magic and real detectives-第34部分

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was　inclined　to　believe　that　this　strange　being　really　possessed

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

read　sealed　missives；　of　which　he　could　in　no　secret　manner　have

obtained　knowledge。



Accordingly；　on　Saturday　evening；　I　journeyed　to　a　city　one　hundred

miles　away　to　witness　the　work　of　this　modern　sorcerer。　　On　my

arrival　I　suggested　to　my　friend　a　number　of　ways　by　which　such

things　could　be　performed　by　trickery；　but　he　informed　me　that　none

of　my　explanations　seemed　to　elucidate　this　strange　work。　　The

secret　did　not　consist　in　the　use　of　odorless　alcohol；　for　the

reason　that　the　medium　never　touched　the　sealed　envelopes　at　all。

In　fact　he　was　never　nearer　to　them　than　ten　feet。　　This　also　made

it　impossible　for　him　to　use　the　principle　on　which　the　trick　is

based；　which　is　known　to　the　profession　as　〃Washington　Irving

Bishop's　Sealed　Letter　Reading。〃



He　informed　me　that　sheets　of　paper　or　cards　were　passed　to　the

spectators　in　the　audience；　and　at　the　same　time　envelopes　in　which

to　seal　their　questions　were　furnished　for　them；　that　the

spectators　wrote　questions　as　directed；　many　times　signing　their

own　names　to　them。　　He　was　certain　that　many　persons　folded　their

written　questions　before　sealing　them；　and　that　the　operator

himself　did　not　even　collect　the　envelopes　on　many　occasions。　　He

informed　me　that　the　best　evidence　of　the　genuineness　of　the

performance　lay　in　the　fact　that　the　medium　seemed　to　have　no　fixed

conditions　for　his　experiments；　but　seemed　to　perform　them　in　a

different　manner　on　each　occasion。　　The　conditions　were　different

in　every　case；　yet　he　always　read　the　questions　with　the　most

marvelous　certainty。



I　thought　the　matter　over　after　this；　but　could　in　no　way　think　of

any　plausible　means　of　accomplishing　his　work　by　trickery。　　I

finally　decided　to　wait　and　see　the　performance　first；　and　to

figure　afterwards　on　the　method　employed。



Accordingly；　at　eight　o'clock　that　evening　I　was　seated　in　the　hall

with　my　friend；　and　shortly　afterwards　the　〃Seer〃　made　his

appearance；　taking　his　seat　on　the　stage。　　He　was　a　very　slender

personage；　with　long　hair　and　a　particularly　ghostly　look。　　He　took

his　seat　quietly　on　the　stage。　　In　a　short　time　his　manager

appeared　and　made　an　opening　address；　which　I　will　not　repeat；　and

then　asked　some　boy　in　the　audience　to　pass　cards　around　to　the

spectators　on　which　they　were　to　write　questions。　　Envelopes　were

also　distributed；　in　which　to　seal　the　cards。　　When　the　writing　was

finished；　the　manager　asked　any　boy　to　take　a　hat　which　he　held　in

his　hand；　and　collect　the　sealed　envelopes。　　After　the　boy；　whom

everyone　knew　to　be　a　local　resident；　kindly　volunteered　for　this

service　and　executed　it；　a　committee　was　invited　to　the　stage　to

properly　blindfold　the　medium。　　This　was　done　in　a　satisfactory

manner；　and　the　committee　then　returned　to　the　audience。　　The

manager　now　led　the　blindfolded　medium　to　the　rear　of　the　stage；

where　he　was　seated　somewhat　behind　a　table；　on　which　were　some

flowers；　a　music　box；　etc。　　However；　the　medium　was　in　view

plainly；　and　he　never　removed　the　bandage　from　his　eyes　or　in　any

manner　molested　it。



When　the　boy　came　on　the　stage　directly　from　the　front　with　the　hat

