As the performer has requested the audience to take out their questions and read them over, they are usually held in their hands. The ushers often on seeing a person holding a question ask to see it for the purpose of assisting him in thinking about it. The ushers experience very little difficulty in collecting these questions, as the majority of the people in the audience believe that the performance is one in pure thought reading, and think the reason their questions are not answered is due to their being unable to concentrate their thoughts upon them, and as they are usually anxious for an answer are very willing to accept the proffered assistance of the ushers and give them their questions outright. The usher usually makes a few inquiries about the question. The usher, if he does not retain the question or slip, on walking down the aisle makes a copy of it on a little slip of paper, either in longhand or in some code understood by the assistant, and furthermore adds what information he has obtained about it.
Suppose the question be:—
“Where is my sister, Mary,” signed, “Annie Laurie.” The usher asks Miss Laurie when and where her sister was last heard from, and may be informed that it was a year ago, from Germany.
On the questioner’s slip or copy of same he writes: “last heard from in Germany a year ago.”
This slip and many others which he has obtained he rolls up into small balls, and on passing the performer, or under cover of talking to him, secretly passes him these slips. The performer in turn passes them through trap opening in the step to the assistant concealed under same, or possibly drops them over the railing of the lower box, if the assistant is concealed there, where they are gathered in from the floor of the box by the assistant and telephoned to medium.
The medium is now able to answer the person’s inquiry about their missing sister. She utilizes as much dramatic power as possible in her answers and works them up cleverly, often-times giving information in her answers which she gains from the written question alone. For instance, she will probably answer the “lost sister” question as follows:—
“Some one is sending me a thought from down stairs. It is a lady and I think her name is Annie Laurie.”
“I see the lady right here!” exclaims an usher, and a connection being now established between the medium and Miss Laurie, she is able to read the question. She proceeds.
“Miss Laurie is sending me a thought about her sister, and wants to know where she is.
“I think I can tell you your sister’s name, Miss Laurie. It is Mary. Isn’t that right? Yes,—I thought so, and you have not heard from her for over a year.