The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-31
The /" Katie King" Exposure.

posed in that city. After becoming fully sat
istied that a great fraud was being perpe-
trated under the name of Spiritualism, the
investigator set about the task Of finding out
the daily whereabouts Of the reputed " Katie
king"-otherwise her bosrding-ho We
quote from the Inquirer.
Little by little be quietly picked up infor-
nation that enabled him to find young lady
whom be thought very much resembled Katie
King
Using the most detective like skill, he fol-
lowed his clew up successfully. By certain
peculiarities which be observed in the Katie
Of the other world at the seances he found
that young woman who resembled Katie
generally and had her peculiarities took her
meals with great regularity at a certain
house which he had "piped off" in detective
parlance. He then shadOwed this woman,
and found that she attended all the seanees at
the H0lmCs' house. lie ultimately concluded
to scrape an acquaintance with Katie III the
flesh, choosing an auspicious time an hour
when the lady of materializing tendencies
had been rendered happy by good, square,
worldly meal
The first interview was failure; the sup
posed Katie protested that she did not be
lieve III Spiritualism; = declared that /" she had
seen the manifestations at Holmes but once
and, so far as she knew, they were all right"
These assertions, however, did not satisfy the
earnest seeker after truth, and various
schemes, devices. plans, and promises were
resorted to III hope of discovering some of
the many presents" that had been made to
Katie
Through patience, perseverance, and GER
tain considerations one was produced This
satisfied the gentleman that he in the
right place. More patience, perseverance, and
promises, and out dropped another, and so
on until a small table was covered with rings,
lockcts, crosses, beads, and robes worn in the
different spheres" from which Katie had
kindly descended to visit mortals at SO much
per capita.
The object of the gentleman's efforts was to
So narrow down the evidences Of fra, that
he might be able to knock the bottom out
Of the humbug at a blow, and here was his
object attained. Here was not only the
vertable Katie weepingly acknowledging her
duplicity, butproducing material evidences
OF il in the shape Of all those little tokens Of
regard which she had been fondly believed to
have borne off in her spirit shape to her abode
in the other sphere. The presentation ofthese
could not possibly fail to convince the persons
who bad given them TO the spiritual Katie
planet for her valuables, SO that course was
determined upon.
All who are acquainted With the Hon.
Robert Dale Owen and DR.. Henry T
child, Of this city, will not hesitate
10 say that they are hunes', upright,
truthful men, but like the rest of human
ity. they were liable 10 be deceived The
party who had made the discovery consulted
these gentlemen. showing them the "pres
cnts" which Katie had kindly loaned them.
They having been identified with the manifes
tations from the first, were considered, when
the fraud was discovered, the proper par
ties 10 denounCe them.
one word from them casting a doubt on
the reality of the thing would have more effect
upon the people than fifty exposures gotten
up 10y outside parties. Moreover, the Spirit
ualists, who were the real victims, were sup
posed to have unlimited confidence in the in
tc.srity Of the e Gentlemen With commend
able prunptne,- they Immediately sent to the
BaHsr u Ligtf the cards recently copied into
our columns announcing the withdrawal of
their confidence in the manifestations.
The woman who pcrsonated Katie King
has already returned us far as possible all the
presents shc received to those who gave
Them tu her She deeply regretted her part of
the -windlc, and if all the facts in the case
could hr made public she would he freely for
given 10y those who were duped by her aid.
The following,is from the New York Daily
G,uphic:
Last fail. when the Holmes seances were re-
sum.d at No. 50 North Tenth street a re
porter Of the Philadelphia Press visited the
residence of the mediums several times, but
steadfastly refused to notice the manifesto
tUns unless the cabinet should be removed
from a buardCd-up window, near which it
stood, 10 another part of the room. This
window opened into a backyard about
twenty feet below. The boards were fastened,
not close to the easement, but upon a sup
port which extended several inches beyond
it. From cool draft of air, which was no
ticeable, it seemed more than probable that
the window sash had been taken out and as
that would leave sufficient space between
the shutters on the outside and the
boards on the inside to sccrete a confederate
il was deemed advisable to defer a description
of the appearances produced at the seances
until different arrangement of the cabinet
should render the employment of confeder-
atcs more difficult. In this connection it
should also he stated that the space between
the windows and the cabinet WIS hid from
view by a door extending from TIE cabinet to
the wall. The reporter stated to Mr.. and Mrs
Holmes that investigators should not be eX-
pected to ascribe to spiritual agencies what
could easily be accomplished by jugglers un-
der similar conditions, and requested that
the cabinet should be removed to the middle
of the room, promising that if under the
strictcst conditions which he then proposed
an apparently materialized spirit should issue
from the cabinet, full justice should be done
to the phenomena. The mediums unhcstat-
ngly accepted this proposition, and in justice
To them it should be admitted that they still
promise an early compliance with the de
mands of skeptcS. Whether they will fulfill
their promises, and in that event be
able to bring from IN empty box being of
seeming flesh ard blood, remains to be seen
During almost the whole period of the so
10 =T,H ,F HI, H.
Child and Mr.. Owen were constant visitors,
and until the last two weeks firmly believed
that the phenomena witnessed were pro-
duced by spiritual agency As it cannot be
doubted that Mrs. Holmes possesses most of
the powers of the best mediums and as Dr.
Child and Mr.. Owen were both permitted to
examine the cabinet at any time, even to
taking il to pieces, the suspicious which they
might at first have entertained were easily
quieted, and if it should ultimately transpirc
that the gentlemen have been duped, ii would
not seem strange TO those who believe that
there are more things in heaven and earth
than are dreamed Of in most mems philoso-
ply. Both gentlemen have allowed the i'm
preston to go forth that they have been
somewhat deceived. without making any cX-
plicit explanation of the course they have
taken.
IN an interview with a reporter Mr. Owen
said: Il make no accusation against the
ilolmcses, but simply withdraw my indorse-
mcnt of their manifestations, because they,
| in the face OF their numerous promises failed
| to aCccde to my request that they should
| move the cabinet away from the boarded-up
window, place 1t on casters, and, in brief,
| give Us seance under strict test condi-
| TONS
| Reporter-In the event of a temporary fail
| urc of the Holmes mcdiumistic powers, do
I YOU think that the substitution of a human
| being for the matcralized spirit of Katie
! King was possible under the circumstances
! Nr Oweu-Yes; il va, possible and sim
| ply because the mediums appeared unwilling
| L" give seance under conditions which
| would make it impossible. | announced that
| | was unwilling 70 longer certify 10 their re-
| liability. Inever have supported and never will
/ indorse amy spiritual manifestation, however
| simple, where there is a particle Of doubt
| concerning it. ! would rather persistently
| refuse TO support an apparently doubtful but
| valid manifestation than to even taCitly con-
/ sent To have my name used in connection
| with an alleged spiritual manifestation which
should afterward prove to have been pro
F, dUced by human agency only While | am
| confident that the form which appeared at
| the Holmes SeauCes last summer was the
| mateTialized spirit Of Katie King, because at
| that time the mediums permitted me to EN-
| plOy any test | chose to suggest, | have no
such assurance that the figure which now
appears Is that OF spirit. Mr. and Mrs
/ i4y pgf to,