covered, so as to leave a hollow, and make the sounds louder. Wires were carried out to the legs of the table, inside the cover and the legs, by which the machinery was worked. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the machine, and the manner of working it, to describe them in detail; my business was simply to make the tables for the reception of the 'spirits;' and that I have done this in two instances, and am ready to do it in two or twenty more, if I can be paid for it, I am willing to assert. And if people will give a dollar a-piece to hear a little hammer strike inside a table bed, and run crazy about it, is it my fault?

"HIRAM PACK.

66

'448, Pearl Street,

"New York, March 25, 1853."

We shall now wind up this catalogue of sin and absurdity, by pointing out to the reader one advantage, at all events, of becoming a 'medium,' or having to do with them-which was stated to have been made manifest at St. Louis, in the "Despatch" paper of that city.

orifice, in which case the rappings become painfully and distinctly audible." There, reader, is the whole secret!!!

A young fellow, who from a sneering sceptic had become a believer, retired to rest, after having had his nervous system partially destroyed by the information, through the spirit of his grandfather, that he would shortly become a powerful "medium.” He was in his first comfortable snooze, when a clinking noise in the direction of the door awoke him. He listened attentively; the noise still kept on, very like the raps of the spirits on the table! He mustered up courage, and asked:

"Who is there ?"

There was no answer, and the noise stopped. "Anybody there?"

No answer!

"It must have been a spirit," said he to himself, "and I must be a medium. I'll try." Then aloud:

"If there is a spirit in the room, will it please to rap three times ?"

Three distinct raps were given in the direction of the bureau.

"Is it the spirit of my sister?"

No answer.

"Is it the spirit of my mother?”

Three raps!

"Are you happy?"

Nine raps.

"Do you want anything?"

A succession of very loud raps followed!!!

"Will you give me a communication if I get

up ?"

No answer.

"Shall I hear from you to-morrow?"

Loud raps again, in the direction of the door. "Shall I ever see you?"

The raps then came from the outside of the door. He waited some time for an answer, but none came. The spirit had gone; and after thinking over the extraordinary visit, he turned round, and "addressed himself again to sleep."

On getting up in the morning, in a state almost of bodily nudity, he found that the spirit of his mother had walked off with his breeches,* and the watch and purse he had put in the pockets of them. All things considered, the conclusion

* A little anecdote, though not exactly analogous to this subject, is so exceedingly droll, that we cannot resist telling it. A sheriff's officer came upon the stage of Drury Lane, some years since, with a process against the late Mr. Elliston, but without the least desire to annoy him. After our inquiry if he had much business on hand? he replied: "These d- -d lords give one more trouble nor anybody else. There is a pocket-book full of small hexecu

we have arrived at, is this, that the spirits may be the rappers, but the public are decidedly the tippers.

tions against Lord but I never could get into his house until to-day. Seeing the maid washing the steps, I asked if my Lord was in-she didn't know, but she'd ask the walet. So I followed her, and soon after followed him, into his Lordship's bed-room. My Lord sprung up, and finding what my business was, cried out, 'You can't touch anything here, for they are all my mother's!' Upon which, I seized hold of his breeches, lying on a chair, and holding 'em up, cried out, I suppose these aint your mother's !' As he had not long come home from Crockford's, where he had been a large winner, there was money enough in their pockets to pay all the hexecutions in mine!"

VOL I.

H

CHAPTER VII.

THE LAST INTERVENTION-NATIONAL GULLIBILITY-KOSSUTH

IN NEW YORK HIS RECEPTION AND

ENTERTAINMENT

FOUND IN EVERYTHING, AND FOUND OUT IN THE MAIN THING BY CHARLES INCLEDON-HIS NOTION OF

-ILLUSTRATED

CARRYING OUT A PRINCIPLE-THE DOLLAR EXACTION AND

THE ESTABLISHMENT, IN FACT, OF THE INDEPENDENT HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT-CHANCES OF HIS RETURN TO AMERICA

-PAYING THE PIPER WITH A VENGEANCE.

IT has often been asserted, and to a certain extent has been proved, that England is the most gullible nation under the sun, and that when humbug is at a discount in all other countries, it is generally above par in this. Many occurrences of bygone days, and some existent at the present moment, go a great way towards the