Bob Cassidy - You Too Can Converse With The Dead.pdf - Bob Cassidy - mcgregor2001

You, Too, can Converse with the Dead

(Originally titled THE METHODS OF A DOCTOR OF THE OCCULT, Part One )

By David P. Abbott

This e-book version copyright August, 2000 by Robert Eric Cassidy

Not so very long ago I met a friend, a man of wealth, who was a firm

believer in spiritualism, and who frequently conversed with his dead

wife and daughter. I asked him if he could inform me whether or not

there were any good mediums in the city, as I should like to consult

one. He replied that at present there were none in Omaha of any

well developed psychic powers; that he was entirely satisfied on the

subject and did not require any demonstrations to convince himself of

the truths of spiritual science.

He informed me that the question was settled beyond all dispute; but

that if I were skeptical, there was said to be a medium in Council

Bluffs who possessed most wonderful powers.

I accordingly made other inquiries from those who were in a

position to know; and I learned that this medium, a celebrated

"Doctor of the Occult, Astrologer, Palmist and Spirit Medium," was

at that time giving private sittings in Council Bluffs to earnest

inquirers only, for the small sum of two dollars. I was informed that

his performances were of the most wonderful nature; that there was

no possibility of trickery of any kind; that he told you whatever you

desired to know, without your even asking him; that, in addition to

this, he had powers over the elements of nature; and, in fact, I was

led to believe that he was a true sorcerer of the olden days.

I determined at once to call on this renowned personage, and try to

secure a little information from the unseen world. Accordingly, one

Sunday afternoon I took the car that crossed the river, and in due

time arrived at the apartments of this wonderful doctor. I was met at

the door by an attendant, who accepted the fee and directed me to

enter the rooms of this mysterious person quietly; and if I found him

employed, by no means to disturb him, but merely to await his

pleasure; that he was frequently conversing with unseen beings, or

deep in some astrological computation and at such times it was not

safe to disturb him.

With a beating heart I entered the room where he was to be found.

This room was a large one. I did not see him at first. What attracted

my attention was a large map or painting on a piece of canvas which

hung on a wall space in the room. This painting had a representation

of the sun in its center. This could be discovered by the rays which

radiated from it in all directions. Around this sun were many stars,

and an occasional planet, among which Saturn and its rings were

very prominently depicted. There were numerous pictures of animals

and men, and of queer monsters, scattered among the stars.

Beneath this picture stood a large golden oak table at which sat this

delver into the occult, deeply engrossed in a study of the painting;

while with a little brush he figured and calculated, in a queer sort of

Chinese characters, which he drew on a sheet of paper. He also

seemed to be making a strange drawing on the same paper.

He was far too deeply engaged to notice my entrance, and continued

at his labors for some time, while I stood quietly and watched him.

Sitting on one end of this rather large table was a glass globe or

vessel, supported by three nickeled rods, something like a tripod.

Coming from the wall was a rather large nickeled tube or pipe which

curved over above the glass vessel, and continually allowed drops of

water to fall into the globe. From the side of this glass vessel there

led a small nickeled pipe which evidently carried away the waste

water.

Occasionally a little blue flame would appear on the surface of this

water, play about, and disappear. When this happened the body of

the medium was always convulsed slightly. After a time he seemed

to finish his calculations, and, in the manner of a great seer,

condescended to leave the realms of the spirits who rule the universe

and the destinies of men, and to descend to earth and for a time direct

his gaze toward this, He turned around and observed me for the first time.

He was a large, portly, fine looking gentleman of middle age, with very long

black hair which gave him a strange appearance. He wore a pair of

glasses low down on his nose; and from over these he condescended

to direct his gaze at, and to study me for a moment as a naturalist

might study some specimen that happened temporarily to attract his

notice. He soon informed me that the stars had told him something of

my coming and of the question that was worrying me; and he asked

me if I desired to consult the stars as to my destiny, to have him

decipher it from the lines of my palm, or whether I should prefer to

converse with the dead.

The last was my choice.

Not far from a window at one side of the room there was a small

table on which were a few articles. He directed me to be seated at this

table, and handed me a slip of paper of a size of probably four by five

inches. He directed me to write the question I desired answered on

this paper, and when through to fold the paper in halves three times

with the writing inside. I did so while he walked to his bowl of water

apparently paying no attention to me, and then returned.

When he had returned to a position opposite me at the table, he

reached to take my writing out of my hand; seeing which I quickly

bent down one corner of the paper and gave it to him. He directed

one sharp glance at me as I did this, at the same time picking up an

envelope from the table with his other hand. He held this envelope

open flap side toward me, and slowly inserted my paper into it. As

he did this, looking sharply at me, he remarked, "I am no

sleight-of-hand performer. You see your question is actually in the

envelope."

