The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-29
OWEN ACKNOWLEDGES.
KATIE KING,

L
KATIE KING.
THE REAL, "KATIr KING ''-RoBERT DALE
| OWEN ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE HAS BEEN
| DECEIVED.
The Philadelphia Bulletin of late date
contained the following. 1t is of interest, in
view of the fact that soon Mr.. Owen prom
Uses to tell the whole story:
| Circum statial evidence, which have just
obtained, induces me to withdraw the assur-
ances which have heretofore given of my
confidence in the genuine character of GER
| tain manifestations presented last summer,
| in my presence, through Mr.. and Mrs. Mel
son Holmes. ROBERT DALE OWEN.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 6, 1874.
Learning that Mr.. Robert Dale owen had
affixed his signature to the letter quoted
| above, our representative called upon him
| and had the following interview:
Reporter-What are your grounds for this
withdrawal of confidence?
MIR. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES me; do not make
any accusation, but simply do not wish to
give rise to any confidence in these NANTES
tations. Myself and friends have every rea-
son to believe that the manifestations of last
summer were what they were represented to
be, but the katie King" lately shown US is
not the same.
Reporter-In what way does she differ
in facial respects or otherwise?
Mr.. Owen-The latest "Katie King" differs
in both face and form. She is shorter than
the Katie King" we saw last summer. Let
me say to you that upon the return of the
Holmeses the "Katie King" of last summer
reappeared to us and said, not in the words
/ am about to use but to the same purport,
that she had been advanced in the
spirit world and it would be more
difficult for her to appear in the
future. After that there was a break of
about three weeks, when "Kstie King'
again appeared, but my friends and myself
look upon her as a bogus one. OF course
you will understand that the "dark circle"
manifestations were continued, but in these
L have taken little interest. 1 don't care for
these ring and other manifestations. AL
though am inclined to believe them gepu-
inc, yet they never interested me. What |
am interested in is the naturalization of
| spirits; or. in other words, is it possible to
meterialize spirits?
Reporter-What led you to suspect that
the "Katie King" of to-day is not the one
you saw last summer?
Mr.. Owen-As have said, | never like to
vouch for anything that 1 can not thor
oughly authenticate; had i not so strongly
| Endorsed the manifestations / would have
| said nothing. My suspicious were first
aroused, and those of my friends, by the
DIFFERENCE IN FORMS AND FACES
or the "Katie Kings" The arrangement OF
the cabinet did not satisfy me, and L so
stated to the Holmes. I requested that the
cabinet be placed on castors, so that it could
be moved to any part of the room, and also
that it be thrown open for examination.
Now, while they did not refuse to do this,
they neglected to accede to my request,
which amounted to the same tn ing.
Mr.. Owen then described the proximity Of
the cabinet to window chat had been
| boarded up) and door, and stated that the
arrangement might have allowed of traps
He further stated that before writing the
| letter published above he called on the
Holmeses and advised them that he was not
absolutely satisfied with their manner OF
conducting their seances. In the case of
their Ninth street sceances DR.. Child, myself
and some others took down a partition that
| there existed, and had practi-
cal builder to aid us, but found
nothing to shake our belief. l said to the
Holmeses that the placing of the cabinet on
castors would dispel all suspicion, yet they
did not accept the idea. Again, DIR. Child,
who went with them in search of several
| houses, found two that seemed admirably
suited to the purpose, but these did not meet
| the idea of the Holmeses, who complained
of the rent and some other matters. DIR.
Child, you will understand, was just as much
interested in freeing the manifestations of
| all suspicious surroundings as myself.
Reporter-Do you think the Holmeses
would practice fraud?
| Mr.. Owen-I repeat do not make any ac-
| cusation, but certainly none could better do
it than they. Failing to produce the origi-
nal katie King" they might be led to pro-
/ duce a bogus one.
Reporter-win this discovery hurt the
cause of spiri;ualism?
| Mr.. Owen-Oh, not at all. 1t is merely
the failure of one experiment; that is all.
Reporter-Wh0 is 'Katie King?r
Mr.. Owen-That L can not answer Dr.
lieves came through ner, but it must be
/ never in favor of accepting anything of the
KIND without co.roborstive evidence.
1 Mr.. Owen concluded the interview by
| friends that the Holmes were willing
to accept the suggestion he had made
/ which he (Mr. o. hoped was true. The
/ matter these friends intend following up
but for the present Mr.. Owen desires Il
withdraw all that he has said in the way O.
| vouching for the correctness of the manifes-
| tations.
IKE SECRET OF "KATIE KING.n
| The New York Graphic of the 18th inst
contains the following editorial article con
corning the recent exposure of Katie King
by Robert Dale owen: The secret of the so
called CONGRATULATIONS" of Katie King il
Philadelphia, through the mediumship o
the Holmeses, has atIlast been exposed; and