'Twixt two worlds : a narrative of the life and work of William Eglinton

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\B 'Twixt Two TJor/t/s.
while the power remained, to snatch up the music-box and maim him before he could injure
the
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medium " and " Joey " gave the great music-box a swing. " Could a spirit materialise
through a cage" I asked. "I've got a good idea," said "Joey," "a very good idea
an excellent idea. Put the medium in a hen-coop ; one of those long ones." In conclusion,
he invited me behind the curtain. I felt the medium's head, and took both his hands
in mine. They were quivering like leaves. The spirit meanwhile stood beside me, seen by
all the sitters.
IV.
On June 19th a seance was held in the garden. Having no hen-coop with which to
follow out the suggestion of "Joey," we constructed a cage out of materials at hand. Two
wooden frames hinged together were set upon the garden bench in the shape of a gable roof.
Stout wire network was stretched over the two frames and spiked to it. [A portion only of
this wire network is shown in Fig. 2.] A strong cord, without knot or splice, was wound
round and round the frame-work, at each revolution passing through a mesh of the
net. Thus every mesh which touched the frame was bound tightly down to it. The two
Fig. 2.—A Novel Test.
ends of the cord were finally made to meet en the top of the frame (C), were tied
together, and sealed. Over one end of the cage (A) was spread another piece of netting,
partly overlapping the first pieces, and bound firmly to the frame in the same manner, the
ends of the cord being sealed together near the other seal (C). The other end of the cage
was left open for the medium to enter. The contrivance was then fastened firmly to the
bench. The test-fastenings, which alone will be described, consisted of four cords passing
from the frame on each side (E, G, I, J) t0 spikes driven into the legs of the bench (as
at F, [-)), and sealed to the wood. The netting which covered the end of the cage (A) was,
moreover, nailed to the timber (K), each nail being sealed. Rugs and a pillow being placed
in the cage, the medium, clad in his overcoat, crawled in, and the open end was closed by a
fourth piece of netting, secured to the frame by another cord, the ends of which were sealed
together at D- This netting was not nailed to the bench at B, but could not be raised more
than two inches without violence to the wirework.
The modes of escape from this cage were as follows:— 1. Break through the netting.
2. Make an aperture between the netting and the frame (a) by untying the sealed knot,
:
unravelling the cord from the meshes, and raising the netting from the spikes ; (6) by breaking