magic and real detectives-第33部分

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average；　nevertheless；　the　people　of　the　community　were　greatly

excited；　talking　of　his　miracles；　in　groups　on　the　streets；　for

some　days。　　The　medium　was　coining　money；　yet　I　found　a　few　cases

where　he　failed　totally。　　The　failures　were　seldom　mentioned；　it

was　the　successes　that　excited　the　people。



The　method　I　use　in　reproducing　the　first　test　given　me；　is　to　so

direct　the　attention　of　the　subjects　before　the　writing；　by　my

discourse；　as　to　cause　them　to　select　unconsciously　the　name　of　the

dead　person　in　advance。　　This　is　easily　managed　with　a　little

practice　in　talking；　and　still　they　will　never　guess　that　it　is

done　on　purpose。



Now；　as　they　begin　to　write；　they　will　naturally　pause　before

writing　each　name；　to　think　of　a　name　to　write。　　The　pause　may　be

but　slight；　yet　there　is　some　pause。　　Of　course；　when　they　write

the　selected　name；　no　pause　will　be　necessary；　and　if　hurried

properly　at　that　time　they　will　make　none。　　This　is　the　object　of

the　incessant　talking　during　the　experiment。　　If　left　to

themselves；　the　subjects　will；　in　about　one　half　of　the　cases；

write　the　selected　name　in　the　third　space　from　the　top。　　In　about

half　of　the　remaining　cases　the　selected　name　will　be　written　in

the　fourth　space　from　the　top。　　This　is　especially　true　if　in　your

instructions　you　direct　the　subject　to　〃mix　the　dead　person's　name

somewhere　in　among　the　others　where　you　cannot　know　where　it　is。〃

In　the　remaining　cases　the　subjects　are　liable　to　write　the

selected　name　anywhere；　generally　first　or　last。　　Now　my　object　is

to　so　manipulate　my　subjects　as　to　cause　them　to　write　the　selected

name　when　I　want　them　to　do　so。　　This　is　done　by　continuous

talking；　and　distracting　their　attention　until　the　proper　moment。

I　choose　the　third　space；　since　this；　being　the　one　they　are　most

liable　to　choose　of　their　own　accord；　is　the　easiest　to　force。

Just　as　they　begin　to　write　the　first　name；　before　they　make　a

mark；　I　say　suddenly；　〃Now　be　sure　and　select　names　of　living

persons　that　I　could　not　possibly　know。〃　　This　is　almost　certain　to

insure　a　pause；　and　the　name　of　a　living　person　to　be　written

first。　　I　continue　my　talking　in　a　natural　manner；　taking　the

attention　to　a　great　extent　from　the　writing；　and　nearly　always

observing　another　pause　just　before　writing　the　second　name。　　When

the　second　name　is　almost　finished　I　exclaim　suddenly；　〃Now　write

as　rapidly　as　possible！〃　　If　the　subjects　have　been　properly

impressed　with　the　seriousness　of　the　experiment；　they　will　almost

invariably；　on　finishing　the　second　name　（in　obedience　to　my

command　〃to　be　as　rapid　as　possible；〃　and　in　their　desire　to　please

me）；　hurry　into　the　name　already　in　their　minds；　thus　writing　the

selected　name　in　the　third　place。　　If　such　is　the　case　they　will

now　most　surely　pause　to　think　of　a　fourth　name。　　If　so；　I　am

certain　that　I　now　know　the　selected　name。　　However；　if　they　should

rapidly　pass　into　the　fourth　name；　it　is　then　uncertain　whether　the

selected　name　is　in　the　third　or　fourth　space。　　This；　however；

seldom　happens　if　worked　in　an　expert　manner。



In　rare　cases　the　subject　cannot　be　manipulated　by　the　performer；

in　which　case　it　is　purely　guesswork；　even　in　such　cases；　however；

