Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-27
EXPOSED AGAIN.
ELSIE REYNOLDS EXPOSED IN
HER SPIRITUALISTIC FRAUDS.
How Reporters and Detectives Cap.
tured a MaterialiZed Spirit,
and it was Gentle Elsie.

ITuIGlSNO- ny htl " DtANA iiA
spirit naturalization of several prominent
people in San Francisco, and in this city
especially, gained more publicity than she
had ever before enjoyed, and the reality or
the deception of her materializations be-
came matter of warm dispute throughout
the country. Subsequently Mrs. Reynolds
came to this city and gave public seance
at the Metropolitan Theater, and made a
miserable failure. The RECORD UNION at
that time exposed her tricks and denounced
her as a shameless imposter. Later still
she spent some weeks here, and deceived a
goodly number of otherwise level headed
people. One gentleman, in the iron trade,
was positive that there was no decep-
ton, because the seances were held
in his house, and he himself made
the cabinet and fastened it in a
way to render deception impossible. Never
theless the woman hoodwinked him and
all Others who confided in her About this
time a woman who claimed to have person.
ated for Mrs. Reynolds the spirit of the
daughter of Sacramento citizen, confessed
the fraud. Almost simultaneously ex-
posures of Mrs. Reynolds were published,
and some accounts of her doiDgs il Ohio
recalled, where the sp:ritualists themselves
repudiated her. The matter went so far
that one man whom she duped had her
arrested for fraud, but he grew weakened
and the case "petered out, after long DIAL
lying in the Courts. We believe that Mrs.
Reynolds was also exposed at San Jose, but
exposures do not daunt such mettle. She
has continued her exhibitions. She has
rooms at $40 Mission street, San Francisco,
and there holds undertaking seances.
Not long ago some detectives and report
ers of that city determined to fathom her
tricks. One of the officers attended the
seances of the Reynolds woman until he
came to be known as friend of the cause
and was familiarity addressed as " joe 1t
is unnecessary to wade through the COL
umns of detail given by the Examiner of
seances and silly talk by pretended spirits
at sittings prior to the exposure of WedneS-
day night. 1t must suffice to say that
Little Ellie " was 4 favorite spirit, often
appearing and talking very coyishly at
times. and again very rudely. A Mr..
Gruff" was a familiar also, and in manner
" filled The bill of his name. The female
spirits submitted themselves to be Rugged
and kissed promiscuously in these seances
by believers" Husbands from the grave
came and embraced living wives, and dead
wives in spirit form came out of the cabi-
net into the dim light, to be kissed by liv-
ing spouses ''Eflie, the child spirit,
called spectators into the cabinet, and
all sorts of ecstatic kissing was
-spirituaily-chaste OF course, but
very like the blood and flesh article. Those
who saw through the trickery were in
dignant at the shameless frauds to be-
levers the seances were the most solemn
and awe-inspiring of services. J. J.
Callundan was the detective whom the
Reynolds gang knew as Joe Jewell. He
was detailed to the duty by his principal.
Two reporters and detective Deasy COM
pleted the investigating party who finally
in the report below is a believer"
" Charcoal was the materialized spirit of
an Indian girl, otherwise known as
&" Susan With this Introduction we
adopt the text Of the San Francisco EcdH-
iHcrS report of the expose OF Wednesday
night.
Among the number in attendance were
detective Callundan and the E1ami,e' re-
porter, with reinforcement of another
member of the reportorial staff and Jerome
Deasy, of Harry Morses detective staff.
Once more the spirits of the departed ap-
peared. The performance was allowed to
proceed. No one supposed that within one
of the reporters pockets reposed an infer
mai machine which would light up on the
instant touch of match and burn with an
unquenchable fire; that his associate, who
sat beside him, was there to do his best to
prevent any attempt to extinguish it; that
the quiet detective Deasy, had under his
coat the badge ola Deputy Sheriff, and with
in his pockets double pair of handouts
to be used if necessary
Finally, that detective Culladan, sitting
so quietly in the front row OF the specta-
tors, was waiting but for the moment when
he should hold the chief actor to account.
The moment came. The lesser spirits
again gave place to Charcoal Once
more she passed about the circle. She
came at last to the young detective.
Don't Joe want to kiss Charcoal ?" was
asked.
Indeed, do was answered, and the
caress was given.
Kiss me again, said the dark spirit of
air.
Il will" answered the detective, as he
folded his arms about her yielding form
with hearty good will. He said, Yum,
yum :" 1t was the signal.
The light blazed up and the form of Elsie
Reynolds, the medium, was seen struggling
in the embrace of the detective.
The confederates and dupes rushed to
the rescue.
A woman flew like tigress at the re-
porter who was holding the light, crying,
Put out that light" She was repulsed
with & shove.
-Four or five of the Esprit " crowd, with
Bogardus at their head, assailed the re-
porter in frantic attempt TO extinguish
the light.
One of them seized a chair and tried to
brain the torch bearer with it, but the other
scribe warded off the blow with another
chair.
Another made wild rush for the blaz-
ing, suffering cause OF the trouble. The
reporter dashed it into his face with such
force as to deluge him with shower of
sparks. Terrified at this - manifestation
the assailant bolted through the window.
When the row commenced detective
Deasy, who was sitting in the background,
pulled out pair of handouts and leaped
over two women sitting in front OF him.
w. s. Reynolds, husband of the medium,
rushed from behind the scenes clad in his
shirtsleeves and wearing a phosphorus
wig, whichssha formed part Of his q jig"
costume.
Let go that woman That's my Wife"
he shouted. Selling the heavy coal-oil
lamp on the Uttle ldDte DN the IOiulilp uOOrS
opening into the bedroom, he would have
broken Callundan's head with it but for
the Intervention of Deasy. The latter
grasped Reynolds by the band holding the
lamp. Reynolds turned on him like
wildcat and attempted to strike him with
the lamp. Deasy, using his assailant's
arm like q lever, banged the lamp up
against his head several times.
The table was overturned with a fearful
crash. The light was upheld by the re-
porter. and blazed like beacon over the
melee, despite the furious efforts made TO
wrest it from him. An old white bearded
confederate and big, black whiskeTed fell
low made combined charge to putt il out
but the more blows that were aimed at it
the more it blazed.
Callu;idan chung to his prize in the midst
of the furious struggle, though the big fat
woman and another confederate beset him
with all their might. The exposed woman
kept exclaiming, Let me 60 Please let
me gO!h
Meanwhile the other reporter began
lighting the gas-jets. Bereft of his protec-
ton, the cranks and confederates succeeded
in knocking the light out of the reporters
hand, but on the carpet it continued to
blaze with the same relentless intensity
The black-wh iskered confederate tried to
stamp il out but il only blazed worse. The
reporter threw him on his back, and again
held aloft the regained light. His COM
panion at length succeeded in getting the
gas lit.
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