Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-10-10
NUMBER 80.

they carried her basket whsn it was
heavy; they lifted her over tie ground
when her walks were long; they endow.
ed her with supernatural power OF learn.
ing.
The chief of these efficient helpers is
Demoshenes. who has always inspired
her. To this day she writes only when
in trance and does not know what she
says. She implicitly obeys the direction
oil these spirits, though they have pcr.
mitled her to make terrible mistakes and
to suffer unnecessary agony. Ia her
fourteenth year, urged by her parents.
she married DR.. Canning Woodhul, who
began to insult and ill-treat her on the
third day after marriage, and continued
to do SO during the years she supported
him, until she obtained divorce. Her
first child an imbecic boy, wa, born
when she was fifteen, and still lives with
her. He died once. but by spiritual
help she restored his life, though size
could not give him mind.
For years she lived a wandering life,
sometimes earning little money, oitener
in abject poverty, always neglected or
abused by her husband. At last the
spirits directed her to take rooms at the
Bates House, indianapolis, announce her.
self rs q medium, and treat patients Tor
the cure oil disease. She did so, became
at once the towns talk, wrought miracles.
and grew rich. SO she went from city TO
city, till her yearly income reached near
ly 100000 She supported all her rela-
tives far and near, and yel had something
to invest; and when her property in
1869, amounted to 100000, the spirits
told her TO discontinue her practice
She married for her second husband Col.
James II. Blood of Missouri, whom Mr..
Tilton describes rs "man of phlO-
sophica and reflective east OF mind, n
student of the higher lore OF spiritual
ISM man who had been the illegal
partner OF morally sundered marriage,
and is now ian expectant believer in Il
stupendous destiny for Victoria" lie
and his wife "hold parliament with the
spirits several times each week, she go.
ing into trance and talking. while he
acts rs her amanuensis; her public course
is the result OF these parliaments.
Some time after her marriage, while
she was living in Cincinnati, her first
husband, DR.. Woodruff, had an attack OF
the delrium tremens at hotel in that
city. Colonel Blood had him taken
home, and Victoria nursed him till he
was able to 90 away, and then gave him
several hundred dollars to make him
comfortable somewhere else. And from
that day 10 this the poor brollen-down
creature has made occasional visits 10
her. and has been the recipient of Col
Blood's kindness and bounty In 1869
she with her sister Tcnnic. whom she
had rescued from the disreputablc career
of fortune-teiler, opened brokers' OF.
flee in New York, and began to publish
the paper Tor which DCmosthcncs writes.
which is, according to Mr. TilJon. "a
cardinary journal edited in one world and
published in another. The spirits gave
a. 4 4 I
described as - fine old gentleman OF
comfortable mean5) furnished part OF
the money for this undertaking. In De-
cember, 1869, DemOsthcnes provided her
with the memorial which she addressed
to Congress, and he inspired her speech
in the capitol, when she won the favor of
General Butler, Judge Loughbridge and
other statesmen. In 1870 she nominated
herself for the presidency, and is now be
fore the country ~ II candidate for that
Office. This is the outline Of story told
by Mr.. Tilton with all its details OF vile
ness, of horrible brutality, and of won
der working, and to which he adds his
own opinions of the nobleness OF Mrs.
Woodhull's character, and the value OF
her work.
All this is absurd or pitiablc. '1f Mr..
Tilton has invented the story, his I'M.
agination surpasses that OF Munchausen
if he believes it, his crcdulty excludes
him from the class OF credible witnesses.
Mrs. Woodruff herself, il not one of the
basest OF humbugs. is to be profoundly
pitied for her mistortunes, her delusions.
her ambitions, and her biographer- BOS
ton AdrertiSer.