramento　dysentery。〃

This　was　the　correct　disease；　but　the　city　was　the　place　of　my

grandfather's　burial；　and　not　the　place　of　his　death；　the　latter

being　a　village　called　〃Hangtown。〃　　The　medium　quickly　gave

dysentery　as　the　disease；　and　Sacramento　as　the　place　of　my

grandfather's　death。　　It　was　plain　that　had　my　father　written　the

village　where　his　father　died；　instead　of　his　burial　place；　the

medium　would　have　succeeded。



This；　however；　proved　beyond　a　doubt　that　the　medium　obtained　his

information　FROM　THE　WRITING；　and　not　from　the　spirits　of　the　dead。



　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。



After　thinking　the　matter　over；　I　decided　that；　while　I　was

uncertain　as　to　the　manner　in　which　Dr。　Schlossenger　had　performed

all　of　these　experiments；　I　could　reproduce　two　of　them　with

certainty　as　often　as　he　did。　　I　immediately　made　the　trial　and

found　I　could　succeed　fully　nine　times　out　of　ten　on　an　average。　　I

might　state　that　the　doctor　also　failed　about　one　time　in　ten　on　an

average；　nevertheless；　the　people　of　the　community　were　greatly

excited；　talking　of