National Republican., 1888-04-22
HE TACKLED A MEDIUM
WITH TWO STATES AND CAME
AWAY MYSTIFIED.
NUw searching for II Missing Iinls -
The Spiritualistic Power Doubted,
But the writing Puzzles Him-If 1t
i.n Trick IL is Good One.

\ reporter for the RErrBLcAN had an
mcanny experience the other day, and If
he thought previously that he "knew It
all' he was certainly convinced on the day
in question that he had missed linl, some.
where, and is overly anxious to have some
one supply that link.
At the risk of being laughed at he gives
the result of an interview with spirit
uali~tiC medium. whose claim uG super
natural aid H. icChlN advanced, and who
claims to possess such aid only because he
can give no other reason for the phenomena.
While attending performance at the Ma
tiuHal Thcatcr two weeks ago he was much
interested In KCllar'S slate trick, whereby
writing was made TO appear upon an appur-
emily clean slate held IN the hands uf one Of
the audience. ltwa~ an especially clever bit
of lee, rdCmain, and was Cuutesscdly pro.
ducCd hy tritkrry. the solution Of which was
naturally refused the audience.
That evening, in conversation with an
ayowcd spirtuaist. the reporter was told
that IL he desired 10 have his admiration
changed to absolute wonder and possibly to
conversion to his friends peculiar belief he
should call upon certain medium whose
habitat adiuiu> the police court on Sixth
street northwest. one Pierre j.. u. kccler,
and that, to dispcl his idea of chemical
means being used 10 produce the phc-
nomcna, he might purchase two ordinary
school states and the writing would he pro
duccd upon them.
Confident Of his ability to detect the trick
and expose a fraud, lie called upon Mr.
kcclcr, and was given an audience, the
medium assuring him that the conditions
were right, and that lie could produce mes
sagcs from departed friends upon the states
the scribe had furnished, and that without
their being out of his sight even for an in
slant, which claim thercportcr substautiates,
or else he is sadly fooled.
lie was requested to write upon small
slips Of paper the names of departed friends
and any message he might desire to convey
to them and fold them up, neither the me
dium nor any visible confederate being able
to see either the writing or the names. the
medium meanwhile being seated on the OPP
positc side of an ordinary table. This he did
The medium then took hold of the states
and proceeded to wash them
again in clear water. merely giving them a
superficial rubbing which certainly did not
last ten seconds. and during which time
alone was il possible to apply any chemical
preparation tO them. Then. with request
10 tic his handkerchief around the states, the
medium passed them To the reporter. first
placing a minute particle of slate
lid So. and scarcely had he seized
the states when Il scratching noise
such US is produced 10y writing on u slate
was heard. This continued some five
| minutes, when the medium Informed the
| rtpuitC that lie wa, AT liberty to unite the
| the states AMI look on the inside of them.
! llis astOnishmCnt and amazcment can only
| hC appreciated when an examination of the
| >lGtc- j. made. which are on exhibition in
~ y nf h,
two Slatcs are covered with what purpOrt
20 hc messages from the dead in different
| handwriting. three of them being character
| isliC Of the persons from whom they pur-
port to have been received. The fourth
one. however. Is an anchor to which the re-
| porter pins his continued belief in the faith
| Of hi fathers, for the prOfCsscd writer Is vet
| in the land of the living as far as the scribe
| knows, he having unwittingly used the
name instead Of that of his brother, who
died somc years ago, both being acquaint-
| aICcs. Whatever force was used trickcry
| or psychic. udic, CSotcric, or spirit force
| the wonderful pcmmanship remains II
| puzzle To all who have examined
It. there being over two hundred
words, written in four handwritngs, each
being positively d iTercnt, the detail and
finish Of which being such as to challenge
admiration if pre- duccd by trick, and u
belief in supernatural agencies returned ia
the earth ii Il reasonable doubt was not
caused by the fourth handwriting.
II appears that there is in existence two
| spirtuaistic societies in the city, in both OF
which philosophical spirituaIism is taught
and phenomenal spiritualism exhibited, tht
first holding forth at Seventh and l. street,
northwest tie other in sundry priyat,
dwellings.
To the exclusive one nobody H. admitted
| save known and trusted friends, aud in II,
mystic circles many of the brightest mcl
and women of the capital are includcd--al
| dcvOut believers.
public avOWal of their belief would Sc
the very nation 10y the ears but their secre
is icaluusly guarded. Mr.. kceler is til,
| high priest of both societies, and to his al
| most supernatural abilities is attributed tn
sudden impetus received by the cause tn
last few mcntlS. II is noticeable that man,
people prominent in church life aud Othc
| rCIam movement, are investigators whil
not few have abandoned their Orthodo!
| belief to pursue the beautiful phlusOph,
taught by spirituali.s.
These people have reasonable cHplana
tiun Of such exposes u are furnished in tn
| Dis DChar and similar cases by the assertion
that INSCRIPTIONS people Cndcavor to cy
| tort money hy protesting either Ia posses
power, they lack. or. in the ease of croUkc,
mediums, they are not satisfied to obey til
luhcst Of their guiding spirit and give Onl
occasional soenccS. but resort to trickcr
and deceit to hcighten their natural gifts,
Mr. kcrlcr is Il picasant-faccd young ma
Of 3b. originally student for the ministry
who prulc>sostu be under Tie guidance (
George hri,ty. the Od-timc minstrel, an
say, his power, are comparatively limitct