Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-12-25
20, 1874.
The "KatIe King" Imposture.


| The Matte hing" lmpOstufe.
COMPLETE EXPOSURE.
We publish below an article from the
Philadelphia Inquirer, which furnishes a
complete expose of the Katie King mani
festations, which have excited 50 much at
tention in spiritualistic circles throughout
the country:
For upward Of "a year there has been more
or less excitement in this city over what has
been designated as the " Naturalization OF
the Spirit performances OF " Katie
King" through the so-called medlumshlp oil
a man named Holmes and his wife, OF whom
little is known except that they have evil
denced keen faculty OF making the spirit
ual business pay. The g Katie King" show
was introduced into this city last spring.
and at first was only visited by those OF
known spiritualistic principles and tenden-
cies. Gradually it :" drew as 1t was Judi
ciously advertised, not through the public
prints, but, for such an enterprise, IN a
more effective manner. As the attraction
began to take, fancy prices OF admission
were charged, as for seat at the glit-edged
opera, and this seemed to serve only to In
crease the attendance, the latter including
persons of all classes and stations, from the
Vice President of the United States TO the
curious-minded ward politician. Inc
SUCCESS
of the scheme was beyond the hope even Of
the projectors The learned and unlearned,
rich and poor, refined and rude, nightly
crowded the rooms in which the seances
were given. All who witnessed the mani
fest1tions talked about them TO friends and
aequaintances, who were in tura induced
TO 20. and the name of " Katie King be-
came almost a household word. Generally
the appearance of the " spirits at the
seances was pretty cleverly managed, and
even if there were defects they could not be
readily detected, as but little light was per-
mitted in the room. Persons who were
| known to be Of the spiritualistic faith were
placed nearest the cabinet to prevent any
unpleasant tableaux not counted on, such
as might have been caused BY any one bold
| ly catching hold OF the g." materializ5d splT-
| it" and insisting upon her leaving the room
| by the door.
BY this process sudden AMI successful
exposure was bafled Many who desired to
get at the bottom Of the humbgg were an
| able or unwilling to do - because Of the
cost of repeatedly attending the seancas, and
because, even if they would. very little op-
portunitY was given them To do -. Final
IL, however, q gentleman of this city, pos
seSsed OF time and means, cool head and
4 clear mind, determined 70 trace the mat
ter out He did so most successfully. and
from him our representative obtained the
following facts concerning his operations
and their results.
on THE TRAIL.
This gentleman visited these scances on
4 80. a faL
at the matter more from scientific stand
point than otherwise. lie discovered one
evening what he supposed to be rather
singular characteristic OF - materialized"
spirit. Quite number Of spirits had
made their presence known hy different
manifestations. Dick, Rosa, Ann,
and the O." Italian Lady performed in the
dark seances, each IN their peculiar style,
but the most attractive and the one pro-
d1cing the greatest sensation was
''KATIE KING, ALIAS ANNE MORGAN.
\ maiden lady upward OF 200 years of a5e.
as she stated, but st.l having all the at
trac;i rs Of youth and beauty, in appear
ance not over 90 years old Katie had
many admirers among both sexes ell the
pretty names such as darling, '' " angel. -
pet. &c, were layi-hel upon her. while
the adiectives " beautiful, 80 ' splendid, -
glorious" a.. Were bestowed without
limit. Many wellmeaniHg lady received
her with the kind greeting, " God bless
you, You lovely creature"
IAe seAt4eni1u @yy'e Fe'e1.-I . idueo %
see ~" spirits c2H'l cover l-u--e-'es "itA
flesh and blood in fact. q lin such a
thing " stands NOT within the prospect of
belief, but lie was Stili wiling - be con-
WINGED if facts enough existed.
Uhe evening "heh IN proximity 10
Nate he aScertainel S'a hai 'di
rum WHY" Piolu1eI rather au u1iI' 'Ia-
uie WtpItsSf'H. uet SIN ht Itl-clcu that s !
lady " Au had been dead two hundred yelr-
ali,,Bf r. haze a BE- III 81 f~.,fl and ie ,yas
- .rf-
uN"44-'.47
~ bear ne i.--n-s g.. e.-.a'a T.
'5
% Others anu i!r tH5 i'ill IeAaIhti flIgt' ]
"a o'Hel VIII, -'.ll-.-1 90 the e5hI4-
'iDuS iln ''S1- up " az ''t'l renters Oh my T.
Sp4 Nun Sauo'uu- b-''c'ln2 ,taI H5su
anu "'ovI cannot ef-e. t"9 AIn-~oh Oh /
an '"o =Ai-ai-- '' '1-4e.e 1.a- /
mac ~ ,f,-c,i3 '' ac-,-.,,, .,reI 'e
that Katie must be 10 the manner born - .
rnorf1r,
o.,
me a4hIIei> o' NaIc "e4c neither Few .
nor iar pit"eeu' IN iact' INC young Ialy +
lau oeeh ioao1u i'u presents ihss'I9cA-
~ pear C' 9'''' bgi4' 43'e-iet'eT-' Lau
cen iIoo-i "S,'o"e1- - iHg4ern oe-ie OF
9, Ai.o ~ -. '1ut' .'I- -''o oe''e-
-4u, a''Il.-o'i .Hau III niue
y huuio-- % tA1st ""' c@Ae tnIeI Her
lnAucHcc sot 70 wiring poetry IN Aet non
OF, some u IL of WA, Spirit1a'47's ca. IN
preston some % thi, pcc'Fi was iust a.
\ N-e'cHeu - Couiu po'9'o-S o1 iu1 t9=elher
- plcSu ,iii'lS sane people i-- '''''" ING
80 - pc
On On, -ataeF round ani -ei Us 'a-
NJ, I'm her =, n, ,,-d b1p,i7 s,l.-.
Comes smiling to u. mo1ta shere.
The praises ul sweet Kate hil-.'
Although the evidences of the machine
make verse are IN the above, many OF the
other inspired lines are much worse . .
time, sentiment. metre AMI p tam. Many
OF the slddcnly-made poets we're formerly
intelligent men and women. who will, pro-
baby, aiicr reading what follows. re-vrn
to their senses.
KATIE" DISAPPEARS
rt;.,,.. ,r,., ,..;-..-.,., ..,.,....
no -. - ~, - - --IIs'
. "a -. " '.9 ine44
10 ,,,,L-- - 81
10 -, IS =. go. --i,-I 20
,nd}sni,e -. - ~
- "'ili=i ~ -'-~f
o,,.ilal .. - = -. 90
-. "'-I'tHe .'Oi 4o,'i1' IL. M
- - - f'l'.l'.'o .Y's1 ''s IHi
,one Vor;1,,s - a., -
,,1ne s,id :. -, - - -