The Ghost-Maker of Buffalo Gets Busted in Tacoma
A traveling spiritualist promising to summon the dead is exposed as a charlatan after an electric battery—and a hysterical scene at a hotel—reveals her 'spirit' tricks.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mrs. Cobb, a traveling spiritualist from Buffalo, New York, recently spent four days in Tacoma holding séances. Her performances were claimed to be nothing more than a 'shining light' and she asserted that she could reveal spirits. Among those who witnessed her performances was Mrs. James of Seattle. The audience was initially impressed, and Mrs. Cobb charged hefty fees for private séances. At last, the demand was so great that a hall was rented for the final event, where more than twenty people were gathered to 'wake up the dead.' Among the attendees were skeptics and journalists. Mrs. Cobb claimed she could produce manifestations in a dark room; however, her 'spirits' were not ghosts but staged acts. When the lights were turned on, Mrs. Cobb was discovered with a spirit lamp, a megaphone, and gauze. She was dressed in white and talking in hushed tones to fool the crowd. A journalist named Mr. Barter, who had been investigating, exposed her deception before the audience. Mrs. Cobb and her husband eventually confessed to the fraud, agreeing never to attempt such deceit again. The following morning, Mrs. Cobb had another set of hysterics at the Clermont Hotel, and Dr. Sarah H. Morris was summoned. She put an electric battery into requisition, and the hysterics were at an end in less time than it takes to tell. The Cobbs have now returned to the Backer farm, and the local colony of Spiritualists feels completely undone.
“Mrs. Cobb claimed she could produce manifestations in a dark room; however, her 'spirits' were not ghosts but staged acts.”
Spiritualism was a massive cultural phenomenon in the late 19th century, often blending genuine grief with stage magic. Just as modern social media influencers and 'wellness' gurus sometimes pedal questionable products to vulnerable followers, Mrs. Cobb exploited the desire for connection in a rapidly changing Seattle and Tacoma.
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