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Mr. Hall, of the "Portland Evening Courier," had announced his new discovery in spiritual science, several of the Portland spiritualists had a private "sitting" with the boy. While he sat with his hands upon the arm of one of their number, they tied a rope to his wrists, and around the person's arm, covering his hands in the way I have before described. After some wriggling and twisting (the usual amount of "nervousness,") the bell was heard to ring behind the clothes-horse. The boy's right hand was then examined, and it was found to be stained with some colored matter that had previously been put upon the handle of the bell. As the boy's wrists were still tied, and the rope remained upon the man's arm, the "transfer" theory was considered to be established as a fact, and the previous exposure shown to be not only no exposure at all, but a "stepping-stone to a grand truth in spiritual science." Again and again did these persistent and infatuated spiritualists try what they call the "transfer test," varying with each experiment the coloring-material used, and every time the bell was rung the medium's right hand was found out to be stained with what had been put upon the bell-handle. By having a little slack-rope between his wrist and the man's arm, it was not a difficult matter for the medium, while his "nervousness" was being manifested, to get hold of the bell and ring it, and to make sounds upon the strings of the dulcimer or guitar, with a drumstick that the "manager" had placed at a convenient distance from his (the boy's) hand. The "Portland Daily Press," in noticing a lecture against Spiritualism, recently delivered by Dr. Von Vleck, in that city, says:--"He (Dr. V. V.) performed the principal feats of the Allen boy, with his hands tied to the arm of the person with whom he was in communication." Horace Greeley says that if a man will be a consummate jackass and fool, he is not aware of anything in the Constitution to prevent it. I believe Mr. Greeley is right; and I think no one can reasonably be expected to exercise common sense unless he is known to possess it. It is quite natural, therefore, that many of the spiritualists, lacking common sense, should pretend to have something better. III. TRADE AND BUSINESS IMPOSITIONS. CHAPTER XVIII. ADULTERATIONS OF FOOD.--ADULTERATIONS OF LIQUOR.--THE COLONEL'S WHISKEY.--THE HUMBUGOMETER. It was about eight hundred and fifty years before Christ w
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