New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-03
Katie King.

|
For upward of a year there has beer
more or less excitement in this city ovel
what has been designated as the material
ization of the Spirit" performances of "Kati,
King" through the sO-called mediumship OF
man named Holmes and his wife, of whom
little Is known except they have evidenced
"a keen faculty of making the spiritual bust
ness pay The katie King" show was in
troduced into this city last spring, and al
first was visited only by those Of known
Spiritualistic principles and tendencies
Gradually it "drew,' as it was .judiciously
advertised, not through the public prints
but, for such an enterprise, in a more etfec
! tive manner AS the attraction began to
take. fancy prices of admission we're charged
as for seat at the gilt-edged opera, and
this seemed to serve only to increase 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. The sue.
cess OF the scheme was beyond the hope
even OF the projectors. The learned and
unframed, rich and poor, refined and rude,
nightly crowded the rooms in which the
seances were given. All who witnessed
the manifestations talked about them to
friends and acquaintance, who were, in
turn, induced to 20, and the name of katie
klng' became almost a household word
Generally, the appearance of the 'spirits'
at the seances was pretty cleverly mana ged;
and even if there were defects they could
not be very readily detected, as but little
light was permitted in the room. Persons
| who were known to be of the spiritualist
| faith were placed nearest the cabinet to
prevent any unpleasant tableaux not count
| ed on, such as might have been caused by
any one boldly catching hold of the innate
| rallied spirit" and insisting on her leaving
the room by the door.
BY this process sudden and successful
exposure was bati1ed. Many who desired
to get at the bottom of the humbug were
| unable or unwilling to do so because of the
cost of repeatedly attending the seances,
and because, even if they would, very little
opportunity was given them to do so.
Finally, however, gentleman of this city,
possessed OF time and means, a cool head
and clear mind, determined to trace the
matter out He did SO most successfully,
and from him our representative obtained
the following facts concerning his opera
tiOne and their results:
This gentleman visited these seances on
several occasions, and was disposed to look
at the matter more from a scientific stand
point than otherwise. He discovered one
evening what he supposed to be rather a |
singular characteristic of "materialized' |
spirit. Quite number of spirits had made
their presence known by different mani.
"ltalian Lady" performed in the dark |
seances, each in their peculiar style, but |
the most attractive and the one producing
the greatest sensation was '"katie King |
alias Annie Morgan, a maiden lady, upward |
OF 700 years OF age, as she stated, but still |
having all the attractions of youth and !
beauty, IN appearance not over twenty
years old. Katie had many admirers
among both sexes; all the pretty. names,
such as darling, "'angel." pet etc, were
lavished upon her, while the adjectives
beautiful" splendid" GLORIOUS" etc.
were bestowed without limit. Many we'll
lady received her with the kind
greeting, God bless you, you lovely crea.
ture'
zee how spirits could cover themselves wiserI
iesh and bloOd-in fact, to him such "
hing Stands not within the prospect Of
belief" but he was still willing to be con-
'inced if facts sufficient existed.
One evening, when in proximity to
Katie" he ascertained she had bad |
'reath, which produced rather an unfavor-
ady who had been dead 200 years ought to
AVE baddsh breath, and he was I'M
Wiling
To bear the tidings of calamity,
Like an unreasonable stormy day,
% others. and for the day remained quiet;
q other words, submitted to the condi-
ions" imposed upon all visitors of the ,
plritual sanctum. believing that ''flesh =,
nd blood can not enter the King dom of '
ieaven," and too gallant to believe that
ilss King was spiritually in 'tother place =
ne aforesaid gentleman concluded tha e2::
latie must be ''tO the manor born"
The admirers Of Katie were neither few Al !
or Tor between. In fact, the young lady :
adj been loaded with presents; ring4
'ckets, pearl crosses. beads, love IetteI
to-, had been freely bestowed No modefhe
ellie or acknowledged beauty could b
'celved more attention than did Katie. Cg n .
a number of those who came under ~ y
lnuehce got to writing poetry in her hon r.
'me of it by what Spritualists call b. U
ression. Some of this poetry was just BIS u
FETCHED as could possibly be put toget er 8
presumably sane people. The foil v
& is sample: y
oh, gather 'rennd and let us sing sitst "
The praises of sweet Katie King 4Rion I !,
who from her bright and happy sphere Hats IL
comes smiling to us mortals here. G.
"Chorus-Then with glad voices let all sid s
The praises OF sweet Katie KIM | -
Although the evidences of the "ma&1ine | D.
AXE Verse are in the above many d the | m
her lnsprited lines are much worse to | e.
me sentiment, meter and rythm. any | OF
the suddenly made poets were form rly al
telilgent men and women, who will lob a.
ny, alter reading what follows, return to lii
cir senses. h,
Things were going on smoothly: money al
as flowing into the Golfers of the me A
ums, and katie's friends were jubilant q
the number OF converts daily being made ID
tne cause OF spirit naturalization" but 70
udeniy, without warning, Katie disap- | Or
AIRED, Night after night her devotees as 70
IN DIED to welcome her return. The 'lne- lit
nfn with plaintive voice sang 81 am COM yc
2; am coming;' but she did not come. as
.Iions were the reasons assigned. Some fir,
ID she was offended at unkind remarks i'm
at had been made about her." is
ne mediums said that "some rude be
lows mad entered the cabinet and taken an
the magnetism OUT" and, furthermore, IN,
nc Matte had assembled to a "higher so
mere and exhausted her strength others br
re uncharitable enough to say that WI
.ate was on a strike" wi
n the meantime the gentleman who w,s mo
king knowledge under difficulties had ps
"a making extraordinary exertions TO WI
q her daily wherea bOuts-othervisA her fro
arding house. Little by little he quietly pc
keu up information that enabled him to | wa
Young lady whom he thought very art
zen resembled Katie King ktn
sing the most detective-like skill. trfol-
'eu his clue up successfully. By certain s
ulIarlties which he obsery we'd in the Katie | wa
the other world in the seances. he found ms
i young woman who resembled Katie ola
'eral y, and had her peculiarities, took pic
meals with great regularity at a certain ba.
Use which he had ''piped Oft, in detective shs
1anoe' ne tnen Swallowed this woman. ne'
!, iouIu lhst sue attended all the seances ant
the Holmes house. He ultimately con. eve
Leu t 10 serape an acquaintance with Katie the
ne mesh, cho Osing as an auspicious time nyoi
honr when the lady of materializing 0se