Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-01-01


and found that she attended all the seauces at
the Holmes house. He ultimately concluded
to scrape an acquaintance with Katie In the
nesh choosing as an auspicious time an hour
when the lady OF materializng tendencies
had been rendered happy by a good, square,
worldly meal.
The first interview was a failure; the sup
posed Katie protested that she "did not be-
lieve in spiritualism !" declared that she had
seen the manifestations at Holmes but once,
and, 80 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 in hope Of discovering some Of
the many "pIesents" that had been made to
Katie.
Through patience, perseverance, and GER
tain considerations one was produced. This
satisfied the gentleman that he was in the
right place. More patience, perseverance, and
promises, and out dropped another, and so
on until a small table was covered with rings,
lockets, 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 fraud that
he might be able to "knock the bottom out
Of tine humbug at blow, and here was his
object attained. Here was not only the
veritable Katie weepingly acknowledging her
duplicity, but producing material" evidences
of IL in the shape Of all those little tokens of
regard which she had been fonGy believed IN
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 had given them to the spiritual Katie
that the latter had a place OF deposit on this
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
to say that they are honest, upright,
ity, they were liable to be deceived. The
party who had made the discovery consulted
these gentlemen, showing them the pres
ents" 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 TO 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 by outside parties. Moreover, the Spirit
ualists, who were the real victims, were sup
posed to have unlimited confidence in the in
tegrity Of these gentlemen. With commend
able promptness they Immediately sent to the
Banner Of Light the cards recently copied into
our columns announcing the withdrawal Of
their confidence in the manifestations.
The woman who personated Katie King
has already returned as far as possible all the
presents she received to those who gave
them to her. She deeply regretted her part Of
the swindle, and II all the facts in the case
CO. Oe made public she would be freely for
given by those who we're duped by her aid.
The followingIis from the New York Daily
Graphic:
Last fall, when the Holmes seances were re-
sumed at No. S25 North Tenth street. re-
porter of the Philadelphia Press visited the
residence of the mediums several times, but
steadfastly refused to notice the manifesto
tions unless the cabinet should be removed
| from a boarded-up window, near which 1t
! stood, to 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 q cool draft Of air, which was no.
ticeable, 1t 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 secrete a confederate
| II was deemed advisable to defer description
OF the appearances produced at the seances
until different arrangement Of the cabinet
should render the employment OF conieder-
ates More difficult In this connection it
should also be stated that the space between
the windows and the cabinet was hid from
| view by door extending from the 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
strictest conditions which he then proposed
an apparently materialZed spirit should issue
from the cabinet, full justice should be done
to the phenomena. The mediums unhesitat-
ingly accepted this proposition, and in justice
10 them 1t should be admitted that they still
promise an early compliance with the de-
mands OF skeptics. Whether they will fulfill
their promises, and in that event be
able TO bring from an empty box being OF
seeming flesh and blood, remains to be seen.
During almost the whole period of the So
journ in this city of Mr.. and Mrs Holmes, DIR.
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 DIR.
Child and Mr.. Owen were both permitted To
examine the cabinet at any time even 10
taking 1t to pieces, the suspicious which they
might at first have entertained were easily
quieted, and II 1t should ultimately transpire
that the gentlemen have been duped, itwould
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 10 go forth that they have been
somewhat deceived, without making any ex
plicit explanation of the course they have
taken.
In an interview with a reporter, Mr.. Owen
said 81 make no accusation against the
Holmeses, but simply withdraw my indorse
ment of their manifestations, because they
in the face Of their numerous promises, failed
to accede TO my request that they should
move the cabinet away from the boarded-uE
window, place II on casters, and, in brief
give us seance under strict test condi
tions."
Reporter-In the event of temporary fail
ure Of the Holmes medumistic powers, dc
you think that the substitution OF a human
being for the materialized spirit OF Katie
King was possible under the circumstances
Mr.. Owen-Yes; II was possible, and sim
ply because the mediums appeared unwilling
to give a seance under conditions which
would make 1t impossible l announced thai
! was unwilling TO longer certify 10 their re
liability. lneyer have supported and never viii
indorse any spiritual manifestation, however
simple, where there Is particle of doub
concerning ii. l would rather persstently
refuse TO support an apparently doubtful bu
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
duced by human agency only. While | an
confident that the form which appeared a
the Holmes seanees last summer was thu
materialized spirit OF Katie King. because a
that time the mediums permitted me TO em
\ ploy any test chose TO suggest, have NJ
such assurance that the hgure which nov
appears Is that OF a spirit. Mr.. and Mrs
Holmes have refused to permit me 10 90 NJ
10 the aperture and speak 10 Katie as di,
last summer, givingas a reason that the spiTi
was not strong enough to endure II, and ye
J all who have Investigated the subject know