I　stand　one　chance　in　six　of　succeeding；　and　if　I　make　a　second

trial　on　failing　（not　uncommon　with　mediums）；　I　stand　one　chance　in

three　of　succeeding。



It　is　hardly　worth　while　to　say　that　as　I　fold　the　billets；　I　fold

the　third　one　slightly　different　from　the　rest；　so　that　while　it

will　not　attract　attention；　I　can　see　at　a　glance　what　it　is　when

thrown　on　the　table。　　I　memorize　the　name；　also；　if　in　doubt；　I

fold　a　second　choice　in　a　still　different　manner　for　a　second

trial。　　Frequently　I　memorize　more　of　the　names；　folding　so　I　can

pick　them　out。　　Then；　after　giving　the　dead　person's　name　with

proper　effect；　I　pick　up　the　others；　hold　them　to　my　head　and　call

out　the　names。　　The　effect　of　this　on　a　subject　is　very　impressive。



With　a　little　practice　the　above　test　can　be　given　with　very　small

chance　of　failure；　and　in　the　event　of　making　a　failure　it　can　be

explained　by　the　statement　that　〃there　are　opposing　spirits

present；〃　or　some　similar　excuse。　　If　one　has　other　tests　at　his

command；　it　is　well；　in　the　event　of　failure；　to　announce　that　he

will　try　something　else；　and　then　give　another　test。　　As　these

experiments　are　always　tried　alone　with　one　or；　at　most；　two

subjects；　a　failure　attracts　little　notice。



Now　I　cannot　say　positively　that　Dr。　Schlossenger　performed　this

experiment　in　exactly　this　same　manner；　but　I　do　have　a

recollection　of　his　hurrying　me　along　in　my　writing　at　some　stage

of　its　progress。　　I　also　know　that　I　can　succeed　as　often　as　he

did。　　I　will　add　further　that　a　few　days　later　I　prepared　six　names

in　advance；　and；　with　my　wife；　had　a　sitting　with　the　medium；　this

time；　although　I　paid　him；　he　failed　utterly。　　He　tried　in　every

way　and　had　me　write　additional　names。　　This　time　I　guarded　the

points　in　the　above　explanation；　yet　no　matter　how　he　tried；　he

made　an　utter　failure。　　All　tricks　require　certain　conditions；　and

this　is　why　it　is　not　safe　to　repeat　the　same　trick　for　the　same

person。　　There　is　too　much　danger　that　the　subject　may　notice　the

sameness　of　the　modus　operandi。



Referring　to　the　second　test　which　was　given　by　the　medium　to　my

father；　I　will　state　that　when　the　subjects　are　writing　the　cities

and　diseases；　they　will　naturally　pause　after　writing　the　city；　to

think　of　a　disease　to　go　with　it。　　Of　course；　when　writing　the

correct　ones；　which　are　already　in　mind；　no　pause　will　be

necessary。　　Also　advantage　may　be　taken　of　the　fact　that　a　small

per　cent　of　persons　die　of　smallpox　or　measles。　　If　in　giving　the

directions　one　says；　〃Write　like　this：　'Philadelphia　smallpox；　New

York　measles；'〃　and　the　subject　writes　smallpox　or　measles　in　the

list；　it　is　safe　to　eliminate　that　from　the　case。　　This　is

especially　true　if　written　in　connection　with　some　large　city；　the

name　of　which　occurs　readily　to　the　mind。　　It　is　safe　also　to

eliminate　Philadelphia　or　New　York　if　these　should　be　written；

providing　you　mentioned　these　names　in　the　directions；　and　that　the

test　is　not　being　given　in　their　section　of　the　country。　　A　small

per　cent　of　the　people　of　a　country　die　in　any　two　places　of

prominence。　　Yet　these　places　will　be　written　readily　by　most

subjects　if　they　are　suggested；　or　at　least　other　places　of　equal

prominence　will　be　written。　　If　an　unusual　place　or　disease　should

be　written；　it　is　almost　certain　these　are　the　ones。