full　of　sealed　envelopes；　the　manager　placed　a　handkerchief　over

the　hat　and　asked　the　boy　to　take　a　seat　near　the　front　of　the

stage　facing　the　audience。　　He　was　also　directed　to　hold　the　hat　in

his　lap；　and　to　deliver　the　envelopes　to　the　manager；　one　at　a

time；　as　he　should　call　for　them。



The　operator　now　delivered　a　lecture；　lasting　some　ten　or　fifteen

minutes；　explaining　the　strange　powers　of　the　blindfolded　medium；

who　sat　at　the　rear　of　the　stage　in　full　view；　while　the　boy　still

maintained　the　seat　at　the　front　of　the　stage；　and　held　the　hat　of

envelopes　in　sight　of　all。



After　the　lecture；　the　manager　requested　the　boy　to　give　him　one　of

the　envelopes；　which　the　boy　did。　　The　manager　did　not　look　toward

it　in　any　manner；　but　took　it　in　the　tips　of　his　right　fingers；

held　it　in　the　air；　and　asked　the　medium　to　give　the　writer　of　this

question　a　test。　　The　medium　shivered　a　few　times；　allowed　his

frame　to　convulse　slightly；　and　thus　began：



〃I　feel　the　influence　of　one　who　was　a　brother。　　I　get　the　name　of

Clarence。　　Will　the　one　who　wrote　this　question　identify　it　as

his？〃　　There　was　no　response　from　the　spectators；　and　the　medium

asked　again　that　the　writer　speak　out。　　Still　silence　greeted　his

request；　when　suddenly　he　pointed　his　bony　finger　into　the　crowd；

while　his　blinded　face　confronted　them；　and　exclaimed：　〃Mr。　John

H；　why　do　you　not　respond　to　your　test？〃　　A　gentleman　in　the

audience　then　acknowledged　the　test　as　his。　　The　medium　then

continued：　〃Clarence　was　drowned。　　I　sense　the　cold　chilly　water　as

it　envelopes　his　form。〃　　At　this　the　lady　sitting　with　the

gentleman　began　to　cry。　　The　medium　continued：　〃The　drowning　was

wholly　an　accident。　　There　was　no　foul　play。　　Now；　Mr。　H；　have

I　answered　your　question；　and　are　you　satisfied　with　your　test？〃

The　gentleman；　a　well…known　citizen；　acknowledged　that　he　was

perfectly　satisfied。



The　manager　then　laid　the　envelope　on　a　small　table　and　asked　the

boy　for　another　one。　　The　boy　gave　him　another　from　the　hat　when

the　blindfolded　medium；　ten　feet　or　more　distant；　gave　the　second

test。



He　shivered　again　and　began：　〃I　feel　the　influence　of　a　young　lady

who　died　suddenly。　　She　says；　'Sister　Mary；　I　am　very　happy；　and

death　was　not　so　hard　to　endure。　　I　want　you　to　consult　a　good

honorable　attorney；　and　take　his　advice　in　the　lawsuit　you　ask　me

about。'〃　　The　medium　then　continued；　〃　Miss　L；　your　sister

regards　you　with　a　look　of　great　tenderness　and　love。　　Are　you

satisfied　with　your　test？〃　　A　lady　then　replied　that　she　certainly

was　entirely　convinced。



The　manager　now　laid　this　sealed　envelope　beside　the　other　one　and

again　called　for　another。　　This　was　continued　until　all　of　the

envelopes　in　the　hat　were　removed　and　the　questions　answered。　　None

of　the　envelopes　were　opened。　　In　some　instances　the　medium　first

read　the　questions；　word　for　word；　before　answering　them；　and　when

he　did　so；　he　described　the　writing　minutely；　even　the　formation　of

the　strokes　of　the　letters。



After　all　of　these　tests　were　given；　the　medium　removed　the

blindfold　and　seemed　much　exhausted。　　Then　the　tables　were　removed

to　one　side　of　the　stage；　and　a　cabinet　erected；　after　which　some

cabinet　manifestations　that　were　very　interesting　were　given。　　When

