THOUGHT READING.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5885, 24 July 1884, Page 3

THOUGHT READING.

The Paris correspondent of the " DaUy News" gives an,account of a "thought reading , ' seance at the Hotel Continental, in which Mr Steuart Cumberland; who is exciting much attention on the Continent, wae the thought "reader." The writer , says;—" About .300 persons were invited, most of whom canie, and I sever was at a first theatrical representation at which there were more distinguished persons. The thought reader or feeler, and I think the latter epithet more applicable to Mr Cumberland's pretensions, having been greatly favored by the Austrian, Dresden, and Munich Royal families, and in Canada by the Marquis of Lome and the Princess Louise, attracted the elite of the Viennese Bavarian, Saxon, and English colonists here. Mr Cumberland, who is a pleasantlooking and rather handsome fair-haired man, being unable to speak French, addressed the assembly in English. He declared that he set up to no supernatural power, but only to a natural gift .which he had developed by assiduous practice. He was careful to say that be was not always successful, because those whose thoughts he wished to read should concentrate their minds upon the objects they wantedhimtodesignate. When he bandaged his eyes President Vieville stealthily hid M. Daudef s cane and then gave hie hand to Mr Cumberland, who after laying it on his own forehead started off with him to seek for it. M. Vieville afterwards eaid that his old practice as Judge of Instruction gives him great self-possession and control over his muscles, so that when he was near the cane no muscular movement in his hand betrayed consciousness of that fact. The cane was also passed to a person who was to hide it in such a manner that only intimate friend* knew where it wm. Mr Cumberland's search being vain, he complained through an interpreter that the mental attention of the President could not be concentrating on the object he thought of. A French journalist was then experimented upon unsuccessfully, but he subsequently confessed that in passing by a charming pink bonnet he allowed his thoughts to wander to its wearer. Prince Hohenlohe was then asked to hide his breastpin somewhere. Daring a momentary absence of Mr Cumberland he came to the easy chair on which I sat and asked mc to let him ■tick it in the bick thereof. Mr Camberland, on returning and being blindfolded, took the German Ambassador's hand, and in a very short time laid it on the breastpin. The query is whether Mr Camberland did lead Prince Holenlohe, or whether the latter unconsciously led him, his Serene Highness being an impressionable man. The thought-reader then proposed that somebody should think of the malady of an absent friend. The Princess Hohenlohe came forward at Mr Cumberland's request. She removed her mantle, and he felt her hands, arms, chest, shoulders, and then said she thought of a pulmonary affection, on which the Princess cried out ' No, it is a core throat.' That distinguished international commercial advo* cate and law reporter Mr Barclay was then asked to hide a bench of keys, and bf fore doing so to touch two places with them while Mr Cumberland was out of the room. iHe did Eβ, and Mr Cumberland found the places and the keys, which were shut up ion the key-board of the piano. Mr Barclay assured mc that he did not lead the thought-reader, but that he was not certain he was quite master of his nerves and muscles and did net give involuntary indica- | tions when near the hidden object. An experiment on Gount Hoyos was not quite successful, but a fat? that the Abbe de Meissaa thought of and which wae passed "on to a lady he did not know was found on her by Mr Cumberland. The seance seemed to mc like a spiritless game of blind man's buff, and I must se-y that I have seen more interesting experiments of , the kind at Neuilly and at gingerbread ' fairs. What was remarkable was the quality of the people who were experiment i talised on, their apparent faith, and tke Beeming conviction of Mr Cumberland that he has a thought-feeling gift."