It　can　readily　be　seen　how　expert　one　can　become　at　this　by

continuous　practice；　such　as　a　medium　has　many　times　a　day；　how　one

can　learn　to　take　advantage　of　every　little　point；　and　use　it　with

telling　effect　on　unsuspecting　strangers；　who　do　not　know　what　is

going　to　happen；　or　what　to　look　for。



I　have　been　told　that　Dr。　Schlossenger　had　a　very　sharp　eye；

although　wearing　glasses；　and　that　the　glasses　were　probably　to

make　the　subject　think　it　impossible　for　him　to　read　writing　when

they　were　moved　out　of　position　and　placed　on　the　forehead；　as　they

were　during　the　tests。　　It　has　also　been　suggested　that　his　poor

hearing　was　feigned；　to　enable　him　to　hear　remarks　made　about

himself　in　his　presence。　　I　have　suspected　that　his　memory　had

become　trained　to　a　high　degree　of　accuracy；　enabling　him　to　give

his　tests　with　such　marvelous　success；　as　he　did　with　nearly　all

wherever　he　went。　　That　he　does　not　use　one　set　of　principles　only

in　his　tricks；　I　am　certain；　but　has　many　more　at　his　command　which

he　uses　continually。　　However；　I　can　only　vaguely　guess　at　them

from　having　seen　his　tests　but　once。



Now；　I　do　not　say　that　this　was　the　method　employed　by　the　lady

with　Rev。　Savage；　given　in　the　account　at　the　beginning　of　this

chapter。　　But　as　the　experiments　are　practically　the　same；　it　is

safe　to　conclude　that　the　methods　used　are　the　same；　or　nearly　so。

If　the　test　were　genuine　in　the　case　of　the　lady　mentioned；　it　was

probably　genuine　in　the　case　of　Dr。　Schlossenger。　　On　the　other

hand；　if　it　were　trickery　in　one　case；　it　probably　was　in　both。







MIND　READING　IN　PUBLIC





Not　long　ago　I　received　a　letter　from　an　old…time　friend；　in　which

he　urgently　requested　me　to　make　a　journey　to　his　city。　　In　bygone

days　he　and　I　had　spent　many　hours　together；　discussing　the

mysteries　of　existence；　the　hidden　powers　which　nature　manifests　to

us；　and　the　origin　and　destiny　of　the　human　soul。　　My　friend　is　a

physician；　and　what　is　more；　an　earnest　student；　and　he　is　also　an

investigator　of　that　strange　phenomenon　in　nature　which　manifests

itself　in　organized　beings　subjectively；　as　thought；　feeling　and

things　spiritual。



Many　times　had　we　discussed　the　possibility　and　also　the

probability　of　an　existence　of　the　spiritual　part　of　man　after

death。　　Many　times　had　he　reported　to　me　cases　of　strange　phenomena

that　tended　to　prove　the　indestructibility　of　spirit。



When　I　received　this　missive；　it　stated　to　me　that　the　writer　most

earnestly　desired　my　presence　in　his　city；　that　I　might　assist　in

investigating　a　very　strange　and　marvelous　case　of　psychic

phenomena。　　The　case　was　that　of　a　certain　traveling　spirit　medium；

who　claimed　the　power　to　summon　from　the　realms　of　the　invisible

the　shades　of　our　departed　friends　and　loved　ones。　　He　gave　most

marvelous　exhibitions　to　prove　his　strange　and　miraculous　power。

My　friend　stated　that　he　thought　he　had　at　last　found　a　person　with

at　least　some　queer　psychical　gift；　if　not　even　possessing　the

power　that　he　claimed。　　He　had　watched　the　exhibition　most

carefully；　and　had　even　served　on　a　committee　on　the　psychic's

stage；　and　he　could　find　no　evidence　of　trickery　of　any　kind。　　He

was　inclined　to　believe　that　this　strange　being　really　possessed

the　power　of　vision　without　the　use　of　human　eyes　as　he　c