This was the case; for it was close to me and I could plainly see the

top of it against the back of the envelope, the lower portions being

inserted; and I could see the little corner folded down, as I had bent

it and I was certain he had not exchanged it. In fact he took occasion

to use his hands in such manner that I could see there was nothing

concealed about them, that he "palmed" nothing, and that he made no

exchange.

I was entirely satisfied that all was fair, and that no exchange had

been made. Next, he sealed the envelope, and holding it toward the

window, called my attention to the fact that as the envelope was

partly transparent I could see my paper within it and that it was

actually there. This was really the case. He now took a match, and

lighting it applied the flame to this identical envelope without its

leaving my sight; and proceeded to burn the last vestige of it and the

paper within it, allowing the ashes to drop into a small vessel on the

table. There was no doubt that he did not exchange envelopes and

that he burned it before my very eyes.

He now took the ashes and emptied them into the bowl of water on

the side table. A little blue flame appeared on the surface of the

water after that for a moment, and then disappeared. He now brought

from a drawer a number of slates, about eight or ten small slates with

padded edges. They were the smallest size of slates, I should judge;

and with them he brought another slate, a trifle larger, probably two

inches both longer and wider.

He requested me to examine thoroughly or to clean them all to my

own satisfaction, and to stack the small ones on the table, one on top

of the other; and when all were thus placed, to place the large slate on

top of the stack. While I was doing this he called to his attendant for

a drink of water, and incidentally stepped into the hall to receive it,

so that his servant would not profane this sanctuary with his presence.

Returning to the table he took a seat opposite me and placed one of

my hands and one of his on top of the slates. In due time he took up

the slates and we found nothing. He replaced them, and waited for a

few moments; then seeming dissatisfied with conditions, he took up

the top slate in his left hand and with his right hand began writing a

message for me. He did this like mediums do automatic writing,

with eyes half closed; and while writing his person was convulsed a

few times.

He then opened his eyes and read aloud what he had written, asking

me if it answered my question. I replied that it did not, as it was

entirely foreign to the subject. Then seeming dissatisfied, he

moistened his fingers, erased the writing, and replaced the top slate

on the stack of slates. He now placed his hands on this slate again,

and after a time examined it; but it was still free from writing.

He lifted up some of the other slates; but as there was no writing, he

scattered the slates around on the table and asked me to spread a

large cloth over them which he handed to me. This I did, and under

his direction placed my arms and hands over this. He walked to the

bowl of water on the side table, and gazed into it. I watched him; and

I saw a rather large flame appear on the surface of the water, dance

about, and disappear .He immediately informed me that he was

certain that I now had a message. He remained at a distance while I

examined the slates one by one.

Finally, on one of them I found a message, neatly written and

covering the entire slate. It read:

Mrs. Piper is a genuine medium. She possesses powers of

a very unusual nature. Her tests given Hyslop and others

are genuine. Do not be a skeptic. You are making a

mistake, dear friend. It is all plain to me now, and spirit is

all there is.

Now, the question I had written was addressed to a very dear friend

who is now dead, and read as follows:

In regard to the medium, Mrs. Piper, of whom we conversed on your last

visit, I would ask if she be genuine, and if the tests she gave Professor Hyslop

and others were genuine. Give me a test.

This was all nicely done, and I am sure would have greatly impressed

nearly everyone. Being a performer myself, I could of course follow

the performance in minute detail, and I am thus enabled to give to the

readers of this paper a detailed account of the method used by the

doctor.

I will state that since that time I have very successfully operated this

same test, minus the bowl of water and flame of fire; and that I can

assure all that it is very practicable and that it is very deceptive.

HOW THE TRICK SUCCEEDED

When the medium picked up the envelope in which to place my

paper, there was within it a duplicate piece of paper folded the same,

and of the same size (one inch and a quarter by two inches) as the

one I had folded. He kept the face of this envelope opposite me so I

could not see that side of it. On the face of it was a horizontal slit cut

with a knife. This slit was about two inches long and was situated

about halfway down the face of the envelope.

The duplicate folded paper was placed vertically in the envelope at

its center, so that its center was located against the slit. This piece of

paper was held in position by a touch of paste at a point opposite the

slit, which caused it to adhere to the inside of the back of the

envelope. When he picked up this prepared envelope with his left

hand, he did so with the slit side or face in his palm next to the

fingers of his left hand. This envelope lay slit side down before he

picked it up; so that I did not see the face of the envelope at all, and

he kept that side of the envelope from me during the entire trick.

The paper within the envelope had been placed far enough down so

that its top part was not exposed to my view. The envelope thus

Bob Cassidy - You Too Can Converse With The Dead.pdf

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