as an easy physiological
explanation of all the effects that the "Fox Sisters," or any other
"rappers," produced. The raps caused by the "Fox Sisters" on this occasion
were but feeble and uncertain. When other "mediums" were under
examination, the close watch kept upon them by the learned investigators
seemed greatly to disconcert them and prevented the possibility of any
pronounced "manifestations" taking place.

The _Courier_ had issued a challenge offering five hundred dollars to any
one who would "communicate a single word imparted to the 'spirits,'" by
its editor "in an adjoining room," who would "read a single word in
English, written inside a book or sheet of paper folded in such a manner
as we may suggest; who would answer with the aid of all the higher
intelligences he or she can invoke from the other world, _three questions_
* * *;" and it added:

"And we will not require Dr. Gardiner or the 'mediums' to risk a single
cent on the experiment. If one or all of them can do one of these things,
the five hundred dollars shall be paid on the spot. If they fail, they
shall pay nothing; not even the expense incident to trying the
experiment."

The Committee made a report which declared that nothing had been done
which entitled any one to receive the sum offered by the _Courier_.
Therefore no award was made.

A library might be written containing only accounts of private
investigations of "spiritual phenomena" by able and scientific observers,
all of which conduced to but one verdict, that every pretense of
Spiritualism is a fraud. I deem it more appropriate, however, and entirely
adequate to my purpose, to restrict my citations from such inquiries to
those which had an absolutely undeniable official or authoritative
character.

CHAPTER XI.

THE SUPREME AUDACITY OF FRAUD.

The multitude of forms that a certain kind of deception, when once it
obtains a foothold in the public mind, will assume, is often wonderful.

Spiritualism has resorted to all the trickery that for ages has been used
to delude and delight the populace.

Much of it could be traced back to the very first mountebanks who wandered
about the streets of the ancient cities, or squatted at the gates of
palaces or in market-places to catch the frequent obolus from the curious
passer-by.

In every country under the sun, the trade of deception has been turned to
the account of religious superstition. The Hindus, in particular, excel in
thi