Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-18

such a communication as you published
from him on Saturday afternoon, l thinl
is incapable of fairly investigating thil
subject. Hence the ssgacity of this In
dian in rejecting this man, while he wal
willing for Dr.. Rice, Major Bhea and al
the newsmen, including the Chief O
Of Police, who, by the way, has been in
vited by myself to investigate the mat
ter. This be has done; and, at my
request, to him was committed the con
fnement Of Mrs. Miller. Our Chief
however, is a modest mar, with no desire
to make himself conspicuous; hence hC
has not published his exposure, nor have
the large number of the most intellectual
scientific gentlemen of the city anC
adjoining States, including many physi
clans of the city as well as those from
our sister States. They have confined
her, examined her frequently during hel
enhancement. and pronounced her in q
cataleptic state and utterly incapable Of
performing any action" and yet in two
or three seconds after this announcement
a well-developed female form, draped in
purest white, comes out on the platform
clapping her hands. Still l am pro,
nounced "a harmless, crazy man for
shielding these people" from the SANDER
GUS assaults of one who, having played
out here, goes Three thousand miles
away" and writes such stuff as a decent
man can scarcely read without disgust
and contempt for its author.
And now, Mr.. Editor, | fully agree
with you when you say, This is either
an outrageous fraud or a reality" This
/ have often expressed in stronger terms
lit is the prince Of humbugs or a most
glorious truth. For years | believed the
former, but for about a score OF years (f
have been capable Of knowing anything),
II have known the latter to be true. And
| do most sincerely believe that the most
skeptical can know the truth" and as
an inspired man once said, THE truth
shall make you see." 1t is true /
have challenged the press toinvestigate
this business" and / mean what | say.
| have 0y written and verbal invitations
requested the proprietors and editors Of
the Appeal and Avalanche to attend Mrs.
Miller sesnces, and ! have no doubt
they will do 80. SO don't be in such a
hurry; 1.-THE world was not made in q
day" nor do / presume it was made in
six natural days. We have time enough
vet to let the scum float of, the smoke
pass away, when the sober, second
thought of the press will lock at this
matter from a different standpoint.
1t was suggested in your paper that
the Police Commissioners look after the
Miller %seances, as they we're obtaining
money under :" false %pretenses." Think
it likely that | know as much as any other
person about this matter. And | think
| say the truth when | assert that for the
two years they have been giving seances
they have not received in Memphis
enough to furnish them with the most
homely fare, and but for what some of US
have furnished them they would scarcely
have been able to keep soul and body to-
gether. They do not solicit persons to
come to their seances, but they conn Of
their own free will and accord, often
many more than can be admitted. ]
have spent considerable in fitting them
up where they are; have never received
a dime from any one; only after the Sc
ancss are over, gentlemen hand me usu-
ally a dollar, every cent of which ! hand
to Mr.. Miller at the time. Those who
are not willing to contribute to their
support should not come and crowd out
those who are willing to pay for what
they see and hear.
If the Memphis press had been as Wig.
liant in detecting and exposing frauds as
the LEDGER suggests about Mrs. Miller,
that mar Livingston, who was made to
disgorge at Houston, would not have
swindled the citizens OF Memphis out OF
a thousand dollars, as they reported. As
to your hundred-dollar man, / think he
may be grati6ed at no distant day. Yet
it is passing strange that they do not
look at g~reenbacks in the same light
that we do. remember we'll when they
were in that little room at the Gayoso;
there were a number of gentlemen from
Mississippi and Alabama present, and
the Memphis bar was represented by
such men as Judge r. j. Morgan, B. NJ,
Estes, General Humes, Colonel Looney
and others. A sailor from Mississippi
was selected to tic her. At that time
there were only the physical manifesto.
tions and showing Of hands and arms
outside, etc. After all vas over the gen
tlemen from Mississippi proposed to en-.
gage her for q year and give her one
hundred dollars per week. in advance and
their travelling expenses. They mel
next morning and offered them five hun
bred dollars per month in advance for a
year and give bond for the faithful ful
fllment of the contract in the city, and
yet, strange to say, these poverty-strickeu
people declined both propositions
"Greenbacks' do not seem to possess SC
much intrinsic value on the other side as
they do on this, and they prefer to re
main here and convince this people Of
the truth Of these things than make q
fortune by accepting what would b.
tempting propositions to others.
Excuse me for thus rambling" but il
seemed to me to be legitimate, as you
have referred again to the HoGer of onl
hundred dollars for the privilege Of al
lowing a gentleman whom we shall name
to go on the stage and shake hands viii
a m~sterialized spirit" Please let thl
gentleman call on me and arrange 70
this privilege" for | feel assured he cal
be gratiied.
an yours for truth andjustice,
SAMUEL WATSON.