The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-04-30
EXPOSURE OF A MEDIUM.
w. r. Church Found Outfits Jug
gleries---A Pupil of the DaVen-
p0rts---The Swiss Girl a Humbug---
The Great Indian a Myth.

The St. Louis Republican contains
a card, signed by twenty or more of
the most respectable citizens of Belle
vile, ILL.,, including ex-Judges, law
yers and doctors, certifying to the de-
lection of the great frauds by which
Mr.. w. T. Church has been deceiving
the people of St. Louis, and various
parts of Missouri. The following is
the card
vile, III, on Sunday evening, April
23d instant, CAST night at the Belle
vile House, sat as members of circle
for the production of spiritual. mani
festations. The medium or conduc-
tor was w. L. Church, of ST. Louis,
Mo-, formerly of Springfield, Iii
nois. Many of us had made Sc
ance with the same Church, in
the same room, week ago, whereat
music was heard on castinets, the ac-
eorGeon. and OF bells, made by a
Swiss girl" lights were seen flashing
along the ceiling; an Indian, calling
himself : Milwaukee" stalked with
heavy tread over the floor; and spoke
in gutteral tones and broken English;
and the spirit of a boy, drowned, ap-
peared to his mother, who was present
as one of the circle, and touched her
on the forehead, producing an affect
ing and painful scene Other mani
festations occurred of a character to
shake skepticism. This was in the
dark, condition necessary for the
materializing " of spirits, and with
Church tied in his chair and fastened
to the floor, as was supposed. The
time was Sunday night, April 18th,
inst. M
Last nightanothercircle was formed,
larger than the first. The medium,
with one Alfred Freming, of Saint
Louis, made his appearance. Church
was duly tied, the lights extinguished,
and all was dark. After much effort
in 'tharmonizing 7 the circle, the
spirits made themselves manifest-the
swiss girl I" first, and next MIN
waukee, the big Indian, said to be
seven feet two inches high, with heavy
tIru ifrur g'buee Iar I'M tine 1rst scene Of
the first act, when he was seized ard
grappled with by one of the circle.
Captain Patrick partly escaping from
this grasp, he was seized by Cap
tain AUndel, who, unknown to Pat
rick, was gropingin the dark for the
same object. Jerking loose from his
second captor as from the first, who
came in collision with each other in
the dark, " Milwaukee fed to his
seat, the seat of Church, the juggler.
Lights were struck before he could
retie himself, and there he sat cow
ardly and trembling imposter in his
stockings-himself united with his
shoes beside him. When asked by.
DIR. Harris how he got them off. he
said, Milwaukee took them off and
united me" A search produced from
his pocket The hair of the 4 Swiss
Girl in two large locks, and some
instruments of his trade--a prodding
bit, serewdrieer and keys, supposed
to be for the unlocking of handouts,
&c. He had offered to be handcufed,
No violence was done him. He was
not even prosecuted for Juggling with
out license, but permitted to leave
Belleyille on the next train and go on
hiS way.
The undersigned, in making this
publication; do SO with no desire to
ihjure the cattse of truth, or of a true
spifitlalism; but with the hope that
every attempt like that of Church
last night to impose pseudo spiritual
ism on honest minds will be met as
he was here, and put down by an hon
est and bold skepticism. AA