these　were　over；　the　manager　collected　the　sealed　envelopes　from

the　table；　and　placed　them　on　the　front　of　the　stage；　inviting　the

writers　to　call；　should　they　so　desire；　and　get　their　questions。

Some　availed　themselves　of　this　opportunity　and　tore　open　a　number

of　the　envelopes　until　they　found　their　own　questions。　　The

audience　seemed　greatly　impressed　with　this　exhibition；　and　the

next　day　it　was　the　talk　of　the　town。



　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。



On　the　next　evening　I　again　repaired　to　the　public　hall　to　witness

and；　if　possible；　fathom　this　performance。　　This　time；　however；　I

found　that　an　entirely　different　method　was　employed。　　Envelopes

and　slips　of　paper　were　distributed；　and　after　the　questions　were

written　and　sealed　the　manager　went　about　the　room；　gathering　them

up　in　a　small　black　bag　with　a　drawstring　around　its　top。　　As　he

gathered　up　each　one；　and　while　the　writer　still　held　it；　he　gave

to　that　person　a　number　which　was　to　serve　as　that　particular

person's　number　during　the　tests。　　At　the　same　time　the　manager

marked　the　number　on　the　subject's　envelope；　while　the　subject　held

it；　drawing　a　circle　around　the　figure；　after　which　the　subject

dropped　the　envelope　into　the　sack。



When　all　were　collected；　the　operator　took　the　sack　in　the　tips　of

his　fingers；　and　holding　it　aloft；　walked　up　the　runway　to　the

stage　where　a　cord　hung　from　a　screw…eye　fastened　in　the　ceiling

above。　　The　other　end　of　the　cord　was　attached　to　a　piece　of

furniture　on　the　stage。　　The　manager　now　attached　the　black　bag

containing　the　envelopes　to　the　end　of　this　string；　and　then　taking

the　other　end；　drew　the　bag　up　to　the　ceiling　near　the　screw…eye；

where　it　remained　in　full　view　during　the　tests。



While　the　manager　was　doing　all　this；　the　ghost…like　medium　had

been　walking　about　the　stage；　reading　in　a　large　Bible。　　He　now

laid　the　Bible　on　a　table　and　advanced　to　the　front　of　the　stage；

while　the　manager　delivered　a　lecture　on　spiritual　philosophy　and

also　on　the　strange　power　of　the　medium。　　After　this　the　manager

announced　that　the　medium　would　hold　a　Bible　service；　during　which

time　he　would　give　the　tests。



The　medium　now　took　his　Bible；　and　seating　himself　in　a　chair

facing　the　audience；　began　by　reading　a　verse。　　After　this　he

closed　his　eyes　for　a　time；　and　then　gave　the　first　test。　　He

began：　〃I　will　give　these　tests　in　the　order　in　which　the　manager

gave　you　your　numbers；　commencing　with　number　one。　　Now；　Mrs。　Clara

S；　I　see　standing　near　you　an　elderly　lady；　somewhat　stooped；

but　I　cannot　see　her　face　plainly。　　She　seems　to　be　your　mother。

She　says　to　tell　you　that　your　son　is　doing　well　where　he　is；　and

for　you　not　to　worry；　for　he　will　return　to　you　in　time。　　Are　you

satisfied？〃　　A　lady　in　the　audience　was　visibly　affected；　and

acknowledged　that　the　medium　had　answered　her　question　correctly。

The　medium　read　another　verse　in　the　Bible；　after　which　he　gave　the

second　test　in　a　manner　similar　to　the　way　in　which　he　had　given

the　first　one。　　After　this　he　read　another　verse；　and　so　continued

until　all　the　questions　in　the　sack　were　answered。　　The　manager　now

lowered　the　sack；　and　emptying　the　envelopes　into　a　small　basket

distributed　them　unopened　to　their　writers。



The　effect　of　this　exhibition　was　fully　as　great　as　was　that　o